The Story of Five Gandharva Maidens

1-2. O king, I have thus described to you the excellent Narmadatirtha. Formerly the fire of the drops of the water of Reva destroyed the excessive fear due to the curse of the daughters of gandharvas. A man is liberated by the touch of the drops of the water of Reva. Yudhisthira said:

3-6. O revered one, wherefrom did the many daughters get a curse? Whose children were they? What were their names and their ages? How did they get free from the fruit of the curse by the contact of the water? Where did they bathe? O lord, tell me all this. The greatness of the Narmadatirtha would be surprising. It is said to destroy sins even by listening to it. He who utters the word 'Narmada, Narmada', gets eternal liberation as long as the moon and stars exist.

7-8. Formerly you told me the excellent importance of Reva. Still, O good one, tell me the story; also about the best livelihood that should be resorted to by the wise. Therefore, O best of brahmanas, I am asking about the excellent importance of Reva. O lord, tell me the history, bright due to the deeds of the maidens. Narada said:

9. O best king, listen to the great story infused with righteousness. As the arani (i.e. the piece of wood used for kindling sacrificial fire) contains fire, similarly Dharma is produced by Brahma.

10. (There was) a gandharva by name Sukasangfti. His daughter was Pramohinl. Susila was the daughter of Susila. Susvara was the daughter of Svaravedin. Sutara was Candrakanta's daughter and Candrika was that of Suprabha.

11-18. O king, these were the execellent names of those celestial nymphs. All the five maidens were beautiful due to their being in the prime of youth. They always talked among themsellves like sisters. They as it were came out of the moon like the bright moonlight. Their faces were (beautiful) like the moon; they had lovely hair; and were bright like moonlight. They (the damsels) were among gods as moonlight in white lotuses opening at moonrise. They were born with lumps of (i.e. excessive) beauty; they had celestial forms and were charming. The lotuses of their breasts were shooting forth; they looked like the ketakl plants in the spring. They were charming on account of the youth that had arisen like the foliage of a grove of creepers. They were yellowish like gold; their lustre was like gold; they were decorated with golden ornaments. They had put on the garlands of golden campaka (flowers). Their beautiful garments appeared golden. They were proficient in the musical scale, in various melodies, in beating in (playing on) musical instruments, in diversions, and in playing upon flute and lute, as well as in dance accompanied with singing and instrumental music and in the time in music like the middle one and the fast one; also in diversions like (drawing) pictures and arts.

19. The maidens that were like this were infatuated with excellent sports. Fondled by their parents all of them moved in Kubera's abode.

20-24. Once through curiosity, the five maidens — the celestial damsels — getting together in the spring season, collecting mandara flowers from grove after grove, went to the Acchoda lake to propitiate Gauri (i.e. ParvatI). Taking excellent golden lotuses along with beautiful blue lotuses from that (lake), having bathed on the pavement of lapis lazuli and clear crystal, having put on their garments, they silently fashioned a golden image of Uma with golden and pearl ornaments on an altar. The young girls, having worshipped Gauri, decorated with sandal (-paste), perfumes and saffron, with excellent lotuses etc. and with various presents, danced to the accompaniment of singing and instru1414 Padma Pur ana mental music. Having resorted to singing with high notes, the fawn-eyed ones then sang, with natural voice and melodies, songs containing beautiful letters (i.e. words) and raised to a high pitch and made melodious by (various) modes.

25-36a. At that time, to the exellent holy place of the Acchoda came for a bath the eldest son of the sage, the abode of (the knowledge of) the Vedas, when the girls were delighted with the shower of emotions, and with their minds full of joy. The young man was (having) boundless handsomeness, had a charming face, and his eyes were large like blooming lotuses. His chest was broad, he had good (i.e. strong) arms, he was very handsome; his complexion was dark; he was like another Cupid. That celibate, with a good (i.e. a large) tuft of hair, shone with his staff as Cupid with his bow. The excellent one had covered himself with dear-skin, he had put on marks (on his body) and had a girdle of the munja grass resembling gold round his waist. Seeing that brahmana on the bank of the lake, the girls, full of curiosity, were delighted (and said): "This one will be our guest." Ardently longing to see him they gave up singing and dancing, and were pierced by Cupid with his arrows, as female dear are pierced by a hunter. The five (maidens) were stupefied, confused and said (to one another): "See, see." They mistook the excellent youth for the god of love. Having repeatedly worshipped him with their eyes as with lotuses, the celestial nymphs began deliberation among themselves: "If this is god of love, (then) how can he be without (his spouse) Rati? Or is he the (twin) gods Asvins, moving in pair? Is he a gandharva, or a kinnara, or a siddha taking up any form he likes? Or is he the son of a sage, or is he the best one among men? Or is he someone whom the Creator has created for us? As a treasure is fashioned by (their) former deeds for the fortunate, in the same way, Gaurl, with her heart moistened by the billows of the water of compassion, has brought this excellent groom for us. I have chosen him, you have chosen him, similarly this one also has chosen him."

36b-44. O best king, when the five girls were talking like this, the intelligent one who had finished his mid-day rites there, thought: 'Doing what will be meritorious? Gadhi's son, Parasara and others, and also Kandu, Devala and other brahmanas, though strong due to their being meditating saints, were easily deluded by women. It is (indeed) wonderful. The deer of whose mind does not fall when struck with the sharp arrows of the eyes (i.e. glances) of youthful women, shot from the creeper-like brows, by the archer viz. Cupid? As long as a man is not intoxicated by the spirituous liquors of the eyes (i.e. glances) of women, his moral sense dominates. There is in him the fear of the society; he is self-possessed; there is a consideration of the family; there is the strength of penance; men practice tranquility. Women with their charming amorous gestures delude and madden a passionate man. These (maidens are trying to) delude and madden me, who am intent upon guarding my righteousness by means of my own virtues. Passionate men, with their minds deluded, imagining charm (to be present) in the worthless and impure bodies of women, made of flesh, blood, feces and urine, enter (i.e. cohabit with) them. Wise sages of pure hearts have described women to be fearful. As long as these women do not approach me, I shall go home.'

45-47. By the time (i.e. before) the excellent maidens approached him, the brahmana vanished by the power of Vishnu. Seeing the wonderful act of that celibate, the devotee of Vishnu, who vanished by the power of magic, the maidens, O king, with their eyes frightened and themselves afraid like young female deer, moving their eyes looked into the ten vacant directions. The maidens said:

48-58. Clearly he knows magic, or he knows (art of creating) illusion. Though seen (by us) he has (suddenly) vanished. Thus they talked with one another. Just then only their hearts were pervaded by the fire of separation, as a very beautiful forest would be entirely pervaded by blazing wildfire. "O charming one, give up your magical skill. Present yourself to us quickly. It is not proper for you (to act) in the manner of a fly (falling into the food even) before a morsel (is eaten). Alas! Why were you shown to us? Why were you created by the Creator? We know, you, the cause of great tormentation to us, are self-created. Is it that your heart is cruel? Do you not entertain good intention towards us? O charming one, are you cruel? Are you stealing our minds? Do you not trust us? Are you

1416 Padma Pur ana testing us? Are you not having affection for us? Are you skilled in deception? Do you possess the skilful knowledge of entering our hearts? But why do you not know the means of getting out? Why are you so much angry with us without our fault? Do you not realise the pain of others or their deception? O lord of our hearts, we are doomed by your disappearance. We shall not live without seeing you, but shall live only with the hope of seeing you. Quickly take us where you have gone. Creator, who has robbed (us) of your sight, has cut off the sprout of our joy. By all means present yourself to us. Take full pity on us. Good people do (wait to) see the end of anything."

59-61a. Crying like this, and waiting (there) for a long time, the maidens then, through fear of their parents, started to go home. Bound by the chains of his affection, and being very much distressed by separation (from him), they somehow mustered courage and went to their respective houses. Having come (home) all of them fell down near their mothers.

61b-74. The mothers asked them: "What is this? Why are you late?'' "As we were playing with kinnaris, we stayed together (with them) at the Acchoda lake; therefore we did not realise (how far) the day (had advanced). O mother(s), on our way we were exhausted; therefore our bodies have suffered. Due to some great confusion we are unable to speak." Speaking like this, the beautiful maidens, concealing the expression of their faces, talked with their mothers, and rolled on the jewelled floor. Some did not make their peacock, kept for pleasure, dance in joy. Others did not teach their parrot out of curiosity. Some other did not fondle her mongoose. Someone else, extremely confused, did not at all play with the cranes. They did not resort to (any) diversion, nor did they rejoice in their houses. They did not properly talk with their relatives, nor did they play on the lute. All the flowers of the desire-yielding tree were like fire to them. They did not drink the sweat honey having the fragrance of mandara flowers. The maidens had their eyes (i.e. eye-sight) fixed on the tips of their noses like female ascetics. They were continuously, but aimlessly, thinking. They had fixed their mind on that best man. For a moment they remained in a cave, covered with moonstones, with a stream (flowing) at its opening. For a moment they stayed at a window, and for a moment in the house with artificial fountains. For a moment they prepared beds with the leaves of lotus-creepers (growing) in the lakes. They were fanned by their friends with the leaves of lotus-creepers. In this way the excellent maidens passed the night resembling a yuga. Somehow they sustained themselves. They were delirious as if they suffered from fever. In the morning, on seeing the gem of the sky (i.e. the sun), they thought that they were alive. Having informed their own mothers, they went to worship Gauri. Having bathed according to the proper rite, and again naving worshipped the goddess with flowers and incense, they remained there singing.

75-81. In the meanwhile, that brahmana also came from his father's hermitage to that Acchoda lake to bathe (there). Seeing that celibate, the maidens were delighted, with their eyes expanded, as the white-lotus plants are joyful (i.e. bloom) on seeing the sun at the end of the night. Those young girls went near the celibate, and they put round him the nooses formed by joining their right and left hands. (They said to him:) "O dear one, yesterday you went (leaving us). Today you cannot go. You have been chosen by us. There can be no doubt about this." The brahmana who was (caught) in the noose of their arms and who was thus addressed, laughed and said: "You are saying auspicious, favourable words. But that would destroy the vow of me, who am still in the first stage of life (i.e. celibacy) and given to studies. I have not yet reached the other end (i.e. have not completed my studies) in my preceptor's house. Very wise men practise the way of life which is to be practised in a particular stage of life. Therefore, O maidens, I do not think marriage to be the (proper) way of life (for me)."

82-92. Having heard the words of the brahmana, the excellent maidens who were eager and who made sweet and indistinct sound like the cuckoos in the spring season, said to the brahmana: "Material welfare (artha) is (better) than piety (dharma); satisfaction of desires (kdma) is (superior) to material welfare. The rise of the fruit of happiness comes from the satisfaction of desires. In this way the wise who have firm convictions, describe it. That kama (i.e. the satisfaction of desires) is standing before you due to your great righteousness. Resort to it with various enjoyments, since this ground is clean." Hearing these words of them he spoke to them in serious words: "Your words are (i.e. what you say is) true; but (practising) my vow is essential. I shall go through the right of marriage (only) after I secure my preceptor's permission, not otherwise." Thus addressed, they again said to him: "O handsome one, you are evidently a fool. Excellent women, coming from good families, are a medicine made ready by the intelligence of Brahma; they are a spell, a ready charm. O sage, they, when they have approached, should be properly; enjoyed by a wise man. If, fortunately a business becomes successful, the wise ones do not ignore it. Since indifference is not fruitful, therefore procrastination is not approved. Nectar should be taken even from poison; gold even from a filthy thing. Excellent knowledge should be obtained even from a mean person, and a gem of woman even from a bad family. (Only) fortunate men obtain maidens who are spotless due to being born in good families, whose hearts are wet with (i.e. full of) love, who talk sweetly, who choose their own grooms, who are beautiful and have a charming youth; and no other men (can obtain such maidens). How incongruous are we, the celestial beauties on one side and you, an ascetic boy on the other! I think the Creator alone is wise since he has done this impossible job (of bringing together two incongruous things). Therefore now you should accept us auspiciously by means of the Gandharva type of marriage.1 Otherwise we cannot live."

93-96. Hearing (these) words, the brahmana, the best among those who known Dharma, then said: "Oyou fawn-eyed maidens, how should men whose wealth is righteousness, give it up? The group of the four, viz. Dharma (i.e. piety), Artha (i.e. material welfare), Kama (i.e. satisfaction of desires) and Moksa (i.e. liberation) is said to give fruit as (already) told. The opposite of this does not give fruit. Therefore, I who am observing a vow, shall not betake myself to a wife at a wrong time. He who does not know the time of an act (i.e. when the act should be done), does not get the fruit of that act. Since (now) my mind is attached to the consideration of Dharma, therefore, listen, O maidens, I do not desire marriage."

1. Gandharva Vivaha: One of the eight forms of marriage. In this form marriage takes place between lovers without seeking prior approval of relatives.

97-103a. Knowing this intention of him, they looked at each other, and let free his hand from their hands. Then Pramohini seized his feet. Susila and Susvara seized his arms. Sutara embraced him and Candrika kissed (him on) his face. Yet he was unperturbed. Resembling the fire of deluge, and very violent due to rage, the young celibate cursed them: "Since like devils you clung to me, therefore you will be (turned into) devils." "What is this sinful act done to an innocent one through folly? You have done what is disagreeable to one who wants to do good to you. Fie upon you who have put an end to righteousness! We have heard that the happiness of the man who seeks to hurt those who are attached devoted friends, comes to an end in both the worlds. Therefore, you too, due to our curse, quickly be (turned into) a goblin."

103b-108. Speaking like this, the young girls were sighing, being full of anger. Due to mutual agitation, O king, those maidens and that celibate — all of them turned into goblins in that lake. That male goblin and the famale goblins crying fearfully, exhausted the ripening of the deeds they had formerly done. O king, a good or bad deed done formerly gives fruit when its due time (has come) (and) the fruit is unavoidable even for gods like one's own shadow. At various places the fathers and mothers, and brothers also of those young girls cried. Fate is insurmountable. Hereafter the goblins, being extremely unhappy, wandered here and therefor food and lived on the bank of the lake.

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