मायावसिष्ठ

{ māyāvasiṣṭha }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

MĀYĀVASIṢṬHA   There was once a King called Mitrasaha among the Kings of the Solar dynasty who ruled Ayodhyā. One day while he was hunting he saw two demons roaming about as tigers and Mitrasaha killed one of them. The other demon waited for an opportunity to wreak vengeance and an opportunity presented itself. Mitrasaha was conducting an Aśvamedha yāga to which Vasiṣṭha was the chief priest. The demon went to the King as Vasiṣṭha and privately told him that he desired to eat meat and the King accordingly prepared meat which was greatly resented by the real Vasiṣṭha and the sage cursed Mitrasaha to become a demon. The false Vasiṣṭha who played the trick on the King is called Māyāvasiṣṭha. (See for details under Kalmāṣapāda).