Story of Vasiṣṭha as told by Gandharva

 vaiśampāyana uvāca

sa gandharvavacaḥ śrutvā tat tadā bharatarṣabha

arjunaḥ parayā bhaktyā pūrṇacandra ivābabhau

Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing these words of Gandharva, that best of Bharata race, Arjuna, was filled with devotion towaeds him and he stood as manifested full moon.

uvāca ca maheṣvāso gandharvaṁ kurusattamaḥ

jātakautūhalo ̍ tīva vasiṣṭhasya tapobalāt

His curiosity being excited by what he heard about Vasiṣṭha ̍ s aascetic power, that best of Kurus, that great bowman, spoke thus to Gandharva:

vasiṣṭha iti tasyaitadṛṣernāma tvayeritam

etadicchāmyahaṁ śrotuṁ yathāvat tad vadasva me

I desire to hear the history of Ṛṣi, whom you have mentioned by the name Vasiṣṭha. Tell me all about him in detail.

ya eṣa gandharvapate pūrveṣāṁ naḥ purohitaḥ

āsīdetanmamācakṣva ka eṣa bhagavānṛṣiḥ

O chief of Gandharvas! Tell me who this illustrious Ṛṣi was, who was a priest of our forefathers.

gandharva uvāca

brahmaṇo mānasaḥ putro vasiṣṭho ̍ rundhatīpatiḥ

tapasā nirjitau śaśvadajeyāvamarairapi

kāmakrodhāvubhau yasya caraṇau saṁvavāhatuḥ

indriyāṇāṁ vaśakaro vaśiṣṭa iti cocyate

Gandharva said: Vasiṣṭha was son of Brahmā, born from his mind. He was husband of Arundhatī. Ever difficult of being conquered even by celestials. Desire and anger, having been conquered by his ascetic penances, shampooed his feet. He was so high souled, that he did not exterminate Kuśikās.

yastu nocchedanaṁ cakre kuśikānāmudāradhīḥ

viśvāmitrāparādhena dhārayan manyumuttamam

Though excellent Ṛṣi ̍ s anger was excited by Viśvāmitra, though he was afflicted at the loss of his sons, though he was powerful, yet he appeared to be powerless.

putravyāsanasaṁtaptaḥ śaktimānapyaśaktavat

viśvāmitravināśāya na cakre karma dāruṇam

mṛtāṁśca punarāhartaṁ śakta putrān yamakṣayāt

kṛtāntaṁ nāticakrāma velāmiva mahodadhiḥ

He hid not perform any dreadful deed for destroying Viśvāmitra. Like great ocean, which does not cross its shore, he did not transgress the law of Yama by bringing back his sons from the land of the dead. It is by obtaining this self controlled and illustrious Ṛṣi, kings,

yaṁ prāpya vijitātmānaṁ mahātmānaṁ narādhipāḥ

ikṣvākavo mahīpālā lebhire pṛthivīmimām

Namely Ikṣvāku and others, became the lords over whole Earth. Getting excellent Ṛṣi Vasiṣṭha as their priest,

purohitamimaṁ prāpya vasiṣṭhamṛṣisattamam

ījire kratubhiścaiva nṛpāste kurunandane

O descendant of Kuru! O best of Pāṇḍavas! These kings performed many great sacrifices. That Brahmaṛṣi performed priestly duty of all these excellent kings, as Bṛhaspati did for celestials.

sa hi tān yājayāmāsa sarvān nṛpatisattamān

brahmarṣiḥ pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha bṛhaspatirivāmarān

Therefore, seek to appoint as your priest an accomplished Brāhmaṇa in whose heart virtue predominates and who is learned in Vedas.

tasmād dharmapradhānātmā vedadharmavidīpsitaḥ

brāhmaṇo guṇavān kaścit purodhāḥ pratidṛśyatām

kṣatriyeṇābhijātena pṛthivīṁ jetumicchatā

pūrvaṁ purohitaḥ kāryaḥ pārtha rājyābhivṛddhaye

O Pārtha! Kṣatriya of noble birth should first appoint a priest, if he is at all desirous of extending his dominions by conquering Earth. He who is desirous of conquering Earth, should have a Brāhmaṇa before him.

mahīṁ jigīṣatā rājñā brahma kāryaṁ purasmaram

tasmāt purohitaḥ kaścid guṇavān vijitendriyaḥ

vidvān bhavatu vo vipro dharmakāmārthatattvavit

Therefore, let accomplished and learned Brāhmaṇa, who has conquered his senses and who is learned in Dharma, Artha, Kāma, be your priest.