Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 58: King Triśaṅku Cursed
Text 1.58.19
प्रत्याख्यातोऽस्मि गुरुणा गुरुपुत्रैस्तथैव च।
अनवाप्यैव तं कामं मया प्राप्तो विपर्ययः॥
pratyākhyāto ‘smi guruṇā guru-putrais tathaiva ca
anavāpyaiva taṁ kāmaṁ mayā prāpto viparyayaḥ
pratyākhyātaḥ asmi = rejected; guruṇā = by my guru; guru-putraiḥ tathā eva ca = and my guru’s sons; anavāpya eva = not having achieved; tam kāmam = my ambition; mayā prāptaḥ viparyayaḥ = I have attained the opposite.
Rejected by my guru and my guru’s sons, not having achieved my ambition, I have attained the opposite.
Triśaṅku had not achieved his ambition, to fulfill which he had humbly taken shelter of his guru and the sons of his guru. But he had attained the opposite of what he needed. This was the specific reason why he had approached Viśvāmitra.
But what was his ambition? He states that in the next verse.