Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2730

c8.2730

PUṆJIKASTHALĀ. A nymph. She was the servant-maid of Bṛhaspati. One day she was collecting flowers for her Guru in a garden when a set of young men and women came to the garden for amorous sports. They were roaming about in the garden in pairs doing all sorts of erotic acts and Puṇjikasthalā stood watching them for some time with passion aroused in her. She returned to the āśrama thinking all the way about her miserable lot of having no husband to enjoy a similar life. She was full of lust when she returned to the āśrama and on seeing Bṛhaspati she caught hold of him by the hand and pleaded to satisfy her passion. Bṛhaspati was angry at this improper request and cursed her "You have become rotten. You have become lustful by seeing the amorous sports of others. May you be born as a monkey. Get out of this āśrama." Puṇjikasthalā came to her senses and regretting her hasty act begged her Guru to grant her release from the curse. Bṛhaspati felt pity on her and said "Go and enjoy to your full sexual life with a lover whom you like best. Then you will get a son from the vitality of Śiva. When that son is born you will be released from the curse and you will go to heaven."