Arjuna said: -
1. Why did the king Kalmashapada command his to do to his preceptor, that foremost of all men learned in the Vedas?
2. Why did that great and illustrious Rishi Vasishtha, knowing as he knew all the great precepts of religion, went to a woman to whom he should not go?
3. O friend, was this an act of sin on the part of Vasishtha? I ask, you should remove my these doubts.
The Gandharva said: -
4. O Dhananjaya, O irrepressible hero, listen to me as I answer the question you have asked me in respect of Vasishtha and that chastiser of foes the king (Kalmashapada).
5. O best of the Bharata race, I have told you how the king Kalmashapada was cursed by Shakti, the illustrious son of Vasishtha.
6. Thus coming under the influence of that curse, that chastiser of foes, the king with his eyes whirling in anger came out of the city with his wife.
7-8. Going to a solitary forest, he roamed with his wife. He roamed under the influence of the cures in the terribly resounding forest, abounding in various beasts and other animals, overgrown with numerous plants and creepers and bill of many large trees.
9. One day becoming very much oppressed with exceeding hunger, he searched for some food. He saw in a certain solitary wood.
10. A Brahmana and a Brahmani engaged in sexual intercourse. Seeing him they fled away in fear, their desire being unfulfilled.
11. Pursuing them the king seized the Brahmana by force. Seeing her husband thus seized, the Brahmani said,
12. “O king of excellent vows, listen to what I say; it is known all over the world that you are bom in the solar dynasty.
13. You are always steadily engaged in Performing virtuous acts, you are ever engaged in serving your superiors; O irresistible hero, though you are deprived of your senses by the curse, you should not commit sin.
14. On my season’s coming, I was united with my husband in order to get offspring; but I have not been successful.
15-16. O best of kings, be propitious to me, liberate my husband.” While she was thus crying, the king like a cruel wretch devoured her husband as a lion devours a deer. The tears that fell from eyes on the ground on account of her anger.
17. Blayed up like a fire and consumed every thing in that place. Then afflicted with the death of her husband.
18-20. The Brahmani cursed the royal sage Kalmashapada in anger. “O wretch, because you have to day cruelly devoured in my very sight my illustrious and beloved husband when I was not gratified, therefore you shall by my curse meet with an instant death when you will unite yourself with your wife in season. That Rishi Vasishtha, whose son you have devoured.
21. Will unite himself with your wife to beget a son . O worst of kings, that son will be the perpetuator of your race.”
22. Having thus cursed him, that blessed lady of the Angirasa race entered the blazing fire in his very presence.
23O chastiser of foes, the illustrious Vasishtha immediately know all this by his great asceticism and spiritual sight.
24. After a long time the royal sage (Kalmashapada) became freed from the curse. And (then one day) he went to his wife Madayanti in her season, but she prevented him.
25. Maddened by desire, the king had no recollection of the curse. Hearing the words of the lady (his wife), that best of kings become very much alarmed.
26. O best of kings, recollecting the curse, he was very sorry for what he had done. It was for this reason and on account of the Brahmani’s curse the king appointed Vasishtha to beget a son on his wife.
Thus ends the hundred and eithty fourth chapter, the history of Vashistha, in the Chaitraratha of the Adi Parva.