|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter – 112 –The legend of Manu/Ila

The life events can be taken personally as well as fact, if it is taken personally it would hurt and it stirs up various emotions like fear, guilt, ego, pride, jealousy, etc… eventually it can put the individual in extreme distress.   If it was taken as a fact, the intensity of grief or sorrow would be less.  Therefore the broader perception would lessen the emotional burden; many of the life-threatening events become uncomplicated.  The happiness and sorrows are inevitable if it was taken as the grace of the Supreme Lord, who is all-pervading, and then there will be no emotional break-down or wreck.  An elevated soul remains unhurt in any adverse situation in life.  The narrow-mindedness is fickle and rickety in nature; it gets disturbed easily, causes agitation even in case of trivial incidents.  The Intellectuals/ broad minded people are firm with a balanced mind; they face the challenges in life with extreme courage, they are thoroughly aware of the fact that the body has to undergo a constant transformation, the supreme soul remains changeless.

King Pareekshith “ Oh! Bhraman, kindly describe the clan of Manu/Ila.”

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan, Manu had no offspring, once he approached his preceptor Sage Vashishta seeking advice for a virtuous offspring.   Sage Vashishta advised the couple to follow strict austerities to perform the ‘Puthrakameshti Yaga’.  The Queen visited the hermitage of Sage Vashishta to know more about the objective of the Yaga.  Sage Vashishta informed the Queen about the desire of the King to obtain a boy child; an heir to his throne was refused by the Queen.   She revealed her desire to have a daughter and expressed her desire to offer more contributions to Brahmins who performs the Puthrakameshti Yaga.  Thus the Puthrakameshti Yaga was performed under the guidance of Sage Vashishta, the porridge that appeared from the fire sacrifice was offered to Queen.  In due course of time, the Queen was pregnant with a child and gave birth to a girl child.  The Queen took the child to reveal to the King was extremely disappointed.  King called for Sage Vashishta and questioned ‘Why did it happen? How come my wish for a boy child went wrong?’  Sage Vashishta informed the King about his fellow-priests who were persuaded by the Queen.  Sage Vashishta consoled the King not to be anxious about the turn of events, and the girl child was transformed into a boy with the divine power of Sage Vashishta.  Years passed, the boy has grown to a handsome youth, once Sudhyumna went for hunting expedition with his men.  Suddenly, Sudhimna and his men arrived in a place, instantly they have turned to females attired in attractive garments.  Shortly,   Budha, the son of Soma/Lord Chandra arrived in the wood and saw an attractive woman/Sudhyumna, immediately they have fallen in love with each other and married.  In due course of time, Budha’s wife Ila gave birth to a child.  In the meantime, the King’s men returned to the palace and informed the King about the incidents that took place in the woods, and the marriage of Sudhyumna with the son of Lord Chandra, eventually King Manu called out for Sage Vashishta and briefed the incident to him.  Sage Vashishta with his divine powers understood the wood where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi spend the days after marriage and performed various passionate sports in this wood, during this period a few saintly people arrived in the wood and saw the mesmerizing beauty of Goddess Parvathi, but they moved out of the woods silently.  Lord Shiva saw Goddess Parvathi in utter shyness, and he cursed the wood, later whoever enters in this wood has become female.  Sage Vashishta contemplated upon Lord Shiva and appealed to him, in order to keep up the promise given to Goddess Parvati and Sage Vashishta’s promise to Manu, it was decided that Sudhyumna should live the life of a female for a month and male for another month.  Thus, the son of Manu spends days of manhood in the administration of the Kingdom, during womanhood he took shelter inside the palace.  Finally, the people of the Kingdom came to know about the curse on the son of Manu, started mocking at him.  Sudhyumna was deeply hurt and returned to the wood, immersed in intense penance.”