Shakti Maharishi was son of
Vaśiṣṭha and Arundhati. He was the father of
Parāśara
Parāśara (Sanskrit: पराशर; IAST: ) was a maharshi and the author of many ancient Indian texts. He is accredited as the author of the first Purana, the Vishnu Purana, before his son Vyasa wrote it in its present form. He was the gr ...
, mentioned in the ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
''.
There is a legend found in ''Mahabharata'' about Shakti Muni. Once King
Kalmashapada
In Hindu scriptures, Kalmashapada (Kalmasapada, कल्माषपाद), also known as Saudasa (), Mitrasaha (मित्रसह), Amitrasaha and Kalmashanghri (Kalmasanghri), was a king of the Ikshvaku dynasty (the Solar dynasty), who ...
, going hunting, killed many animals. Tired and being hungry and thirsty, he was proceeding 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
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
s. 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!".
He was the grandfather of
Vyasa
Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...
, author of the Indian
epic ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
''.
Death
Cursed thus by Rishi Shakti, the Rakshasa(demon) first killed and swallowed Shakti himself. After that, Kalmasapada ate successively all the 100 sons of Maharshi Vasistha.
References
Rishis
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