स चाप्यचिंतयदहोस्य राज्ञो दौश्शील्यं येनैतन्मांसमस्माकं प्रयच्छति किमेतद्द्र व्यजातमिति ध्यानपरोभवत्
Vasiṣṭha thought, 'Alas, what wickedness is this of the king, that he offers us this meat? What is this substance?' and became absorbed in meditation.
अपश्यच्च तन्मांसंमानुषम्
And he saw that the meat was human flesh.
अतः क्रोधकलुषीकृतचेता राजनि सापमुत्ससर्ज
Then, with his mind clouded by anger, the sage pronounced a curse upon the king.
यस्मादभोज्यमेतदस्मद्विधानां तपस्विनामवगच्छन्नपि भवान्मह्यं ददाति तस्मात्तवैवात्र लोलुपता भविष्यतीति
Because, even knowing that this is unfit for ascetics like us to eat, you have given it to me, therefore, you alone shall be afflicted by greed for this.
अनंतरं च तेनापि भगवतैवाभिहितोस्मीत्युक्ते किं किं मयाभहितमिति मुनिः पुनरपि समाधौ तस्थौ
Immediately, when the king said, 'It was the Lord himself who told me to do this,' the sage, wondering what wrong he might have done, again entered into meditation.
समाधिविज्ञानावगतार्थश्चानुग्रहं तस्मै चकार नात्यंतिकमेतद्द्वादशाब्दं तव भोजनं भविष्यतीति
Understanding the truth through meditative insight, he granted the king a favor: 'This restriction on your food will not be permanent; it will last only twelve years.'
असावपि प्रतिगृह्योदकांजलिं मुनिशापप्रदानायोद्यतो भगवन्नयमस्मद्गुरुर्नार्हस्येनं कुलदेवताभूतमाचार्यं शप्तुमिति मदयंत्या स्वपत्न्या प्रसादितस्सस्यांबुदरक्षणार्थं तच्छापांवु नोर्व्यां न चाकाशे चिक्षेप किं तु तेनैव स्वपदौ सिषेच
The king, too, having accepted water in his hands, was about to pronounce a curse upon the sage, but his wife Madayantī, seeking to protect the sage as their family preceptor and deity, appeased him; for the sake of preserving the raincloud, he did not cast the water upon the earth or into the sky, but instead poured it upon his own feet.
तेन च क्वोधाश्रितेनांबुना दग्धच्छायौ तत्पादौ कल्माषतामुपगतौ ततस्स कल्माषपादसंज्ञामवाप
Because of this, the water, having no place to go, scorched his feet, and they became darkened; thus he became known as Kalmāṣapāda, 'the one with dark feet.'
वसिष्ठशापाच्च षष्ठेषष्ठे काले राक्षसस्वभावमेत्याटव्यां पर्यटन्ननेकशो मानुषानभक्षयत्
Due to Vasiṣṭha's curse, at the end of each sixth period, he took on the nature of a demon and, wandering in the forest, devoured many humans.
एकदा तु कंचिन्मुनिमृतुकाले भार्यासंगतं ददर्श
Once, he saw a certain sage united with his wife at the time of her season.
तयोश्च तमतिभीषणं राक्षसस्वरूपमवलोक्य त्रासाद्दंपत्योः प्रधावितयोर्ब्रह्मणं जग्राह
Seeing his terrifying demonic form, the frightened couple fled, but he seized the brāhmaṇa.
ततस्सा ब्राह्मणी बहुशस्तमभियाचितवती
Then the brāhmaṇa's wife pleaded with him repeatedly.
प्रसीदेक्ष्वाकुकुलतिलकभूतस्त्वं महाराजो मित्रसहो न राक्षसः
'Have mercy, you who are the ornament of the Ikṣvāku line, great king, Mitrasaha—not a demon!'
नार्हसि स्त्रीधर्मसुखाभिज्ञो मय्यकृतार्थायामस्मद्भर्त्तारं हंतुमित्येवं बहुप्रकारं तस्यां विलपंत्यां व्याघ्रः पशुमिवाऽरण्येऽभिमतं तं ब्राह्मणमभक्षयत्
'You, who know the happiness of a woman's duty, should not kill my husband, especially when I am unfulfilled,' she lamented in many ways; but the tiger-like king devoured the brāhmaṇa as a beast does its prey in the forest.
ततश्चातिकोपसमन्विता ब्राह्मणी तं राजानं शशाप
Then, filled with intense anger, the brāhmaṇa's wife cursed the king.
यस्मादेवं मय्यतृषप्तायां त्वयायं मत्पतिर्भक्षितः तस्मात्त्वमपि कामोपभोगप्रवृत्तॐतं प्राप्स्यसीति
'Because you have devoured my husband while I was unfulfilled, you too shall be overcome by desire for sensual enjoyment.'
शप्त्वा चैव साग्निं प्रविवेश
Having uttered the curse, she entered the fire.
ततस्तस्य द्वादशाब्दपर्यये विमुक्तशापस्य स्त्रीविषयाभिलाषिणो मदयंती तं स्मारयामास
Then, after twelve years had passed and the curse was lifted, Madayantī reminded him, who now longed for union with women.
ततः परमसौ स्त्रीभोगं तत्याज
After that, he renounced intercourse with women.
वसिष्ठश्चापुत्रेण राज्ञा पुत्रार्थमभ्यर्थितो मदयंत्यां गर्भाधानं चकार
Vasiṣṭha, being requested by the childless king for a son, performed the rite of conception with Madayantī.
यदा च सप्तवर्षाण्यसौ गर्भेण जज्ञे ततस्तं गर्भमश्मना सा देवी जघान
And when seven years had passed with that one in the womb, then that queen struck her womb with a stone.
पुत्रश्चाजायत
A son was born.
तस्य चाश्मक इत्येव नामाभवत्
And his name became Ashmaka.
अश्मस्य मूलको नाम पुत्रोऽभवत्
Ashmaka had a son named Mulaka.
योसौ निःक्षत्रे क्ष्मातलेस्मिन् क्रियमाणे स्त्रीभिर्विवस्त्राभिः परिवार्य रक्षितः ततस्तं नारीकवचमुदाहरंति
When the Kshatriya line was being destroyed on this earth, he was protected by women, who surrounded him unclothed; therefore, he is called 'protected by a shield of women.'
मूलकाद्दशरथस्तस्मादिलिविलस्ततश्च विश्वसहः
From Mulaka came Dasharatha, from him Ilivila, and then Vishvasaha.
तस्माच्च खट्वांगः योसौ देवासुरसंग्रामे देवैरभ्यर्थितोऽसुराञ्जघान
From him was born Khatvanga, who, when requested by the gods in the battle between gods and demons, slew the demons.
स्वर्गे च कृतप्रियैर्देवैर्वरग्रहणाय चोदितः प्राह
And in heaven, the gods, pleased by his deeds, urged him to choose a boon.
यद्यवश्यं वरो ग्राह्यः तन्ममायुः कथ्यतामिति
He said, 'If a boon must be accepted, then let my lifespan be declared to me.'
अनंतरं च तैरुक्तं मुहूर्त्तमेकं प्रमाणं तवायुरित्युक्तोथास्खलितगतिना विमानेन लघिमादिगुणो मर्त्यलोकमागम्येदमाह
Immediately, they told him, 'Only one moment of life remains for you,' and thus, with unwavering steps, endowed with lightness and other qualities, he came to the world of mortals in his celestial chariot and spoke this.