Maya wedded a celestial nymph named Hema and had two sons named Mayavi and Dundubhi through her. However he was unhappy and started a penance to satisfy Lord Shiva for the purpose of begetting a daughter through his wife Hema.
Maya, an asura, was born to Kasyapaprajapati of his wife Danu. Once Maya went to Devaloka to see the dances of the celestial maidens there. Devas came to know that Maya was in love with the nymph Hema and they married her to Maya. Maya went to the southern vallcy of Himavan and lived there with Hema constructing there a city called Hemapura. They got two sons Mayavi and Dundubhi. But they grieved over the lack of a daughter and she went to a side of Himavan and started penance there to get the blessings of Siva.
Meanwhile a celestial nymph named Madhura had a clandestine affair with Lord Shiva in Kailasha in the absence of Goddess Parvati who had gone to attend the birthday celebrations of one of her sons. Goddess Parvati on returning to Kailasha discerned the affair when she beheld the sacred ash of Lord Shiva on the breasts of Madhura. In a fit of rage she cursed the nymph to live in a well as a frog for twelve years. Lord Shiva was stupefied at the Goddess's rage but ordained that Madhura would turn into a beautiful damsel after serving her curse at the end of twelve years. Accordingly Madhura turned into a beautiful woman in due course of time and her cry from the well was heard by Maya and his wife Hema. The couple took Madhura as their daughter and gave her the name of Mandodari. Later as per Vedic rites Madhura tied the knot with sage Vishrava's eldest son Ravana who was the demon king of Lanka.
Once a celestial damsel named Madhura after observing Somavaravrata went to Kailasa to pay obeisance to Siva. Parvati was absent from the place then, having gone to attend the birthday celebrations of one of her sons. So Madhura met Siva sitting lonely and this led to a clandestine sexual union between them. When Parvati returned she saw traces of the ashes from the body of Siva on the naked breast of Madhua and Parvati in her anger cursed Madhura to live in a well for twelve years as a frog. Siva was stupefied at the curse and he went to the well and consoled her by saying that she would after the twelve years of life as a frog become a very beautiful maiden and would be married by a man of great fame and valour. It was near this well that Maya and his wife were performing penance to get a daughter.
After twelve years the frog changed itself into a beautiful maiden and cried loudly from the well. Hearing the cry Maya and Hema, who were nearby peeped into the well and seeing the young girl took her home and brought her up giving her the name Mandodari. Ravana returning after his victory march by that way visited Maya and seeing the girl fell in love with her and married her according to Vedic rites and took her to Lanka.
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