How did King Sudyumna become a woman from a man? / The sacred story of Rishi Chyavan and Sukanya Ji // 03/09/26

Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj's satsang — to hear the full satsang, watch the video above.

The Complete Discourse

O Divine Mother of Vrindavan, to your lotus feet, filled with the nectar of love's sweetness, complete within the heart, O Lord of bees, I remember you and my face shines bright. In your supremely cool shelter and supremely cool maya, in supreme truth, consciousness-bliss itself, in love-bliss form, eternal in nikunj, supremely glorious, most pure and sacred Sri Vrindavan Dham, Sri Vrindavan Dham, the beloved of the sweetly divine youth Shri Yugal Kishor, Shyama Shyam Ji, and all the sahachari sakhi, the birds, deer, beasts, birds, trees, vines, the Yamuna river, the queen of water, all the Braj residents — my constant effort is that I may reach your presence, that I may remain in your nearness. But just as the wind does not let a straw follow its own path, but rather blows it in the opposite direction — if the wind wants to throw it, how much strength does the straw possess?

Even so, O Hari, my effort is that I may think of you, that I may dwell constantly in your presence, that I may feel you are near me. But your overwhelming maya carries me in the opposite direction. The opposite direction from you is bhog; your direction is yoga. To restrain each mental faculty one by one and engage it in the Divine — this is called yoga. To leave the mental faculties free and indulge in whatever worldly pleasures one wishes — this is called sense gratification. Despite not wanting to, your overwhelming maya leads me toward the subjects of sense pleasure. O Hari, you are one undivided consciousness-bliss itself. Without the grace of your touch, just as a straw has no power, I have no power within me to reach you. Therefore, I pray, show your grace — rebuke your maya so that it does not blow with such arrogant fury, so that we do not remain turned away from you, so that we do not remain distant from you. We are trying to reach you, and yet it throws us ever further away.

It is like one burned by fire going into water. If peace is not found even in water, where can one flee? One who longs for nectar but receives poison — how long can they continue? Even so, O Lord, Ocean of Joy, the soul chooses the path of spiritual fulfillment only because it desires your joy. If again and again it is placed in suffering, if peace is repeatedly given and then taken away, if it is repeatedly defeated, then it will give up. It will lose enthusiasm. Therefore, O Master, even the initial impulse toward spiritual practice is given by you. You are in the middle, and you are also in the completion.

Completion comes only from you. So please show your grace. Goswami Ji says:

ज्यों ज्यों निकट भयो चाहो कृपालु तों त्यों दूर पर्यो हो
The more I wish to come near to you, O Merciful One, the further away I seem to become.

When I run toward you, then when understanding awakens, I realize I have fallen far behind. Our running is toward you. But I know not what happens — our running does not give us the experience of your nearness but rather the experience of your distance.

ज्यों ज्यों निकट भयो चह कृपालु त्यों त्यों दूर पर हो
तुम चहु जुग रस एक राम हो
रावरो यद्यप अग अवगुणनी भर हो

The more I wish to come near to you, O Merciful One, the further away I seem to become. You are the same essence throughout all ages, O Ram. Although I am filled with sins and faults, I am yours.

O Lord, whenever I wish to be near you, why do I drift so far away? What is it that gives me the experience that I have become distant from you? O Hari, you remain one unchanging essence throughout all the four ages, and now I loudly proclaim myself your servant.

Everyone speaks this saying, I too say that I am the servant of Siya Ram, and the world also says so. Goswami Tulsidas Ji says: you remain one unchanging essence, and I am yours. I am filled with sins and faults. Perhaps it is this sinful nature, this faulty nature, that makes me distant from you. But Lord, you know that when you are distant from me, there are so many obstacles gathered in between that someone waiting for an opportunity is ready to destroy me. Desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride, jealousy, and the other vices of kaly-yug — if they find an opportunity, these vile natures standing in between...

बीच ही छरनी छर हो सुवरन कुबरन कियो
न पलते भिखारी करी सुमति ते कुमति करो

In between, the sieve becomes a sieve, the gold becomes tarnished. In an instant, the king becomes a beggar; good intellect becomes bad intellect.

These vile natures, with these desires and angers, defeat me. If I could prevent them from finding an opportunity, then Lord, your nearness would be attained very quickly. That is, if uninterrupted bhajan becomes possible, then very quickly one would attain the Lord. It is these obstacles in bhajan that give opportunity to the sense objects and to these vile natures. And when the vile nature gains control in the sadhak, they become discouraged. It seems to them that perhaps we are not worthy of attaining the Lord. Because whenever we make effort, distance is created instead.

Each time this desire for enjoyment pulls us down. When obstacles appear, this wicked kaly-yug spreads its deceptions and tricks in between and cheats us. Therefore, keeping things in between is very dangerous.

हनुमंत विपत्ति प्रभु सोई जब तो सुमिरन भजन न होई

O Hanuman, that is true calamity when remembrance and bhajan cannot occur.

The moments when bhajan does not happen are very harmful. They will implant very wrong tendencies in our heart that during the time of bhajan will create much obstacle and much restlessness. Therefore, the greatly blessed and vigilant sadhaks are those in whose bhajan practice there is no gap — that is, not even a single minute is empty. They are engaged in bhajan at all times.

Ignorance is already present, and kaly-yug, seeing the opportunity that bhajan is not happening at this moment, attacks. It further strengthens the soul's identification with the body. I was gold, it has made me base metal. I was walking the path of the Lord, and it has entangled me in pleasures. Our true form is eternal consciousness-bliss itself. Forgetting that, it has made me be called a jiva. A jiva is one who is identified with the body. Where I was a king, it has made me a beggar. Where I was divine in form, it has made me worldly. It has changed the wise into the ignorant.

The Lord has wandered through countless species in many places in the worlds. Burning without fire. Sometimes envy has burned, sometimes anger burns, sometimes lust burns. Tormented by the suffering born of ignorance, devastated by forest fires, wandering, burning. Now I, the Lord, have come to your refuge. Now make some arrangement so that I may worship with love, only bhajan. Goswami Ji says—make such an arrangement, Lord, give us such a tendency, grant us such company—just day and night bhajan, worship abundantly. We have tried doing so much in life; let us once stand firm and worship. By your grace, when bhajan happens, then the deception of Kali Yug is understood of itself, and Kali Yug flees in fear.

This is the power of bhajan. If bhajan is done in the company of God-loving saints, Kali Yug flees in fear. Radhavallabh bhajat bhaj bhali bhali sab hoae—worshipping Radhavallabh, all good comes. Living, Vinayak creates no obstacle, no obstacle; the fear and suffering of Kali Yug is dispelled; all sorrow is removed, singing the name of Hari. Victory. Whatever is base in Kali Yug, all of it flees in fear. Auspicious and inauspicious—Vinayak can place no obstacle. Just be in the company of God-loving saints and engage deeply in bhajan. So I join my hands and bow my head, O Lord, Master. Shri Tulsidas says—join your hands and understand: the thief is a robber. Hearing such a tale, O Lord, fill the heart. I join my hands and bow my head to you, O Lord, O Hari. I say: a thief once known will come hidden and strike you down, because they know every trick.

They know how many doors our house has, how many roofs, how high, who lives there. A thief who knows the layout will succeed. So lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, envy—all these are thieves who know. They live in our house. In the heart itself. They know what power is in this. They know how to seduce and overcome it. So the Lord sees this known thief making its move. I am afraid of this. Master, you will remove this. This vice, this sense enjoyment, this way of Kali Yug—O Hari, you will remove it from me.

Master, hear my prayer and give me peace. Now make the arrangement yourself in my heart so that except for the meditation on you, no other meditation remains. These thieves have only one power: meditation. If meditation on God is absent, if meditation on sense objects begins, they will destroy me. They will ruin the whole life. Understand clearly. The whole life is ruined—this ignorant being does not understand. It seems to them like they have gained a great benefit, that the Lord's path has been lost, that pleasures have been gained. This is great, so—oh no, ruin will come! The world's illusion is such a web, so alluring. And wherever one is caught—just as the fish sees bait but not the hook, and when it bites the bait, the hook catches, and then it struggles, it must die—so too the being sees the bait of sense objects. It does not see the noose in it. The being grazes on sense objects, the mind grazes on sense objects, there is some pleasure in grazing, but then such a noose follows—there is no greater sorrow. The suffering, the anguish, remains; there is no chance of escape. Because the Lord gave a chance, and instead of thinking of Him, you think of pleasures, of the actions of pleasures—that is great misfortune.

If one awakens any other refuge besides the Lord, that is great misfortune. The refuge of parents, the refuge of wealth, the refuge of pleasures, the refuge of relations, or some other refuge—even the refuge of one's own austerities should not be there. Even the refuge of one's own bhajan should not be there. Today bhajan is happening; who knows if it will happen tomorrow or not. But we are dependent on the Lord, so even if bhajan does not happen, we will attain God. This is the special point. Trust only if you have taken it in the Lord. Then Hari Ram Vyas Ji says—Not by the strength of anyone's bhajan, not by anyone's conduct. Vyasa relies on the Lord. We rely simply on the Beloved—Ladli—relying on Her, we will attain Her. Not even by the strength of bhajan will we attain Ladli Ji. This is also not our reliance. Today we will purify our conduct—this is also not our reliance. Our reliance is on the grace of Ladli Ji. If She, the Merciful One, grants grace, then everything becomes for us. And if She does not grant grace, nothing will come from us.

We are yours—saying this much, we will remain. We will not leave you. Even if you push us away, we will not move. We have vowed and grasped you. Even if you let go, we will not let go. Hold to these things. Otherwise there is a very great storm of Maya. I have seen many swept away, blown so far that they never return within the boundary again. Let go of talk of worship in Vrindavan. They could not even escape the play of lust. Make a firm vow, be stubborn from today at the Lord's door. Make a firm vow and resolve strictly: I am the Lord's. These are things to place in the heart. Not to speak with the tongue—it is the heart's matter. Be stubborn, firmly stubborn. From today at the Lord's door. From today I am under the Lord's care, under the Lord's trust. The meaning of the Lord's door is trust. How fortunate are those whose life is under the Lord's trust! Very fortunate. How unfortunate are those whose life depends on these hellish things. It is misfortune. This is not a good thing. This is not good. To depend on a bank balance or a bank, to depend on pleasures or on some relation—this is misfortune.

Fortune is for those who directly have trust in God. He says—make a vow for this very reason: because a very strong wind will come, the wind of Maya will carry away. May the Lord save from this noose of attachment. This is a very bad snare. One hundred days of satsang and one minute of kusang—bad company—will balance out. One hundred days of satsang will not give as much benefit as one minute of kusang will do, because you have been in kusang for countless births. So the effect of kusang is very great. If there is time now, then make merit. This is the time for good deeds. And when the results of bad deeds come, then no matter how pure you become, standing in the Ganges and chanting, you will have to endure your karma. That alone will remain.

Your own people are watching. A whole life on the path of Bhagavan, but what is the consequence of sins from birth after birth—each one must be experienced. Surely this is bhoktvya, this is Bhagavan's word. Surely one must experience it. If in that experience you take Bhagavan's shelter, then there is support. Where a stake was meant to pierce, a thorn pierces instead and the work is accomplished. But it will pierce. And that thorn's pain is not felt because wherever suffering should come, when the mind is in Prabhu, Prabhu by His grace bestows joy on the mind—so the feeling of suffering does not remain. Therefore, one who proceeds with care on this path, taking a vow—such is the grace and blessing of Bhagavan. Just aim for one thing: attainment of Bhagavan. Attainment of Bhagavan—now is the time. Do tapasya, observe restraint, follow discipline, sing bhajan abundantly. Later, when the body grows weak, Maya's attack can be fierce—it may be that there is no time even to remember Bhagavan.

Believe me, such sufferings come that remembrance is lost—is there even a Bhagavan? The jiva simply experiences its karmic fruit in that very suffering. If there is no prior practice of Bhagavan, when severe suffering comes, the senses, mind, and intellect all sink into it—only drowning in suffering, "Alas, when will I escape this pain?"—this alone remains as longing. The remembrance of the beloved, the contemplation of Prem's Beloved—all this is only in discourse. If you have not practiced it, it will not happen. This I myself have seen and understood within. If you have not cultivated the joy of bhajan with every breath, your condition will become such that you cannot sing bhajan. Do it necessarily—by force at Rama's door. There is no greater merit than setting the jiva on Bhagavan's path, and there is no greater sin than turning the jiva away from Bhagavan. There is no greater sin than this. One who abandons the vow of Rama and Vaidehi—a billion enemies are insignificant compared to him. With supreme devotion, life is dedicated according to discipline to Bhagavan: "You are mine—without Your saying this, I cannot rise. I am entirely Prabhu's." I swear by You, I will spend my whole life only for this: that You tell me, "Tulsi, you are mine."

If you do not say this, I swear by Your door that I will lie here my whole life—only to hear once that You say, "Tulsi, you are mine. You are mine. You are mine—without Your saying this, I cannot rise. I am entirely Prabhu's. I swear by Prabhu's name, by Your name. I have taken Your oath. Do it necessarily—by force at Rama's door. From today I am Bhagavan's. No one has any claim over me. What was ruined over lifetimes becomes perfect in a single moment. I simply remain at Prabhu's feet. It will be accomplished. If I remain, it will be accomplished."

This path is such. Just as every stone in the Gandaki river becomes a shalagrama, rolling and rolling, every stone in the Narmada becomes Shankara. So the seeker of ultimate truth—if one simply remains on the path of ultimate truth, by remaining one will become perfected. This is the path of Bhagavat. But who truly remains? One who takes a vow—Goswami Ji says: "Do it necessarily—by force at Rama's door from today. You are mine—without Your saying this, I cannot rise. I am entirely Prabhu's. So now You have come to Your path—as I am, I am Yours, and You will have to tell me that I am Yours." The yamaduts pushed me so much. They did not leave me. I suffered such sufferings, birth after birth in the world, in countless hells. Do not think, Prabhu, that by pushing us, You will turn us away from Your door. Goswami Tulsidas is saying: The yamaduts pushed me many times, but I did the very deed for which I went to hell, and I went to hell. I endured hell's pushes—so what is it to endure Your pushes now? When I have already endured hell's pushes, what is there in enduring Your pushes?

I will not move from here. I have committed such sin that I have gone to hell many times. So Prabhu, enduring hell's push is practiced in me now. Again and again in this world I have taken birth, endured the unbearable pain of the mother's womb, and endured hell's pushes. So now I am ready to endure Your pushes. Now if You think that by pushing me You will turn me away from Your door, I will not go. Whatever trouble I cause, I will cause it right at Your door. Now understand this—I will not leave. I am low, wretched, lustful, wrathful. Just as if You came to me, You would be ashamed—that I am lustful, wretched—then make me better.

You have the medicine. By Your grace alone, by merely a ray of Your mercy, from being low and wretched, I may attain the state of the paramahamsas. By merely a ray of Your grace, what lies beyond the senses becomes worthy of worship even by great beings of self-control. Therefore, now I will not take any other door, and even if You push me, I will not leave. "I have become restless. I have abandoned myself. It has seized me. Oh, be merciful to me. Do not delay. It has taken hold of me. I have become stubborn, I will not let go. Your refuge. How blessed are those who become so stubborn! You are compassionate. You are merciful. I know that seeing my restlessness, You will have to give. Because You are gracious. You are merciful. You will not hold back much longer. You will become mine. Because Your nature is so compassionate. I take Your burden on myself. When You must give at last, why not give now? You must give. You must give me Your shelter and grace. When You must give, why, Maharaj, are You wasting so much time? Give grace now and let me sink into Your bhajan." "If the manifest seems to hesitate due to faults, then in mind, Your own Tulsi—grant grace and look upon me once, Hari."

People say that there are masters of such mercy, whose very mercy is mercy, whose compassion is compassion itself. Lying at their door, I wish to say only one thing: Tulsi, you are mine. So Maharaj, say this at once: Tulsi, you are mine. You will have to say it. If you don't say it, I take an oath—I will say it. In every birth, I will be dependent only on the Father, and I am not among those who run away from blows because I have suffered many blows from hell. So your blows, O Master, are very gentle. You just need to touch me with your blow and my matter will be settled. You are God—even if you push in any way, I won't move. This is the steadfastness of bhakti, the steadfastness of the bhakt's heart that won't move in any way. O Lord, just say this: Tulsi, you are mine.

As soon as I hear this, I will abandon all harshness. I will drop this sit-in strike, this fussing. I am full of sins. For this reason, if you feel it is too low to say in front of everyone, "This low one is mine," then come into my heart and say it. Come into my heart and say, Tulsi Das, how gracious are you—come into my heart and say that Tulsi, I have made you my own. Just when you say this much in my heart—Tulsi, I have made you my own—then I will become carefree. I will have no concern for the Kali Yug, no concern for vices. There will be no concern at all.

Lord, if you wish, say it openly, but if you feel shy—how can such a great Lord and this wretched, low one say that this is mine?—then come into my heart and say so. Say in my heart that Tulsi, you are mine. Just let there be your love, full refuge at the feet of God, full surrender. This is what I don't understand. Listen, brother—sadhana is only for removing obstacles. Gaining God is about staying steadfastly on God's path with patience. This doing-as-you-please, you won't understand what paramartha is at all. The jiva doesn't understand. What does the jiva understand? Honor, respect, fame, reputation, prestige, applause—that's what appeals to them. But the quiet, peaceful, withdrawn solitude, meditating on God and becoming liberated—that doesn't appeal to them. So brother, by God's grace you are getting satsang every day. Change the mind's flow. Be continuously devoted to bhajan. Whether bhajan is happening or not, we cannot leave God. Whether we are good or we are bad, we cannot leave God. Hold such steadfastness. Hold such a feeling. Only then will there be salvation. God liberates from this world only those who are dedicated to Him in this way. A million temptations may come, but you don't abandon Him. Shame on such intellect! At least, like a small child loves its mother, let us love God thus.

If someone shows candy, the child looks at mother first. If mother's eye is firm, the child pulls back its hand. If mother's eye is loose, then the child will take the candy. But when the child sees that mother's eye is firm, it becomes like this. So at least we should see that—let us follow according to the taste of Hari and the guru. Don't abandon God. If you abandon God, you will be lost in this world-fair. No one will be able to save you. Countless jivas are wandering in the universes. You have gotten a good opportunity at this time to stop the cycle of coming and going. You have gotten a good opportunity. Fall at God's feet and take shelter.

Think—our feet are gone now. We cannot walk. Our feet are destroyed. The ones that used to walk are destroyed. Now we have only one place: lying at God's door. Those who have taken refuge with Him have found home, have found a place to sit in the home. Now don't abandon shelter. Satsang should be heard in such a way that not a single word is wasted. Hold it. Reflect on it in your life. Meditate on it. Put it into practice. Now, from the Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapuran, the Ninth Canto, Second Section—it is as if God Himself, in the form of the supremely graceful Sukhdev Ji Maharaj, came to give Parikshit the supreme state. Not in seven days will the serpent Takshak bite—in seven days, how would the supreme state be attained? It is as if God, taking the form of the supremely graceful ones, came to give him the supreme state. King Parikshit asked: O Lord, you have described all the manvantaras and the opulent deeds of countless mighty Gods done in them.

I have heard them. You have said that at the end of the previous kalpa, the rajrishi Satyavrat, master of the Dravid country, through serving God obtained knowledge from the Matsya avatar that God took, and he became Vaivasvat Manu in this kalpa. You have also described his sons, Ikshvaku and others. O Brahman, now please graciously describe their lineage and the stories of those born in that line. There is great eagerness in our hearts to hear the stories of their lineage. Sut Ji says: When King Parikshit asked this question in the assembly of the Sonak-adi sages, the Brahma-wise sages, the Lord, the supremely graceful Sukhdev Ji, who knows the essence of dharma, said: Parikshit, listen briefly to the description of the Manu lineage.

A detailed description couldn't be given in hundreds of years. That supreme Person, that Paramatma, who is the soul of all beings, small and great—at the time of dissolution, only He was. Only the Paramatma; this universe and nothing else existed at all. O Maharaj, from His navel lotus appeared a golden lotus. In that very lotus, the four-faced Brahma was born. From Brahma Ji's mind were born Marichi, and from Marichi, Kashyap, and from him and his righteous wife, Diti's daughter Aditi, was born Vivasvat, the Lord Sun. From Vivasvat and his wife Sanjna was born Shradh Dev Manu.

Parikshit, the supremely noble King Shradha Dev, produced ten sons from the womb of his wife Shradha. Their names were Ikshvaku, Niga, Sharayati, Drishta, Dhrish, Karusha, Narisht, Prasadha, Nabhag, and Kavi. Vaivashvat Manu was previously childless, so the all-powerful Lord Vasishtha performed the sacrifice of Mitra and Varuna to grant him offspring.

At the beginning of the sacrifice, Shradha, the virtuous wife of Manu who subsisted on milk, went before the priest and respectfully requested: 'From the fruit of this sacrifice, I desire a daughter.' And the king had made the resolve: 'I desire a son.'

The queen's intention was for a daughter. Then, inspired by this, the Brahmin priest, recalling the queen's words and pronouncing the mantra with focused intent, offered the oblation into the sacrificial fire. When the priest performed the ritual in this reversed manner, as a result of the sacrifice, instead of a son, a daughter named Ila was born. Seeing her, Manu Ji was not pleased at all, because he had made the resolve for a son.

He went to Vasishtha Ji and said: 'Bhagavan, you are a truth-speaker—one whose words are truth. How can the result of action be reversed? We performed the ritual. It was a sacrifice for obtaining a son—so a son should be obtained. Then how is this reversal? How has a daughter named Ila been born? We are greatly distressed. Such a reversed result should not have occurred. You are knowers of mantras. The complete mantra is under your control. You are one who has conquered the senses. Through austerity you have become sinless. There is absolutely no falsehood in you. Then how did this reversed result occur?'

The ancient master, Lord Vasishtha, meditated and said: 'Maharaja, this reversed intention was caused by your queen. Because of the priest's opposite intention, my intention was not completely fulfilled. Do not grieve. Through the power of my austerity, I will make this child a son.'

The supremely glorious Lord Vasishtha decided, and that girl named Ila who had been born—he pleased the Lord Narayana. The almighty Lord Shri Hari, being satisfied, said: 'Whatever boon you ask, I will grant.' He said: 'Let this girl become a son.' 'So be it,' said the Lord, and at that very moment the girl named Ila transformed into an excellent man named Sudyumna. Now the play of destiny unfolds.

One day, King Sudyumna rode on a horse from the Sindhu region to hunt, and entered the forest with his ministers. Chasing a deer, he proceeded northward. He went into a forest at the foot of Mount Sumeru. He did not know that this forest had the power that no one could retain their masculinity there. There, Lord Gauri Shankar dwells. Upon entering it, Sudyumna saw that he had become a woman. The horse became a mare, and all the ministers—all became maidens; the horse became a mare. Sudyumna also found themselves in female form, simply by entering that forest, which is the eternal dwelling place of Lord Gauri Shankar.

There, the Mother had set down this rule: 'Whoever enters this forest will become female in form.' Now, seeing each other, all the youths became very dejected, thinking: 'How will we enter the kingdom?' The king became a queen, the ministers became maidens, the horse became a mare—such is the power of this land.

Parikshit asked: 'Maharaj, how did this land acquire such a property? Who created it? Please answer us, for I am most curious.' Then Lord Sukhdev said: 'One day, great austere rishis and munis, coming to see Lord Shankara, entered this forest, their radiance dispelling the darkness of the directions.

At that time, Mother Amba was seated on the left side of Lord Shankara. Seeing the sages suddenly approach, she felt shy and moved away from Lord Shankara's lap, seating herself separately. The sages, seeing from a distance, immediately bowed down to the Lord and departed from there to the ashram of Narayana Bhagavan.

At that very moment, to please his beloved Tripurasundari, the Bhagavati Ambika, Lord Shankara said: 'From this day forward, except for me, whoever enters this forest—even a male—will instantly become female.'

Since then, no man has entered that place. And Sudyumna, not knowing this, entered with his ministers out of desire for hunting, and everything changed.

Now, having become women, they looked at each other. The ministers became maidens and the king also became a maiden, the horse became a mare. They began thinking: 'We cannot enter the city. How will we enter?'

While they wandered in that forest, the Moon's son Budha saw Sudyumna. He did not know it was Sudyumna—seeing a beautiful woman, he became infatuated. He made Budha her husband, and after some days she became pregnant and gave birth to a son named Puru. They became a boy child.

When people heard that Manu's son, King Sudyumna, had become female, they remembered Vasishtha, for Vasishtha had accomplished it through divine play. Seeing Sudyumna's condition, great compassion arose in Vasishtha's heart. Then he worshipped Lord Shankara, requesting that Sudyumna become male again.

Lord Shankara was pleased with Vasishtha and said: 'My word will also not be false. Whoever enters this forest will become female, and your austerity should not go in vain. So for one month they will be male, and after one month they will become female.'

Then for one month they would remain female. Then for one month they would remain male. This could happen. Sudyumna could govern the kingdom in this way. With Vashistha Ji's grace, the arrangement was made. They had a son named Puru who would become a chakravartin emperor. When Puru completed his month as a female and became male again, he would come to his kingdom, but after one month of ruling as king, he would become female again and have to stay quietly in the palace. When the people learned of this, they said such a king was not worthy of their welcome—a king who became a king for one month and a queen for one month. So the people did not welcome him. He had three sons: Utkal, Gaya, and Vimal. These all became kings of the southern region. For many days this continued—one month they would rule as a male, one month they would stay in the palace as a queen. Sudyumna gave his kingdom to his son Puru and himself went to the forest for austerities.

When Sudyumna went to the forest to perform austerities, Vaivasvat Manu, desiring a son, performed austerities for 100 years on the sacred banks of the Yamuna. After this, he worshipped the Almighty God Shri Hari for progeny and obtained ten sons like himself. Among these, the eldest was Maharaj Ikshvaku. One of these ten sons was named Prasad. Vashistha Ji assigned him to protect the cows. At that time there was no electricity. So in the darkness, a tiger entered into the herd of cows and the cows became frightened, got up, and started running. The tiger seized one cow. Now Prasad ran towards the cow in utter darkness with a sword in his hand. He suddenly saw that the tiger was holding the cow.

So he struck the tiger on its head, but things turned around. The tiger leaped away and his blow landed on the cow's head, so the cow's head was cut off immediately. And the tip of the sword also cut off the tiger's ear, which is why it fled. Prasad thought the tiger had died. But when the night passed and morning came, he saw that the cow's neck was cut. He was greatly distressed. Although he had not intentionally killed the cow, Vashistha Ji cursed him saying, "Go, you shall not remain in the kshatriya lineage because of this deed." Prasad did not defend himself, saying "Guru Ji, I have not committed any offense."

He folded his hands and accepted the curse and took up the vow of brahmacharya dear to the sages—to spend his entire life in austerities. He became a well-wisher to all living beings, maintaining equal feelings toward all, and through bhakti obtained the singular, loving devotion to Lord Vasudeva. All attachments fell away. Mental tendencies became calm. The senses came under control. Without keeping any collection or possession, he maintained the body with bare necessity. He remained absorbed in the supreme self, satisfied through self-knowledge. Sometimes he wandered on the earth like a dumb, blind, and deaf person.

One day he went into the forest and saw a wildfire blazing. The thoughtful Prasad, knowing his body's final time had come, entered into that fire itself. He offered that body to the flames and himself attained the Supreme Lord. Manu's youngest son was Kavi. He too was a dispassionate great soul. Abandoning the kingdom, he went to the forest with his relatives and, meditating on the Supreme Lord dwelling in his heart, abandoned his body even in youth. He attained the highest state. Blessed is the life that obtains God and completes the body for it. Dhrishti was a kshatriya son of Drishti.

In the end, from that very body he became a Brahma rishi. Nrig's son was Sumati, his son was Bhutjyoti, Bhutjyoti's son was Vasu, Vasu's son was Pratik, Pratik's son was Oghvan, Oghvan's son was also named Oghvan. He had a daughter named Oghvati whose marriage took place with Sudarshan. From Manu's son Narishant came Chitrasena, from him Riksh, from Riksh Medhvan. This is the genealogy of great men, and it is from this very lineage that the Lord's incarnation comes. It is in this lineage that the names of their ancestors are revered as supremely sacred.

That lineage is blessed where the Lord and the lover of the Lord, Mother Bhagavati, manifest. The Agnivaishya gotra of the brahmins originated from those ancestors. In this way, from Maharaj Manu's son Dhrishti came his lineage. Dhrishti's son was named Nabhag—this is different from the other Nabhag whom I will describe later. Due to his karma, he attained vaishya status. His son was Bhland, and from him Vatsaprati. Vatsaprati's son was Pranashu, and Pranashu's son was Pramati. From Pramati came Khanitra, from Khanitra came Chakshus, and from him came Vivansat. Vivansat's son was Ramb, and Ramb's son was Khanitra. Both were very righteous.

Their son was Karamdha, and from Karamdha came Avakshit. Maharaj Parikshit was Avakshit's son, and Marut was a chakravartin emperor. The great yogi Angira, the supreme rishi, performed the yajna for Maharaj Marut. No one else's yajna could equal Marut's yajna. In that yajna, all vessels, small and large, were made of gold. In that yajna, Indra was made intoxicated with soma. The brahmins were satisfied through the dakshinas. The attendants were the Marudganas, and the council members were Vishadeva. Such a wonderful yajna as Marut performed could never be performed by anyone else.

For this very yajna, Devraj Indra chose Vashistha Ji. When Vashistha Ji resolved to perform this yajna, Devraj Indra thought that the yajna should not happen—otherwise Marut would surpass us. A human being, even though human, would surpass Devraj Indra in yajnas. So Devraj Indra went to Vashistha Ji and said, "I choose you as my acharya." Vashistha Ji replied, "Although I have previous commitments, you are Devraj, so I follow your command. We accept it." And he refused Marut.

Marut Ji was sitting in great sorrow. Just then Devarshi Narad Ji came. Devarshi Narad Ji asked him, why are you sitting in sorrow? He said, the guru who was to preside over the ritual sacrifice was cleverly taken by Devraj Indra. Now our yagna has remained incomplete. He said, no, the yagna will not remain incomplete. There is a great saint who is very powerful—Samavart Rishi, a great yogi. He is at Kashi Vishvanath right now. Go and place [it] in such a way, then they will flee far from the path. They will behave like madmen, then pursue them alone in solitude and describe [this task] to them.

If he takes the form of a guru, then the yagna will be wonderful, and every deity will stand there with folded hands, because Mahayogi Samavart Ji is very powerful. That's how it was done. When Samavart Ji would go to have darshan of Vishvanath Ji, they observed [him] for 24 hours from 100 [cubits] away. He kept [things] far beyond that distance. Whatever was seen of his activities, [they] followed behind. Samavart Rishi would throw, spit, and beat [a small Shankara], doing all such acts. He reached a solitary spot on the banks of the Ganga. Then he said, what do you want? They said, we want to choose you as a guru for the yagna.

He said, listen, at the time I sit for the yagna, all the deities will turn against you. If you exclude us from the position of guru, we will destroy you completely. And if you place us in the position of guru, then every deity will have to do as I say. That's exactly what happened. Marut Ji said, absolutely, we cannot abandon you. Having accepted him as guru, the yagna ritual began. First they invoked Agni. Agni Dev appeared. Agni said, we cannot carry offerings to any deity, because such is the wish of Devraj Indra. Then he said, if you don't follow our command, we will reduce you to ashes with the power of our mantras. He said to Agni Dev, I will turn you to ash—Agni trembled. Agni told Devraj Indra, we have no choice but to deliver the offerings. Samavart Rishi is such a powerful saint. Devraj Indra wanted to strike Maharaj Marut with his thunderbolt. [Samavart] stopped it thus and said, stand as you are until the yagna is complete. Such a powerful saint, Samavart Rishi. When the yagna was happening, he gently said, my hand is hurting greatly. Then [Samavart] said, don't cause trouble, go, be healed. Then his hand was healed. They fed him plenty of nectar. There was an abundant rainfall of joy, very intense. Such was Maharaj Marut's yagna—unique. The brahmins were satisfied with the generous gifts. They couldn't carry it all away. I don't want so many diamonds, jewels, and gold, etc.

Marut's son was named Dam. From Dam came Rajyavardhan. From him came Sudrati. From Sudrati was born a son named Nar. From Maharaj Nar came Keval, from Keval came Bandhumaan. From Bandhumaan came Vegvan. From Vegvan came Bandhu. From Bandhu was born King Tan-bindu. King Tan-bindu was a repository of ideal qualities. The most excellent Alambusha Devi among the apsaras chose him. From her he had many sons. And a daughter named Irvida was born. The great sage Vishvashrava, having obtained superior knowledge from his yogi father Pulastya Ji, fathered Kuber the protector of the worlds from Irvida's womb.

Maharaj Tan-bindu, with his dharma wife, brought forth sons named Vishal, Shunya, Bandhu, and Dhoom Kritu. From Vishal came great lineages. The city named Vaishali [was named after Vishal]. From Vishal came Hemchandra. From Hemchandra came Dhumaraksha. From Dhumaraksha came Sanyam. Sanyam had two sons, Krishasur and Devad. Krishasur's son was named Somadatta. He performed the ashvamedha yagna to worship the Lord of yagnas and, taking refuge in yogeshvars and saints, attained the supreme abode. Somadatta's son was Sumati. From Sumati came Janamejaya. All of these were great kings of the vast lineage who increased the glory of Tan-bindu.

Shri Sukhdev Ji says: Parikshit! Son of Manu, King Saryati was a devoted scholar of the Vedas. In the yagna of the sages of the Angir lineage, the duties of the second day were described. He had a lotus-eyed daughter. Her name was Sukanya. One day King Saryati was touring the ashram of sage Chyavan with his daughter. And Sukanya was wandering in the forest with her friends, enjoying the beauty of the trees and the forest. Then at one place she saw an anthill with two lights shining in it. She thought it might be some precious metal, so taking two thorns, she tried to extract these lights.

And Chyavan Rishi was sitting in meditation with only his eyes open. The two thorns went into his eyes. When Sukanya removed the thorns, blood flowed from them. She got scared and fled, thinking she had committed an offense. She didn't tell anyone. Now Chyavan Rishi blocked the bowel and urinary functions of the entire army, the king, and everyone. No urination or defecation—everything was stopped. As a result of this blockage, everyone was in distress. Everyone blamed each other, then the soldiers said something. Then the king said, we are in the same condition too. So they said, this means some offense has been committed here. The king said, this is Chyavan Rishi's ashram; someone must have committed an offense here. Then Sukanya quietly said, I think the offense was committed by me. Because I saw two lights shining in an anthill, and I used thorns to try to extract them, and blood flowed from it. They said, the anthill was Chyavan Rishi. Come, let's go near him. [They] prayed, Maharaj, please forgive this girl, she didn't know. Chyavan Rishi said, we will forgive only if you give us the girl. Give us your daughter. A voice came from the anthill, move away—this is what the Lord [desires], and so on.

What a wonderful leela! Understanding Chyavan Muni's intention, the king told Sukanya to silently accept him as her husband. Everything is all arranged by divine will, Maharaj. How else could he speak? That is why the eyes were opened—he arranged all this, he offered his daughter. All has been opened. Very carefully he said: come now, daughter, complete the marriage at once and let there be no offense to the rishi's ashram.

Now the supremely wrathful, great ascetic—where is Princess Sukanya? Having chosen him as her husband, day and night she stood with folded hands, engaged only in service, constantly watching his wishes, attuning her behavior to his moods. After some time had passed, the two Ashvini Kumaras, who are the physicians of the gods, came to the ashram. Chyavan Rishi gave them proper honor and said, "You two are powerful. I have married, but I am old—bones throughout my body, decrepit. Make me fit for marriage." For they are indeed the physicians of the gods.

My form should be such that she is not ashamed of me. I have become a husband, but now this princess—and where is a tapasvi? What kind of body is this? If any woman in all three worlds were to see me, she would be repelled. Give me such a beautiful form that any woman in the three worlds would be attracted to me." Then the divine physicians said, "Just as you command, so I shall do it. We will make you worthy to drink soma at the gods' sacrifice." Chyavan Rishi said, "The matter is settled." The foremost of physicians, the Ashvini Kumaras, honored Maharishi Chyavan.

After this, they anointed him with mantras and made a sacred pool and said, "Bathe here." When he was about to bathe, he looked at every bone of his body—counted every nerve, saw the wrinkles, and his form was most repulsive, truly fearful, and the eyes were likewise burst—that is why now when he entered the pool, divine eyes, radiant form, and not just him but three came forth, because the Ashvini Kumaras also emerged with him. Three men, all identical. Each one wore lotus garlands and beautiful clothes, all three alike, and such were these three forms that any woman in all three worlds seeing them would be captivated.

When the supremely beautiful Sukanya saw the three, all three had the same appearance, all three had the same radiance, a voice came saying: identify your husband from among these three. If you identify him correctly, your union with him will be confirmed. She pondered: how can I identify them? The three look completely identical. Then she took refuge in her heart with the divine physician Ashvini Kumar, saying, "You alone can help me recognize him. I do not wish to look toward anyone but my husband. Tell me—which of these three is my husband?" Then the Ashvini Kumar gestured to her. In the middle was her husband, Chyavan Rishi in divine form. She placed her head at his feet.

Chyavan Rishi was very pleased. Taking permission from Chyavan Muni, the divine physicians boarded their celestial chariot and departed. At that very moment, King Sharyati came to Chyavan Muni's ashram, and there he saw Sukanya serving a radiant divine person. When Sukanya saw her father had come, she ran and bowed to him. He said, "Far from it! I could never have imagined I could have such a child, one who abandons a brahma rishi and instead worships some young divine man. You have deceived the great Muni Chyavan. Thinking him old, thinking him without form, you serve another man. You were not born into such a family as your conduct shows.

How did such inverted thinking come to you? Your behavior brings dishonor to my lineage. Oh Hari, Hari! You have become shameless. You are leading the lineage of both father and husband to hell." Then Sukanya smiled and said, "Father! I am not near anyone else. Your son-in-law is none other than Maharishi Chyavan himself, Lord Raghunandan. All of this is the miracle of the divine physician Ashvini Kumar—your old son-in-law now stands before you in youth! Maharishi Chyavan has obtained beauty and youth. Sharyati was astonished and said, "Forgive me, daughter. I looked upon you with wrong understanding."

He embraced her. Maharishi Chyavan had King Sharyati perform a soma sacrifice and, despite not being entitled to drink soma, through the power of his austerities made the Ashvini Kumaras drink soma. Indra becomes angry very quickly. So he could not bear it. In anger, he raised his thunderbolt to strike Sharyati. Then Chyavan Rishi paralyzed Indra's hand and body with the stambha vidya. Then Devraj Indra agreed to give the Ashvini Kumaras a share of soma. The gods had excluded them from the soma sacrifice because they were physicians.

King Sharyati had three sons. Uttanavarma, Anarta, and Bhushan. From Anarta came Revata. Maharaja Revata built a city called Kushasthali beneath the ocean, and living there, he ruled Anarta and other lands. He had one hundred excellent sons. The eldest among them was Kukudmi. Kukudmi was troubled as he carried his daughter Revati about, thinking which bridegroom to choose. After seeing two or three grooms, he said, "Come, let us ask Brahma himself. Let us go—which bridegroom is written in her fate? Why wander about hither and yon?" So Kukudmi was such a great yogi that taking his daughter with him, he went to Brahmaloka. At that time, there was some singing and music going on in Brahmaloka.

The gandharvas were singing. The apsaras were dancing. He too remained silent there for as long as the dancing and singing continued. After that, all those who had come for the celebration began to leave after paying their respects to Brahma Ji. When Kukudmi approached Brahma Ji to bow, Brahma Ji asked: "How have you come?" He replied: "I have seen two or three boys for Revati, but I cannot understand which boy would be suitable. So I came to ask you: what boy have you written in her destiny?" Then Brahma Ji laughed very loudly and said: "O King, those boys you mentioned—their entire lineage has been destroyed." He said: "They are still arriving, but just watch this dancing and singing—the dancing and singing here has destroyed the lineage there."

All have gone into the jaws of time. Now they have no sons left, no grandsons, no granddaughters, no lineage. Such a lineage... [throat clearing]. Go—twenty-seven cosmic cycles have passed. Therefore, go: at this time, the mighty Baldev Ji, an incarnation of Bhagwan Shri Hari, is present on the earth. He is the groom for your daughter, Revati Ji. O King, offer this jewel of a daughter to this jewel of a man. The hearing and singing of his names and pastimes are most sacred. He has descended with an incarnation to lighten the burden of the earth and to be all-in-all for all beings.

King Kukudmi received Brahma Ji's command, bowed to his feet, and returned to his city. His descendants had abandoned the city out of fear of the yakshas and were living here and there. King Kukudmi offered his most beautiful daughter to the supremely powerful Bhagwan Balram Ji. When Bhagwan Balram Ji saw how very tall she was—because of the ages gone by—and as they say, the entire lineage disappeared, Bhagwan's incarnation took place, Balram Ji's incarnation took place. Just from the dancing and singing, even the lotus petals showed such decay—a year here has passed. Such was the age. When Balram Ji saw this, he adjusted his plow and other things to her measure. Revati Ji was very tall—Revati Ji was offered to Bhagwan Balram Ji. And Kukudmi Ji performed austerities at Badri Narayan and attained Bhagwan's supreme abode. The stories of Nabha and Ambrish Ji remain for further discussion. Glory, glory to Shri Radha Vallabh Lal!

This text is taken from the video's auto-generated captions—it may contain errors in words. Please listen to the video for authentic words.

Original video: Shri Hit Radha Kripa (YouTube)