(Chaitraratha Parva continued)
"'The Gandharva continued, "There was, O Partha, a king in this world,
named Kalmashapada, who was of the race of Ikshvaku and was unequalled on
earth for prowess. One day the king went from his capital into the woods
for purposes of hunting, and this grinder of foes pierced (with his
arrows) many deer and wild boars. And in those deep woods the king also
slew many rhinoceroses. Engaged in sport for some length of time, the
monarch became very much fatigued and at last he gave up the chase,
desiring to rest awhile.
"'"The great Viswamitra, endued with energy, had, a little while ago,
desired to make that monarch his disciple. As the monarch, afflicted with
hunger and thirst, was proceeding through the woods, he came across that
best of Rishis, the illustrious son of Vasishtha, coming along the same
path. The king ever victorious in battle saw that Muni bearing the name of
Saktri, that illustrious propagator of Vasishtha's race, the eldest of the
high-souled Vasishtha's hundred sons, coming along from opposite direction.
The king, beholding him said, 'Stand out of our way.' The Rishi,
addressing the monarch in a conciliatory manner, said unto him sweetly, 'O
king, this is my way. This is the eternal rule of morality indicated in
every treatise on duty and religion, viz., that a king should ever make
way for Brahmanas.' Thus did they address each other respecting their
right of way. 'Stand aside, stand aside', were the words they said unto
each other. The Rishi, who was in the right, did not yield, nor did the
king yield to him from pride and anger. That best of monarchs, enraged at
the Rishi, refusing to yield him the way, acted like a Rakshasa, striking
him with his whip. Thus whipped by the monarch, that best of Rishis, the
son of Vasishtha, was deprived of his senses by anger, and speedily cursed
that first of monarchs, saying, 'O worst of kings, since thou persecutest
like a Rakshasa an ascetic, thou shalt from this day, became a Rakshasa
subsisting on human flesh! Hence, thou worst of kings! thou shalt wander
over the earth, affecting human form!' Thus did the Rishi Sakti, endued
with great prowess, speak unto king Kalmashapada. At this time Viswamitra,
between whom and Vasishtha there was a dispute about the discipleship of
Kalmashapada, approached the place where that monarch and Vasishtha's son
were. And, O Partha, that Rishi of severe ascetic penances, viz.,
Viswamitra of great energy, approached the pair (knowing by his spiritual
insight that they had been thus quarrelling with each other). After the
curse had been pronounced, that best of monarchs knew that Rishi to be
Vasishtha's son and equal unto Vasishtha himself in energy. And, O Bharata,
Viswamitra, desirous of benefiting himself, remained on that spot,
concealed from the sight of both by making himself invisible. Then that
best of monarchs, thus cursed by Saktri, desiring to propitiate the Rishi
began to humbly beseech him. And, O chief of the Kurus, Viswamitra,
ascertaining the disposition of the king (and fearing that the difference
might be made up), ordered a Rakshasa to enter the body of the king. And a
Rakshasa of the name of Kinkara then entered the monarch's body in
obedience to Saktri's curse and Viswamitra's command. And knowing, O
chastiser of foes, that the Rakshasa had possessed himself of the monarch,
that best of Rishis, Viswamitra, then left the spot and went away.
"'"Shortly after, O Partha, the monarch, possessed by the Rakshasa and
terribly afflicted by him, lost all his senses. At this time a Brahmana
beheld the king in the woods. Afflicted with hunger, that Brahmana begged
of the king some food with meat. The royal sage, Kalmashapada, that
cherisher of friends, answered the Brahmana, saying, 'Stay thou here, O
Brahmana for a moment. On my return, I will give thee whatever food thou
desirest.' Having said this, the monarch went away, but the Brahmana
stayed on there. The high-minded king having roved for some time at
pleasure and according to his will, at last entered his inner apartment.
Thus waking at midnight and remembering his promise, he summoned his cook
and told him of his promise unto the Brahmana staying in the forest. And
he commanded him, saying, 'Hie thee to that forest. A Brahmana waiteth for
me in the hope of food. Go and entertain him with food and meat.'"
"'The Gandharva continued, "Thus commanded, the cook went out in search of
meat. Distressed at not having found any, he informed the king of his
failure. The monarch, however, possessed as he was by the Rakshasa,
repeatedly said, without scruple of any kind, 'Feed him with human flesh.'
The cook, saying, 'So be it,' went to the place where the (king's)
executioners were, and thence taking human flesh and washing and cooking
it duly and covering it with boiled rice offered it unto that hungry
Brahmana devoted to ascetic penances. But that best of Brahmanas, seeing
with his spiritual sight that the food was unholy and, therefore, unworthy
of being eaten, said these words with eyes red with anger, 'Because that
worst of kings offereth me food that is unholy and unworthy of being taken,
therefore that wretch shall have himself a fondness for such food. And
becoming fond of human flesh as cursed by Saktri of old, the wretch shall
wander over the earth, alarming and otherwise troubling all creatures.'
The curse, therefore, on that king, thus repeated a second time, became
very strong, and the king, possessed by a Rakshasa disposition, soon lost
all his senses.
"'"A little while after, O Bharata, that best of monarchs, deprived of all
his senses by the Rakshasa within him, beholding Saktri who had cursed him,
said, 'Because thou hast pronounced on me this extraordinary curse,
therefore, I shall begin my life of cannibalism by devouring thee.' Having
said this, the king immediately slew Saktri and ate him up, like a tiger
eating the animal it was fond of. Beholding Saktri thus slain and devoured,
Viswamitra repeatedly urged that Rakshasa (who was within the monarch)
against the other sons of Vasishtha. Like a wrathful lion devouring small
animals, that Rakshasa soon devoured the other sons of the illustrious
Vasishtha that were junior to Saktri in age. But Vasishtha, learning that
all his sons had been caused to be slain by Viswamitra, patiently bore his
grief like the great mountain that bears the earth. That best of Munis,
that foremost of intelligent men, was resolved rather to sacrifice his own
life than exterminate (in anger) the race of Kusikas. The illustrious
Rishi threw himself down from the summit of Meru, but he descended on the
stony ground as though on a heap of cotton. And, O son of Pandu, when the
illustrious one found that death did not result from that fall, he kindled
a huge fire in the forest and entered it with alacrity. But that fire,
though burning brightly, consumed him not. O slayer of foes, that blazing
fire seemed to him cool. Then the great Muni under the influence of grief,
beholding the sea, tied a stony weight to his neck and threw himself into
its waters. But the waves soon cast him ashore. At last when that Brahmana
of rigid vows succeeded not in killing himself by any means, he returned,
in distress of heart, to his asylum."'"