“O you sinful impostors, go and be reborn as demons (of the night)! You laughed at me; now reap your reward. Mock again a sage, if you dare!”

Looking again into the water, he saw that he had regained his real form; yet he was not content at heart. His lips quivered and there was indignation in his heart. At once he sped to Lakshmi’s lord.

“I shall either curse him or die at his door,” he said to himself, “seeing that he has made a mock of me in all the world!” Hari, the terror of the demons, met him on the way. With him were Lakshmi and that same princess.

The Lord of the immortals spoke in gentle tones, “Where goes the sage like one distracted?” At these words, Narada was infuriated. Dominated as he was by illusion, there was no reason left in him.

“You cannot bear to look upon another’s prosperity,” he cried. “You are richly endowed with jealousy and guile! At the churning of the ocean you drove Shiva mad and, inciting him through the gods, you caused him to drink the poison.

“Apportioning wine to the demons and poison to Shankara, you appropriated Lakshmi and the lovely gem (kaustubha) to yourself. You are utterly self-centred and perverse, ever treacherous in your dealings.

You are absolutely independent and subordinate to none; so you do whatever comes into your mind. You make good evil and evil good, and neither rejoice nor grieve over it.