King Shala Refuses to Return Vamadeva's Horses

After some time, King Parikshit had three sons through Sushobhana: Shala, Dala and Bala. Since his soul was set on austerities, Parikshit instated the eldest, Shala, on the throne and left for the forest. One day, Shala went out hunting. He saw a deer and pursued it on his chariot. "Drive me faster," he told the charioteer. The charioteer replied: "Do not insist on this course of action. You would have been able to catch the deer only if Vamya horses had been yoked to the chariot." "Tell me about Vamya horses," the king said. "Otherwise, I will kill you." Frightened of the king's anger, as well as of Vamadeva's curse, the charioteer said: "Vamya horses are those that belong to Vamadeva. They are as swift as the mind." Shala rode to Vamadeva's hermitage. "O illustrious one! I pierced a deer and it has run away. You should give me a couple of Vamya horses so that I can catch it." The rishi replied: "I will give you the Vamyas. But when you have finished, you must return them immediately." Shala accepted the horses, took the rishi's permission, yoked the Vamya horses to his chariot and pursued the deer. But as he was travelling, he told the charioteer: "These horses are gems. They do not deserve to be possessed by a brahmana. I am not going to return them to Vamadeva." He caught the deer, returned to his city, and lodged the horses in the inner quarters of the palace. The rishi thought: "This prince is young. Having obtained these excellent horses, he is enjoying them. He will not return them to me. What a nuisance!" When a month had passed, Vamadeva told his disciple Atreya: "Go to the king and tell him that if he is through with the horses, he should return the Vamyas to your preceptor." Atreya went and told the king. But the king replied: "These horses deserve to be possessed by kings. Brahmanas do not deserve such gems. What will brahmanas do with horses? Return." Atreya returned and told this to the preceptor. Vamadeva was filled with anger. He himself went to the king and asked for his horses. But the king refused. "O king! Return the Vamya horses to me," Vamadeva said. "You have undertaken a deed that others cannot accomplish. Varuna will kill you with his terrible noose. You are trying to create a split between brahmanas and kshatriyas." "O Vamadeva! These two bulls have been trained well and are docile. They are the appropriate mount for a brahmana. O maharshi! Take them and go wherever you want. The chants themselves bear someone like you." "The chants indeed bear someone like me, but that is in the next world," Vamadeva replied. "O king! In this world, these are my mounts, and for others who are like me." "Then let four donkeys bear you. They are excellent. Or there are fleet horses. Use those. But these Vamyas deserve to be possessed by a kshatriya like me. Behold. They cannot belong to you." "It has been said that a brahmana's vow is terrible," Vamadeva said. "O king! If I have lived by such vows, then terrible giants with bodies made of iron and holding sharp spears will slice you into four parts." "O Vamadeva! Let those who bear sharp spears know that you, a brahmana, are willing to kill in speech, thought and deeds. On my instructions, let them kill you, with your disciple." "O king! A brahmana can never be chastised, in speech, thought and deeds. But one who is learned in the brahman and has practised austerities can prove superior to the best in this world." When Vamadeva spoke these words, rakshasas arose, terrible in form. With raised spears, they rushed towards the king, so as to kill him. In a loud voice, Shala cried out: "O brahmana! Even if all the Ikshvakus, Dala and the vaishyas who are ruled by me tell me, I will not give up the Vamyas. O Vamadeva! They are not ones who follow dharma." While he was still speaking, the yatudhanas (demons) struck the lord of the earth and he fell down on the ground.