As time went on Dattathreya yearned to go back and merge in Trinity. Leelavathi would not let him go. There was an altercation, at the end of which
Leelavathi cursed Dattathreya born as a Mahishan (He-buffalo).
Dattathreya cursed Leelavathi be born a Mahishi (She-buffalo).
The two curses took effect, Leelavathi becoming a Mahishi and Dhattatreya becoming a Mahishan. The two (Dattathreva and Leelavathi) were reveling together for sometime.