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.
Rāma having said this, Lakshmana, the slayer of enemies, burning in his native effulgence, said: — “O foremost of kings, this ancient account of the ascetic Vasishtha and the king Nimi is highly surprising and wonderful. But Nimi is a Kshatriya king and a hero—besides although initiated he did not forgive the high-souled Vasishtha.” Being thus accosted Rāma, the Kshatriya-chief, said to the effulgent Lakshmana conversant with all Sastras— “O hero, forgiveness is not to be seen in all men. O Sauinitri, do thou hear attentively, the unbearable anger which was forgiven by the king Yayāti resorting to the quality of goodness. Yayāti, the enhancer or the prosperity of cities, was the son of Nahusha. He had two beautiful wives, one of whom was Sarmishthā, grand daughter of Aditi, the daughter of Brishaparva. She was the more beloved of the two; his other spouse was Devajāni, grand daughter of Usanas. She was not liked by her husband. Both of them gave birth to a son each and both the sons were beautiful and attentive. Puru was born of Sarmishtha and Yadu of Devajāni. Puru was the favourite son of the king, both on account of his mother and of his personal graces. Thereat Yadu, greatly sorry, said to his mother: — ‘Born in the race of the illustrious Vargava of unwearied actions, thou art going through mental afflictions and unbearable insults; therefore, O mother, let us both enter into fire. Let the king spend many nights with Sarmishthā—the daughter of a demon. Thou mayst withstand the insults but I shall never brooke them. Permit me, I shall, in sooth, renounce my life.’ The son having, weepingly and distressingly, said this, Devajāni was greatly enraged and thought of her father. As soon as he was thought of by his daughter Vargava speedily came there and beholding her senseless and deprived from joy said ‘Daughter, what is the matter?’ The effulgent father having addressed his daughter repeatedly in this wise, Devajāni, enraged, replied: — ‘O foremost of ascetics, I shall either enter into fire, water, or drink poison—by no means I shall preserve this life of mine. Thou dost not know of the miseries and insults I have been subject to. Brahman, when a tree is neglected, those who live thereon are also distressed. The king having disregarded me, forsooth thou hast also been neglected.’ Hearing the words of his daughter, Vargava, enraged said to the king Yayāti ‘Thou art vicious-minded, O son of Nahusha; thou hast dishonored me and therefore in thy youth thou shalt be subject to decrepitude and infirmities of age.’ Having thus imprecated the curse and consoled his sorrowful daughter the highly illustrious rishi Vargava repaired to his own habitation. Having thus conferred solace unto his daughter, that leading Brahman, effulgent as the sun, returned therefrom.”