Chapter 30

“Yudhishthira said, ‘How did the son of Srinjaya becomeSuvarnashthivin?[103] Why also did Parvata give Srinjaya that child? Andwhy did he die? When the lives of all men in those days extended for athousand years, why did Srinjaya’s son die in infancy? Or, was he in nameonly Suvarnashthivin? How also did he come to be so? I desire to know allthis.’

“Krishna said, “I will recite to thee, O king, the facts as theyhappened. There are two Rishis, the foremost ones in the world, namedNarada and Parvata. Narada is the maternal uncle and Parvata is hissister’s son. With cheerful hearts, the uncle Narada and the nephewParvata had, in days of old, O king, left heaven for a pleasant ramble onearth for tasting clarified butter and rice. Both of them, possessed ofgreat ascetic merit, wandered over the earth, subsisting on food taken byhuman beings. Filled with joy and entertaining great affection for eachother, they entered into a compact that, whatever wish, good or bad,would be entertained by one should be disclosed to the other, but on theevent of one of them acting otherwise, he should be subject to theother’s curse. Agreeing to that understanding, those two great Rishis,adored of all the worlds, repaired to king Srinjaya, the son of Sitya andsaid unto him, ‘We two, for thy good, shall dwell with thee for a fewdays. O lord of earth, do thou attend to all our wants duly.’ The king,saying, So be it, set himself to attend upon them hospitably. After awhile, one day, the king filled with joy, introduced to those illustriousascetics his daughter of the fairest complexion, saying, ‘This mydaughter will wait upon you both. Bright as the filaments of the lotus,she is beautiful and of faultless limbs, accomplished and of sweetmanners, and is called Sukumari by name.’ ‘Very well,’ said the Rishis inreply, upon which the king directed his daughter, telling her, ‘O child,attend upon these two Brahmanas as thou wouldst upon the gods or thysire.’ The virtuous princess, saying, ‘So be it’ began to attend uponthem in obedience to her father’s behest. Her dutiful services and herunrivalled beauty very soon inspired Narada with a tender flame towardsher. That tender sentiment began to grow in the heart of the illustrioussaint like the moon gradually waxing on the accession of the lightedfortnight. The virtuous Narada, however, overwhelmed by shame, could notdisclose that burning attachment to his sister’s son, the high-souledParvata. By his ascetic power, as also by signs, Parvata understood all.Inflamed with rage, the latter thereupon resolved to curse thelove-afflicted Narada. And he said, ‘Having of thy own accord made acompact with me that, whatever wish, good or bad, would be cherished byeither of us should be disclosed to the other, thou hast violated it.These were thy own words. O Brahmana! It is for this that I shall cursethee. Thou didst not tell me before that thy heart has been pierced bythe charms of the maiden Sukumari! It is for this that I shall cursethee. Thou art a Brahmacharin. Thou art my preceptor. Thou art an asceticand a Brahmana. Yet hast thou broken the compact thou hadst made with me.Fitted with rage I shall, for this, curse even thee. Listen to me. ThisSukumari shall, without doubt, become thy wife. From the time of thymarriage, however, O puissant one, both she and all men shall behold theean ape, for thy true features having disappeared, an ape shalt thouappear unto all.’ Hearing these words of his, the uncle Narada, filledwith wrath, cursed his nephew Parvata in return, saying, ‘Although thouhast ascetic merit and Brahmacharya and truth and self-restraint, andalthough thou art ever devoted to virtue, thou shalt not yet succeed inproceeding to heaven.’ Filled with rage and desire of vengeance, theythus cursed and flamed against each other like a couple of infuriatedelephants. From that time the high-souled Parvata began to wander overthe earth, respected as he deserved, O Bharata, for his own energy.Narada then, that foremost of Brahmanas, obtained according to due ritesthe hand of Srinjaya’s daughter, the faultless Sukumari. The princess,however, beheld Narada exactly as the curse had said. Indeed, just afterthe last of the wedding mantras had been recited, Sukumari beheld thecelestial Rishi to have a face like that of an ape. She, however, did noton that account, disregard her lord. On the other hand, she dedicated herlove to him. Indeed, the princess, chaste as she was, devoted herselfentirely to her lord and did not in her heart even desire any one elseamong the gods, Munis, and Yakshas for a husband. One day, as theillustrious Parvata, in course of his wanderings, entered a solitaryforest, he beheld Narada there. Saluting him, Parvata said, ‘Show thygrace unto me by permitting me, O puissant one, to co to heaven.’ Seeingthe cheerless Parvata kneeling before him with joined hands, Narada,himself mere cheerless, said unto him, ‘Thou hadst cursed me first,saying, ‘Be thou an ape!’ After thou hadst said so unto me, I cursed theefrom anger, saying, ‘From this day thou shalt not dwell in heaven!’ Itwas not well of thee, since thou art like a son unto me.’ The two saintsthen freed each other from their mutual curses. Beholding her husbandpossessed of celestial form and blazing with beauty, Sukumari fled fromhim, taking him to be somebody other than her lord. Seeing the beautifulprincess flying away from her lord, Parvata addressed her, saying, ‘Thisone is even thy husband. Do not entertain any scruple. This one is theillustrious and puissant Rishi Narada, that foremost of virtuous persons.He is thy lord, of one soul with thee. Do not have any doubt.’ Assured indiverse ways by the high Parvata and formed also of the curse on herlord, the princess regained her equanimity. Then Parvata proceeded toheaven and Narada to his home.”

“Vasudeva continued, ‘The illustrious Rishi Narada, who was himself anactor in this matter, is here. O best of men, asked by thee, he will tellthee everything that happened.'”