The Devas headed by
Indra got terrified at the austerities of Vishwamitra and felt their position shaky. They
called Tilottama, the
celestial nymph, and directed her to go to Vedavana and seduce Vishwamitra. She came down
to Vedavana and appeared before Vishwamitra, beautifully dressed and tuning the Veena, on
her way to Manikarnika for bath. Vishwamitra called her and made her understand that he
was not aspiring for the status of a Deva and that his austerities were conducted for the
attainment of the powers of a Brahmarshi, and directed her to take the fact to the notice
of Indra. He added that if she persisted in her
stay there he would not hesitate to curse her. But Tilottama thought that, if she returned
to Indra without carrying out his orders, he might curse her. She therefore took the form
of a female deer and was moving about hither and thither around Vishwamitra’s
hermitage. On his way to worship the Lord of Vedavana, the Sage saw the deer and knew that
it was Tilottama, and cursed that she should ever be roaming about as a deer. From that
day, she roamed about the forest as a deer and underwent several hardships. Feeling tired,
she drank the water of the Vedanadi and attained her original form. She bathed in the
three holy waters and worshipped the Lord of Vedavana and went to heaven by his grace. |
