Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.504

c7.504

Once when Rukmāṅgada was out from the palace, Indra, in the guise of Rukmāṅgada, went to Mukundā, wife of Rukmāṅgada, and slept with her who was at that time sexually hungry. She delivered a child in due course. This boy was Gṛtsamada. He grew into a great scholar. Nobody was able to defeat him in any verbal duel. Once Gṛtsamada went to the palace of the king of Magadha to attend a Śrāddha (an offering to the manes) along with Vasiṣṭha and others. Atri Maharṣi who was present there then spoke slightingly of Gṛtsamada's parentage and Gṛtsamada coming home questioned his mother. The mother then told him what had happened and Gṛtsamada getting angry at the immoral act committed by his mother cursed her and said "May you be a Kaṇṭaka tree". Mukundā also did not leave her son free. She cursed him thus "You will have a demon as your son". But Gṛtsamada went and did penance to propitiate Gaṇapati and got Brāhmaṇya.