Begging-bowl in hand, she wandered around the city, looking for alms. She soon came upon a palatial house, with high walls. The house was full of granaries and obviously belonged to someone who was extremely wealthy.

“I am starving. May I have some alms, please?” begged Sudeva.

The householder came out on hearing these words. His wife’s name was Mangala. “Mangala,” he called out to her, “someone is begging for food. Will you please give her something to eat?”

Mangala gave Sudeva a lot of sweetmeats to eat. While Sudeva was eating these, the householder addressed her. “Who are you?” he asked. “Why are you travelling alone and why are you in such a terrible state?”

When Sudeva heard the householder’s voice a second time, she realised that this was none other than her husband Shivasharma. She could not reply and hung her head in shame.

“Why doesn’t this woman reply?” Mangala asked her husband. “And why does she not look you in the face?”

“I will tell you the reason,” said Shivasharma. “I have recognised her now. She is Sudeva, daughter of Vasudatta. She is my wife. She must have come here looking for me. Please treat her well.”

Sudeva was amazed at these words; she had not expected such wonderful treatment at her husband’s hands. Mangala also treated her exceedingly well. Repentance for her past misdeeds now overcame Sudeva. And so stricken was she, that she died of this misery.

As soon as Sudeva died, Yama’s messengers came and tied her up. They then dragged her to Yama, the god of death. Yama metes out punishments in accordance with one’s sins and Sudeva’s sins were indeed severe. She was sent from one hell to another. Sometimes her body was sliced with weapons, at other times she was boiled in oil. After she had served her sentences in these various hells, Sudeva was born again. But she was born as a termite. When the termite died, Sudeva was successively born as various other insects and animals, culminating in the female pig.

“Now you know my story,” the female pig told Queen Sudeva. “Please do something for me so that I do not have to suffer any more. You are a woman who is devoted to her husband; you must have accumulated a lot of punya. King Ikshvaku is like the god Vishnu himself and you are like the goddess Lakshmi. Please do something for me.”

“I will grant you whatever punya I may have earned in the space of one year,” replied the queen.

As soon as these words were uttered, the female pig adopted the form of a divine woman, dressed in fantastic clothing and jewellery. A space vehicle (vimana) descended from the sky and took her straight to heaven.