(Chaitraratha Parva continued)
"'The Gandharva continued, "Beholding his asylum bereft of his children,
the Muni afflicted with great grief left it again. And in course of his
wandering he saw, O Partha, a river swollen with the waters of the rainy
season, sweeping away numberless trees and plants that had grown on its
margin. Beholding this, O thou of Kuru's race, the distressed Muni
thinking that he would certainly be drowned if he fell into the waters of
that river, he tied himself strongly with several cords and flung himself,
under the influence of grief, into the current of that mighty stream. But,
O slayer of foes, that stream soon cut those cords and cast the Rishi
ashore. And the Rishi rose from the bank, freed from the cords with which
he had tied himself. And because his cords were thus broken off by the
violence of the current, the Rishi called the stream by the name of Vipasa
(the cord-breaker). For his grief the Muni could not, from that time, stay
in one place; he began to wander over mountains and along rivers and lakes.
And beholding once again a river named Haimavati (flowing from Himavat) of
terrible aspect and full of fierce crocodiles and other (aquatic) monsters,
the Rishi threw himself into it, but the river mistaking the Brahmana for
a mass of (unquenchable) fire, immediately flew in a hundred different
directions, and hath been known ever since by the name of the Satadru (the
river of a hundred courses). Seeing himself on the dry land even there he
exclaimed, 'O, I cannot die by my own hands!' Saying this, the Rishi once
more bent his steps towards his asylum. Crossing numberless mountains and
countries, as he was about to re-enter his asylum, he was followed by his
daughter-in-law named Adrisyanti. As she neared him, he heard the sound
from behind of a very intelligent recitation of the Vedas with the six
graces of elocution. Hearing that sound, the Rishi asked, 'Who is it that
followeth me?' His daughter-in-law then answered, 'I am Adrisyanti, the
wife of Saktri. I am helpless, though devoted to asceticism.' Hearing her,
Vasishtha said, 'O daughter, whose is this voice that I heard, repeating
the Vedas along with the Angas like unto the voice of Saktri reciting the
Vedas with the Angas?' Adrisyanti answered, 'I bear in my womb a child by
thy son Saktri. He hath been here full twelve years. The voice thou
hearest is that of the Muni, who is reciting the Vedas.'"
"'The Gandharva continued, "Thus addressed by her the illustrious Vasishtha
became exceedingly glad. And saying, 'O, there is a child (of my race)!'--
he refrained, O Partha, from self-destruction. The sinless one accompanied
by his daughter-in-law, then returned to his asylum. And the Rishi saw one
day in the solitary woods (the Rakshasa) Kalmashapada. The king, O Bharata,
possessed by fierce Rakshasa, as he saw the Rishi, became filled with
wrath and rose up, desiring to devour him. And Adrisyanti beholding before
her that the Rakshasa of cruel deeds, addressed Vasishtha in these words,
full of anxiety and fear, 'O illustrious one, the cruel Rakshasa, like
unto Death himself armed with (his) fierce club, cometh towards us with a
wooden club in hand! There is none else on earth, except thee, O
illustrious one, and, O foremost of all that are conversant with the Vedas
to restrain him today. Protect me, O illustrious one, from this cruel
wretch of terrible mien. Surely, the Rakshasa cometh hither to devour us!'
Vasishtha, hearing this, said, 'Fear not, O daughter, there is no need of
any fear from any Rakshasa. This one is no Rakshasa from whom thou
apprehendest such imminent danger. This is king Kalmashapada endued with
great energy and celebrated on earth. That terrible man dwelleth in these
woods.'"
"'The Gandharva continued, "Beholding him advancing, the illustrious Rishi
Vasishtha, endued with great energy, restrained him, O Bharata, by
uttering the sound Hum. Sprinkling him again with water sanctified with
incantations the Rishi freed the monarch from that terrible curse. For
twelve years the monarch had been overwhelmed by the energy of Vasishtha's
son like Surya seized by the planet (Rahu) during the season of an eclipse.
Freed from the Rakshasa the monarch illumined that large forest by his
splendour like the sun illumining the evening clouds. Recovering his power
of reason, the king saluted that best of Rishis with joined palms and said,
'O illustrious one, I am the son of Sudasa and thy disciple, O best of
Munis! O, tell me what is thy pleasure and what I am to do.' Vasishtha
replied, saying, 'My desire hath already been accomplished. Return now to
thy kingdom and rule thy subjects. And, O chief of men, never insult
Brahmanas any more.' The monarch replied, 'O illustrious one, I shall
never more insult superior Brahmanas. In obedience to thy command I shall
always worship Brahmanas. But, O best of Brahmanas, I desire to obtain
from thee that by which, O foremost of all that are conversant with the
Vedas, I may be freed from the debt I owe to the race of Ikshvaku! O best
of men, it behoveth thee to grant me, for the perpetuation of Ikshvaku's
race, a desirable son possessing beauty and accomplishments and good
behaviour.'"
"'The Gandharva continued, "Thus addressed, Vasishtha, that best of
Brahmanas devoted to truth replied unto that mighty bowman of a monarch,
saying, 'I will give you.' After some time, O prince of men, Vasishtha,
accompanied by the monarch, went to the latter's capital known all over
the earth by the name of Ayodhya. The citizens in great joy came out to
receive the sinless and illustrious one, like the dwellers in heaven
coming out to receive their chief. The monarch, accompanied by Vasishtha,
re-entered his auspicious capital after a long time. The citizens of
Ayodhya beheld their king accompanied by his priest, as if he were the
rising sun. The monarch who was superior to everyone in beauty filled by
his splendour the whole town of Ayodhya, like the autumnal moon filling by
his splendour the whole firmament. And the excellent city itself, in
consequence of its streets having been watered and swept, and of the rows
of banners and pendants beautifying it all around, gladdened the monarch's
heart. And, O prince of Kuru's race, the city filled as it was with joyous
and healthy souls, in consequence of his presence, looked gay like
Amaravati with the presence of the chief of the celestials. After the
royal sage had entered his capital, the queen, at the king's command,
approached Vasishtha. The great Rishi, making a covenant with her, united
himself with her according to the high ordinance. And after a little while,
when the queen conceived, that best of Rishis, receiving the reverential
salutations of the king, went back to his asylum. The queen bore the
embryo in her womb for a long time. When she saw that she did not bring
forth anything, she tore open her womb by a piece of stone. It was then
that at the twelfth year (of the conception) was born Asmaka, that bull
amongst men, that royal sage who founded (the city of) Paudanya."'"