The Twin Arjuna Trees
Crawling around the courtyard, Krsna saw the twin Yamala-trees. These trees were the son of Kuvera. Their names were Nalakūvara and Manigriva. They were devotees of Lord Shiva and due to their devotion to Lord Shiva they were allowed to enter into the Kailasha mountains. They would sport in the Mandakini Ganges. Many times, they would be intoxicated after drinking Varuni.
Surrounded by Lotus Flowers, these two sons of Kuvera would enjoy with beautiful young heavenly girls. Their enjoyment was compared to two male elephants, enjoying with their she elephants.
Once while they were enjoying like this, the great sage, Narada Muni walked by. Wherever Narada Muni goes, any moment at which he appears is understood to be extremely auspicious. Seeing the great sage, the naked daughters of the demigods all became afraid of been cursed, quickly covered their exposed bodies. But the two sons of Kuvera, covered by false pride made no attempt to show any respect for Narada. They remained intoxicated and naked in the waters of the Ganges.
Narada Muni understanding that Kuvera’s sons were under the influence of false pride, decided to show them some special favour. Narada Muni was compassionate upon the two brothers and wanted to free them from their false prestige. He wanted to give them the special favour of seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead and end their life of intoxication and enjoyment with women.
Narada Muni then spoke to Nalakūvara and Manigriva.
Among all the attractions of material enjoyment, the attraction of riches bewilders one’s intelligence more than having beautiful bodily features, taking birth in an aristocratic family, and being learned. When one is uneducated but falsely puffed up by wealth, the result is that one engages his wealth in enjoying wine, women and gambling. Unable to control their senses, rascals who are falsely proud of their riches or their birth in aristocratic families are so cruel and only live to maintain their perishable bodies. Therefore, since these two persons, drunk with the liquor named Varuni, or Madhvi, and unable to control their senses, have been blinded by the pride of celestial opulence and have become attached to women, I shall relieve them of their false prestige.
These two young men, Nalakūvara and Manigriva, are by fortune the sons of the great demigod Kuvera, but because of false prestige and madness after drinking liquor, they are so fallen that they are naked but cannot understand that they are so. Therefore, because they are living like trees (for trees are naked but are not conscious), these two young men should receive the bodies of trees. This will be proper punishment. Nonetheless, after they become trees and until they are released, by my mercy they will have remembrance of their past sinful activities. Moreover, by my special favour, after the expiry of one hundred years by the measurement of the demigods, they will be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, face to face, and thus revive their real position as devotees.
Having thus spoken, the great saint Deva-rṣi …Nārada returned to his āśrama, known as Nārāyaṇa-āśrama, and Nalakūvara and Manigriva became twin arjuna trees in the courtyard of Nanda Baba’s palace.
