Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2725

c8.2725

PUṆḌARĪKAMUKHA. An eminent serpent King. His subjects, Puṇḍarīkamukhas, lived with him in the beautiful serpent-city surrounded on all sides by gold castles. Gandharvas and Kinnaras of both sexes lived inside the city. A Gandharva of name Lalitā fell in love with a Gandharva lady named Lalitā and they lived there happily enjoying amorous sports. One day Puṇḍarīkamukha held a music concert in which Lalitā was asked to sing as the leading musician. His love Lalitā was absent at the assembly and Lalitā could not sing or dance in proper form that day. Karkaṭaka, a serpent chief, privately informed his King the reason for the poor display of Lalitā that day. The King got angry and cursed Lalitā thus: "Wicked one, you will be born as a man-eating rākṣasa. This is the penalty for thinking about your wife while singing for me."