Having regained his beloved wife, Bṛhaspati, the revered teacher of the gods, was filled with delight and returned to his own home. The gods and the demons, their purposes fulfilled, also departed for their respective abodes. Brahmā went back to his celestial realm, and Śaṅkara, the great Lord Shiva, returned to Kailāsa. Bṛhaspati, now content, was reunited with his charming wife, Tārā. In due time, Tārā gave birth to a virtuous son. The day was auspicious, the stars favorable, and the child was endowed with qualities equal to the lord of Tārā. Seeing his son born, Bṛhaspati joyfully performed all the prescribed rites and ceremonies, celebrating the birth with a heart full of happiness. News of the birth soon reached the sages, who heard it from the moon, Soma. The wise Soma sent a messenger to Bṛhaspati, delivering a startling message: "This is not your son, but born from my seed. How have you performed the birth rites and fulfilled your desire?" Hearing these words, Bṛhaspati replied firmly, "He is my son, equal to me; there is no doubt about it." This disagreement escalated, and soon the gods and demons gathered together, preparing for battle. An assembly was convened, tensions mounting. At that moment, Brahmā himself, desiring peace and harmony, arrived. The Lord of Creatures restrained those eager for conflict, calming the assembly. Brahmā then turned to Tārā and asked gently, "Whose son is this, O auspicious one? Speak the truth, O beautiful lady, so that this distress may be resolved." Embarrassed and with her face lowered, Tārā softly replied, "He is the son of Chandra," and withdrew within. Soma, radiant with joy, took his son, named him Budha, and returned to his own abode. Brahmā departed, and all the gods, including Indra, along with the assembled beings, went back to their homes. Thus, the birth of Budha from Soma in Gurukshetra was recounted, as it was heard from Vyāsa, the son of Satyavati. Sūta then continued: From Budha, Pururavas was born through Ilā. Pururavas was exceedingly righteous, devoted to sacrifice and generosity. His son, Sudyumna, was a king renowned for his truthfulness and self-control. One day, King Sudyumna mounted a Sindhu horse and set out to hunt in the forest, accompanied by a few ministers. Adorned with beautiful earrings, he carried a bow made of horn and a wondrous collection of arrows. He wandered through the forest, striking deer, hares, boars, rhinoceroses, and wild oxen. He slew sarabhas, buffaloes, sambars, and wild fowl; after killing sacrificial animals, he entered the grove of youths. This grove lay beneath Mount Meru, a divine place adorned with mandara trees, covered with asoka creepers, and fragrant with bakula flowers. It was sheltered by sal, palmyra, tamala, champaka, jackfruit, mango, nipa, and madhuka trees, and draped in a pavilion of madhavi vines. The grove was further beautified by pomegranate, coconut, and clusters of banana trees, enveloped by creepers of jasmine, malati, and kund flowers. Swans and cranes abounded, kicaka birds called, and bees hummed, making the forest a place of every delight. King Sudyumna, delighted and surrounded by his attendants, saw the trees in full bloom, their beauty enhanced by the songs of cuckoos. But as he entered, a sudden transformation occurred: Sudyumna became a woman, and even his horse turned into a mare. The king was overcome with anxiety, distressed and filled with shame. He wondered again and again, "What is this? What shall I do? How can I return home, being bound in a woman's form? How can I rule the kingdom? By whom have I been deceived?" The sages, listening to Sūta’s tale, remarked to Lomaharṣaṇa, "What you have told is astonishing! Sudyumna, the king equal to the gods, has obtained womanhood. What is the cause of this? Tell us in detail what happened in that enchanting forest. What did the king do?" Sūta explained: Once, the sages led by Sanaka, wishing to see the Lord of the Mountain, arrived, making the quarters shine as if dispelling darkness. At that time, Śaṅkara was there, surrounded by women, absorbed in playful delight with his beloved Śivā, who was unclothed and desirous. The lovely goddess, delighting in her husband's lap, saw the sages and, being unclothed, was greatly ashamed. Rising from her husband's lap, she took a garment and covered herself, standing filled with modesty, trembling, and pride. The sages, seeing the intimacy of the divine couple, quickly turned away and went to the hermitage of Nara-Nārāyaṇa. Seeing his bashful and desirous wife, the blessed Hara spoke gently: "Why are you overcome by shame? I will make you happy." He declared, "From this day onward, O beautiful-faced one, any man who, out of delusion, enters this forest shall become a woman." Thus, because of that curse, those who know of it avoid the forest, which is full of faults. But Sudyumna, unaware of the curse, entered with his ministers, and so they all became women—there was no doubt. Filled with anxiety and shame, the royal sage did not return home, but wandered here and there in the forest. In that state of womanhood, the great-souled one became known as Ilā. As Ilā wandered in the forest, Budha, the youthful son of Soma, arrived.