CHAPTER ONE
King Sudyumna Becomes a Woman
This chapter describes how Sudyumna became a woman and how the
dynasty of Vaivasvata Manu was amalgamated with the Soma-varnéa, the
dynasty coming from the moon. ;

By the desire of Maharaja Pariksit, Sukadeva Gosvami told about the
dynasty of Vaivasvata Manu, who was formerly King Satyavrata, the
ruler of Dravida. While describing this dynasty, he also described how
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, while lying down in the waters of
devastation, gave birth to Lord Brahma from a lotus generated from His
navel. From the mind of Lord Brahma, Marici was generated, and his son
was Kasyapa. From Kagyapa, through Aditi, Vivasvan was generated,
and from Vivasvan came Sraddhadeva Manu, who was born from the
womb of Sarnjiia. Sraddhadeva’s wife, Sraddha, gave birth to ten sons,
such as Iksvaku and Nrga.

Sraddhadeva, or Vaivasvata Manu, the father of Maharaja Iksvaku,
was sonless before Iksvaku’s birth, but by the grace of the great sage
Vasistha he performed a yajfa to satisfy Mitra and Varuna. Then, al-
though Vaivasvata Manu wanted a son, by the desire of his wife he got a
daughter named Ila. Manu, however, was not satisfied with the daughter.
Consequently, for Manu’s satisfaction, the great sage Vasistha prayed for
lla to be transformed into a boy, and his prayer was fulfilled by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus [la became a beautiful young
man named Sudyumna.

Once upon a time, Sudyumna went on tour with his ministers. At the
foot of the mountain Sumeru there is a forest named Sukumara, and as
soon as they entered that forest, they were all transformed into women.
When Maharaja Pariksit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami about the
reason for this transformation, Sukadeva Gosvami described how
Sudyumna, being transformed into a woman, accepted Budha, the son of
the moon, as her husband and had a son named Purirava. By the grace
of Lord Siva, Sudyumna received the benediction that he would live one
month as a woman and one month as a man. Thus he regained his
kingdom and had three sons, named Utkala, Gaya and Vimala, who were

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