jor en
} +o
10 / Deliverance of Nalakuvara
and Manigriva

The story of the cursing of Nalakivara and Manigriva and their de-
liverance by Krsna, under the all-blissful desire of the great sage Narada,
is here described. .

The two great demigods, Nalakivara and Manigriva, were sons of the
treasurer of the demigods, Kuvera, who was a great devotee of Lord Siva.
By the grace of Lord Siva, Kuvera’s material opulences had no limit. As a
rich man’s sons often become addicted to wine and women, so these two
sons of Kuvera were also addicted to wine and sex. Once, these two demi-
gods, desiring to enjoy, entered the garden of Lord Siva in the province of
Kailasa on the bank of Mandakini Ganges. There they drank much and
engaged in hearing the sweet singing of beautiful women who accompanied
them in that garden of fragrant flowers. In an intoxicated condition, they
both entered the water of the Ganges, which was full with lotus flowers,
and there they began to enjoy the company of the young girls exactly as
the male elephant enjoys the female elephants within the water.

While they were thus enjoying themselves in the water, all of a sudden
Narada, the great sage, happened to pass that way. He could understand
that the demigods Nalakivara and Manigriva were too intoxicated and
could not even see that he was passing. The young girls, however, were
not so intoxicated as the demigods, and they at once became ashamed at
being naked before the great sage Narada. They began to cover themselves
with all haste. The two demigod-sons of Kuvera were so intoxicated that
they could not appreciate the presence of the sage Narada and therefore
did not cover their bodies. On seeing the two demigods so degraded by
intoxication, Narada desired their welfare, and therefore he exhibited his
causeless mercy upon them by cursing them.

Because the great sage was compassionate upon them, he wanted to
finish their false enjoyment of intoxication and association with young

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