Ila (Hinduism)

Ila ( Skt. इला , Ilā ^IAST ) is an androgyne in Hinduism , a character in Hindu mythology, changing his gender. In his male form, he is known as Sudyumna , and in his female form as Ila. Ila is considered the ancestor of the ancient Indian Lunar dynasty , the kings of which are also called ayls ("descendants of Ila").

There are several versions of the legend. Most often, Ila is described as the daughter or son of Vaivaswata Manu, and thus the sister or brother of the founder of the Solar Dynasty, Ikshvaku . In those versions of the legend where Ila is born as a girl, with the blessing she turns into a boy soon after birth. Already in adulthood, entering the sacred grove, Ila receives a curse, as a result of which he / she changes her gender every month. According to another version - as a result of the curse, Ila (Sudyumna) becomes a woman. In her feminine guise, Ila marries the son of Soma Budhu and gives birth to a son named Pururavas , who becomes the first king of the Moon Dynasty . After the birth of Pururavas, Ila again becomes a man and father of three sons.

In Vedic literature , Ila is glorified as the goddess of speech Ida ( Skt. इडा ). In the Rig Veda , Ida was originally food, a refreshment, a libation from milk, and then an outpouring of reverential praise, personified in the form of a special goddess. She is the inspirer of Manu and is credited with establishing the first rules of the sacrificial ritual. Ida arose from the sacrifice made to Manu after the flood in order to procreate. Although Mithra and Varuna called her to her, she stayed with Manu, who combined with her and in fasting and prayer laid the foundation for his family. In the Puranas, Ida is the heroine of various legends. Her story is also given in the ancient Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana .