Even after Vishwamitra has become a Brahmin, his enmity with Vashishta continued. Instigated by Vishwamitra, Kalmasapada, who is possessed by a Baksasa, kills the sons of Vasistha. But the latter is so fall of mildness that he will rather die than give vent to his anger. He is about to end his life, and throws himself down from Mount Meru, but falls on a pile of wool. He enters the fire, but it does not burn him. With a stone around his neck he throws himself into the sea, but is thrust out again living. So he returns with a sorrowful heart to his hermitage. But when he sees his home empty of children, grief brings him back anew to thoughts of suicide. He hurls himself into a swollen mountain stream, after having tied his limbs fast with ropes, but the current tears his fetters and throws him on to a bank. Wandering further, he comes to a river which is fair of crocodiles and horrible monsters and he throws himself in, but the wild animals timidly shrink away from him. As he sees that he cannot die by his own hand, he returns again to his hermitage, after having wandered over hills and countries. On the way he meets his daughter-in-law Adrsyanti, and he hears a voice like that of his son singing Veda hymns. It is the voice of his as yet unborn grandchild, who already in his mother's womb -Adrsyanti has been pregnant with him since twelve years- has learned all the Vedas. As soon as he knows that he is to have descendants, he gives up his thoughts of suicide. This is the story of Vishwamitra and the saint Vashishta. |