“Please marry us,” they told the sage.

“I can’t marry you,” replied Tirthapravara. “I am engaged in performing difficult tapasya. While that is going on, it is forbidden for me to marry.”

But Pramohini and her friends continued to pester the sage. Tirthapravara was however well-versed in the use of maya. He used this power and disappeared. When the sage did not re-appear, the woman mournfully went back to their homes.

Next day, they returned again to the forest. And when they encountered Tirthapravar, they again kept on pressing him to marry them.

This time, Tirthapravara lost his temper. He cursed Pramohini and her friends that all five of them would turn into pishachis (female demons).

“We did you no harm,” said the women. “We only expressed our love for you and desired to marry you. Yet, you have responded by cursing us. We therefore curse you that you will turn into a demon (pishacha).”

Thus cursed, there were six demons wandering around the lake. They lived there and foraged for food.

After several years had passed, the sage Lomasha happened to visit the forest. The hungry demons immediately concluded that food was at hand and attacked the sage. But the sage Lomasha was so powerful that the demons could not get near him. They then bowed down before Lomasha and worshipped him.

“How may we be freed from our present forms?” they asked.

“Go and bathe in the waters of the sacred river Reva,” replied Lomasha.

The demons did as the sage had asked them to, and regained their earlier forms. Such are the wonderful virtues of the holy river Reva.

Vikundala

Many years ago, in satya yuga, there lived a vaishya named Hemakundala. He followed the path of dharma and was devoted to gods and brahmanas. His occupations were trade and animal husbandry and he accumulated a lot of wealth in these pursuits. His total wealth soon amounted to eight crores of gold coins.

Hemakundala became old and lost his hearing. Realising that his days on earth were numbered, he decided that he should devote himself more to the path that brought punya. He set aside one-sixth of his wealth for such pursuits. With this money, he built temples, dug ponds and planted trees. He also donated a lot of money as alms.

Hemakundala had two sons named Shrikundala and Vikundala. The vaishya had such a lot of wealth that there was plenty left over even after performing good deeds. He divided this money amongst his two sons and retired to the forest to meditate.