DEVAYANI REBUKES ŚARMIṢTHĀ

One day Vrṣaparva's daughter Sarmistha, who was innocent but angry by nature, was walking with Devayani, the daughter of Sukracārya, and with thousands of friends, in the palace garden. The garden was full of lotuses and trees of flowers and fruits and was inhabited by sweetly singing birds and bumblebees. When the young, lotus-eyed girls came to the bank of a reservoir of water, they wanted to enjoy by bathing. Thus they left their clothing on the bank and began sporting, throwing water on one another.

While sporting in the water, the girls suddenly saw Lord Siva passing by, seated on the back of his bull with his wife, Parvati. Ashamed because they were naked, the girls quickly got out of the water and covered themselves with their garments. Šarmiṣṭhā unknowingly put Devayani's dress on her own body, thus angering Devayani, who then rebuked her in cruel words. Sarmisthā became very angry and, breathing heavily like a serpent, she spoke to the daughter of Sukrācārya using unkind words. Full of anger, she took away her garments and threw Devayani into a well.