Bhishma said - Listen while you I tell you.
In the land of Ayodhya lived a merchant called Dhanpati who had a wife called Sumati. The couple had no children. They prayed and performed sacrifices but there was no result.
To divert his attention, one day the merchant sailed out for business.
One day the merchant's wife went to have a bath in a nearby lake along with her maids. When she was there, a hunter happened to pass by. He spotted Sumati bathing and was smitten by her. He requested her to accept him.
This angered Sumati who rebuked him for having spotted her while she was naked and also for approaching her to make love. She told the hunter that his clan served as servants in her house.
The hunter kept quiet, head hung in shame.
When Sumati left, the hunter wondered how he would be able to get Sumati. He approached her maids and asked them to help him. The maids laughed and said he was acting like the dwarf who wanted to grab the moon.
The hunter was adamant and one of the maids jokingly said if he went to the pilgrim place of prayaga and prayed to Narayana there, Sumati could be his.
The hunter went to Prayaga and there, on the banks of the river sat and started praying.
Narayana was pleased with him and said he would get this wish fulfilled if he had a dip in the river.
The hunter had a dip in the river and when arose he was a replica of the merchant.
The hunter then went to Sumati.
Sumati thinking her husband had come, welcomed him. They began talking to each other, holding hands.
At that instant, Dhanapati also arrived.
Sumati was stunned. There were two people who looked exactly like each other.
Dhanapati said to Sumati - I knew you to be a pious, chaste woman. Whom are you sitting with, in my absence?
Sumati said - The two of you look absolutely the same. How did I figure you which is the true person?
Sumati then wondering what to do, started calling out to Krishna for help.
Hearing her prayers, Vishnu appeared before Sumati in the form of Krishna playing the flute. All three bowed down to Krishna.
Sumati then told Krishna about her dilemma.
Krishna said It is your destiny to have two husbands. I cannot do anything about that.
Sumati said Then I want to leave this world, as I will not be able to live and bear the taunts of the people.
Krishna said I will take you all with me. Saying this, he ordered for his chariot to come and Krishna and the three climbed up. The chariot then started flying in the sky.
At the same time, two of Vishnu's attendants came there. They looked like Vishnu - dark complexion and four hands. They climbed up on another chariot and Sumati saw a couple on the chariot along with them.
Sumati asked Krishna - Who are these two, who look like you? And who is the couple with them?
Krishna said - Ask them. They will tell you.
Sumati asked them.
The two said - We are attendants of Hari. The person here was born a Kshatriya and performed many evil deeds. The woman here is a prostitute. While she kept sinning she kept a parrot and taught it to say the name of Hari. She lived with many men among whom was a Gandharva called Sumali. One day she went to get flowers in a garden. The Kshatriya here happened to see her and was smitten by her. He captured her and took carried her away forcibly. When the Gandharva came to know this, he attacked the Kshatriya. A fight took place and there the Gandharva shot an arrow and the chariot went flying fell in the waters of the river at Prayaga. The two drowned in the waters. With their sins gone, they are now being taken to Vaikuntha.
Sumati then realized that hunter had drowned in the waters of Prayaga and then had taken the form of her husband. She was amazed at the divinity of the waters of Prayaga.
The three then decided to stay as servants of Vishnu in Vaikuntha.
In the land of Ayodhya lived a merchant called Dhanpati who had a wife called Sumati. The couple had no children. They prayed and performed sacrifices but there was no result.
To divert his attention, one day the merchant sailed out for business.
One day the merchant's wife went to have a bath in a nearby lake along with her maids. When she was there, a hunter happened to pass by. He spotted Sumati bathing and was smitten by her. He requested her to accept him.
This angered Sumati who rebuked him for having spotted her while she was naked and also for approaching her to make love. She told the hunter that his clan served as servants in her house.
The hunter kept quiet, head hung in shame.
When Sumati left, the hunter wondered how he would be able to get Sumati. He approached her maids and asked them to help him. The maids laughed and said he was acting like the dwarf who wanted to grab the moon.
The hunter was adamant and one of the maids jokingly said if he went to the pilgrim place of prayaga and prayed to Narayana there, Sumati could be his.
The hunter went to Prayaga and there, on the banks of the river sat and started praying.
Narayana was pleased with him and said he would get this wish fulfilled if he had a dip in the river.
The hunter had a dip in the river and when arose he was a replica of the merchant.
The hunter then went to Sumati.
Sumati thinking her husband had come, welcomed him. They began talking to each other, holding hands.
At that instant, Dhanapati also arrived.
Sumati was stunned. There were two people who looked exactly like each other.
Dhanapati said to Sumati - I knew you to be a pious, chaste woman. Whom are you sitting with, in my absence?
Sumati said - The two of you look absolutely the same. How did I figure you which is the true person?
Sumati then wondering what to do, started calling out to Krishna for help.
Hearing her prayers, Vishnu appeared before Sumati in the form of Krishna playing the flute. All three bowed down to Krishna.
Sumati then told Krishna about her dilemma.
Krishna said It is your destiny to have two husbands. I cannot do anything about that.
Sumati said Then I want to leave this world, as I will not be able to live and bear the taunts of the people.
Krishna said I will take you all with me. Saying this, he ordered for his chariot to come and Krishna and the three climbed up. The chariot then started flying in the sky.
At the same time, two of Vishnu's attendants came there. They looked like Vishnu - dark complexion and four hands. They climbed up on another chariot and Sumati saw a couple on the chariot along with them.
Sumati asked Krishna - Who are these two, who look like you? And who is the couple with them?
Krishna said - Ask them. They will tell you.
Sumati asked them.
The two said - We are attendants of Hari. The person here was born a Kshatriya and performed many evil deeds. The woman here is a prostitute. While she kept sinning she kept a parrot and taught it to say the name of Hari. She lived with many men among whom was a Gandharva called Sumali. One day she went to get flowers in a garden. The Kshatriya here happened to see her and was smitten by her. He captured her and took carried her away forcibly. When the Gandharva came to know this, he attacked the Kshatriya. A fight took place and there the Gandharva shot an arrow and the chariot went flying fell in the waters of the river at Prayaga. The two drowned in the waters. With their sins gone, they are now being taken to Vaikuntha.
Sumati then realized that hunter had drowned in the waters of Prayaga and then had taken the form of her husband. She was amazed at the divinity of the waters of Prayaga.
The three then decided to stay as servants of Vishnu in Vaikuntha.
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