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Ila (Sanskrit: इल) or Ilā (Sanskrit: इला) is a deity in Hindu legends, known for their sex changes. As a man, he is known as Ila or Sudyumna and as a woman, is called Ilā. Ilā is considered the chief progenitor of the Lunar dynasty of Indian kings – also known as the Aillas ("descendants of Ilā").
In Hinduism, Ila represents a divine entity with multifaceted attributes: born from sacrifice, undergoing gender transformation, associated with beauty in the grove of Sharavana, and responsible for creating diverse plant life.
The story of Ila, a king cursed by Shiva and Parvati to alternate between being a man and woman each month, appears in several traditional Hindu texts. After changing sex, Ila loses the memory of being the other gender.
- Jacob Ogles
- Shiva and Parvati. The supreme god of Shaivism, Shiva has often been held as the ultimate embodiment of masculinity, but as far back as the Kushan era, there have also been depictions of Shiva in the Ardhanarishvara form, an androgynous composite of Shiva and his wife, Parvoti.
- Vishnu/Mohini. A major deity of the religion regarded as protector of the world, Vishnu is clearly depicted in the faith as gender-fluid. This major Hindu deity frequently took on the female avatar of Mohini.
- Krishna. An incarnation of Vishnu, the popular deity Krishna also took the form of Mohini in order to marry Aravan to satisfy one of the hero's last requests, according to the Mahabharata.
- Shikhandi. This warrior in the Kurukshetra war in most tellings of the Mahabharata was female at birth but changed gender later in life. Born Shikhandini, the girl in one version of the story was raised as a male by King Drupada, the girl's father.
- Birth
- Curse and Marriage to Budha
- Later Life and Descendents
- In Vedic Literature
According to the Linga Purana and the Mahabharata, Ilā was born as the eldest daughter of Vaivasvata Manu, the progenitor of mankind, and his wife Shraddha. However, the parents desired a son and so prayed and performed austerities to propitiate the deities Mitra and Varuna, who changed Ilā's gender. The boy was named Sudyumma. The Bhagavata Purana...
In the Ramayana, the Linga Purana and the Mahabharata, Ila grows to become the king of Bahlika. While hunting in a forest, Ila accidentally trespassed Sharavana ("Forest of Reeds"), the sacred grove of the goddess Parvati, the consort of the god Shiva. Upon entering Sharavana, all male beings except for Shiva, including trees and animals, are trans...
The descendants of Ilā through Pururavas are known as Ailas after Ilā or as the Lunar Dynasty (Chandravamsa) due to their descent from Budha, the son of the moon-god Chandra. Most versions of tale call Ilā the father as well as the mother of the Ailas. The Linga Purana and the Mahabharata, in which Sudyumma's curse does not end, state that as a mal...
In Vedic literature, Ilā is also known as Idā. Idā in the Rigveda, signifies food and refreshment, personified as the goddess of speech. Ilā-Idā is also associated with Sarasvati, the goddess of knowledge. Ilā-Idā is mentioned a number of times in the Rigveda, mostly in the hymns known as Āprīsūktas. She is often mentioned along with Sarasvati and ...
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Jan 28, 2019 · Soon a daughter was born to him and she was called Ilā. Then Manu asked Vasiṣtha why a daughter was born to him instead of a son for whom the yajña was performed by Agastya. At once, Vasiṣtha by his will-power turned the girl Ilā into a boy, and the boy was named Sudyumna. (Bhāgavata).
Mar 25, 2019 · ILA. Ila features in one of the rare cases of female to male transformation in Hindu mythology. There are a number of origin myths surrounding Ila. She was born to Vivasvata Manu and his wife Shraddha who wished for a male offspring. They prayed and the gods changed Ila to a man called Sudyumma.
