One day, as she wandered in the garden, she noticed some handsome boys playing games on horseback a little further away.  Fascinated, she stood there watching them. When Sage Brihaspati saw her, he snapped at her in a loud voice, “What are you looking at them for? Get back into the ashram!”

The boys too heard him and turned around. When they realized the Sage was scolding the young girl who had been watching them from afar, they began to laugh at her. Punjikasthala felt humiliated, insulted and angry. She did not budge and said, “Why did you have to insult me in this way? I cannot obey anyone who speaks to me like this! I will not come to the ashram with you.”

Sage Brihaspati was enraged. “How dare you fail to obey me - and talk back to me!”

Pujikasthala did not budge. This made Sage Brihaspati fume even more.  “Because of your arrogance I will curse you - you will know what it is like to become a female monkey and live on Earth. “

Hearing this Punjikasthala was alarmed. She now regretted not obeying the sage. The sage too realized he should have controlled his anger and not cursed her this way. But since the curse had been already been stated and could not be taken back, he consoled her.

“Don’t worry dear Anjana, you will return here soon if you give birth to an avatar of Lord Shiva.” He now began to repeat her name as Anjana many times. Punjikasthala realized that from now on, she would be known as “Anjana”. With a heavy heart she left the ashram.

She did not know where to go and kept walking on and on with prayers to Lord Shiva and Parvati on her lips.  While she was roaming in the forest, lost and sad, a demon named Sambasadan, noticed her.  He started chasing her and she ran for dear life, praying to Lord Shiva and Parvati. She heard a cry, and turning back she saw that Sambasadan had been bitten by a snake and was unconscious.

“This is your chance to run now. He is only in a coma!” The snake told her, and vanished.

Anjana ran through the forest and seeing an ashram, took refuge there. The sages there sent Veerakesari, a monkey-hero, to fight Sambasadan.  After a hard-fought battle with the demon, Veerakesari won. The sages suggested that she get married to Veerakesari.

Both Anjana and Veerakesari worshipped Lord Shiva, Parvati and the wind God, Vayu every day and with great devotion.  Vayu was very pleased by their worship and gifted her with a son.  Shiva too was pleased with the devotees and their piety. He decided to incarnate as their son.

When the son was born, Anjana was released from the curse, and made her way back to Sage Brihaspati’s ashram.