Agastya Curses Kubera for Maniman's Insult
Yudhishthira asks Kubera why the great sage Agastya's anger did not consume him entirely. Kubera explains: his friend Maniman, flying overhead, spat on the meditating Agastya from the sky. The sage's curse was precise — Maniman and his armies would die by a human hand, and Kubera would grieve until that same human freed him.
Yudhishthira asked Kubera directly: "O illustrious one! Why were you cursed by the great-souled Agastya? It seems to me extraordinary that the wise one's anger did not instantly consume you, with all your armies and your attendants."
Vaishravana — Kubera, lord of riches — replied.
There was a council of the gods in Kushavati. Kubera was travelling there, surrounded by three hundred mahapadma (countless) of terrible-looking yakshas, armed with various weapons. While going there, he saw the supreme rishi Agastya practising terrible austerities on the banks of the Yamuna. The place was full of masses of birds and adorned with blossoming trees. Agastya stood with his arms raised, facing the sun — a mass of energy, as radiant as a blazing fire that has been kindled well.
Kubera's handsome friend Maniman, lord of the rakshasas, was overcome by stupidity, ignorance, insolence and delusion. From the sky, he spat on the maharshi's head.
Agastya was angered. As though burning up the directions, he spoke: "O lord of riches! Because this evil-minded one has insulted me and because he has injured me while you have looked on, this friend of yours, with all these armies, will meet their deaths at the hands of a human. O one with evil intelligence! You will also grieve, together with these armies. But you will be freed from your sin when you encounter that human. However, this terrible curse will not touch the powerful sons and grandsons of these armies. Go now. They will follow your orders."
That was the curse Kubera had received from the supreme of rishis. And now, he told Yudhishthira: "Your brother Bhima has freed me from that." Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 455