The Greatness of the Gaṅgā (Gaṅgā-māhātmya): Saudāsa/Kalmāṣapāda’s Curse and Release
इत्युक्त्वाथर्वविद्भूपं वशिष्टः स्वाश्रमं ययौ । राजापि दुःखसंपन्नो राक्षसीं तानुमाश्रितः ॥ ४६ ॥
ityuktvātharvavidbhūpaṃ vaśiṣṭaḥ svāśramaṃ yayau | rājāpi duḥkhasaṃpanno rākṣasīṃ tānumāśritaḥ || 46 ||
说罢,通晓《阿闼婆吠陀》的瓦西什塔便回到自己的林苑道场。国王亦因忧苦充塞,陷入如罗刹女般的境况(魔性之态)。
Narrator (Purana narrator relaying the episode of Vasiṣṭha and the king)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
It shows the immediate karmic-psychological consequence of unchecked grief: when wise guidance departs, a ruler can slip into a darker, rākṣasī (tamasic) disposition, emphasizing the need for dharma, self-control, and sattva.
While bhakti is not named directly here, the verse frames the problem—sorrow and demonic tendency—against which later Purāṇic instruction commonly prescribes devotion, remembrance, and surrender to Viṣṇu as stabilizing remedies for the mind.
The epithet “atharvavit” highlights Vedic learning—especially Atharva-veda’s association with protective rites and pacificatory measures—implying that disciplined Vedic counsel and right application of sacred knowledge guard one from destructive mental states.