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Saudaas was 7th generation down from Bhageerath. Saudaas's wife's name was Madayantee. Saudaas was known as Mitrasaha as well as Kalmaashpaad. He became Raakshas because of Vashishth's Shaap and then became childless because of his own Karm."

Why Saudaas was Named as Kalmaashpaad
See also   Vashishth's Curse to King Saudaas

Once Raajaa Saudaas went on a hunting trip. There he killed some Raakshas but left his brother. The brother considered the act of killing his brother unjust and went to the palace of Raajaa to take revenge of his brother in the form of a cook. One day when Guru Vashishth Jee came to Raajaa's palace, he offered him food. The cook offered him human flesh in the food. When Vashishth Jee found the food completely uneatable, he gave Shaap to Raajaa in a great anger - "You will become a Raakshas because of this act." When later Vashishth Jee came to know that this was the act of a Raakshas not of Raajaa, then he lessened the duration of Shaap only for 12 years. At that time Saudaas also got ready to give Shaap to Vashishth Jee, but his wife Madayantee stopped him to do so. Then Saudaas asked - "Directions, sky, Prithvi all are living beings, then where I should drop this Abhimantrit Jal?" At last he dropped it on his own feet - that is why he was called as Mitrasaha. His feet became black because of that Jal - that is why he was named as Kalmaashpaad.

Curse of a Braahman to King Saudaas
Because of the Shaap he had become Raakshas. One day he saw a Braahman couple together, he was hungry, so he caught the Braahman. Braahman's wife's desire was still not fulfilled. She said - "Raajan, You are not a Raakshas, you are the husband of Madayantee and come from the respectable Ikshwaaku family. You should not behave in such unreligious way. We want to have a child, so please leave my husband and give him to me. This human body makes Dharm, Arth, Kaam, and Moksh all the four available to a human being, that is why to kill this body is called to kill all Purushaarth (efforts). And this Braahman is very learned. You are very mighty and know the secrets of Dharm. As it is not good for a father to kill his son, it is not good for you to kill my good Braahman husband. If you still want to eat my husband, then eat me first, because I will not be alive without him even for a moment." And Braahman's wife started crying.

But Saudaas did not pay any attention to her request and ate the Braahman. Then Satee Braahmanee gave Shaap to Raajaa - "You have eaten my husband in this situation (when we wanted to have a child), you will also die whenever you will want to have a child." After giving Shaap to Saudaas she became Satee with her husband's bones.

After 12 years, Raajaa got freed from the Shaap. He could not produce a child because of the Braahmanee's Shaap, so he remained childless. Then Vashishth Jee arranged his wife's pregnancy on his request. She remained pregnant for seven years but the child did not born. (MBH, G-3-Youth/7 says that she remained pregnant for 12 years) Then Vashishth Jee hit a stone on her stomach then only the child was born. Because he was born with the help of stone (Ashm), he was called Ashmak. Ashmak's son was Moolak. When Parashuraam Jee was killing Kshatriya then women hid him from him. That is why his another name was Naaree-Kavach (Naree = woman, and Kavach = guarded, means who has been guarded by women). And he was called Moolak because then he became the Mool (root) of that lineage after Prithvi became without Kshatriya.

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