Adṛśyanti was the wife of Śaktri, and the daughter-in-law of the great sage Vaśiṣṭha. When Śaktri died, due to the conspiracy of Viśvāmitra, Vaśiṣṭha considered committing suicide in grief. However, failing to kill himself, when he was coming back, he could hear the sound of Vedic chanting. Actually his daughtr-in-law was following him, and she was pregnant. Vaśiṣtha could not understand that. But he was moved to hear the perfect sound of Vedic chanting, with application of ṣaḍja (shadja, the note of sā). He turned back and became curious. The following lady said, “I am Adṛśyantī, the wife of your deceased son Śaktri, I have suffered a lot, and after the death of your son, I soend my life in strict asceticism. Vaśiṣṭha said, “I inderstand your words, but whereform is coming this sound of Vedic chanting? I have heard this in the voice of my son.” Adṛśyantī said, “This is my son, fathered by Saktri. He has been chanting the Veda for twelve years, from my womb.”.

Vaśiṣṭha then took Adṛśyantī towards his hermitage, discarding the thought of suicide. King Kalmāṣapāda (Kalmāshapada), in the form of a monster, stopped them on the way. Adṛśyantī screamed, perceiving danger for his son, but Vaśiṣṭha released Kalmāṣpāda from his curse. Requested by the king, Vaśiṣṭha went to Ayodhyā, and Adṛśyantī, staying in the hermitage, gave birth to a son, who was as full of ascetic power as his father. Vaśiṣṭha completed his birth-related rituals and called him Pārāśra. This name derives from ̍parāsu̍– ̍asu̍ means life, or energy of life. Vaśiṣṭha, by committing suicide, wished to go out of the cycle of life, and the birth of his grandson helped him to stay in life, with hope. So his name was Parāśra. Parāśara received so much of affectionate care from Vaśiṣṭha, that he used to call him ̍father̍. Adṛśyantī, hearing that, told him one day– ̍This aged great person Vaśiṣṭha, who you are calling your ̍father̍ is actually your grandfather. Your father has been killed by a monster. In his absence, don̍t call your grandfather as ̍father̍.” When Parāśra learned this fro his mother, he became angry and decided to destroy the entire monster clan. However, he was dissuaded and brought to reason by his grandfather. In Mahākāvya and Purāṇa, the story of Adṛśyantī ends here. There is no mention of any incident of her later life.