Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.947

c4.947

Long ago when we were Vidyādharas both of us were going through the sky and we saw the hermit maids of the hermitage of Gālava, bathing in the Ganges. We wished to get those girls. The hermits who saw this with their divine eyes cursed that we would take birth as men and in that birth we would be separated in a wonderful way and both of us would unite again in a place where man could not reach and we would be liberated from the curse and learn everything from the teacher, and would become the old Vidyādharas with our people. And according to this curse we took birth as men and separation was effected. You all have heard it. Today I went to the lake of the King of the giants, with the help of my mother-in-law the giantess for plucking the golden lotus flowers and recovered my brother, this Vijayadatta. There we learned everything from our teacher Prajñapti Kauśika and became Vidyādharas and have arrived here as fast as we could.” Thus he informed them everything that had occurred. Afterwards by the learning he received from his teacher he changed his parents and the daughter of the King into Vidyādharas and then bidding adieu to the King Aśokadatta, with his two wives, parents and brother went to the emperor of the Vidyādharas through the sky. When they reached there Aśokadatta and Vijayadatta changed their names into Aśokavega and Vijayavega. According to the orders of the emperor those Vidyādhara youths went to the mountain of Govindakūṭa with their people as it was their abode, and lived with happiness and joy. King Pratāpamukuṭa with wonder took one of the golden lotus flowers and placed it in the temple and with the rest he made oblations to god and considered his family to have made wonderful achievements. (Kathāsaritsāgara, Caturdārikālamba, Taraṅga 2).