PLATE SEVEN
Long, long ago, Nārada Muni existed as the Gandharva known as Upabarhaṇa. With his beautiful face, pleasing, attractive bodily structure, and decorations of flower garlands and sandalwood pulp, he was most pleasing to the women in his city, and thus he was bewildered, always feeling lusty desires. Once there was a  saṅkīrtaṇa  festival to glorify the Supreme Lord in an assembly of the demigods, and the Gandharvas and Apsarās were invited by the  prajāpatis  to take part in it. At that festival, Upabarhaṇa, surrounded by lusty women, began singing ordinary songs. Because of this, the  prajāpatis , the great demigods in charge of the affairs of the universe, forcefully cursed him with these words: “Because you have committed an offense, may you immediately become a  śūdra , devoid of beauty.” ( pp. 281–285 )