Vasishthopakyana: The story of Vasishtha

There was, in Kanyakubja, a great king of worldwide fame named Gadhi, the son of Kusika. The virtuous Gadhi had a son named Viswamitra, that grinder of foes, possessing a large army and many animals and vehicles. Viswamitra, accompanied by his ministers, used to roam in quest of deer through the deep woods killing deer and wild boars. Once on a time, while out in quest of deer, the king became weak with exertion and thirst. The monarch arrived in that state at the Ashrama of Vasishtha, and the blessed and illustrious Rishi beholding him arrive, reverenced with his homage that best of men, king Viswamitra. The Rishi saluted the monarch by offering him water to wash his face and feet with, and Arghya, and wild fruits, and clarified butter. For the illustrious Rishi had a cow yielding anything that was desired of her. When she was addressed, saying, “O give,” she always yielded the article that was sought. She yielded various fruits and corn, wild or grown in gardens and fields, and milk, and many excellent nutritive viands full of six different kinds of juice and like unto nectar itself, and various other kinds of enjoyable things, of ambrosial taste for drinking and eating, and for licking and sucking, and also many precious gems and robes of various kinds. With these desirable objects in profusion the monarch was worshipped. The king with his minister and troops became highly pleased. The monarch wondered much, beholding that cow with six elevated limbs and the beautiful flanks and hips, and five limbs that were broad, and eyes prominent like those of the frog and beautiful in size, and high udders, and faultless make, and straight and uplifted ears, and handsome horns, and well-developed head and neck.

The son of Gadhi, gratified with everything and applauding the cow named Nandini, addressed the Rishi, saying, “O Brahmana, O great Muni, give me your Nandini in exchange for ten thousand kine, or my kingdom. Enjoy you my kingdom.”

Hearing these words of Viswamitra, Vasishtha said, “O sinless one, this cow has been kept by me for the sake of the gods, guests, and the Pitris, as also for my sacrifices. I cannot give Nandini in exchange for even your kingdom.” Viswamitra replied, “I am a Kshatriya, but you are a Brahmana devoted to asceticism and study. Is there any energy in Brahmanas who are peaceful and who have their souls under perfect command? When you give me not what I desire in exchange even for ten thousand cows, I will not abandon the practice of my order; I will take your cow even by force!”

Vasishtha said, “You are a Kshatriya endued with might of arms. You are a powerful monarch. Do in haste what you desire; and stop not to consider its propriety.”

Thus addressed by Vasishtha, Viswamitra, then forcibly seized Nandini, that cow like the swan or the moon, and attempted to take her away, afflicting her with stripes and persecuting her otherwise. The innocent Nandini then began, to low piteously, and approaching the illustrious Vasishtha stood before him with uplifted face. Though persecuted very cruelly, she refused to leave the Rishi's Ashrama.

Beholding her in that plight, Vasishtha said, “O amiable one, you are lowing repeatedly and I am hearing your cries. But, O Nandini, even Viswamitra is taking you away by force, what can I do in this matter, as I am a forgiving Brahmana?”

Then, Nandini, alarmed at the sight of Viswamitra's troops and terrified by Viswamitra himself, approached the Rishi still closer, and said, “O illustrious one, why are you so indifferent to my poor self afflicted with the stripes of the cruel troops of Viswamitra and crying so piteously as if I were master less?” Hearing these words of the crying and persecuted Nandini, the great Rishi lost not his patience nor turned from his vow of forgiveness. He replied, “The Kshatriya's might lies in physical strength, the Brahmana's in forgiveness. Because I cannot give up forgiveness, go you, O Nandini, if you choose.” Nandini answered, “Cast you me away, O illustrious one, that you say so? If you do not cast me off, I cannot, O Brahmana, be taken away by force.” Vasishtha said, “O blessed one, I do not cast you off! Stay if you can! O, yonder is your calf, tied with a stout cord, and even now being weakened by it!”

Then the cow of Vasishtha, hearing the word stay, raised her head and neck upward, and became terrible to behold. With eyes red with rage and lowing repeatedly, she then attacked Viswamitra's troops on all sides. Afflicted with their stripes and running here and there with those red eyes of hers, her wrath increased. Blazing with rage, she soon became terrible to behold like unto the sun in his midday glory. And from her tail she began to rain showers of burning coals all around. Some moments after, from her tail she brought forth an army of Palhavas, and from her udders, an army of Dravidas and Sakas; and from her womb, an army of Yavanas, and from her dung, an army of Sabaras; and from her urine, an army of Kanchis; and from her sides, an army of Sabaras. From the froth of her mouth came out hosts of Paundras and Kiratas, Yavanas and Sinhalas, and the barbarous tribes of Khasas and Chivukas and Pulindas and Chinas and Hunas with Keralas, and numerous other Mlechchhas. That vast army of Mlechchhas in various uniforms, and armed with various weapons, as soon as it sprang into life, deploying in the very sight of Viswamitra, attacked that monarch's soldiers. So numerous was that Mlechchha host that each particular soldier of Viswamitra was attacked by a band of six or seven of their enemies. Assailed with a mighty shower of weapons, Viswamitra's troops broke and fled, panic-stricken, in all directions, before his very eyes. But, the troops of Vasishtha, though excited with wrath, took not the life of any of Viswamitra's troops. Nandini simply caused the monarch's army to be routed and driven off. Driven from the Ashrama, twenty-seven full miles, panic-stricken, they shrieked aloud and beheld not anyone that could protect them. Viswamitra, beholding this wonderful feat that resulted from Brahmana prowess, became disgusted with Kshatriya prowess and said, “O, fie on Kshatriya prowess! Brahmana prowess is true prowess! In judging of strength and weakness, I see that asceticism is true strength.” Saying this, the monarch, abandoning his large domains and regal splendour and turning his back upon all pleasures, set his mind on asceticism. Crowned with success in asceticism and filling the three worlds with the heat of his ascetic penances, he afflicted all creatures and finally became a Brahmana. The son of Kusika at last drank Soma with Indra himself.

There was 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. 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 the illustrious son of Vasishtha, coming along the same path. The king ever victorious in battle saw that Muni bearing the name of Sakti, 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 Dharma, 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, the son of Vasishtha, was deprived of his senses by anger, and speedily cursed that first of monarchs, saying, “O worst of kings, since you persecute like a Rakshasa an ascetic, you shall from this day, became a Rakshasa subsisting on human flesh! Hence, you worst of kings! you shall 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. That Rishi of severe ascetic penances, 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. 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 Sakti, desiring to propitiate the Rishi began to humbly beseech him. 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. A Rakshasa of the name of Kinkara then entered the monarch's body in obedience to Sakti's curse and Viswamitra's command. And knowing that the Rakshasa had possessed himself of the monarch, Viswamitra, then left the spot and went away.

Shortly after, 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, answered the Brahmana, saying, “Stay you here, O Brahmana for a moment. On my return, I will give you whatever food you desire.” 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. He commanded him, saying, “Go you to that forest. A Brahmana waits for me in the hope of food. Go and entertain him with food and meat.”

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 executioners were, and from there 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 offered me food that is unholy and unworthy of being taken, therefore that wretch shall have himself a fondness for such food. Becoming fond of human flesh as cursed by Sakti 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, that best of monarchs, deprived of all his senses by the Rakshasa within him, beholding Sakti who had cursed him, said, “Because you have pronounced on me this extraordinary curse, therefore, I shall begin my life of cannibalism by devouring you.” Having said this, the king immediately slew Sakti and ate him up, like a tiger eating the animal it was fond of. Beholding Sakti thus slain and devoured, Viswamitra repeatedly urged that Rakshasa 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 Sakti 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. 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. 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 Ashrama.

Beholding his Ashrama bereft of his children, the Muni afflicted with great grief left it again. In course of his wandering he saw, a river swollen with the waters of the rainy season, sweeping away numberless trees and plants that had grown on its margin. Beholding this, 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, that stream soon cut those cords and cast the Rishi ashore. The Rishi rose from the bank, freed from the cords with which he had tied himself. 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. Beholding once again a river named Haimavati 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 fire, immediately flew in a hundred different directions, and has 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 Ashrama. Crossing numberless mountains and countries, as he was about to re-enter his Ashrama, 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 follows me?” His daughter-in-law then answered, “I am Adrisyanti, the wife of Sakti. 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 Sakti reciting the Vedas with the Angas?” Adrisyanti answered, “I bear in my womb a child by your son Sakti. He has been here full twelve years. The voice you hear is that of the Muni, who is reciting the Vedas.”

Thus addressed by her the illustrious Vasishtha became exceedingly glad. Saying, “O, there is a child!”--he refrained from self-destruction. The sinless one accompanied by his daughter-in-law, then returned to his Ashrama. The Rishi saw one day in the solitary woods Kalmashapada. The king, possessed by fierce Rakshasa, as he saw the Rishi, became filled with wrath and rose up, desiring to devour him. 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 fierce club, comes towards us with a wooden club in hand! There is none else on earth, except you to restrain him today. Protect me, from this cruel wretch of terrible mien. Surely, the Rakshasa comes here 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 you apprehend such imminent danger. This is king Kalmashapada endued with great energy and celebrated on earth. That terrible man dwells in these woods.”

“Beholding him advancing, the illustrious Rishi Vasishtha, endued with great energy, restrained him, 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 your disciple, O best of Munis! Tell me what is your pleasure and what I am to do.” Vasishtha replied, saying, “My desire has already been accomplished. Return now to your kingdom and rule your 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 your command I shall always worship Brahmanas. But, I desire to obtain from you that by which, I may be freed from the debt I owe to the race of Ikshvaku! It beholds you to grant me, for the perpetuation of Ikshvaku's race, a desirable son possessing beauty and accomplishments and good behaviour.”

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, 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. 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. 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. After a little while, when the queen conceived, that best of Rishis, receiving the reverential salutations of the king, went back to his Ashrama. 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 Pandya.

Brought under the influence of the curse, king Kalmashapada, with eyes whirling in anger went out of his capital accompanied by his wife. Entering with his wife the solitary woods the king began to wander about. And one day while the king under the influence of the curse was wandering through that forest abounding in several kinds of deer and various other animals and overgrown with numerous large trees and shrubs and creepers and resounding with terrible cries, he became exceedingly hungry. The monarch thereupon began to search for some food. Pinched with hunger, the king at last saw, in a very solitary part of the woods, a Brahmana and his wife enjoying each other. Alarmed at beholding the monarch the couple ran away, their desire ungratified. Pursuing the retreating pair, the king forcibly seized the Brahmana. Then the Brahmani, beholding her lord seized, addressed the monarch, saying, “Listen to what I say, O monarch! It is known all over the world that you are born in the solar race, and that you are ever vigilant in the practice of morality and devoted to the service of your superiors. It beholds you not to commit sin, deprived though you have been of your senses by the Rishi's curse. My season has come, and wishful of my husband's company I was connected with him. I have not been gratified yet. Be propitious unto us! Liberate my husband.” The monarch, however, without listening to her cries cruelly devoured her husband like a tiger devouring its desirable prey. Possessed with wrath at this sight, the tears that that woman shed blazed up like fire and consumed everything in that place. Afflicted with grief at the calamity that overtook her lord, the Brahmani in anger cursed the royal sage Kalmashapada, “Vile wretch, since you has today cruelly devoured under my very nose my illustrious husband dear unto me, even before my desires have been gratified, therefore shall you, O wicked one afflicted by my curse, meet with instant death when you go in for your wife in season. And your wife, O wretch, shall bring forth a son uniting herself with that Rishi Vasishtha whose children have been devoured by you. And that child, O worst of kings, shall be the perpetuator of your race.” Cursing the monarch thus, that lady of Angira's house bearing every auspicious mark, entered the blazing fire in the very sight of the monarch. The illustrious and exalted Vasishtha by his ascetic power and spiritual insight immediately knew all. And long after this, when the king became freed from his curse, he approached his wife Madayanati when her season came. But Madayanati softly sent him away. Under the influence of passion the monarch had no recollection of that curse. Hearing, however, the words of his wife, the best of kings became terribly alarmed. Recollecting the curse he repented bitterly of what he had done. It was for this reason, that the monarch infected with the Brahmani's curse, appointed Vasishtha to beget a son upon his queen.

Then, Adrisyanti, who had been residing in Vasishtha's Ashrama, brought forth a son who was the perpetuator of Sakti's race and who was a second Sakti in everything. The illustrious Vasishtha himself performed the usual after-birth ceremonies of his grandson. Because the Rishi Vasishtha had resolved on self-destruction but had abstained therefrom as soon as he knew of the existence of that child, that child, when born, was called Parasara (the vivifier of the dead). The virtuous Parasara, from the day of his birth, knew Vasishtha for his father and behaved towards the Muni as such. One day, the child addressed Vasishtha, that first of Brahmana sages, as father, in the presence of his mother Adrisyanti. Adrisyanti, hearing the very intelligible sound father sweetly uttered by her son, addressed him with tearful eyes and said, “O child, do not address this your grandfather as father? Your father, O son, has been devoured by a Rakshasa in a different forest. O innocent one, he is not your father whom you regard so. The revered one is the father of that celebrated father of thine.” Thus addressed by his mother that best of Rishis of truthful speech, gave way to sorrow, but soon fired up and resolved to destroy the whole creation. Then that illustrious and great ascetic Vasishtha, that foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, that son of Mitravaruna, that Rishi acquainted with positive truth, addressed his grandson who had set his heart upon the destruction of the world. “Blest be you! It beholds not you, to destroy the worlds. O you Parasara, who are acquainted with the higher regions, you foremost of wise men!”

The Brahmana sage Parasara thus addressed by the illustrious Vasishtha restrained his wrath from destroying the worlds. But the Rishi Parasara endued with great energy--the son of Sakti--the foremost of all persons acquainted with the Vedas—performed a grand Rakshasa sacrifice. Remembering the slaughter of his father Sakti, the great Muni began to consume the Rakshasas, young and old, in the sacrifice he performed. Vasishtha did not restrain him from this slaughter of the Rakshasa, from the determination of not obstructing this second vow (of his grandson). In that sacrifice the great Muni Parasara sat before three blazing fires, himself like unto a fourth fire. The son of Sakti, like the Sun just emerging from the clouds, illuminated the whole firmament by that stainless sacrifice of his into which large were the libations poured of clarified butter. Then Vasishtha and the other Rishis regarded that Muni blazing with his own energy as if he were the second Sun. Then the great Rishi Atri of liberal soul desirous of ending that sacrifice, an achievement highly difficult for others,--came to that place. There also came Pulastya and Pulaha, and Kratu the performer of many great sacrifices, all influenced by the desire of saving the Rakshasas. Pulastya then, seeing that many Rakshasas had already been slain, told these words unto Parasara that oppressor of all enemies:

“There is no obstruction, I hope, to this sacrifice of yours, O child! Take you any pleasure, in this slaughter of even all those innocent Rakshasas that know nothing of your father's death. It beholds you not to destroy any creatures thus. This is not the occupation of a Brahmana devoted to asceticism. Peace is the highest virtue. Therefore, O Parasara, establish you peace. How have you, being so superior, engaged yourself in such a sinful practice? It beholds not you to transgress against Sakti himself who was well-acquainted with all rules of morality. It beholds not you to extirpate any creatures. O descendant of Vasishtha's race, that which befell your father was brought about by his own curse. It was for his own fault that Sakti was taken hence unto heaven. O Muni, no Rakshasa was capable of devouring Sakti; he himself provided for his own death. And, O Parasara, Viswamitra was only a blind instrument in that matter. Both Sakti and Kalmashapada, having ascended to heaven are enjoying great happiness. The other sons also of the great Rishi Vasishtha who were younger than Sakti, are even now enjoying themselves with the celestials. O child, you have also been, in this sacrifice, only an instrument in the destruction of these innocent Rakshasas. Blessed be you! Abandon this sacrifice of yours. Let it come to an end.”

Thus addressed by Pulastya, as also by the intelligent Vasishtha, that mighty Muni--the son of Sakti then brought that sacrifice to an end. The Rishi cast the fire that he had ignited for the purpose of the Rakshasas' sacrifice into the deep woods on the north of the Himavat. That fire may be seen to this day consuming Rakshasas and trees and stones in all seasons.