In the kingdom of Panchala, a unique tale unfolded with the birth of Shikhandi. Blessed by Lord Shiva, Drupada and his queen received a boon that their daughter would later become a man. Thus, despite being born as a girl named Shikhandini, she was raised and educated as a prince.
Trouble arose when Shikhandini was married off to Hiranyavarmā’s daughter, who discovered her true gender. Outraged, Hiranyavarmā planned to attack Panchala for the deception. Desperate to save his kingdom, Drupada sought a way to fulfill Shiva’s boon. Shikhandini, heartbroken to see her parents’ distress, chose to leave the palace and end her life in the forest.
There, a Yaksha named Sthunākarna intervened, moved by Shikhandini’s plight. He granted her a temporary exchange of gender, allowing her to return to the palace as Shikhandi, a man. The deception was verified, and Panchala was spared from attack.
However, Kuber, lord of the Yakshas, later cursed Sthunākarna for his gender transformation,
‘By giving away your masculinity and assuming feminity, you have done an unjustified act. For this stupidity of yours, I curse you to continue being a woman in this life,’ Kuber said.
And so it was that Shikhandini became Shikhandi for life—one man’s curse had transformed into another’s boon!.