The Gandharva narrates the story of King Kalmashapada to Arjuna

The gandharva looked at Arjuna. “O Partha,” he began, “let me tell you a story from the world. There was a king named Kalmashapada, born in the Ikshvaku lineage, whose prowess was unmatched on earth.” One day, the king went hunting. After killing many deer and boars, hungry and thirsty, he followed a narrow forest path. Coming from the opposite direction was the sage Shakti — the eldest of the great sage Vashishtha’s one hundred sons, the extender of his lineage. They met on the path, face to face. The king said, “Move off from our path.” The rishi (sage) replied in a soothing, kind voice, but did not yield. He was following the path of dharma (righteousness). Out of pride and anger, the king did not yield either. When the sage refused to give way, the king, deluded like a rakshasa (demon), struck the sage with his whip. Struck by the whip, Shakti was angered. He cursed the king. “O worst of kings! Since you have struck an ascetic like a rakshasa, from today you will become a maneater. Go from here and wander the earth, eating human flesh.” The gandharva continued. Vashishtha and the sage Vishvamitra had once quarreled over who should be an officiating priest. At the time of this curse, Vishvamitra happened to come near the place. The immensely powerful rishi, with great austerities, recognized Shakti as Vashishtha’s son. Desiring some benefit for himself, Vishvamitra remained there, concealed by invisibility. The cursed king sought Shakti’s mercy, trying to pacify him. Knowing the king’s nature, Vishvamitra saw his opportunity. He ordered a rakshasa named Kimkara to enter the king’s body. Because of the Brahmana’s curse and Vishvamitra’s instruction, the rakshasa did so. Then Vishvamitra went away. Possessed and tormented by the rakshasa within him, the king found it difficult to save himself. Later, a certain Brahmana, hungry, begged the king for some food with meat. The king, also known as Mitrasaha, promised to bring it and asked the Brahmana to wait. The king returned to his palace and forgot his promise until midnight. He ordered his cook to take meat to the waiting Brahmana. The cook could find no meat. He sorrowfully informed the king. Possessed by the rakshasa, the king unhesitatingly told him, “Feed him human flesh.” The cook went to where executioners lived, took human flesh, cooked it with rice, and took it to the ascetic Brahmana. Through his ascetic sight, the Brahmana immediately recognized the food as forbidden. His eyes red with anger, he said, “That worst of kings has offered me forbidden food. Therefore, that deluded one will himself become fond of such food.” The curse was repeated, making it stronger. Possessed, the king soon lost all his senses. Seeing Shakti, the king, deprived of his senses, said, “Because you imposed this curse on me, I shall begin by eating you first.” He immediately killed Shakti and ate him, the way a tiger devours its prey. Seeing this, Vishvamitra urged the rakshasa to kill Vashishtha’s other sons. Like an angry lion devouring small animals, the possessed king ate up all the younger sons of the great-souled Vashishtha. When Vashishtha learned that Vishvamitra had conspired to get his sons killed, he bore his grief patiently, like a great mountain bears the earth. The best of sages resolved to sacrifice himself rather than seek vengeance against Vishvamitra’s Kushika lineage. He threw himself from the peak of Mount Meru. His head struck the stones like a bale of cotton, but the fall did not kill him. He lit a great fire in the forest and entered it. The flames blazed high but did not burn him; instead, they cooled him. Seeing the ocean, the grief-stricken sage tied a heavy stone around his neck and flung himself into the water. The strong waves brought him back to the shore. With a sorrowful heart, he returned to his hermitage.