"I have thus given unto thee an account of the curse imprecated on
Nriga. Listen, if dost thou wish to hear of any other theme." Rāma
having said this Lakshmana replied:—"I am not satiated with the account
of those wonderful stories, O king." Hearing the reply of Laksmana,
Rāma, the descendant of Ikshwāku, began again with themes instinct with
morality:—"There lived a highly pious and powerful king by the name of
Nimi. He was the twelfth of Ikshwāku’s sons. That powerful king made a
picturesque city like that of the celestials near the hermitage of
Gautama. The name of that beautiful city was Vaijayanta and the highly
illustrious royal saint used to live there. Having thus reared a highly
picturesque city he thought of worshipping the deity by celebrating a
sacrifice for the satisfaction of his sire. Having thus resolved and
invited his sire Ikshwāku the son of Manu, he first welcomed the
celestial saint. Nimi the descendant of Ikshwāku, then welcomed the
saints Atri, Angiras and Vrigu having asceticism for their wealth.
Thereupon Vasishtha said to Nimi, the foremost of royal saints—’I have
already been engaged by Indra. Do thou therefore wait as long as his
sacrifice is not finished there.’ After the departure of Vasishtha the
great Gautama engaged in the satisfaction of Vasistha’s duties. And the
high-souled Vasishtha too engaged in Indra’s sacrifice. On the other
hand having united all the Brahmans the great king began to celebrate
the sacrifice extending over five thousand years near his city by the
side of the Himalaya. Thereupon having finished the sacrifice of Indra
there came to the King, the blameless and the illustrious Rishi
Vashishtha. Finding Gautama engaged in his room he was exceedingly
enraged. Thereupon he waited there for some time to see the King. On
that day the royal saint Nimi was deeply asleep. And not beholding the
King the high-souled Vasishtha was greatly angry and said:—’Since thou
hast, O King, engaged another neglecting me, thy body shall remain
senseless.’ Thereupon hearing the curse of Vasishtha, the king got up.
There beside himself with ire he said—’I was unconscious in sleep—still
soiled with anger thou hast hurled the fiery curse against me like the
second rod of Yama. Therefore, O ascetic, thy person shall remain
senseless for a long time.’ That king and the ascetic having thus
imprecated one another under the influence of anger, they immediately
were deprived of their bodies."