Hearing this wonderful and heavenly theme Lakshmana was highly gratified
and said to Rāma "O Kākuthstha, how did that twice-born one worshipped
by the celestials and the king regain their bodies, after being
bodiless?" Hearing the words of Lakshmana, Rāma, having truth for his
prowess, began to relate the story of Vasishtha. "O foremost of Raghus,
there sprang up two foremost Brahmin saints, from the vital energy
discharged by the high-souled Mitra and Varuna into the pot. At first
therefrom rose up the illustrious Rishi Agastya and saying ’I am not
thine son’ went away leaving Mitra. Before the vital energy of Varuna
was thrown into the pot Mitra discharged his own on Urvasi’s account
which was the source of Agastya’s birth. Into the pot in which Mitra’s
energy was discharged Varuna also put his own, and both the energies
were mixed up. Thereupon after some time from the energies of both Mitra
and Varuna sprang up the effulgent Vasishtha—the priest of Ikshwāku. O
gentle one, the highly effulgent Ikshwāku appointed that blameless Rishi
as the priest of out family as soon as he was born. I have thus
described to you the story of Vasishtha’s birth possessing a wonderful
body. Hear now what befell the king Nimi. And beholding the king Nimi
bodiless the intelligent Rishi initiated him into the rites of
sacrifice. And those leading twice-born ones, with assembled citizens
and servants, began to protect that body with unguents, garlands and
clothes. Thereupon at the end of the sacrifice Vrigu said ’O king, I am
propitiated with thee; I shall restore thee to senses.’ Thereupon the
celestials, highly pleased, addressed the consciousness of Nimi saying
’O royal saint, do thou accept boons; where shall we place thy
consciousness?’ Thereupon being addressed by the celestials the
consciousness said ’I may live in the eyes of the celestials.’ They
agreed to it and said ’O lord of earth, for thee, their eyes shall be
influenced within a moment, The exhaustion that their eyes shall
experience on account of thy moving about as the air, shall be removed
within this moment.’ Having said this the celestials repaired to their
respective quarters and the high-souled Rishis having conveyed Nimi’s
body to the sacrificial ground and dedicated it as an eddy began to
churn it with great energy accompanied by incantations. They being thus
engaged in churning the eddy for the purpose of having a son of Nimi
there sprang up a son of devout austerities. He was called Mithi for he
originated from _Manthana_; he was called Janma for his having sprung up
from _Janan_ and _Vaideha_ from having been born from Videha. In this
wise Janaka, the first king of Videhas, was born. His other name was
Mithi and his family were celebrated as Maithilas. O gentle one, I have
thus related unto thee the wondrous births, in consequence of the curse,
of the great ascetic Vasishtha and the royal saint Nimi."