The Gandharva said : O Partha there was a king named Kalmashapada in this world. He belonged to the race of Ikshaku and he was matchless in prowess.

One day the king came out of his capital for the purpose of hunting. That chastiser of foes pierced (with his arrows) many deer and boars.

He also killed in that greatly fearful forest many rhinoceroses. Thus killing (animals) for a long period, the king became tried and refrained from it.

(One day) when the king, whom the greatly powerful Vishvamitra desired to make his spiritual disciple, was proceeding through the forest afflicted with hunger and thirst he met with that best of Rishis, the high-souled son of Vasishtha, the illustrious perpetuator of Vasishtha's race, the eldest of the one hundred sons of the illustrious Rishi Vasishtha, known by the name of Shakti, coming along the same path from an opposite direction.

The king said, Stand out of our way." Thereupon the Rishi spoke thus in a conciliatory manner and in sweet words,

“O great king, this is my way. This is eternal religion. The king should yield the way to the Brahmanas according to all the precepts of religion.”

Thus they addressed each other respected their right of way. "Stand aside,” “Stand aside,” were the words they said to each other.

The Rishi, being in the right, did not yield; the king also did not yield out of anger and pride.

Being enraged on seeing the Rishi decline to yield the way to him, that best of kings, acted like a Rakshasa and he struck him violently with his whips.

That best of Rishis, the son of Vasishtha, being thus struck by the whip, was deprived of his (good) senses and out of anger, cursed that best of kings.

The Rishi said: O worst of kings, as you injure an ascetic a Rakshasas, you shall from this day be a cannibal. O worst of kings, go hence. You shall wander over the world eating human flesh.

At this time Vishvamitra, with whom Vasishtha had a great quarrel on the matter of becoming the priest (of the king Kalmashapada), came to the place (where Vasishtha's son and the king were.)

O Partha, the Rishi of severe ascetic penances, the powerful Vishvamitra, came there where they were both quarrelling.

Thereupon after the curse on the excellent king (had been uttered) he came to know that the Rishi was the son of Vasishtha as powerful as Vasishtha himself.

O descendant of Bharata, being desirous of benefiting himself, Vishvamitra remained there concealed from the sight of both by making himself invisible.

Then that best of kings, (Kalmashapada), having been thus cursed by Shakti, asked the protection of Shakti by humbly beseeching him.

O best of the Kuru race, knowing the disposition of the king, Vishvamitra ordered a Rakshasas to enter the king's body.

Obedient to Shakti's curse and Vishvamitra's order, a Rakshasas, named Kinkara, then entered the king body.

O chastiser of foes, knowing that the Rakshasas had entered the body of the king, that best of Rishis, Vishvamitra, left the place and went away.

O Partha, then the king, being thus possessed by the Rakshasas and terribly afflicted by him, lost all his senses.

A certain Brahmana saw the king roaming in the forest. being hungry, he begged of the king some food with meat.

The royal sage (Kalmashapada) with his friends said to the Brahmana, “O Brahmana, Stay here for a moment,

On my return I shall give you whatever food you desire to have." Having said this, the king went away, but that excellent Brahmana remained there.

O Partha, that high-minded king, after roaming at pleasure and at will (for sometime), returned (to his palace) and entered the innerapartment.

Waking at midnight and remembering his promise to the Brahmana, the king soon summoned his cook and spoke to him thus. The King said:

Go at once to the forest where a Brahmana is waiting for me in the hope of getting food. Go and entertain him with food and meat.

The Gandharva said : Having been thus addressed, the cook (went away in search of meat), but having failed to procure any meat, he sorrowfully informed the king (of his failure).

The king, possessed as he was by the Rakshasas, again said to the cook without any scruple, “Feed him with human flesh."

Saying "Be it so," the cook went to the place where the executioners were and he soon took from them human flesh.

He washed it and then properly cooked it and then covering it with boiled rice, he gave it to the hungry ascetic Brahmana.

That excellent Brahmana, seeing by his ascetic eye that the food was unworthy of being eaten, thus spoke with his eyes red in anger.

The Brahmana said : Because that worst of kings offers me unworthy food, therefore that fool himself will be fond of such food.

Becoming fond of human flesh as cursed by Shakti before, he shall wander over the earth, persecuting all creatures.

The Gandharva said : The curse on the king, thus repeated for the second time, became very strong. And the king being possessed of the Rakshasas disposition, soon lost all his senses.

Thereupon, O descendant of Bharata, that best of kings, having been deprived of all his senses by the Rakshasas within him and having seen before him Shakti who had cursed him, said,

"Because you have inflicted upon me this extraordinary curse, therefore, shall commence my life of cannibalism by eating you.

Having said this, the king immediately killed Shakti and ate him up as a tiger eats up the animal it is fond of.

Having seen Shakti thus killed. Vishvamitra again urged that Rakshasas (within the king) to kill the other sons of Vasishtha.

He (the Rakshasas) devoured in anger all the sons of the illustrious Vasishtha, the younger brothers of Shakti as a lion devours smali animals.

Having learnt that his sons had been caused to be killed by Vishvamitra, Vasishtha patiently bore his grief, as the great mountain bears the earth.

That best of Rishis, that foremost of all intelligent men (Vasishtha), resolved rather to sacrifice his own life than to exterminate the race of the Kushikas.

The illustrious Rishi threw himself down from the summit of the Meru mountain, but he descended on the stony ground as if it was a heap of cotton.

O son of Pandu, when the illustrious (Rishi) found that he was not killed by that fall, he made a huge fire in that great forest and entered it.

The fire, through blazing fearfully, did not consume him. O chastiser of foes, that blazing fire seemed to him cool.

Then seeing the sea (before him), the great Rishi, affected with grief, tied a heavy stone to his neck and threw himself into its waters.

The great Rishi was with great force brought by the waves to the shore. He then returned to his hermitage with a sorrowful heart.