Kalmāṣapāda

Kalmashapada , is a king In Hindu scriptures, who was cursed to be a rakshasa (demon) by the sage Shakti.

Description The Mahabharata and the Puranas agree that Kalmashapada was the son of the king Sudasa (Sudhasana); however, the Ramayana names his father was Raghu, a king whom the other texts identify as a descendant of Kalmashapada. All texts agree that his ancestors include Sagara and Bhagiratha, though the generations between Bhagiratha and Kalmashapada may vary among the texts.

Some texts state that Kalmashapada's birth name was Mitrasaha, but he was known by his patronymic Saudasa. A commentator on the Vishnu Purana 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. The Vayu Purana, the Agni Purana, the Brahma Purana, and the Harivamsa call him Amitrasaha, "one who forbears (saha) a foe (amitra)"; here, Vashishtha is taken to be an enemy.

Vashishtha's curse The Uttara Kanda of the Ramayana and the Shiva Purana 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.

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. 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.

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 (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 niyoga. 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.

A central character of the epic, King Pandu, who is cursed to die upon having sex with his wife, convinces his wife Kunti 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.

All texts agree that Kalmashapada is an ancestor of Dasharatha and his divine son Rama, 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, and the Linga Purana 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 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.

Buddhist Version In Sutasoma Jataka, he is known as Porisāda ("the cannibal"). Before becoming man-eater he was the king of Benares. He is given the name "Kammāsapāda（"Spot-foot"） because of a wound he once received，which healed，leaving a scar like a piece of well-grained timber. This refers to the flight of Porisāda from his pursuers，when he trod on an acacia stake which pierced his foot. Porisāda is later weaned from his evil habit by the Bodhisatta Sutasoma. He is identified as an pre-incarnation of Angulimāla. This story was later immortalised into Kakawin Sutasoma. Kammāsapāda also appeared in Jayaddisa Jātaka.