' 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.
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