अर्जुन उवाच राज्ञा कल्माषपादेन गुरौ ब्रह्मविदां वरे। कारणं किं पुरस्कृत्य भार्या वै संनियांजिता॥
Arjuna said : Why did the king Kalmashapada command his to do to his preceptor, that foremost of all men learned in the Vedas?
जानता वै परं धर्मं वसिष्ठेन महात्मना। अगम्यागमनं कस्मात् कृतं तेन महर्षिणा॥
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?
अधर्मिष्ठं वसिष्ठेन कृतं चापि पुरा सखे। एतन्मे संशयं सर्वं छेत्तुमर्हसि पृच्छतः॥
O friend, was this an act of sin on the part of Vasishtha? I ask, you should remove my these doubts.
गन्धर्व उवाच धनंजय निबोधेदं यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि। वसिष्ठं प्रति दुर्धर्ष तथा मित्रसहं नृपम्॥
The Gandharva said : 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).
कथितं ते मया सर्वं यथा शप्तः स पार्थिवः। शक्तिना भरतश्रेष्ठ वासिष्ठेन महात्मना॥
O best of the Bharata race, I have told you how the king Kalmashapada was cursed by Shakti, the illustrious son of Vasishtha.
स तु शापवशं प्राप्तः क्रोधपर्याकुलेक्षणः। निर्जगाम पुराद् राजा सहदारः परंतपः॥
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.
अरण्यं निर्जनं गत्वा सदारः परिचक्रमे। नानामृगगणाकीर्णं नानासत्त्वसमाकुलम्॥ नानागुल्मलताच्छनं नानाद्रुमसमावृतम्। अरण्यं घोरसंनादं शापग्रस्तः परिभ्रमन्॥
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 full of many large trees.
स कदाचित् क्षुधाविष्टो मृगयन् भक्ष्यमात्मनः। ददर्श सुपरिक्लिष्टः कस्मिंश्चिन्निर्जने वने।॥
One day becoming very much oppressed with exceeding hunger, he searched for some food. He saw in a certain solitary wood.
ब्राह्मणं ब्राह्मणीं चैव मिथुनायोपसंगतौ। तौ तं वीक्ष्य सुवित्रस्तावकृतार्थी प्रधावितौ॥
A Brahmana and a Brahmani engaged in sexual intercourse. Seeing him they fled away in fear, their desire being unfulfilled.
तयोः प्रद्रवतोर्विप्रं जग्राह नृपतिर्बलात्। दृष्ट्वा गृहीतं भर्तारमथ ब्राह्मण्यभाषत॥
Pursuing them the king seized the Brahmana by force. Seeing her husband thus seized, the Brahmani said,
शृणु राजन् मम वचो यत् त्वा वक्ष्यामि सुव्रत। आदित्यवंशप्रभवस्त्वं हि लोके परिश्रुतः॥
“O king of excellent vows, listen to what I say; it is known all over the world that you are born in the solar dynasty.
अप्रमत्तः स्थितो धर्म गुरुशुश्रूषणे रतः। शापोपहत दुर्धर्ष न पापं कर्तुमर्हसि॥
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.
ऋतुकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते भर्तृव्यसनकर्शिता। अकृतार्था ह्यहं भर्ता प्रसवार्थं समागता॥
On my season's coming, I was united with my husband in order to get offspring; but I have not been successful.
प्रसीद नृपतिश्रेष्ठ भर्तायं मे विसृज्यताम्। एवं विक्रोशमानायास्तस्यास्तु स नृशंसवत्॥ भर्तारं भक्षयामास व्याघ्रो मृगमिवेप्सितम्। तस्याः क्रोधाभिभूताया यान्यश्रूण्यपतन भुवि॥
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.
सोऽग्निः समभवद् दीप्तस्तं च देशं व्यदीपयत्। ततः सा शोकसंतप्ता भर्तृव्यसनकर्शिता॥
Played up like a fire and consumed every thing in that place. Then afflicted with the death of her husband,
कल्माषपादं राजर्षिमशपद् ब्राह्मणी रुषा। यस्मान्ममाकृतार्थायास्त्वया क्षुद्र नृशंसवत्॥ प्रेक्षन्त्या भक्षितो मेऽद्य प्रियो भर्ता महायशाः। तस्मात् त्वमपि दुर्बुद्धे मच्छापपरिविक्षतः॥ पत्नीमृतावनुप्राप्य सद्यस्त्यक्ष्यसि जीवितम्। यस्य चर्षेर्वसिष्ठस्य त्वया पुत्रा विनाशिताः॥
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,
तेन संगम्य ते भार्या तनयं जनविष्यति। स ते वंशकरः पुत्रो भविष्यति नृपाधम॥
Will unite himself with your wife to beget a son . O worst of kings, that son will be the perpetuator of your race.
एवं शप्त्वातु राजानं सा तमाङ्गिरसी शुभा। तस्यैव संनिधौ दीप्तं प्रविवेश हुताशनम्॥
Having thus cursed him, that blessed lady of the Angirasa race entered the blazing fire in his very presence.
वसिष्ठश्च महाभागः सर्वमेतदवैक्षत। ज्ञानयोगेन महता तपसा च परंतप॥
O chastiser of foes, the illustrious Vasishtha immediately know all this by his great asceticism and spiritual sight.
मुक्तशापश्च राजर्षिः कालेन महता ततः। ऋतुकालेऽभिपतितो मदयन्त्या निवारितः॥
After 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.
न हि सस्मार स नृपस्तं शापं काममोहितः। देव्याः सोऽथ वचः श्रुत्वा सम्भ्रान्तो नृपसत्तमः॥
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. a
तं शापमनुसंस्मृत्य पर्यतष्यद् भृशं तदा। एतस्मात् कारणाद् राजा वसिष्ठं संन्ययोजयत्। स्वदारेषु नरश्रेष्ठ शापदोषसमन्वितः॥
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.