Bala Kanda, Sarga 59

Meaning

Viśwāmitra, the son of Gādhi, kindly gave the following suave reply to the king, Triśaṅku, who had actually been reduced to the state of a Caṇḍāla, when he had finished his say : (1)

Meaning

“Welcome is your visit to my hermitage, O scion of Ikṣwāku ! I know you to be exceedingly pious, my child ! I shall afford shelter to you; don’t be afraid, O jewel among kings ! (2)

Meaning

“I shall presently send word to all great Ṛṣis of virtuous deeds, who will help you in the performance of a sacrifice intended to be undertaken by you, O king ! Then you will prosecute your sacrificial undertaking at ease. (3)

Meaning

“You will bodily ascend to heaven in this very form, which now stands inflicted on you by the curse of your preceptor in the form of his sons. (4)

Meaning

“I consider heaven as already attained by you, O ruler of men, in that having sought the presence of Viśwāmitra, son of Kuśika, i.e., myself, you have come for protection to one who is capable of affording shelter to those who need it.” (5)

Meaning

Saying so, the exceptionally glorious Viśwāmitra commanded his supremely pious and highly intelligent sons to make preparations for a sacrifice. (6)

Meaning

Summoning all his dependents, so the tradition goes, he gave the following instructions to them : “Under my orders bring here all the Ṛṣis, including the sons of Vasiṣṭha, as well as their relations well-versed in a good many subjects, alongwith their pupils and priests capable of officiating at a sacrifice. If anyone who is summoned on the strength of my word or anyone else makes any disparaging observation, all those remarks should be reproduced to me in their entirety.” Hearing the aforesaid order of Viśwāmitra, his followers proceeded in various directions under his command. (7—9)

Meaning

In due course exponents of the Vedas began to pour from all lands. Nay, returning to Viśwāmitra (who was now living as a hermit) of flaming glory, all his dependents too repeated to him the remarks of all the exponents of the Vedas whom they had approached. The followers said, “Hearing your call all learned Brāhmaṇas belonging to all lands are duly coming, while some have already arrived, barring, of course, Mahodaya and all the hundred sons of Vasiṣṭha. Hear you now, O jewel among sages, all the observations they made in an angry tone. How would gods, they said, partake of the offerings and how would Ṛṣis eat the remains of those offerings in the sacrificial assembly of a sacrificer whose sacrifice is being conducted by a Kṣatriya, much less of a Caṇḍāla? And how, on eating the food offered by a Cāṇdāla, would the high-souled Brāhmaṇas patronized by Viśwāmitra attain to heaven after death? Such harshness of language did all the sons of Vasisṭha alongwith Mahodaya use with bloodshot eyes, O tiger among sages !” Hearing the aforesaid comment of all those sages, Viśwāmitra (a jewel among ascetics) indignantly spoke as follows with eyes blood-red through anger : “Since they speak ill of me, even though engaged in severe austerities and as such irreproachable, the evil-minded fellows will be reduced to ashes, and conveyed to the abode of Yama (son of the sun-god) this very day by the noose of Kāla, the god of death: there is no doubt about it. (10—18)

Meaning

“Let them be born for seven hundred successive births as ruthless Muṣṭikas (a sub-caste of the Caṇḍālas, now known as Ḍomas) who take away the shroud of dead bodies and feed as a rule on the flesh of dogs, and let them roam about these terrestrial regions following loathsome pursuits and misshapen in form. The misguided Mahodaya, too, since he has spoken ill of me, though irreproachable, shall be condemned in all the lands and reduced to the state of a Niṣāda (an outcaste race born of a Brāhmaṇa through a Śūdra woman and), remaining engaged in destroying the lives of others and thereby acquiring a merciless disposition, shall drag a wretched existence for a long time because of my wrath.” Uttering this long curse in the midst of Ṛṣis assembled for the sacrifice, the highly glorious and eminent sage and great ascetic Viśwāmitra stopped speaking. (19—22)