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{{short description|Hindu deity known for sex changes}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Hindu
| image = Budhadeva.jpg
| caption = Budha (Mercury) with consort Ilā
| mother = Shradha
| name = Ila/Ilā
| Devanagari = इल/इला
| Sanskrit_transliteration = Ila/Ilā
| affiliation = [[Devi]]
| god_of =
| abode = Budhaloka
| mantra = Om Illaya Namah
| weapon =
| consort = [[Budha]] (as a woman)
| children = [[Pururavas]] (son as a woman)<br>Utkala, Gaya and Vinatashva (sons as a man)
| father = [[Vaivasvata Manu]]
| siblings = [[Ikshvaku]] and 9 others
}}

'''Ila''' ({{lang-sa|इल}}) or '''Ilā''' ({{lang-sa|इला}}) is a deity in [[Hindu mythology|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").

While many versions of the tale exist, Ila is usually described as a daughter or son of [[Shraddhadeva Manu|Vaivasvata Manu]] and thus the sibling of [[Ikshvaku (Hinduism)|Ikshvaku]], the founder of the [[Solar Dynasty]]. In versions in which Ila is born female, she changes into a male form by divine grace soon after her birth. After mistakenly entering a sacred grove as an adult, Ila is either cursed to change his/her gender every month or cursed to become a woman. As a woman, Ilā married [[Budha]], the god of the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]] and the son of the lunar deity [[Chandra]] (Soma), and bore him a son called [[Pururavas]], the father of the Lunar dynasty. After the birth of Pururavas, Ilā has transformed into a man again and fathered three sons.

In the [[Vedas]], Ilā is praised as '''Idā''' ({{lang-sa|इडा}}), goddess of speech, and described as the mother of Pururavas.

The tale of Ila's transformations is told in the [[Puranas]] as well as the [[Indian epic poetry|Indian epic poems]], the ''[[Ramayana]]'' and the ''[[Mahabharata]]''.

==Birth==

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 (Vedic)|Mitra]] and [[Varuna]], who changed Ilā's gender. The boy was named Sudyumma.<ref name="LP_MBH"/><ref name="williams">{{cite book|last= Williams|first=George Mason|title=Handbook of Hindu mythology|publisher=ABC-CLIO Inc.|location=Saint Barbara|year=2003|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9791576071068/page/156 156]|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9791576071068 |url-access= registration| isbn=978-1-57607-106-9}}</ref> The ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'', the ''[[Devi-Bhagavata Purana]]'',<ref name="bhagavat">For translation, see {{cite book|last=Swami Vijnanananda|title=The S'Rimad Devi Bhagawatam|publisher=BiblioBazaar, LLC|year=2008|volume=1|pages=62–6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kt02ZSt2Q8AC&q=Ila+Budha&pg=PA62|orig-year = 1921 | isbn=978-1-4375-3059-9}}</ref> the ''[[Kurma Purana]]'', the ''[[Harivamsa]]'', the ''[[Markandeya Purana]]'' and the ''[[Padma Purana]]'' (referred to as "''Bhagavata Purana'' et al. texts" further) narrate a variant: Ila's parents could not have any children for a long time and approached the sage [[Agastya]] for a solution. The sage performed a [[yajna]] (fire sacrifice) dedicated to Mitra and Varuna to attain a son for the couple. Due to either an error in the ritual or a failure to offer the appropriate sacrifice, Mitra and Varuna instead sent a daughter to the couple. In one version, the couple supplicated the deities, who transformed Ilā's gender. In another version, this transformation happens after the erroneous hymns are rectified and the son is called Ila.<ref name = "williams"/><ref name="BP_KP">O'Flaherty pp. 303-4</ref><ref name = "Pattanaik46"/><ref name=connerila/> According to a variant, Shraddha wished for a daughter; [[Vashistha]] heeded her wish while performing the sacrifice and thus, a daughter was born. However, Manu desired a son so Vashistha appealed to Vishnu to change the gender of his daughter. Ilā was renamed Sudhyumna.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hudson|first=D. Dennis|title=The body of God: an emperor's palace for Krishna in eighth-century Kanchipuram|publisher=Oxford University Press US|year= 2008|pages=413–4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IMCxbOezDi4C | isbn=978-0-19-536922-9}}</ref> The accounts describe Ila as either the eldest or the youngest child of Manu. As the child of Manu, Ila had nine brothers, the most notable was [[Ikshvaku (Hinduism)|Ikshvaku]], the founder of the [[Solar dynasty]].<ref name="samuel">{{cite book|last=Samuel|first=Geoffrey|title=The origins of yoga and tantra: Indic religions to the thirteenth century|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2008|pages=67–8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JAvrTGrbpf4C&q=Ila&pg=PA67 | isbn=978-0-521-69534-3}}</ref><ref name="Shashi" /><ref name="p1">{{cite book|last=Pargiter, F.E.|title=Ancient Indian Historical Tradition|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|location=Delhi|year=1972|pages=253–4}}</ref> As the son of Manu, Ila is the grandson of [[Surya]].<ref name="Shulman">Shulman p.59</ref> According to another account found in the ''[[Vayu Purana]]'' and the ''[[Brahmanda Purana]]'', Ilā was born female and remained female.<ref name=p1/>

In the ''[[Ramayana]]'', Ila is born as a son of Kardama, the [[Prajapati]] born of the god [[Brahma]]'s shadow. Ila's tale is told in the ''Uttara Kanda'' chapter of the Ramayana, while describing the greatness of the [[Ashvamedha]] – the horse sacrifice.<ref name = "Pattanaik46"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Swami Venkatesananda |title=The concise Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki|publisher=SUNY Press|year=1988|pages=397–9}}</ref>

==Curse and marriage to Budha==
[[File: King Ila argument with Bhuda son of Chandra.jpg|thumb|The male Ila with Budha.]]
In the ''Ramayana'', the ''[[Linga Purana]]'' and the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', Ila grows to become the king of [[Bactria|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 transformed into females.<ref group = "Notes">Sharavaṇa ("Forest of Reeds") is described as the place where [[Murugan|Skanda]], the son of Shiva, was born. The ''Devi-Bhagavata Purana'' narrates that once the sages intruded on the love-making of Shiva and Parvati so Shiva cursed the forest that all-male beings entering it would be transformed into females.</ref> One legend tells that a female ''[[yakshini]]'' disguised herself as a deer and purposefully led Ila to the grove in order to save her husband from the king.<ref name="Shulman" /> The ''Linga Purana'' and the ''Mahabharata'' emphasize the sex change of Ila to be a deliberate act of Shiva to start the Lunar dynasty.<ref name="LP_MBH">For Linga Purana and Mahabharata, O'Flaherty p. 303</ref> The ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'' et al. texts tell that Ila's entire entourage, as well as his horse, also changed their genders.<ref name="BP_KP"/>

According to the ''[[Ramayana]]'', when Ila approached [[Shiva]] for help, Shiva laughed with scorn but the compassionate Parvati reduced the curse and allowed Ila to switch genders every month. However, as a male, he would not remember his life as a female and vice versa. While Ilā roamed the forest in her new form with her female attendants, [[Budha]], the god of the [[planet Mercury]] and the son of the moon-god [[Chandra]], noticed her. Although he had been practising [[asceticism]], Ilā's beauty caused him to fall in love with her at first sight. Budha turned Ilā's attendants into ''[[Kimpurusha Kingdom|Kimpurusha]]s'' ([[hermaphrodite]], lit. "is it a man?")<ref name=p1/><ref>Vanita, Kidwai p.18</ref> and ordered them to run away, promising that they would find mates as Ilā had.<ref name="rama">For Ramayana, Meyer pp. 374-5 or Shulman pp. 58-9</ref>

Ilā married Budha and spent an entire month with him and consummated the marriage. However, Ilā woke one morning as Sudyumna and remembered nothing about the past month. [[Budha]] told Ila that his retinue had been killed in a rain of stones and convinced Ila to stay with him for a year. During each month she spent as a woman, Ilā had a good time with Budha. During each month as a man, Ila turned to pious ways and performed austerities under the guidance of Budha. In the ninth month, Ilā gave birth to [[Pururavas]], who grew to become the first king of the Lunar dynasty. Then, as per the advice of Budha and Ila's father Kardama, Ila pleased Shiva and Shiva restored Ila's masculinity permanently.<ref name = "Pattanaik46"/><ref name = "rama"/>

Another legend from the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'' credits Vishnu of restoring Ilā's manhood as Sudyumma.<ref name = "williams"/><ref>O'Flaherty p. 320</ref> The ''Bhagavata Purana'' et al. texts tell that after Pururavas's birth, the nine brothers of Ila – by horse-sacrifice – or the sage Vasistha – the family priest of Ila – pleased Shiva to compel him to give the boon of alternate month manhood to Ila, turning him into a ''Kimpurusha''.<ref name = bhagavat/><ref name="BP_KP"/><ref name = "Shashi"/> The ''Linga Purana'' and the ''Mahabharata'' record the birth of Pururavas, but do not narrate the end of Ila's alternating gender condition. In fact, the ''Mahabharata'' describes Ilā to be the mother as well as the father of Pururavas.<ref>Meyer p. 374</ref> According to another account found in the ''Vayu Purana'' and the ''Brahmanda Purana'', Ilā was born female, married Budha, then was transformed into a male called Sudyumna. Sudyumna was then cursed by Parvati and transformed once again into a female, but became a man once again through Shiva's boon.<ref name=p1/>

In almost all versions of the tale, Ila wants to live as a man, but in the ''[[Skanda Purana]]'', Ila desires to be a woman. The king Ela (Ila) entered Parvati's grove at [[Sahya Mountains|Sahya]] mountain and became the woman Ilā. Ilā wished to remain a woman and serve Parvati (Gauri) and [[Ganges in Hinduism|Ganga]], the goddess of the [[Ganges]] river. However, the goddesses dissuaded him. Ilā bathed in a sacred pool and returned as Ela, bearded and deep-voiced.<ref name = "Pattanaik46"/><ref>Shulman pp. 61-2</ref>

==Later life and descendants==
The descendants of Ilā through [[Pururavas]] are known as Ailas after Ilā or as the [[Lunar Dynasty|Lunar dynasty]] (Chandravamsha) due to their descent from Budha, the son of the moon-god Chandra.{{sfn|Thapar|2013|p=308}}<ref name = "Pattanaik46">Pattanaik p.46</ref> Most versions of the tale call Ilā the father as well as the mother of the Ailas.<ref name = "Pattanaik47"/> The ''[[Linga Purana]]'' and the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', in which Sudyumma's curse does not end, state that as a male, Sudyumma also bore three sons named Utkala, Gaya and [[Vinatashva]] (also known as Haritashva and Vinata).<ref name=p1/> The three sons ruled the kingdom for their father as Sudyumma was unable to do so himself due to his alternating gender. The sons and their principalities are called the ''Saudyumna''s. Utkala, Gaya, and Vinatashva ruled [[Utkala Kingdom|Utkala]] country, [[Gaya, India|Gaya]], and eastern regions including northern [[Kuru (kingdom)|Kurus]] respectively.<ref name=p2>Pargiter, F.E. (1972). ''Ancient Indian Historical Tradition'', Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p.255.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Garg|first=Ganga Ram|title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu world |publisher=Concept Publishing Company|year=1992 |volume=1|page=17|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w9pmo51lRnYC&q=Ila&pg=PA17 | isbn=978-81-7022-374-0}}</ref> With the assistance of the family priest Vasistha, Sudyumma regained control of the entire kingdom. He was succeeded by Pururavas.<ref name="LP_MBH"/>

In the ''[[Matsya Purana]]'', Ila was disinherited after becoming a female or ''kimpurusha''. Ila's father passed his inheritance directly to Pururavas, ignoring the three sons Ila-Sudyumma bore as a male. Pururavas ruled from Pratishtanapura (present-day [[Allahabad]]), where Ila stayed with him.<ref name = "Shashi">{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia Indica: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh|editor=Shashi, Shyam Singh|publisher=Anmol Publications PVT. LTD| year=1998| edition=1| volume=20| pages=517–8| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=NzyDQ215nfgC&q=ila+budha&pg=PA588 | isbn=978-81-7041-859-7}}</ref><ref>O'Flaherty p.305</ref> The ''Ramayana'' says that having returned to manhood, Ila ruled Pratishtana while his son Shashabindu ruled over [[Bahlikas|Bahlika]].<ref name = "rama"/> The ''Devi-Bhagavata Purana'' tells that as a man Sudyumma governed the kingdom and as a woman remained indoors. His subjects were disturbed by his sex changes and did not respect him as they once had. When Pururavas attained adulthood, Sudyumma left his kingdom to Pururavas and went to the forest for penance. The sage [[Narada]] told Sudyumma a nine-syllable [[mantra]], ''Navakshara'', which would please the [[Mahadevi|Supreme Goddess]]. Pleased with his austerities, the Goddess emerged before Sudyumma, who was in his female form Ilā. Sudyumma praised the Goddess, who merged the king's soul with herself and thus, Ilā gained salvation.<ref name = bhagavat/>

The ''Bhagavata Purana'', the ''Devi-Bhagavata Purana'' and the ''Linga Purana'' declare that Ila ascended to heaven with both male and female anatomy.<ref name = "Pattanaik47">Pattanaik p.47</ref> Ila is considered the chief progenitor of the Lunar Dynasty through Pururavas and of the Solar Dynasty through his brother Iksavaku and sons Utkala, Gaya, and Vinatashva.<ref name = "Shashi"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of Jainism|editor=Singh, Narendra|publisher=Anmol Publications PVT. LTD.|year=2001|page=1724}}</ref> The marriage of Ilā, a descendant of the Sun, and Budha, the son of the Moon, is the first union of the solar and lunar races recorded in the scriptures.<ref name="Shulman" />

==In Vedic literature==
In [[Vedic Literature|Vedic literature]], Ilā is also known as Idā. Idā, in the ''[[Rigveda]]'', signifies food and refreshment, personified as the goddess of speech.<ref name = "dowson"/> Ilā-Idā is also associated with [[Sarasvati]], the goddess of knowledge.<ref name=connerila>Conner & Sparks (1998), p. 183, "Ila/Sudyumna"</ref> Ilā-Idā is mentioned a number of times in the ''[[Rigveda]]'', mostly in the hymns known as [[Āprīsūktas|''Āprīsūkta''s]]. She is often mentioned along with Sarasvati and Bharati (or Mahi) and Pururavas is described as her son.<ref>Misra, V.S. (2007). ''Ancient Indian Dynasties'', Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, {{ISBN|81-7276-413-8}}, p.57
* For hymns, see ''Ṛgveda'' I.13.9, I.142.9, I.188.8, II.3.8, III.4.8, VII.2.8, X.70.8 and X.110.8
* For mother of Pururavas, ''Ṛgveda'' X.95,18</ref> Idā is the instructor of Manu, in performing ritual sacrifices. According to [[Sayana]] – a commentator on the [[Vedas]] – she presides over the Earth.<ref name = "dowson"/>
Rig Veda 3.123.4 mentions that "land of Ila" was situated nearby banks of Sarasvati river.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/hymnsrigveda00grifgoog/page/n28/mode/2up|title = The hymns of the Rigveda|year = 1920|publisher = Benares, E.J. Lazarus and Co.}}</ref>
Rigveda 3.29.3 describes Agni as the son of Ila.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/hymnsrigveda00grifgoog/page/n34/mode/2up|title = The hymns of the Rigveda|year = 1920|publisher = Benares, E.J. Lazarus and Co.}}</ref>

In the ''[[Shatapatha Brahmana]]'', [[Manu (Hinduism)|Manu]] performed a fire-sacrifice in order to have children. Idā emerged from the sacrifice. She was claimed by [[Mitra–Varuna|Mitra-Varuna]], but she lived with Manu and together they initiated the race of Manu.<ref name="dowson">{{cite book|last=Dowson|first=John|title=A classical dictionary of Hindu mythology, and religion, geography, history|publisher=Asian Educational Services|year=2004|pages= 122–23|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ejh82j8G_CYC&q=Ila+Budha&pg=PA123 | isbn=978-81-206-1786-5|orig-year = 1820-1881}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbr/sbe12/sbe1234.htm|title=''Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa'' I.8.1|last=Eggeling|first=Julius (tr.)|year=1882|work=Satapatha Brahmana Part 1 (SBE12)|publisher=at sacred-texts.com|access-date=2009-11-12}}</ref> In this text, Idā is the goddess of the sacrificial meal. She is described as the ''Mānavi'' (daughter of Manu) and ''Ghṛtapadī'' (with the [[ghee]]-dripping foot) and she is represented by a cow, also known as Idā during a sacrifice.<ref>Upadhyaya, G.P. (1967) ''Śatapatha Brāhmaṇam'' (Sanskrit text with Hindi translation), Vol.I, New Delhi: The Research Institute of Ancient Scientific Studies, pp.158-67- ''Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa'' I.8.1</ref><ref name="Heesterman">{{cite book|last=Heesterman|first=J. C.|title=The Broken World of Sacrifice: An Essay in Ancient Indian Ritual |publisher=The University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago|year=1993|page=127|isbn=0-226-32300-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HotCD9GJQDkC&q=Ida+Ghrtapadi&pg=PA127}}</ref> Pururavas is mentioned as the son of Ilā in the text.<ref>Misra, V.S. (2007). ''Ancient Indian Dynasties'', Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, {{ISBN|81-7276-413-8}}, p.59 – ''Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa'' XI.5.1</ref>

==See also==
*[[Hindu mythology]]
*[[LGBT themes in Hindu mythology]]

==Notes==
<references group = "Notes"/>

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book|last=Doniger|first=Wendy|title=Self and self-transformation in the history of religions|editor=Shulman, David Dean|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2002|chapter=Transformation of Subjectivity and Memory in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana|isbn=0-19-514450-3}}
*{{cite book|last=O'Flaherty|first=Wendy Doniger |title=Women, androgynes, and other mythical beasts|publisher=University of Chicago Press|date=182|orig-year = 1980|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EBvHzornoMwC&q=Ila+Budha&pg=PA303 | isbn=978-0-226-61850-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Meyer|first=Johann Jakob |title=Sexual life in ancient India|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|location=Delhi|year=1989|orig-year = 1971|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=izFNswlJ9LMC&q=Ila+Budha&pg=PA374 | isbn=978-81-208-0638-2}}
*{{cite book |title= The man who was a woman and other queer tales of Hindu lore|last= Pattanaik|first= Devdutt |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Odsk9xfOp6oC&q=Ila+Budha&pg=PA45|year= 2001|publisher= Routledge|isbn=978-1-56023-181-3}}
*{{citation |last=Thapar |first=Romila |author-link=Romila Thapar |title=The Past Before Us|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aei9AAAAQBAJ |year=2013 |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |isbn=978-0-674-72651-2 }}
*{{cite book |title= Same-sex love in India: readings from literature and history|last= Vanita|first= Ruth |author2=Kidwai, Saleem |year= 2001|publisher= Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-312-29324-6}}

==External links==
*{{Commonscatinline}}

{{Hindu deities and texts}}
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[[Category: Hindu gods]]
[[Category: Earth gods]]
[[Category:Characters in Hindu mythology]]
[[Category: Characters in the Ramayana]]
[[Category: Lunar dynasty]]

Ila (Hinduism) - Revision history

Leonuqs at 16:27, 16 March 2026

ImportMaster: robot: Create/update articles in Category:Hindu gods.