Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s2.t19.22

v2.c10.s2.t19.22

The story goes like this: Mahashveta and Pundarika fell into love. Pundarika dies of lovesickness, and curses the moon who killed him. However, moon also lays a curse upon him, saying that both Pundarika and his lover would encounter the same misery and unhappiness. The moon was reincarnated into Chandrapeeda and fell into love with Kādambarī. After Chandrapeeda was dead, he was reincarnated into emperor Shudraka. Pundarika is reincarnated into Vaishampayana, but then was cursed by Mahashveta and became a parrot. The whole story was just told by the parrot to Emperor Shudraka. Mahashveta and Kādambarī were both waiting for their lovers to come back to life. At last, the gods held a worship ceremony and removed the curse, and Chandrapeeda and Kādambarī, Pundarika and Mahashveta were finally married and led a very happy life.