Kalmashapada (), also known as Saudasa (), Mitrasaha (), and Amitrasaha () is a king of the

Ikshvaku dynasty The Solar dynasty or (; ), also called the Ikshvaku dynasty, is a legendary Indian dynasty said to have been founded by Ikshvaku. In Hindu literature, it ruled the Kosala Kingdom, with its capital at Ayodhya, and later at Shravasti. They ...

(the Solar dynasty) In

Hindu scriptures Hindu texts or Hindu scriptures are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. Some of the major Hindu texts include the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Itihasa. Scholars ...

, who was cursed to be a ''

rakshasa Rākshasa (, , ; ; "preservers") are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Folk Islam. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually use for evil acts such as ...

'' (demon) by the sage Vashishtha. He is described as an ancestor of

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

, the

avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

of the god

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

and the hero of the

Hindu epic Mahākāvya (lit. great kāvya, court epic), also known as ''sargabandha'', is a genre of Indian epic poetry in Classical Sanskrit. The genre is characterised by ornate and elaborate descriptions of phenomena such as scenery, love, and battles. Ty ...

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

''. Many texts narrate how Kalmashapada was cursed to die if he had intercourse with his queen, so he obtained a son from Vashishtha by ''

niyoga Niyoga () was a Hinduism, Hindu practice, primarily followed during the ancient period, in the Indian subcontinent. Niyoga permitted widows or wives, who had no child by their husband, to procreate with another man. The purpose of niyoga was to e ...

'', an ancient tradition whereby a husband can nominate another man to impregnate his wife. Kalmashapada's story is narrated in various works, including the classic epic poems ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

'' and ''

'', and the ''

Purana Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

''s.Mani, p. 377

Description

The ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Purana''s agree that Kalmashapada was the son of the king Sudasa (Sudhasana); however, the ''Ramayana'' names his father was

Raghu Raghu () is a ruler of the Suryavansha dynasty in Hinduism. According to the '' Raghuvamsha'', he is the son of King Dilīpa and Queen Sudakshina. The history of his dynasty is elaborated upon by the poet Kalidasa in his ''Raghuvamsha''. He ...

, a king whom the other texts identify as a descendant of Kalmashapada.Wilson p. 315 All texts agree that his ancestors include Sagara and

Bhagiratha Bhagiratha (, ) is a legendary king of the Ikshvaku dynasty in Hindu Literature, Hindu literature. He is best known for his legend of bringing the sacred river Ganges, personified as the Hinduism, Hindu river goddess Ganges in Hinduism, Ganga, f ...

, though the generations between Bhagiratha and Kalmashapada may vary among the texts.Bhagavata Purana
by Prabhupada The ''

Padma Purana The ''Padma Purana'' (, or ) is one of the eighteen Puranas#Mahapuranas, Major Puranas, a genre of texts in Hinduism. It is an encyclopedic text, named after the lotus in which creator god Brahma appeared, and includes large sections dedic ...

'' states that he was the son of

Rituparna Rituparna () is a king of Ayodhya featured in Hindu literature. Belonging to the Suryavamsha (Solar dynasty), he appears in the legend of Nala and Damayanti in the Mahabharata. He employs Nala in the stables and the kitchen, under the alias of B ...

, the contemporary Solar king of

Nala Nala () is a legendary king of ancient Nishadha kingdom and the central protagonist of the '' Nalopakhyana'', a sub-narrative within the Indian epic '' Mahabharata'', found in its third book, '' Vana Parva'' (Book of the Forest). He is renown ...

Damayanti Damayanti () is a heroine in ancient Indian literature, primarily known for her role in the episode of ''Nala and Damayanti, Nalopakhyana'', which is embedded within the ''Vana Parva'' (the third book) of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c. 400 BCE – ...

(even a character in their story). Some texts state that Kalmashapada's birth name was Mitrasaha, but he was known by his patronymic Saudasa. A commentator on the ''

Vishnu Purana The Vishnu Purana () is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature corpus. The manuscripts of ''Vishnu Purana'' have survived into ...

'' says that Mitra-saha (literally, "one who forbears a friend") is an epithet the king acquires from the curse of the sage Vashishtha. The king restrains (''saha'') himself from retaliation against his friend (''mitra'') Vashishtha's curse, though he possesses the power to do so.Wilson p. 305 The ''

Vayu Purana The ''Vayu Purana'' (, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism. ''Vayu Purana'' is mentioned in the manuscripts of the Mahabharata and other Hindu texts, which has led scholars to propose that the text is among the ...

'', the ''

Agni Purana The ''Agni Purana'', (, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism. The text is variously classified as a Purana related to Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism, but also considered as a text that covers them ...

'', the ''

Brahma Purana The ''Brahma Purana'' ( or ; ) is one of the eighteen major Puranas collections of Hindu texts in Sanskrit. It is listed as the first Mahapurana in all anthologies, and is therefore also called ''Adi Purana''. Another title for this text is ''Sa ...

'', and the '' Harivamsa'' call him ''Amitrasaha'', "one who forbears (''saha'') a foe (''amitra'')"; here, Vashishtha is taken to be an enemy. Kalmashapada was the king of

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

(

Kosala Kosala, sometimes referred to as Uttara Kosala () was one of the Mahajanapadas of ancient India. It emerged as a small state during the Late Vedic period and became (along with Magadha) one of the earliest states to transition from a lineage ...

) and was married to Queen Madayanti. The ''

Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one ...

'' notes that she was also known as Damayanti.

Legend

Shakti's curse

The ''Mahabharata'' narrates that once, Kalmashapada was roaming the forest for hunting. He encounters the sage Vashishtha's eldest son,

Shakti Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refer ...

, on a narrow path. As a

kshatriya Kshatriya () (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority"; also called Rajanya) is one of the four varnas (social orders) of Hindu society and is associated with the warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

(a member of the military class), Kalmashapada does not make way for Shakti, a

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

(a member of the priesthood class). Nevertheless, Shakti refuses to budge. Finally, an enraged Kalmashapada hits Shakti with his whip. In turn, the sage curses the king to wander the forest for 16 years. The sage

Vishvamitra Vishvamitra (, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. Vishvamitra is one of the seven Brahmarshi. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gay ...

, the arch-enemy of Vashishtha who desires to have Kalmashapada as his disciple, sends a ''rakshasa'' (named ''Kinkara'') to possess the king's body. Vishvamitra plots to destroy his enemy's family with the help of the king. Under the influence of the ''rakshasa'', the king serves human flesh to a Brahmin, who sets Shakti's curse into effect. The king turns into a cannibalistic ''rakshasa''.Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology
/ref>

Vashishtha's curse

The ''Uttara Kanda'' of the ''Ramayana'' and the ''

Shiva Purana The ''Shiva Purana'' (original Sanskrit title: Śivapurāṇa (शिवपुराण) and Śivamahāpurāṇa (शिवमहापुराण) is one of eighteen major texts of the '' Purana'' genre of Sanskrit texts in Hinduism, and part o ...

'' narrate about Vashishtha cursing Kalmashapada with slight variation. The ''Uttara Ramayana'' tells that once, while hunting in the forest, Kalmashapada mistakenly kills a ''rakshasa'' disguised as a tiger cub. His fellow ''rakshasa'' – who was also disguised as a cub – assumes his true form and warns the king that he will take his revenge against the wrongful death at the proper time. The ''Shiva Purana'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana'' identify the other ''rakshasa'' as the brother of the slain one, and does not mention the tiger cub disguise. The ''Vishnu Purana'' also notes that the demons appeared in the form of tigers. The king returns to his capital and invites his guru Vashishtha to the

ashvamedha The Ashvamedha () was a horse sacrifice ritual followed by the Śrauta tradition of Vedic religion. It was used by ancient Indian kings to prove their imperial sovereignty: a horse accompanied by the king's warriors would be released to wander ...

sacrifice. The sage accepts. The vengeful ''rakshasa'' assumes the form of the sage and informs the king that he secretly desires to eat meat (a taboo for sages), and that the king should come to his

ashram An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< In the ''Shiva Purana'', the ''Bhagavata Purana'', and the ''Vishnu Purana'', the ''rakshasa'' disguises himself as a Brahmin cook and gains entry to the king's kitchen. When Vashishtha arrives in Ayodhya on the king's invitation for a

Shraddha Shraddha may refer to: In religion * Śrāddha, a Hindu ritual performed for one's deceased ancestors * Śraddhā, the Sanskrit term used to refer to faith in Buddhism In Buddhism, faith (, ) refers to a serene commitment to the prac ...

ceremony, or simply dinner, the rakshasa cooks human flesh and offers that to the sage on behalf of the king. The enraged sage curses him to be transformed into a human-eating ''rakshasa'' and wander the forests. The pious king is outraged by the unjust curse and quarrels with the sage. Vashishtha reduces the curse to 12 years when he hears of the ''rakshasa's'' deception. But the king is not satisfied. He takes water in his hand to cast a curse on Vashishtha, but the queen dissuades him. However, the curse-ridden water was not to be wasted; If thrown on the ground, it would destroy the crop. If thrown in the air, it would spoil the rains. Throwing in any direction would harm some living beings. Ultimately, the king throws the water on his own feet. Since the king's feet become black and white in colour, he gains the epithets Kalmashapada and Kalmasanghri (literally, "pied feet").

Life as a rakshasa

The ''Mahabharata'' narrates that Kalmashapada cultivates an intense hatred for Vashishtha and his sons. He eats Shakti and his 99 brothers to seek his vengeance. The grief-stricken Vashishtha leaves his ashram and starts roaming the forest. He even tries to kill himself, but fails every time. Texts such as the ''Mahabharata'', the ''

Linga Purana The ''Linga Purana'' (लिङ्गपुराण, IAST: ) is one of the eighteen '' Mahapuranas'', and a ''Shaivism'' text of Hinduism. The text's title '' Linga'' refers to the iconographical symbol for Shiva. The author(s) and date of the ...

'', and the ''Kanchipuranam'' blame Vishvamitra for provoking Kalmashapada to slay Vashishtha's sons. An older scripture, '' Brihaddevata'', also mentions that multiple Saudasas (sons of Sudasa) slay the hundred sons of Vashishtha. Various texts relate that in the forest, Kalmashapada encounters a young Brahmin couple engaged in coitus. Kalmashapada disturbs the act before climax and captures the Brahmin youth. His wife pleads that her husband has not impregnated her yet, and that it was improper to kill a Brahmin. However, Kalmashapada devours the youth. The chaste Brahmin widow wails and curses Kalmashapada that he would die if he touched any woman with amorous intent. The wife cremates her husband and performs sati by jumping into his funeral pyre. The ''Shiva Purana'' adds a continuation: The sin of killing a Brahmin transforms into a monster called Brahmahatya, who starts following Kalmashapada. The latter tries to escape the monster, and finally reaches King

Janaka Janaka (, IAST: ''Janaka'') is the King of Videha who ruled from Mithila (region), Mithila, in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Janaka was married to Sunayana (Ramayana), Sunayana. He is the father of Sita and Urmila in the epic. The term Janaka ...

's court. There, the sage

Gautama Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

teaches Kalmashapada divine knowledge and directs him to the

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

temple of

Gokarna Gokarna may refer to: Places * Gokarna, Karnataka, a town in Karnataka, India * Gokarna, West Bengal, a village in West Bengal, India * Gokarnamatam, a village in Andhra Pradesh, India * Trincomalee, a city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka also k ...

to free him of his sins. At Gokarna, Kalmashapada performs intense austerities and is liberated from Brahmahatya. The ''Mahabharata'' also records an encounter between the sage Uttanka and Kalmashapada. After serving his guru Gautama for a hundred years, Uttanka is allowed to go, but must provide Gautama with gurudakshina, a traditional repayment for his teacher's services. Gautama's wife

Ahalya In Hinduism, Ahalya (, IAST: Ahalyā) also spelt as Ahilya, is the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi. Many Hindu scriptures describe her legend of seduction by the king of the gods Indra, her husband's curse for her infidelity, and her liber ...

suggests that he bring her the divine earrings of Madayanti, Kalmashapada's wife, as repayment. Uttanka meets the cannibalistic Kalmashapada, who approaches Uttanka to eat him, but Uttanka stops him and explains that he is duty-bound to get Madayanti's earrings as a gurudakshina and that he, Uttanka, would return to Kalmashapada after fulfilling his obligation. Kalmashapada agrees and directs him to his wife, who refuses to part with her earrings until Uttanka brings some token from Kalmashapada as proof of his consent. Upon returning from Kalmashapada with a token, Madayanti gives him the earrings.

Liberation from the curse and children

The ''Mahabharata'' narrates that Vashishtha meets Kalmashapada at the end of the 12-year period and frees the king of the curse. The king returns to his original form and accepts the sage as his guru and ''

purohita Purohita (), in the Hindu context, means '' chaplain'' or ''family priest'' within the Vedic priesthood. In Thailand and Cambodia, it refers to the royal chaplains. A ''tīrthapurohit'' is a priest/ritual performer (''purohit'') at a sacred si ...

'' (priest). Both of them return to Ayodhya. However, Kalmashapada is still heirless and cannot unite with his wife in coitus due to the Brahmin widow's curse. The king requests Vashishtha to inseminate Madayanti, following the practice of ''

''. The queen becomes pregnant by the sage, but does not deliver for 12 years. Finally, the frustrated queen breaks her womb with a stone and her son is born. Since the son is born with the aid of a stone (''ashman''), he is named Ashmaka ("the child born of a stone"). The ''Mahabharata'' adds that this act of "giving" his wife to a Brahmin helps Kalmashapada attain

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

. A central character of the epic, King

Pandu Pandu () was the king of Kuru kingdom, with capital at Hastinapur in the epic '' Mahabharata''. He was the foster-father of the five Pandavas, who are the central characters of the epic. Pandu was born pale, to Vichitravirya's second wife ...

, who is cursed to die upon having sex with his wife, convinces his wife

Kunti Kunti (, un̪t̪iː ), also known as Pritha (, ">r̩t̪ʰaː/nowiki>, ), is a prominent female character in the ancient Hindu epic '' Mahabharata''. She is chiefly recognised as the mother of the central characters—the five Pandavas—h ...

to have ''niyoga'' with the gods and mother children for him, citing the example of Kalmashapada. The scholar Meyer suggests that the tale of Pandu may be inspired by the much older narrative of Kalmashapada. Other texts agree that Vashishtha ends Kalmashapada's curse; however, there is some variation. In the ''Bhagavata Purana'', Vashishtha himself strikes the queen's belly with a stone after seven years to free the child. The ''Vishnu Purana'' credits the queen for opening her own womb, but the period is seven years. All texts agree that Kalmashapada is an ancestor of

Dasharatha Dasharatha (, IAST: Daśaratha; born Nemi) was the king of Kosala, with its capital at Ayodhya, in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Dasharatha married Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. He was the father of Rama, the protagonist of the epic Ramayana ...

and his divine son

, the hero of the ''Ramayana''. The names of Kalmashapada's children and the number of generations between Kalmashapada and Dasharatha varies. The ''Vishnu Purana'', the ''Vayu Purana'', the ''Bhagavata Purana'', the ''

Kurma Purana The ''Kurma Purana'' (IAST: Kūrma Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, and a medieval era Vaishnavism text of Hinduism. The text is named after the tortoise avatar of Vishnu. The manuscripts of ''Kurma Purana'' have survived into t ...

'', and the ''

'' contain a few variations of the names. According to them, Ashmaka was the son of Kalmashapada, and nine generations lie between Kalmashapada and Dasharatha. The ''

Matsya Purana The ''Matsya Purana'' (IAST: Matsya Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen major Puranas (Mahapurana), and among the oldest and better preserved in the Puranic genre of Sanskrit literature in Hinduism. The text is a Vaishnavism text named after the h ...

'', the ''Agni Purana'', the ''Brahma Purana'', and the ''Harivamsa'' call Kalmashapada's son Sarvakarma (who is said to be the grandfather of Kalmashapada in the ''Vishnu Purana'', et al.), but agree as to the number of generations with the ''Vishnu Purana'', et al. The ''Ramayana'' identifies the son as Shankhana and states that ten generations lie between Kalmashapada and Dasharatha.Wilson pp. 313-4

References

Sources

* * * * {{cite book, authorlink=Horace Hayman Wilson, last=Wilson, first= H. H. , title=The Vishńu Puráńa, year=1866, publisher=Trübner & CompanyBooks, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ud43AQAAMAAJ, access-date=2014-07-15 Characters in the Ramayana Solar dynasty Rakshasa Characters in Buddhist mythology