The Curse of Sumangali

At that time, in Devalokam, there lived a celestial maiden named Sumangali, foremost among the Deva kanyās. Once she wished to visit the earth, and with the other celestial maidens she came down first to the Himālayas. There Kapila Muni was expounding the glory of Sriman Nārāyaṇa to a large gathering of sages and devotees. Among the sages was one whose face and body were disfigured. Seeing him, the celestial maidens, and Sumangali in particular, mocked him and laughed.

Angered by their conduct, Kapila Muni cursed Sumangali to be born as a mortal woman on earth and to become the wife of a mortal man.

Sumangali was stricken and realised her mistake. She begged Kapila Muni to withdraw the curse.

Seeing her remorse, Kapila Muni explained that a curse once given could not be taken back, for it was destined, but he offered her a way. She would marry a great warrior of keen intellect, an amsham of the Shārngam, the bow of Sriman Nārāyaṇa, who would be king of Tirumangai in the Chola land. His mind, he said, was wholly given to war; she must turn it towards herself, and from there towards devotion to Sriman Nārāyaṇa. When she had done so, she would return to the celestial world. Hearing this, Sumangali was content.

Sumangali and the other maidens then went to Tirunāngūr, where they were drawn to a pond covered with alli flowers. Enchanted, they went down into the water and bathed. When the time came to leave, the other maidens departed without her. Sumangali searched for her companions in vain and understood that all of this was unfolding as destined. She took the form of a newborn infant and lay among the flowers of the pond.

Nearby lived a skilled physician who had no children of his own. Passing by the pond, he found the infant and rejoiced, believing her to be a gift from the Lord. He took her home, where his wife too was overjoyed. They named her Kumudavalli and raised her with great love.