"The gods are supremely blessed, men are ever miserable, the actions of demigods are exceedingly charming, therefore I now proceed to relate to thee the history of the Vidyádharas." While Siva was thus speaking to his consort, there arrived a favourite dependant of Siva's, Pushpadanta, best of Ganas, [13] and his entrance was forbidden by Nandin who was guarding the door. Curious to know why even he had been forbidden to enter at that time without any apparent reason, Pushpadanta immediately entered, making use of his magic power attained by devotion to prevent his being seen, and when he had thus entered, he heard all the extraordinary and wonderful adventures of the seven Vidyádharas being narrated by the trident-bearing god, and having heard them he in turn went and narrated them to his wife Jayá; for who can hide wealth or a secret from women? Jayá the doorkeeper being filled with wonder went and recited it in the presence of Párvatí. How can women be expected to restrain their speech? And then the daughter of the mountain flew into a passion, and said to her husband, "Thou didst not tell me any extraordinary tale, for Jayá knows it also." Then the lord of Umá, perceiving the truth by profound meditation, thus spake: "Pushpadanta employing the magic power of devotion entered in where we were, and thus managed to hear it. He narrated it to Jayá; no one else knows it, my beloved." Having heard this, the goddess exceedingly enraged caused Pushpadanta to be summoned, and cursed him, as he stood trembling before her, saying, "Become a mortal thou disobedient servant." [14] She cursed also the Gana Mályaván who presumed to intercede on his behalf. Then the two fell at her feet together with Jayá and entreated her to say when the curse would end, and the wife of Siva slowly uttered this speech--"A Yaksha named Supratíka who has been made a Pisácha by the curse of Kuvera is residing in the Vindhya forest under the name of Kánabhúti. When thou shalt see him and, calling to mind thy origin, tell him this tale, then, Pushpadanta, thou shalt be released from this curse. And when Mályaván shall hear this tale from Kánabhúti, then Kánabhúti shall be released, and thou, Mályaván, when thou hast published it abroad, shalt be free also." Having thus spoken the daughter of the mountain ceased, and immediately those Ganas disappeared instantaneously like flashes of lightning. Then it came to pass in the course of time that Gaurí full of pity asked Siva, "My lord, where on the earth have those excellent Pramathas [15] whom I cursed, been born?" And the moon-diademed god answered: "My beloved, Pushpadanta has been born under the name of Vararuchi in that great city which is called Kausámbí. [16] Moreover Mályaván also has been born in the splendid city called Supratishthita under the name of Gunádhya. This, O goddess, is what has befallen them." Having given her this information with grief caused by recalling to mind the