The Gandharva said : Seeing his hermitage bereft of his children, the Rishi, afflicted with grief, again came out of it.

O Partha, (in course of his wandering), he saw a river swollen with the waters of the rainy season, it was sweeping away many trees and plants that grew on its banks.

O descendant of Kuru, seeing this, the sorrowful Rishi began to ponder and thought that he would certainly be killed if he fell into its waters.

Thereupon the great Rishi tied himself with very strong cords and fell in grief into the waters of that great river.

O chastiser of hostile ranks, the river, having torn those cords and making him free of them, cast him on the land.

Having been freed from the cords, the great Rishi rose (from the shore) and he gave that river the name of Vipasha.

Being oppressed with grief, that Rishi could not from that time stay at one place. He went to the mountains, rivers and lakes.

Seeing once more the river Himavati of terrible appearance and full of fierce animals, the Rishi threw himself into its waters.

That best of rivers, thinking the Brahmana to be fire, immediately fled away in a hundred different streams and thence was she called the Shatadru.

Thereupon, seeing himself again in dry land (he said), "(Alas)! I am not able to die by my own hands.” Saying this, (the Rishi) again went to (his own) hermitage.

When he was thus returning, crossing various mountains and countries, his daughterin-law Adrishyanti was following him.

He heard from behind, as she neared him, the sound of the well-explained recitations of the Vedas with its six ornaments (of elocution).

He said, “Who is it that follows me?" His daughter-in-law replied, “I am Adrishyanti, the wife of Shakti. I am an ascetic woman, engaged in asceticism."

Vasishtha said: O daughter, whose is this sound of the recitations of the Vedas with their Angas, that is heard by me and (which is exactly) like the recitations of the Vedas and the Angas by Shakti?

Adrishyanti said : In my womb is a child begotten by your son Shakti. He has been here (studying the Vedas) for twelve years. You have heard the recitations (of the Vedas) by that Rishi.

The Gandharva said: Having been thus addressed by her, that best of Rishis, Vasishtha, became exceedingly glad. O Partha, saying, "There is a child (of my race)”, he refrained from self-destruction.

The sinless (Rishi), accomplished by his daughter-in-law, returned (to his hermitage). He saw (one day) Kalmashapada sitting in a solitary forest.

O descendant of Bharata, on seeing him the king at once rose in anger and as he was possessed with the Rakshasas, he desired to devour the Rishi.

Seeing that that king of cruel of cruel deeds, Adrishyanti spoke thus to Vasishtha in anxiety and fear,

O illustrious Sir, the fearful Rakshasas (looking) like Death himself armed with his staff is coming towards us with a wooden club in his hand.

O illustrious Sir, O best of all learned men in the Vedas, there is none else except you in the world who can restrain him today.

O illustrious Sir, save me from this cruel wretch of fearful appearance. The Rakshasas is certainly coming towards us to devour us.

Vasishtha said : O daughter, do not fear; there is nothing to be afraid of from any Rakshasas. There is no fear from Rakshasas whom you see coming.

He is the king Kalmashapada celebrated in the world as being a very powerful (monarch). That fearful man lives in this forest.

The Gandharva said : O descendant of Bharata, the illustrious and the effulgent Rishi Vasishtha, seeing him advancing, stopped him by uttering a loud roar.

Sprinkling over him water sanctified by Mantras (incantations), he freed the king from the terrible curse.

He (the king) had been overwhelmed by the effulgence of Vasislitha's son as the sun by the planet (Rahu) at the time of an eclipse.

Having been thus freed froin the Rakshasas by that Brahmana (Vasishtha) the king illuminated the great forest by his splendour, as the sun illuminates the evening clouds.

Regaining his consciousness, the king saluted the Rishi with joined hands and he thus spoke to that best of Rishis Vasishtha.

"O illustrious Sir, I am the son of Saudasa; O excellent Rishi, I am your disciple. Tell me what is your desire now and what I am to do."

Vasishtha said: o king of men, my desire has been fulfilled at the proper time. Return to your kingdom and rliic your subjects. Never (again) disregard the Brahmanas.

The King said: O illustrious sir, I shall never again disregard the best Brahmanas. In obedience to your command, I shall properly worship the Brahmanas.

O best of the twice-born, O best of all men learned in the Vedas. I desire to obtain from you that by which I may be freed from the debt I owe to the race of Ikshaku.

O excellent man, you should grant me a son, I desire to have, who will posses beauty, accomplishments and good behaviour.

The Gandharva said : The best of the twice born, ever devoted to truth Vasishtha, replied to that great bowman, the king saying, “I will give."

O king of men, after sometime, Vasishtha, accompanied by him (the king), went to his capital, known all over the world by the name of Ayodhya.

The people came out in joy to receive the sinless and the illustrious one, as the celestials do their chief (Indra).

The accompanied by the great Rishi Vasishtha entered without delay his auspicious capital.

The citizens of Ayodhya saw the king accompanied by his priest (Vasishtha), as if he were the rising sun.

The king, most handsome of all handsome men, filled Ayodhya with the whole sky with his splendour.

His (king's) mind was filled with joy on seeing that excellent city with its well-watered and well-swept streets and with banners and pendants flying all around.

O descendant of Kuru, that city, full of well-fed and happy men, looked as gay as Amravati with the presence of Indra.

After the royal sage (the king Kalmashapada) had entered that excellent city, the queen at his command, came to Vasishtha.

The best of Rishis, Vasishtha, made an agreement with her and he united himself with her according to the highest ordinance.

Thereupon, when the queen conceived by him, that best of Rishis (Vasishtha), receiving the salutation of the king, went away to his hermitage.

When she had borne the conception for a long time, the illustrious lady tore open her womb with a piece of stone.

Thus was born after a conception of twelve years that best of men, that royal sage, Ashmaka, who founded Pandava (a city).