Chapter 3 - SADYUMNA BECAME ILA

Chapter 3 – Sadyumna became Ila

Suta said:

1              “O Great Sages, listen to another story, proclaiming the greatness of Devi Bhagavatam.

2              Once, Sage Agastya, husband of Lopamudra, approached Lord Subrahmania, and duly worshipping Him, requested him to narrate several stories.

3              And the Lord obliged, narrating stories about gift-giving, pilgrimage, penance, etc.

4              He described in great detail Kasi, Manikarnika, Ganga, and their significance.

5              Gladdened by listening to all of this, the Sage asked the Lord, for still greater benefit of the world.

Agasthya said:

6              O Lord who killed the Tharaka demons, could You please tell me about the Devi Bhagavatham and its greatness, and the method of listening to its recital?

7              Devi Bhagavatham is an outstanding puranam – does it not praise the Mother of the Three worlds?

Lord Subrahmania said:

8              “O Brahmin, who can describe the greatness of Devi Bhagavatam? I shall try to explain it briefly.

9              Great Goddess, Granter of all enjoyments in this world, and ultimate release from it is Herself in it.

Note: bhukti = enjoyment; of pleasures. Mukti = moksa, ultimate release from births and deaths, the final goal. So pervasive is Goddess that She is embodied even in the physical book. On a more esoteric level, this seems to hint at the identification of the description and the reality.

10           Therefore note, O Sage, Devi Bhagavatham is the audible representation of the Goddess Herself; if one reads or listens to its recital, there is nothing whatever unobtainable.

11           The Sun-God had a famous son, Srāddhadēvan (a Manu). He had no sons, and in order to beget them, he conducted Putrakāmēşţi yāgam, with the permission of Sage Vasista.

[Note: “Manu” is a general term for the dominating character of each Epoch = cycle of four yuga-s (Krta, Treta, Dvapara & Kali). At the end of each Epoch = 4,32,000 years, there is a Flood, when Earth and Veda are destroyed. Then the Seven Great Rsi-s descend to restore Veda, along with a “Manu”. Manu-s are: Svāyambhuva, Svārōcişan, Uttaman, Tāmasan, Raivatan, Cākşusan, Vaivasvatan, Sāvaŗņņi, Dakşasāvaŗņņi, Brahmasāvaŗņņi, Dharmasāvaŗņņi, Rouchyadēvasāvaŗņņi, and Indrasāvaŗņņi. The first was spontaneously born of Brahma, and is author of Manusmrti. Emperor Prthu transformed him to a calf to suckle Earth in the form of a cow, so that he could “milk” her of medicinal plants. The Manu for the current Epoch (“now”) is Vaivasvatan, alias Sraddhadevan, the one referred to here. The rest are still to come. Each Manu has several aliases or synonyms, and it is difficult to link the references. See Vettam Mani, Reprint 1982: Puranic Encyclopaedia (Malayalam) NBS Kottayam. More details are available in the 10^th Book of Devi Bhagavatam, and in Harivamsam].

12           Sraddhadevan’s wife approached the Hota priest and begged: “O Brahmin, it is a girl I desire. Please do whatever is necessary in order to achieve that desire”

Note: Interestingly, a rare instance where preference for a girl-child is explicitly expressed! Brahmin priest making oblations into the fire is termed “Hota”. The categories of priests (rtvik-s): agnidhran; brāhmaņācchamsi, maitrāvaruņan, hōta, pōta, praśasta, adhvaryu, grāvastut, brahman, pratiharta, subrahmanya, utgāta, pratiprastāta, neşţa, nēta, acchāvaka. All these are Brahmins. The person conducting the Yaga is known as yajaman, and may be of any of the three upper castes – usually a ksatriya.

13           So Hota expressed desire for girl during oblations, a girl (subsequently known) as Iļa was born.

14           Disappointed at seeing a girl baby, the King asked his preceptor: “O Master, how did you manage to make a mistake in your sankalpa”

15           The Guru meditated and found that it was because Hota had indicated girl while making oblation. Then, desiring that Ila should become a male, he had recourse to Lord Siva.

16           By the power of the Guru’s penance, and thanks to Siva’s grace, Ila transformed into a male right under the gaze of all present.

17           Guru conducted all prescribed life cycle rituals and named the new-born Sudyumnan. Like the Ocean to the riches of rivers, Sadyumnan became the repository of all knowledge.

Note: One of the rare poetical embellishments (alankaram) one finds in Devi Bhagavatham! - an apt metaphor couched as a simile (upama).

18           In due course, Sadyumnan became a young man. One day, mounting his Sindhi horse, he rode off into the forest to hunt.

Note: Sind Horses were considered the best in those times. Sind breed is recognized by curved ears, famous for endurance and speed.

19           Roaming from forest to forest, he covered great distance with his companions, and as luck would have it, reached a forest at the foot of the Himalayas.

20           It was in that forest that Lord Siva had once disported with his wife Aparna (= Parvathy).

21           Then some sages desirous of having His darsan arrived. Seeing them, Parvathy felt greatly ashamed.

22           The sages, who had gained full control over their senses, seeing Siva and Parvati so engaged, immediately left for Vaikuntham.

23           Urged by Parvati, Siva cursed that forest: “Henceforth, if any male enters this forest, he will immediately became female”.

24           Thenceforth, men avoided that forest. But Sadyumnan, unaware of it, entered it, immediately he transformed into a very beautiful woman.

25           He was astonished to see that his attendants, and even his horse, had become female!

26           They approached the hermitage of the Planet-deity Budha. Seeing this exquisitely beautiful woman, with high (firm) big breasts,

27           And lips red like ripe bimba fruit, teeth like buds of jasmines, eyes like petals of a blue lotus flower, and beautiful face, even Budha was smitten with the arrows of the God of Love (fell in love with her).

28           She too felt attracted to Budha, son of Chandra, and lived with him in his hermitage.

Note: Chandra (Moon God) and Tara, wife of his Guru Brhaspati eloped. By intercession of Brahma, Tara returned to Brhaspati. She gave birth to a brilliant son, whose parentage both Chandra and Brhaspati claimed. Tara declared that Chandra was the true biological father.

29           In course of time, Budha begat a son, Purūravas, through her.

30           Years passed. One day, she remembered her male phase, and sorrowfully, left the hermitage.

31           Proceeding to Guru Vasista, she bowed down, and besought him to make her once again a male.

32           Vasista proceeded to Kailasa, and praised Siva with great devotion.

Vasista said:

33           Salutations, Siva, Sankara, Kapardin, Chandramouli, half of whose body is Girija’s.         

34           Mrda, living in Kailasa, Granter of happiness, and of enjoyment and liberation, salutations!

35           O you with auspicious body, remover of fear from the hearts of those who approach you, whose vehicle is a bull, you who are the most appropriate refuge, Salutations to you.

36           You assume the form of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva in order to discharge the functions of creation, protection and destruction. Destroyer of cities, salutations!

37           Salutations, granter of boons to them who perform penance! O three-eyed one, whose eyes respectively are the sun, the moon, and fire, you bearing the Ganga on your head!

38 & 39: Thus praised, that Lord, on His bull, resplendent like Crores of suns, with sheen of a mountain of gold, three-eyed, with  moon in his hair, the Lord of the Universe, pleased with the Sage Vasista, said:

Siva said:

40           “Holy Sage, ask as a boon anything that your heart desires”. Upon which, the Sage asked for the boon that Ila might become a male.

41           The Lord said: “One month, he will be male, and the next, female”.

42           Then Vasista prostrated before Parvathy, Mother of the Universe, ever ready with boons.

43           The Sage praised Her, shining like a Crore of moon-beams, with sweet smile, praising Her in the hope that Ila would become unchangeably male.

44           Victory, O Great Goddess, granter of boons to devotees, worshipped by all the Gods, repository of all great virtues, victory to you!

45           Salutations, Goddess mightier than all, Durga, destroyer of sorrow, slayer of demons, salutations!

46           Salutations, Mahamaya, who can be attained only through love, Mother of the Universe, your feet are rafts that take your devotees across the ocean of misery that is life in the world!

47           Only through your grace and worship at your lotus feet are even Brahma, Visnu and Siva competent to create, protect and destroy the Universe.

48           O Goddess, granter of all four objectives, be pleased! Who can praise thee adequately? I can only prostrate before thee!

49           Hearing Vasista’s appeal, She, the Greatest, Narayani, Durga, was pleased.

Note: Vasista’s appeal is a prayer to Her. The various names as arranged are also believed to have special sonic effects like mantra-s.

50           The Great Goddess said: “Go to Sadyumna’s house, and worship me with devotion.

51           O Brahmin, recite to him the Devi Bhagavatham, beloved to me, over nine days.

52           Just by hearing recital will he regain permanent maleness”. So saying, the divine pair disappeared.

53           Vasista bowed down towards where they had disappeared. Returning to his hermitage, he summoned Sudyumnan and advised him to devotedly worship the Great Goddess.

54           In the bright fortnight of Asvina month, after worshipping the Mother of the Universe, Vasista recited Devi Bhagavatham to him according to the rite of the nine nights (Navaratra).

55           Sudyumnan listened with devotion. Bowing to Guru, he regained perpetual male-hood.

56           Vasista crowned him king, and he ruled ensuring the welfare of the citizens.

57           Many were the yaga-s he performed, granting liberal gifts. Then, relinquishing the kingdom in favour of his sons, he attained similarity of appearance with Goddess.

58           O Brahmins, thus have I related this story. Those who read it, or listen with devotion, will gain thro Grace of Goddess all they desire here on earth, and at the end, attain similarity of appearance with Her.

[Thus ends the 3^rd Cano of Devi Mahatmyam in the Manasa khanda of Sri Skandapuranam].