How many women would be glad to have a child who is neither male nor female? Tara was one unfortunate woman who had this destiny. She wondered whether the curse of Brihaspati was a punishment for her or her child? How would her child of neutral gender get married and enjoy the pleasures of household? Had there been no curse, her son would have had a normal happy life. Was her son being punished for her karma or was it some blessing in disguise.
It was, indeed, blessing in disguise. But for Ila, who was a king named Sudyumna and had actually been turned into a woman.
(Once Sudyumna had accidentally entered a forest that was under the spell of Shiva. The spell would turn every male in the forest (except for Shiva) into a female. Shiva had caste the spell on the forest upon Shakti’s request as the Goddess of Power wanted no male creature to witness her union with her Lord.
Sudyumna, deeply horrified by the realization of a masculine soul in a feminine body, requested Shakti to free him from the spell. Shakti modified the spell in a way that Sudyumna would experience both masculinity and femininity in sync with the waxing and waning of the moon.)
A human being with such unique sexual characteristics would definitely have been left alone had the world not complemented him/(her) with an equally unfortunate Budh.
Budh and Ila
The equation finally became:
Unfortunate + Unfortunate = Super-Fortunate
Budh and Ila got married and not much to the reader’s surprise ended with a proud list of progeny. It was the progeny of this unique pair that would later rule the Indian Mainland for many generations.
This story enhances a modern Indian’s belief in Madhuri’s dialogue from “Dil Toh Pagal Hai” – Someone somewhere is made for you.
The Great Indian Epic 