The king proclaimed that the queen had given birth to a boy and gave out the child’s name as Shikhandi. The child was brought up as a boy in all respects. One day while playing near the palace gates, Shikhandini saw a garland of never fading lotuses. This was the garland she had left there in her previous birth as Amba. Shikhandini put the garland round her neck. This was in accordance with the boon given to Amba that the wearer of the garland would cause Bhishma’s death.
Right through Shikhandini’s childhood the king and queen maintained complete faith in the prophecy of Lord Shiva that though the child was born a female, she would eventually become a male. Therefore they arranged the marriage of Shikhandini with the daughter of king Hiranyavarma of Dasharna. In due course, however, the bride found out that the person she had married was a woman. This infuriated king Hiranyavarma, who felt cheated and humiliated. He decided to invade Panchal and kill king Drupada. Drupada, maintaining full faith in Lord Shiva’s prediction, insisted that his son was a male and invited king Hiranyavarma to send some of his courtesans to spend a night with Shikhandini and report on the truth of the matter. Hiranyavarma agreed.
Shikhandini realising that she was the cause of this trouble decided to go the forest and end her life. There she met a yaksha named Sthunakarna. Yaksha was a class of demi-Gods led by Kuber who was the treasurer of the demi-Gods. After listening to Shikhandini’s tale of woe, Sthunakarna offered to exchange his manhood with her womanhood for a predetermined period, after which Shikhandini would have to return to the forest to reverse the sex change. The transformation took place and a vigorous, strong and manly Shikhandi returned to the palace to face the test. The courtesans were satisfied and gleefully reported to king Hiranyavarma that their so-in-law was a man - and what a man! Thus a calamity was averted.
When Kuber learnt that Sthunakarna had used his powers to perform a sex change against all custom and practices and without his consent he punished Sthunakarna, who would have to continue to live as a woman. This meant that Shikhandi did not have to keep his fateful appointment and could continue to live as a man. Later Kuber relented and softened the curse to say that Sthunakarna would have to live as a woman only till Shikhandi’s death.
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