| The three divine
ladies ran to the cradles with great joy and took the babies in their arms without knowing
who was who. To help them to recognise their husbands, Anasuya prayed to the God of Fire
to turn the babies into their true forms. Lo! What had the divine ladies done! Brahma was
in the coils of Lakshmi’s embrace; Siva was on the lap of Saraswati and Vishnu in the
loving clasp of Parvati! ‘The Devis were humiliated in the presence of the chaste
Anasuya and they hung their heads down in shame. Narada
appeared before them, but had no courage to show himself to Atri as he was afraid that,
out of rage, the Maharshi might curse him for having spoiled his yajna. He remained,
therefore, near about him, invisible. One difficulty yet remained and that was that the
vision of the three holy Devis was still blurred. Narada suggested a remedy. The ladies
should plunge themselves into the Homa Kunda after a bath in the holy Prayaga and observes
a fast on the Arudra Nakshatra in the month of Dhanus. The Devis did so and their sins
were washed off. |
