The black swans descended into the water to bathe. The other swans did not bate at all, but only circumambulated the lake. As for the women, they stood around and roared with laughter.

While this was going on, a gigantic swan emerged from manasa sarovara. It was followed by three other swans. There four swans took to their wings and flew away. The four women continued to hang around and roar with laughter. The other swans also waited.

Meanwhile, a hunter arrived and sat down by the side of the lake. Soon, the hunter’s wife joined him there. But the hunter’s wife did not recognise the hunter. He was much changed from when she had seen him last. He had become handsome and shone with radiance. But the hunter recognised his wife and addressed her. “Don’t you recognise me?” he asked. “Why are you going away without offering me some food? I am very hungry.”

“You can’t possibly be my husband,” replied the hunter’s wife. “My husband was fierce and dark. You are pleasant of appearance and fair. How can you possibly be my husband?”

“Believe me, I am you husband,” said the hunter. “I was tired of looking for game. I therefore went and bathed in the tirtha that is known as narmada sangama at the confluence of the rivers Narmada and Reva. As soon as I bathed there, my appearance was magically transformed. Come with me and I’ll take you there.”

The hunter and his wife left for the confluence of the sacred rivers Narmada and Reva. The swans and the four women also followed them. Stirred with curiosity, Samujjvala accompanied them.

At the sacred tirtha, the hunter’s wife bathed in the water and became divine in appearance. The swans too bathed in the water. Those which were black became white as snow after bathing. The four black swans, which had earlier left manasa sarovara, also came there and bathed in the water. They too turned pure white. As for the four fierce women, they fell down and died.

“I can make no sense of this incident,” said Samujjvala. “Can you explain it for me?”

“I certainly can,” replied Kunjala.

The Explanation

Once, the sage Narada went to visit Indra in heaven. Indra welcomed Narada and asked, “How are you, great sage? Where have you been travelling?”

“I visited all the tirthas,” replied Narada.