Sudyumna story – TALE OF SUDYUMNA

One day Sudyumna had gone on a hunting excursion. Riding the horse with his ministers, Sudyumna reached a forest at the foothills of Meru Mountain. The forest was the nuptial abode of Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati. As soon as Sudyumna and his companions entered the forests, they all, even horses, got converted into females. Relating its reason Sukhdev said: ‘Once, Mata Parvati was sitting naked in the lap of Lord Shiva when suddenly some great sages arrived there to have a sight of Lord. Mata Parvati sank with shyness and ran to don some cloth. When the sages saw that Gauri and Lord Shiva were enjoying intimacy, they moved at once to the hermitage of Nar-Narayana. Right at that moment, in order to please Maa Parvati, Lord Shiv said: ‘Except me, any man who enters here, shall become a women.’ It was because of these

words of Lord Lord Shiva, that Sudyumna and his companions were transformed into females. While Sudyumna was roaming as woman, Budh, the son of Chandra, fell in love with her and they agreed to get married. From their marriage, a son, Pururava was born, who founded the town named Pratishthan Pur.

Sudyumna, in female form, prayed Lord Shiva to free him from woman incarnation. Lord Shiva blessed Sudyumna that he would be a man for a month and a woman for another. Thus this cycle would continue life long. Thereafter Sudyumna returned to the kingdom and began to rule it religiously. He got three sons in due course- Utkal, Gaya and Vimal. In the twilight of his life, Sudyumna gave his kingdom to Pururava and he took exile.

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