"'Yudhishthira said, "How did the son of Srinjaya become
Suvarnashthivin?[103] Why also did Parvata give Srinjaya that child? And
why did he die? When the lives of all men in those days extended for a
thousand years, why did Srinjaya's son die in infancy? Or, was he in name
only Suvarnashthivin? How also did he come to be so? I desire to know all
this."
"'Krishna said, "I will recite to thee, O king, the facts as they
happened. There are two Rishis, the foremost ones in the world, named
Narada and Parvata. Narada is the maternal uncle and Parvata is his
sister's son. With cheerful hearts, the uncle Narada and the nephew
Parvata had, in days of old, O king, left heaven for a pleasant ramble on
earth for tasting clarified butter and rice. Both of them, possessed of
great ascetic merit, wandered over the earth, subsisting on food taken by
human beings. Filled with joy and entertaining great affection for each
other, they entered into a compact that, whatever wish, good or bad,
would be entertained by one should be disclosed to the other, but on the
event of one of them acting otherwise, he should be subject to the
other's curse. Agreeing to that understanding, those two great Rishis,
adored of all the worlds, repaired to king Srinjaya, the son of Sitya and
said unto him, 'We two, for thy good, shall dwell with thee for a few
days. 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 a
while, one day, the king filled with joy, introduced to those illustrious
ascetics his daughter of the fairest complexion, saying, 'This my
daughter will wait upon you both. Bright as the filaments of the lotus,
she is beautiful and of faultless limbs, accomplished and of sweet
manners, and is called Sukumari by name.' 'Very well,' said the Rishis in
reply, upon which the king directed his daughter, telling her, 'O child,
attend upon these two Brahmanas as thou wouldst upon the gods or thy
sire.' The virtuous princess, saying, 'So be it' began to attend upon
them in obedience to her father's behest. Her dutiful services and her
unrivalled beauty very soon inspired Narada with a tender flame towards
her. That tender sentiment began to grow in the heart of the illustrious
saint like the moon gradually waxing on the accession of the lighted
fortnight. The virtuous Narada, however, overwhelmed by shame, could not
disclose that burning attachment to his sister's son, the high-souled
Parvata. By his ascetic power, as also by signs, Parvata understood all.
Inflamed with rage, the latter thereupon resolved to curse the
love-afflicted Narada. And he said, 'Having of thy own accord made a
compact with me that, whatever wish, good or bad, would be cherished by
either 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 curse
thee. Thou didst not tell me before that thy heart has been pierced by
the charms of the maiden Sukumari! It is for this that I shall curse
thee. Thou art a Brahmacharin. Thou art my preceptor. Thou art an ascetic
and 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. This
Sukumari shall, without doubt, become thy wife. From the time of thy
marriage, however, O puissant one, both she and all men shall behold thee
an ape, for thy true features having disappeared, an ape shalt thou
appear unto all.' Hearing these words of his, the uncle Narada, filled
with wrath, cursed his nephew Parvata in return, saying, 'Although thou
hast ascetic merit and Brahmacharya and truth and self-restraint, and
although thou art ever devoted to virtue, thou shalt not yet succeed in
proceeding to heaven.' Filled with rage and desire of vengeance, they
thus cursed and flamed against each other like a couple of infuriated
elephants. From that time the high-souled Parvata began to wander over
the earth, respected as he deserved, O Bharata, for his own energy.
Narada then, that foremost of Brahmanas, obtained according to due rites
the hand of Srinjaya's daughter, the faultless Sukumari. The princess,
however, beheld Narada exactly as the curse had said. Indeed, just after
the last of the wedding mantras had been recited, Sukumari beheld the
celestial Rishi to have a face like that of an ape. She, however, did not
on that account, disregard her lord. On the other hand, she dedicated her
love to him. Indeed, the princess, chaste as she was, devoted herself
entirely to her lord and did not in her heart even desire any one else
among the gods, Munis, and Yakshas for a husband. One day, as the
illustrious Parvata, in course of his wanderings, entered a solitary
forest, he beheld Narada there. Saluting him, Parvata said, 'Show thy
grace unto me by permitting me, O puissant one, to go to heaven.' Seeing
the cheerless Parvata kneeling before him with joined hands, Narada,
himself more cheerless, said unto him, 'Thou hadst cursed me first,
saying, "Be thou an ape!" After thou hadst said so unto me, I cursed thee
from anger, saying, "From this day thou shalt not dwell in heaven!" It
was not well of thee, since thou art like a son unto me.' The two saints
then freed each other from their mutual curses. Beholding her husband
possessed of celestial form and blazing with beauty, Sukumari fled from
him, taking him to be somebody other than her lord. Seeing the beautiful
princess flying away from her lord, Parvata addressed her, saying, 'This
one is even thy husband. Do not entertain any scruple. This one is the
illustrious and puissant Rishi Narada, that foremost of virtuous persons.
He is thy lord, of one soul with thee. Do not have any doubt.' Assured in
diverse ways by the high Parvata and informed also of the curse on her
lord, the princess regained her equanimity. Then Parvata proceeded to
heaven and Narada to his home."
"'Vasudeva continued, "The illustrious Rishi Narada, who was himself an
actor in this matter, is here. O best of men, asked by thee, he will tell
thee everything that happened."'"