Vishvamitra's Curse Upon Vashishtha's Sons

Shloka 1 (bala.59.1)

उक्तवाक्यं तु राजानं कृपया कुशिकात्मजः। अब्रवीन्मधुरं वाक्यं साक्षाच्चण्डालतां गतम् ॥ १-५९-१ ॥

uktavākyaṃ tu rājānaṃ kṛpayā kuśikātmajaḥ| abravīnmadhuraṃ vākyaṃ sākṣāccaṇḍālatāṃ gatam || 1-59-1 ||

Then Kushika's son, out of compassion, spoke sweet words to the king who had spoken thus and had in truth become a chandala.

Shloka 2 (bala.59.2)

इक्ष्वाको स्वागतं वत्स जानामि त्वां सुधार्मिकम्। शरणं ते भविष्यामि मा भैषीर्नृपपुंगव ॥ १-५९-२ ॥

ikṣvāko svāgataṃ vatsa jānāmi tvāṃ sudhārmikam| śaraṇaṃ te bhaviṣyāmi mā bhaiṣīrnṛpapuṃgava || 1-59-2 ||

"Welcome, O child of the Ikshvakus; I know you to be a righteous king. I shall be your refuge; fear not, O best of kings."

Shloka 3 (bala.59.3)

अहमामंत्रये सर्वान् महर्षीन् पुण्यकर्मणः। यज्ञसाह्यकरान् राजंस्ततो यक्ष्यसि निर्वृतः ॥ १-५९-३ ॥

ahamāmaṃtraye sarvān maharṣīn puṇyakarmaṇaḥ| yajñasāhyakarān rājaṃstato yakṣyasi nirvṛtaḥ || 1-59-3 ||

"I shall invite all the great sages of pious deeds, who will assist in the sacrifice, O king; then you shall perform the sacrifice in peace."

Shloka 4 (bala.59.4)

गुरुशापकृतं रूपं यदिदं त्वयि वर्तते। अनेन सह रूपेण सशरीरो गमिष्यसि ॥ १-५९-४ ॥

guruśāpakṛtaṃ rūpaṃ yadidaṃ tvayi vartate| anena saha rūpeṇa saśarīro gamiṣyasi || 1-59-4 ||

"This form which now exists in you, wrought by your preceptor's curse - with this very form, you shall go with your body to heaven."

Shloka 5 (bala.59.5)

हस्तप्राप्तमहं मन्ये स्वर्गं तव नरेश्वर। यस्त्वं कौशिकमागम्य शरण्यं शरणागतः ॥ १-५९-५ ॥

hastaprāptamahaṃ manye svargaṃ tava nareśvara| yastvaṃ kauśikamāgamya śaraṇyaṃ śaraṇāgataḥ || 1-59-5 ||

"I consider heaven as good as within your grasp, O lord of men, since you, having come to Kaushika, the giver of shelter, have taken refuge in him."

Shloka 6 (bala.59.6)

एवमुक्त्वा महातेजाः पुत्रान् परमधार्मिकान्। व्यादिदेश महाप्राज्ञान्यज्ञसंभारकारणात् ॥ १-५९-६ ॥

evamuktvā mahātejāḥ putrān paramadhārmikān| vyādideśa mahāprājñānyajñasaṃbhārakāraṇāt || 1-59-6 ||

Having spoken thus, the greatly resplendent one instructed his highly righteous and supremely wise sons for the purpose of gathering the materials for the sacrifice.

Shloka 7 (bala.59.7)

सर्वान् शिष्यान् समाहूय वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह। सर्वानृषिवरान् वत्सा आनयध्वं ममाज्ञया ॥ १-५९-७ ॥

sarvān śiṣyān samāhūya vākyametaduvāca ha| sarvānṛṣivarān vatsā ānayadhvaṃ mamājñayā || 1-59-7 ||

Calling together all his disciples, he spoke this word indeed: "O children, by my command, bring here all the eminent sages,"

Shloka 8 (bala.59.8)

सशिष्यान् सुहृदश्चैव सर्त्विजः सुबहुश्रुतान्। यदन्यो वचनं ब्रूयान्मद्वाक्यबलचोदितः ॥ १-५९-८ ॥

saśiṣyān suhṛdaścaiva sartvijaḥ subahuśrutān| yadanyo vacanaṃ brūyānmadvākyabalacoditaḥ || 1-59-8 ||

"together with their disciples and friends, and their ritwiks, those most learned. And if anyone else should speak a word, impelled by the force of my message,"

Shloka 9 (bala.59.9)

तत्सर्वमखिलेनोक्तं ममाख्येयमनादृतम्। तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा दिशो जग्मुस्तदाज्ञया ॥ १-५९-९ ॥

tatsarvamakhilenoktaṃ mamākhyeyamanādṛtam| tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā diśo jagmustadājñayā || 1-59-9 ||

"all of that, spoken in full, whether heeded or disregarded, is to be reported to me completely." Having heard his words, they went in all directions by his command.

Shloka 10 (bala.59.10)

आजग्मुरथ देशेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यो ब्रह्मवादिनः। ते च शिष्याः समागम्य मुनिं ज्वलिततेजसम् ॥ १-५९-१० ॥

ājagmuratha deśebhyaḥ sarvebhyo brahmavādinaḥ| te ca śiṣyāḥ samāgamya muniṃ jvalitatejasam || 1-59-10 ||

Then, from all the lands, the expounders of the Vedas came. And those disciples, having returned, to the sage of blazing splendour,

Shloka 11 (bala.59.11)

ऊचुश्च वचनं सर्वे सर्वेषां ब्रह्मवादिनाम्। श्रुत्वा ते वचनं सर्वे समायान्ति द्विजातयः ॥ १-५९-११ ॥

ūcuśca vacanaṃ sarve sarveṣāṃ brahmavādinām| śrutvā te vacanaṃ sarve samāyānti dvijātayaḥ || 1-59-11 ||

reported the words of all the expounders of the Vedas: "Having heard your word, all the twice-born are coming."

Shloka 12 (bala.59.12)

सर्वदेशेषु चागच्छन् वर्जयित्वा महोदयम्। वासिष्ठं तच्छतं सर्वं क्रोधपर्याकुलाक्षरम् ॥ १-५९-१२ ॥

sarvadeśeṣu cāgacchan varjayitvā mahodayam| vāsiṣṭhaṃ tacchataṃ sarvaṃ krodhaparyākulākṣaram || 1-59-12 ||

"They are arriving from all lands, except Mahodaya. That entire hundred of Vashishtha's sons spoke words utterly disordered with fury -"

Shloka 13 (bala.59.13)

यथाह वचनं सर्वं शृणु त्वं मुनिपुंगव। क्षत्रियो याजको यस्य चण्डालस्य विशेषतः ॥ १-५९-१३ ॥

yathāha vacanaṃ sarvaṃ śṛṇu tvaṃ munipuṃgava| kṣatriyo yājako yasya caṇḍālasya viśeṣataḥ || 1-59-13 ||

"- hear now, O eminent sage, all that was said: A Kshatriya is the sacrificer, and that too of a chandala especially,"

Shloka 14 (bala.59.14)

कथं सदसि भोक्तारो हविस्तस्य सुरर्षयः। ब्राह्मणा वा महात्मानो भुक्त्वा चण्डालभोजनम् ॥ १-५९-१४ ॥

kathaṃ sadasi bhoktāro havistasya surarṣayaḥ| brāhmaṇā vā mahātmāno bhuktvā caṇḍālabhojanam || 1-59-14 ||

"how then in that assembly could the gods and sages be partakers of his oblation? Or how could great-souled Brahmins, having eaten the food of a chandala,"

Shloka 15 (bala.59.15)

कथं स्वर्गं गमिष्यन्ति विश्वामित्रेण पालिताः। एतद्वचनं नैष्ठुर्यमूचुः संरक्तलोचनाः ॥ १-५९-१५ ॥

kathaṃ svargaṃ gamiṣyanti viśvāmitreṇa pālitāḥ| etadvacanaṃ naiṣṭhuryamūcuḥ saṃraktalocanāḥ || 1-59-15 ||

"how could they go to heaven, being fed by Vishvamitra?" These harsh words they spoke, their eyes reddened with anger.

Shloka 16 (bala.59.16)

वासिष्ठा मुनिशार्दूल सर्वे सह महोदयाः। तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सर्वेषां मुनिपुंगवः ॥ १-५९-१६ ॥

vāsiṣṭhā muniśārdūla sarve saha mahodayāḥ| teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā sarveṣāṃ munipuṃgavaḥ || 1-59-16 ||

O tiger among sages, all the sons of Vashishtha, together with Mahodaya, spoke thus. Having heard those words of all of them, the eminent sage,

Shloka 17 (bala.59.17)

क्रोधसंरक्तनयनः सरोषमिदमब्रवीत्। ये दूषयन्त्यदुष्टं मां तपोग्रं समास्थितम् ॥ १-५९-१७ ॥

krodhasaṃraktanayanaḥ saroṣamidamabravīt| ye dūṣayantyaduṣṭaṃ māṃ tapograṃ samāsthitam || 1-59-17 ||

his eyes reddened with rage, spoke this in fury: "Those who revile me, faultless as I am, established in fierce austerity -"

Shloka 18 (bala.59.18)

भस्मीभूता दुरात्मानो भविष्यन्ति न संशयः। अद्य ते कालपाशेन नीता वैवस्वतक्षयम् ॥ १-५९-१८ ॥

bhasmībhūtā durātmāno bhaviṣyanti na saṃśayaḥ| adya te kālapāśena nītā vaivasvatakṣayam || 1-59-18 ||

"those wicked ones shall be reduced to ashes, without a doubt. This very day they are led by the noose of Time to the abode of Vaivasvata, Yama."

Shloka 19 (bala.59.19)

सप्त जातिशतान्येव मृतपाः सन्तु सर्वशः। श्वमांसनियताहारा मुष्टिका नाम निर्घृणाः ॥ १-५९-१९ ॥

sapta jātiśatānyeva mṛtapāḥ santu sarvaśaḥ| śvamāṃsaniyatāhārā muṣṭikā nāma nirghṛṇāḥ || 1-59-19 ||

"For seven hundred births, in every way, may they become eaters of the dead - pitiless Mushtika-tribesmen, subsisting always on dog's flesh,"

Shloka 20 (bala.59.20)

विकृताश्च विरूपाश्च लोकाननुचरन्त्विमान्। महोदयश्च दुर्बुद्धिर्मामदूष्यं ह्यदूषयत् ॥ १-५९-२० ॥

vikṛtāśca virūpāśca lokānanucarantvimān| mahodayaśca durbuddhirmāmadūṣyaṃ hyadūṣayat || 1-59-20 ||

"disfigured and deformed, let them wander through these worlds. And the wrong-minded Mahodaya, who has reviled me though I am unblemished -"

Shloka 21 (bala.59.21)

दूषितः सर्वलोकेषु निषादत्वं गमिष्यति। प्राणातिपातनिरतो निरनुक्रोशतां गतः ॥ १-५९-२१ ॥

dūṣitaḥ sarvalokeṣu niṣādatvaṃ gamiṣyati| prāṇātipātanirato niranukrośatāṃ gataḥ || 1-59-21 ||

"- reviled in all worlds, he shall attain the state of a Nishada, given to the taking of life, devoid of all pity,"

Shloka 22 (bala.59.22)

दीर्घकालं मम क्रोधात् दुर्गतिं वर्तयिष्यति। एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं विश्वामित्रो महातपाः। विरराम महातेजा ऋषिमध्ये महामुनिः ॥ १-५९-२२ ॥

dīrghakālaṃ mama krodhāt durgatiṃ vartayiṣyati| etāvaduktvā vacanaṃ viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ| virarāma mahātejā ṛṣimadhye mahāmuniḥ || 1-59-22 ||

"and by my wrath he shall long endure a wretched existence." Having spoken this much, the great ascetic, the great-resplendent, great sage Vishvamitra fell silent among the sages.