After a while, Sudhira could not stand this any more. He married again.

As for Chitra, she left Sudhira’s house and began to associate with thieves and robbers. She would be their messenger or spay, and assist them in the burglaries and the murders they committed.

When Chitra died, she was brought before Yama and made to suffer in several hells for her sins. When these terms of punishment were over, she was born again as Divyadevi. Since she had spent her earlier life in destroying other people’s families and households, it was destined that she would not have family of her own in this life. That is the reason why it proved to be impossible to get her married.

“There is still one thing that I do not understand,” commented Ujjvala. “If as Chitra, Divyadevi was so evil, how did she come to be born as the daughter of King Divodasa? That must have required some punya.”

“Yes indeed,” replied Kunjala. “I forgot to mention that part. One day, a mendicant came to Sudhira’s house, looking for alms. Chitra washed this sage’s feet and gave him food. The punya that this act led to, made sure that Chitra would be born as a princess. Do you have any more questions, my son?”

“I do have a final question,” said Ujjvala. “How can Divyadevi get over her present predicament? How can she perform penance for her sins?”

“That is not very difficult,” replied Kunjala. “She has to constantly pray to the great Vishnu and chant his name. There is no surer method of salvation. She should observe vratas (religious rites) that are sacred to Vishnu. Why don’t you go and tell her this? That will bring you some punya as well.”

The next day, Ujjvala went and told Divyadevi what his father had told him. Divyadevi prayed to Vishnu for four years and was freed of all her sins.

Samujjvala’s Account

“What do you have to tell us?” Kunjala asked Samujjvala. “What have you seen or heard?”

“I always go to the Himalayas to look for food,” replied Samujjvala. “There is one particular valley there which is frequented by sages and apsaras. The lake manasa sarovara is there and it is there that I went. As for what I have seen, I can make neither head nor tail out of it. But let me recount it if you.”

While Samujjvala waited by the lake, several swans arrived there. Some of the swans were black, the others white. The white swans had black beaks and black legs. There were also some swans which were pure white and other which were blue.

After the swans arrived, four women followed them there. These women were fierce of appearance. Their teeth jutted out and their hair stood up like spikes.