Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2447

c9.2447

“My dead husband was a Gandharva named Raṅkavidyādhara, in the previous birth. Once he sat in the shade of a tree near the hermitage of Pulastya and began to sing with accompaniment. As the singing caused disturbance to his solitude the hermit Pulastya came and requested the Gandharva to shift to some other place. Raṅkavidyādhara did not like to comply with the request of the hermit. At last Pulastya removed his hermitage to another place. Raṅkavidyādhara walked in search of Pulastya. Finally the Gandharva saw Pulastya. Seeing that he was alone, the Gandharva took the shape of a hog and entered the hermitage and began to wound with his tusk and to molest that radiant sage Pulastya. Thinking it to be a mere animal Pulastya suffered it for a long time. The hog continued its actions of molestation. It passed excrements in front of the sage, danced before him, played in front of him, fell down in the courtyard and rolled and did various other things. As it was an animal Pulastya forgave him. One day Raṅkavidyādhara entered the hermitage as a hog, roared aloud, laughed aloud, cried aloud, sang aloud and in various other ways tried to change the mind of the hermit. Seeing all these, Pulastya began to think that it was not a hog. “A hog will not try to molest one continuously. I forgave him thinking him to be a mere animal. This must be that wicked Gandharva.” Thus recognizing him Pulastya got angry and cursed him thus: “You tried to violate my penance in the shape of a hog. So you, great sinner; take the next birth as a hog.” With grief the Gandharva ran to Indra and informed him of everything. Indra requested Pulastya to liberate the Gandharva from the curse. Accordingly Pulastya gave him remission that he would regain his original form when he was killed by the hands of the immensely good king Ikṣvāku.”