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 co to heaven.’  Seeing the 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 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 formed also of the curse on her lord, the princess regained her equanimity.  Then Parvata proceeded to heaven and Narada to his home.”