Hearing that Mitrasaha became a demon, Emperor Parikshit was curious. He enquired, “O revered sage! What caused the venerable Saudāsa (Mitrasaha) to be cursed by his Guru Vasiṣṭha? I seek to know this story. If it is not to be kept a secret, please narrate it to me.”

Maharishi Śuka skips many stories as he narrates to Parikshit. However Parikshit who is keenly listening keeps asking for the detailed narration of these stories. We are so fortunate to listen to these stories as narrated by Maharishi Śuka in this Moola Bhagavatam.

Maharishi Śuka explained, “Once Saudāsa, who went hunting into the forests, killed a demon. However he spared the demon’s brother and left him alive. The demon who was left alive was determined to seek revenge on Saudāsa. Using his magical powers he assumed the form of a human being and entered the king’s palace as a cook, eagerly awaiting the right opportunity for revenge.

One morning, Guru Vasiṣṭha was invited for lunch at the palace. The cook prepared a dish using human flesh and served it to the sage. Maharishi Vasiṣṭha, using his occult powers, instantly realized that he had been served human flesh. He was infuriated with the king who had served him human flesh, which is forbidden. He immediately cursed Maharishi Saudāsa,

“O King, by serving me human meat you have behaved like a demon, hence, may you turn into a demon!”

The king was unaware of what was prepared in the kitchen. He had blindly served the food that was sent from the kitchen. Our dharma shastras state that tasting cooked food before serving others is equivalent of serving them your left-overs and thus is sinful.

“Later on, coming to know that it was the work of the demon cook and not of the king, Maharishi Vasiṣṭha altered his curse stating that the king would undergo suffering only for twelve years. King Saudāsa, who was angry that Guru Vasiṣṭha had needlessly cursed him, was furious and hence was ready to curse his Guru.

Taking water in his cupped hands, he was about to curse the great saint when his wife Madayanti forbade him saying, “It is wrong to curse your Guru.” The water held in his cupped hands had absorbed his entire fury. The king observed all the directions. He saw the space, directions, earth filled with living entities. He could not understand how to dispose off the water which contained his anger and hence threw the water on his legs.

For having obeyed the advice given by his wife, Saudāsa was known as Mitrasaha. The water poured on his legs caused them to turn black and hence he was known as Kalmaśapāda.

The king transformed into a demon and was wandering through the forests when he saw a Brahmin couple engaged in conjugal bliss. Exactly at that time he felt uncontrollably hungry. Unable to withstand the pangs of hunger, he caught hold of the man without even the consideration that it was an inappropriate time.

At that moment, the Brahmin’s wife, felt helpless said to the king, “O demon, you have been cursed to become a demon. I am aware that you are one among the kings belonging to the Ikswaku dynasty. You, the husband of Madayanti, are extremely valourous. You should not indulge in unrighteous deed. My husband is a helpless Brahmin. I desire to beget a son. Therefore please return my husband to me.

O valourous king! This human body is the vehicle that bestows all the four goals of life”.

This is the significance of a human body. It is a carrier that allows one to achieve the four goals of life. It has the capacity to take us towards liberation. Hence we should not despise this body. It is the grace of God that we have been blessed with human body. Even when diseased he has given the strength to bear all suffering.

“Therefore O king! Return my husband. It is wrong to kill a human being. My husband is a learned Vedic Brahmin. He is filled with penance, good character and truthfulness. Seeing the Supreme Self as residing within all living creatures, he maintains feelings of equal-mindedness towards them all. He seeks to worship the Supreme Lord. Please let go of this Brahmin who is filled with saintly traits.

O King! Even though you have become a demon you are filled with righteousness and you still remember your duties. You are the best among saintly kings. Therefore it is incorrect for you to murder my husband who is the best among Brahmarishis. Can a father murder a son?

O king! Noble saintly persons glorify you. My husband is one among such noble saintly persons. He is sinless. He has mastered the Vedas. He is the son of a learned Vedic scholar. Killing such a Brahmin is equivalent of killing a cow. How do you presume that in eating him lies your welfare?

I cannot live without my husband even for a moment. Therefore O king! I beg of you”.

Krishnaya namah