Susvārā

Susvārā was the daughter of Svaravedi, a gandharva in Kubera’s realm. She was one of five inseparable gandharva kanyakās (maidens) who came to the Acchoda sarovara (lake) to give pūjā to Gaurī. Her four companions were Pramohinī, Suśīlā, Sutārā and Candrikā.

After a curse (śāpa) on both sides between the five of them and the brahmacarī (celibate student), the son of the ṛṣi Vaidyanidhi, she was cursed to become a piśāca. She was freed by bathing in the Narmadā under Lomaśa Maharṣi’s guidance. She married the brahmacarī in gāndharva-vivāha and reached Viṣṇu-loka.

Character and role

The name Susvārā means “one of beautiful voice”. Her father’s name, Svaravedi, means “knower of musical scales”. Like her four companions, she was skilled in svara (musical note), rāga (melody), tāla (beat) and the sixty-four arts.

At the high point of the account, Susvārā and Suśīlā took hold of the brahmacarī‘s hands, and this led to the cursing on both sides. After years as a piśāca at the Acchoda sarovara, she was freed by the touch of the Narmadā and by the grace of Lomaśa Maharṣi. After the gāndharva-vivāha on the bank of the Revā, she reached Viṣṇu-loka.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Svarga Khaṇḍa, Chapters 22–23