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Huhu, the celestial musician, was sporting in the waters of a lake when Sage Devala entered the lake for his prayers. Huhu, the gandharva, had a mischievous impulse. He stealthily crept to the bottom of the lake and yanked Sage Devala’s leg. The ascetic gasped in alarm and let out a scream. Worried that he had gone too far, Huhu immediately let go and bobbed up to the top of the lake.
“It was you?” Devala asked, his fingers flying to his chin. “I thought a crocodile had caught hold of me. What were you thinking?”
Huhu still did not understand the seriousness and simply giggled. “It was just a friendly prank.”
Sage Devala shook his head. “In that case, friend, I shall play my own prank on you. Since you seem to love this species very much,” he declared, “may you turn into a crocodile.”
That was when it dawned upon Huhu. He had committed the heinous crime of disrespecting a noble sage. The naughty musician prostrated with folded hands and apologized.
“Please forgive me,” he implored. “I know I made a terrible mistake.”
Sage Devala’s compassion shone forward. “It is not under my power to revoke the curse, but I can soften it. When you clutch the feet of a great devotee of Sriman Narayana, you will return to your original gandharva form.”
So, who is this great devotee of Sriman Narayana? Find out here!
This story is found in the eight canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Sairam Divya, I was not aware the crocodile had a story as well. Thank you. Your narration is crisp and to the point. Very nice. Sairam