Śakti Maharṣi

Śhakti Mahariṣhi was son of Vaśiṣṭha and Arundhati. He was the father of Parāśara mentioned in the Mahabharata.

Śakti Maharṣi
Shakti (left) meets Kalmashapada in a Mahabharata scene.
In-universe information
FamilyVasishtha(father) Arundhati (Hinduism)(mother)
SpouseAdrushyanti[1]
ChildrenParashara

There is a famous story found in Mahabharata about Shakti Muni. Once King Kalmashapada, going hunting, kills many animals. Tiring and being hungry and thirsty, he proceeded through the woods. On the way, Rishi Shakti Maharishi came on the same path, from the opposite direction. The King ordered him to get out of his way. The Rishi addressed the King sweetly and said "O king this is my way". In accordance with duty and tradition, a king should always make way for Brahmins. The king persisted in acting like a Rakshasa (demon). The Rishi cursed the king thus: "O worst of the worst kings, since thou persecutest an ascetic, like a Rakshasa, thou shalt from this day, became a Rakshasa subsisting on human flesh! Henceforth, O worst of kings! thou shalt wander over the earth, affecting human form!"[2][3][4]

Death

Cursed thus by Rishi Shakti, the Rakshasa(giant) first killed and swallowed Shakti himself. After that, Kalmasapada ate successively all the 100 sons of Maharshi Vasistha.[5]

References
  1. "Wife of Sakti Maharsi".
  2. https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01179.htm
  3. "Vashista: By N. RANGANATHA SHARMA, Litent".
  4. "Immortal India".
  5. "Puranic encyclopaedia : a dictionary with special reference to epic and Puranic literature". archive.org. 1975.


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