Vasiṣṭha, the venerable sage, was troubled when King Mitrasaha offered him meat. He thought, "Alas, what wickedness is this, that the king presents us this substance? What could it be?" Seeking clarity, Vasiṣṭha entered deep meditation. In that state, he discovered the truth—the meat was human flesh. Anger clouded Vasiṣṭha’s mind. He pronounced a curse upon the king: "Knowing this is unfit for ascetics, yet you have given it to me; therefore, you alone shall be afflicted by greed for this." The king protested, saying, "It was the Lord himself who instructed me to do this." Wondering if he himself had erred, Vasiṣṭha again entered meditation. Through insight, he understood the truth and softened his curse: "This restriction on your food will not be permanent; it will last only twelve years." Mitrasaha, the king, prepared to curse Vasiṣṭha in return, taking water in his hands. But his wife, Madayantī, wise and devoted, intervened. She sought to protect Vasiṣṭha, their family preceptor and revered deity. For the sake of preserving the raincloud, the king did not cast the water upon earth or sky, but poured it upon his own feet. The water, having nowhere to go, scorched his feet, turning them dark. Thus, Mitrasaha became known as Kalmāṣapāda, "the one with dark feet." Due to Vasiṣṭha's curse, at the end of every sixth period, Kalmāṣapāda would take on the nature of a demon. Wandering in the forest, he devoured many humans. Once, he encountered a sage united with his wife during her season. Seeing the king's terrifying demonic form, the frightened couple fled, but he seized the brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa’s wife pleaded with him repeatedly: "Have mercy, O ornament of the Ikṣvāku line, great king, Mitrasaha—not a demon! You, who understand the happiness of a woman's duty, should not kill my husband, especially when I am unfulfilled." Despite her lamentations, the king, tiger-like, devoured the brāhmaṇa as a beast devours its prey in the forest. Overcome with intense anger, the brāhmaṇa's wife cursed the king: "Because you have devoured my husband while I was unfulfilled, you too shall be overcome by desire for sensual enjoyment." Having uttered her curse, she entered the fire. After twelve years had passed, the curse was lifted. Madayantī reminded her husband, who now longed for union with women. Yet, thereafter, he renounced intercourse with women. Childless, the king requested Vasiṣṭha to perform the rite of conception with Madayantī. Seven years passed with the child in her womb. At last, the queen struck her womb with a stone, and a son was born. He was named Ashmaka. Ashmaka had a son named Mulaka. When the Kshatriya line was being destroyed on earth, Mulaka was protected by women, who surrounded him unclothed; thus he was called "protected by a shield of women." From Mulaka came Dasharatha, from him Ilivila, and then Vishvasaha. Vishvasaha’s son was Khatvanga, who, when requested by the gods during their battle against the demons, slew the enemies. The gods, pleased by Khatvanga’s deeds, invited him to choose a boon. He replied, "If a boon must be accepted, let my lifespan be declared to me." The gods told him, "Only one moment of life remains for you." With unwavering steps, endowed with lightness and other qualities, Khatvanga returned to the world of mortals in his celestial chariot. He spoke: "Never has even my own self been dearer to me than the Brahmins. I have never transgressed my duty, nor has my vision ever been marked by distinction among gods, humans, animals, birds, trees, and others, as is the case with the unchanging Lord. Thus, with unwavering steps, remembering that blessed Lord as the sages do, I shall attain him." Meditating on the Supreme Soul, the Guru of the gods, whose form cannot be described, pure existence, in the one called Vāsudeva, Khatvanga merged his self into the Supreme Self and attained dissolution there itself. A verse sung of old by the Seven Sages is recited: "No one equal to Khatvanga will ever exist on earth." Having returned from heaven and obtaining life for only a moment, Khatvanga, through intelligence and truth, united the three worlds. From Khatvanga was born Dīrghabāhu. Then Raghu was born. From Raghu came Aja, from Aja came Dasharatha. To Dasharatha, the blessed Lord, lotus-naveled, for the sake of the world's preservation, entered into fourfold sonship as Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna, each a portion of his own Self. Even as a boy, Rama went, at Viśvāmitra’s request, to protect the sacrifice and slew Tāṭakā. During the sacrifice, he struck Mārīca with an arrow and cast him into the ocean.