01.168
Library: King Kalmashapada is released from the curse
vasiṣṭha uvāca॥
Vasiṣṭha said.
mā bhaiḥ putri na bhetavyaṃ rakṣasaste kathaṃcana। naitad rakṣo bhayaṃ yasmāt paśyasi tvam upasthitam ॥1-168-1॥
Do not be afraid, my daughter; you have nothing to fear from this demon in any way. What you see before you is not a danger from the demon.
rājā kalmāṣapādo'yaṃ vīryavān prathito bhuvi। sa eṣo'smin vanoddeśe nivasaty atibhīṣaṇaḥ ॥1-168-2॥
This is King Kalmāṣapāda, powerful and renowned on earth; he, very terrifying, dwells in this forest region.
gandharva uvāca॥
The gandharva said.
tam āpatantaṃ samprekṣya vasiṣṭho bhagavān ṛṣiḥ। vārayām āsa tejasvī huṅkareṇaiva bhārata॥1-168-3॥
O Bhārata, seeing him approaching, the venerable sage Vasiṣṭha, powerful as he was, restrained him by a mere roar.
mantrapūtena ca punaḥ sa tam abhyukṣya vāriṇā। mokṣayāmāsa vai ghorād rākṣasād rājasattamam ॥1-168-4॥
Then, having sprinkled him again with water purified by mantra, he truly freed the best of kings from the dreadful demon.
sa hi dvādaśa varṣāṇi vasiṣṭhasyaiva tejasā। grasta āsīd gṛheṇeva parvakāle divākaraḥ॥1-168-5॥
For twelve years, he was completely subdued by the brilliance of Vasiṣṭha, just as the sun is hidden by a house during a festival.
rakṣasā vipramukto’tha sa nṛpas tad vanaṃ mahat। tejasā rañjayām āsa sandhyābhram iva bhāskaraḥ ॥1-168-6॥
Then, having been completely released from the demon, the king illuminated that great forest with his brilliance, just as the sun lights up the twilight clouds.
pratilabhya tataḥ sañjñām abhivādya kṛtāñjaliḥ। uvāca nṛpatiḥ kāle vasiṣṭham ṛṣisattamam ॥1-168-7॥
After receiving the message, the king, with joined palms, respectfully greeted and at the proper time spoke to Vasiṣṭha, the foremost of sages.
saudāso'ham mahābhāga yājyas te dvijasattama। asmin kāle yad iṣṭaṃ te brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te ॥1-168-8॥
I am Saudāsa, O greatly fortunate one, worthy of your sacrifice, O best of Brāhmaṇas. At this time, tell me whatever you desire—what shall I do for you?
vasiṣṭha uvāca॥
Vasiṣṭha said.
vṛttam etad yathā-kālaṃ gaccha rājyaṃ praśādhi tat | brāhmaṇāṃś ca manuṣyendra mā avamaṃsthāḥ kadācana ||1-168-9||
O king of men, proceed with this event at the proper time, govern the kingdom, and never despise the Brāhmaṇas at any time.
rājovāca॥
The king said.
nāvamaṁsyāmyahaṁ brahman kadācid brāhmaṇaṛṣabhān। tvannideśe sthitaḥ śaśvat pujayiṣyāmyahaṁ dvijān ॥1-168-10॥
O Brahman, I will never disrespect the foremost among Brāhmaṇas; always, remaining under your command, I will honor the twice-born.
ikṣvākūṇāṃ tu yenāham anṛṇaḥ syāṃ dvijottama। tattvattaḥ prāptum icchāmi varaṃ vedavidāṃ vara ॥1-168-11॥
O best of Brāhmaṇas, I wish to obtain from you that boon by which I may be free from debt to the Ikṣvāku-s, O foremost among the knowers of the Veda.
apatyāy-epsitāṃ mahyaṃ mahiṣīṃ gantum-arhasi | śīla-rūpa-guṇopetām ikṣvāku-kula-vṛddhaye ||1-168-12||
You are worthy to become my desired queen for the sake of progeny, endowed with character, beauty, and virtues, for the growth of the Ikshvaku dynasty.
gandharva uvāca॥
The gandharva said.
dadānītyeva taṃ tatra rājānaṃ pratyuvāca ha। vasiṣṭhaḥ parameṣvāsaṃ satyasaṃdho dvijottamaḥ ॥1-168-13॥
Vasiṣṭha, the supreme archer, truthful and best among the twice-born, replied to the king there, saying, "I shall give."
tataḥ pratiyayau kāle vasiṣṭhasahito' nagha। khyātaṃ puravaraṃ lokeṣvayodhyāṃ manujeśvaraḥ ॥1-168-14॥
Then, O sinless one, the lord of men, accompanied by Vasiṣṭha, set out at the appointed time for Ayodhyā, the renowned and excellent city among all the worlds.
taṃ prajāḥ pratīmodantyaḥ sarvāḥ pratyudyayus tadā। vipāpmānaṃ mahātmānaṃ divaukasa iveśvaram ॥1-168-15॥
All the subjects, rejoicing, then approached him—the sinless, great-souled one—like the dwellers of heaven approach their lord.
acirāts manuṣyendro nagarīṃ puṇyakarmaṇām। viveśa sahitas tena vasiṣṭhena mahātmanā ॥1-168-16॥
Soon after, the king entered the city of the virtuous, accompanied by the great sage Vasiṣṭha.
dadṛśus taṃ tato rājann ayodhyāvāsino janāḥ। puṣyeṇa sahitaṃ kāle divākaram ivoditam ॥1-168-17॥
O king, then the people of Ayodhya saw him, who had appeared at the auspicious time with Puṣya, like the rising sun.
sa hi tāṃ pūrayāmāsa lakṣmyā lakṣmīvatāṃ varaḥ। ayodhyāṃ vyoma śītāṃśuḥ śaratkāla iva uditaḥ॥1-168-18॥
He, the best among the prosperous, filled Ayodhya with prosperity, just as the cool-rayed moon rises in the sky during the autumn season.
saṃsiktamṛṣṭapanthānaṃ patākocchrayabhūṣitam। manaḥ prahlādayāmāsā tasya tatpuramuttamam ॥1-168-19॥
The path, which was sprinkled and cleaned and adorned with raised flags, delighted his mind; that excellent city brought him joy.
tuṣṭapuṣṭajanākīrṇā sā purī kurunandana। aśobhata tadā tena śakreṇevāmarāvatī ॥1-168-20॥
O Kurunandana, that city, crowded with contented and prosperous people, at that time shone by him just as Amaravati shines by Indra.
tataḥ praviṣṭe rājendre tasmin rājani tāṃ purīm। tasya rājño''jñayā devī vasiṣṭham upacakrame ॥1-168-21॥
Then, after the king had entered that city, by the command of the king, the queen approached Vasiṣṭha.
ṛtāvatha maharṣiḥ sa sambabhūva tayā saha। devyā divyena vidhinā vasiṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhabhāgṛṣiḥ ॥1-168-22॥
In due season, the great sage Vasiṣṭha was born together with her, by the goddess and by a divine method, as the sage of the highest share.
atha tasyāṃ samutpanne garbhe sa munisattamaḥ। rājñābhivāditas tena jagāma punar āśramam॥1-168-23॥
Then, after the embryo had arisen in her, the best of sages, having been respectfully greeted by the king, returned again to his hermitage.
dīrghakāladhṛtaṃ garbhaṃ suṣāva na tu taṃ yadā। sātha devyaśmanā kukṣiṃ nirbibheda tadā svakam ॥1-168-24॥
When she could not deliver the long-carried embryo, the queen then split open her own abdomen with a stone.
dvādaśe’tha tato varṣe sa jajñe manujarṣabha। aśmako nāma rājarṣiḥ potanaṃ yo nyaveśayat ॥1-168-25॥
Then, in the twelfth year, that bull among men, the royal sage named Aśmaka, was born; he established the city called Potana.
