How did the son as Srinjaya become Suvarnashthivin? Why also did Parvata give Srinjaya that child? And why did he die?

When all those men lived 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 wish to know all this?

Krishna said 'I will recount, О king, the incidents as they took place. There are two Rishis foremost 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 yore, O king, left the celestial region for a journey on Earth for eating clarified butter and rice.

Both of them endued with great ascetic merit, they wandered over the Earth living on food taken by human beings.

Filled with joy and cherishing great affection for each other, they entered into an agreement that whatever wish, good or bad, would be entertained by one, should be disclosed to the other, but if one happens to act otherwise, he should be visited by the other's curse.

Coming at that understanding, those two great Rishis, worshipped of all the worlds, repaired to King Srinjaya the son of Shitya and said to him?

We two, for your well-being shall live with you for a few days. O lord of Earth, do you satisfy all our wants duly! The king, saying,-So be it, began to treat them hospitably.

After some time one day, the king, filled with joy, introduced to those illustrious ascetics his most beautiful daughter, saying,-This my daughter will serve you both.

Resembling in effulgence the filaments of the lotus, she is beautiful and of faultless limbs, accomplished and of charming manners, and is called Sukumari by name.-The Rishis replied, saying, Very well. Thereupon the king directed his daughter, telling her,-O child, serve those two Brahmanas as you would the gods or your father.

The pious princess, saying,-So be it-began to serve them in obedience to her father's command.

Her dutiful services and her peerless beauty very soon created love in Narada's heart.

That tender feeling began to grow in the heart of the great saint, like the moon gradually increasing in the light fortnight.

The virtuous Narada, however, out of shame, could not give out that burning love to his sister's son the high-souled Parvata.

By his ascetic power, as also by signs, Parvata understood all. Excited with rage, the latter thereupon made up his mind to curse the love-stricken Narada.

And he said, ‘Having of your own accord made an agreement with me that, whatever wish, good or bad, would be entertained by either of us should be disclosed to the other you have violated it! These were your own words. O Brahman! It is for this that I shall curse you.

You did not tell me before that your heart has been stricken with the beauty of the maiden Sukumari, I shall, therefore, curse you.

You are a Brahmacharin. You are my preceptor. You are an ascetic and a Brahmana. Yet you have broken the agreement you had made with me.

Filled with anger I shall, for this, curse even you. Listen to me. This Sukumari shall, forsooth, become your wife.

From the time of your marriage, however, O powerful one, both she and all men shall see you a monkey, for your real features having disappeared, you will appear like a monkey to all.

Hearing these words of his uncle Narada, excited with ire cursed his nephew Parvata in return, saying,—although you possess ascetic merit and Brahmacharya and truth and selfcontrol, and although you are ever devoted to virtue, yet you will not succeed in proceeding to heaven.

Filled with anger and feelings of vengeance, they thus cursed each other like a pair of infuriate elephants.

From that time the great Parvata began to wander over the Earth, respected as he deserved, O Bharata, for his own power.

Narada then, that best of Brahmanas, duly married Srinjaya's daughter, the faultless Sukumari.

The princess, however, saw Narada exactly as he had been. Indeed, just after the last of the wedding Mantras had been recited, Sukumari saw the celestial Rishi to have a face like that of a monkey. She, however, did not for that disregard her husband. On the other hand, she bestowed her love on him.

Indeed, that chaste princess, devoted herself entirely to her husband 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, while wandering about entered a solitary forest, he saw Narada there.

Bowing to him, Parvata said,-Favour me by permitting me, O powerful one, to go to heaven.

Seeing the cheerless Parvata kneeling before him with joined palms, Narada, himself more disspirited, said to him.-You had cursed me first, saying,-Be you a monkey!-After you had said so to me, I cursed you from anger, saying,-From this day you will not live in heaven. You should not have done so, since you are like a son to me.-The two saints then released each other from their mutual curses.

Seeing her husband possessed of celestial forin shining with beauty, Sukumari fled from him taking him, to be somebody other than her husband.

Seeing the beautiful princess flying away from her husband, Parvata addressed her, saying,-He is your husband. Do not entertain any scruple.

He is the illustrious and powerful Rishi Narada, that foremost of virtuous persons. He is your husband entirely devoted to you. Do not cherish any doubt.

Assured in various ways be the great Parvata and informed also of the curse on her husband the princess regained the calmness of men. Then Parvata proceeded to heaven and Narada to his home.'

The illustrious Rishi Narada, who himself did so, is here, O best of men, asked by you, he will tell you everything that took place."