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Puranic encyclopaedia

by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222

This page describes the Story of Ila included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).

Story of Ilā

Daughter of Vaivasvata Manu.

Genealogy.

Descended from վṣṇ in this order:�Ѳīśⲹ貹Vaivasvata Manu—Ilā. Vaivasvata Manu was the son of śⲹ貹 by his wife Aditi, and Ilā the daughter of Vaivasvata Manu by his wife, Ś. ṣv, the ancestral father of the solar dynasty of Kings was brother of Ilā.

2) Vaivasvata Manu and Ś had, for a long time no children. Manu got performed once by Agastya a ⲹñ to propitiate the Ѿٰ屹ṇa so that a son might be born to him (Manu). 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 ⲹñ was performed by Agastya. At once, Vasiṣtha by his will-power turned the girl Ilā into a boy, and the boy was named Sudyumna. (岵ٲ).

Sudyumna again turned into woman.

Once ŚܲԲ첹 and some other sages went to the great forest ܳ Vana near to salute Sri ʲś ignorant of the fact that just then ī and Parmeśvara were enjoying themselves. The sudden appearance of ŚܲԲ첹 and others was not relished by the divine couple, who were then naked. They therefore, pronounced the curse that anybody who entered the forest in future would be turned into a woman. (岵ٲ).

Sudyumna, now a young man, went for hunting one day. Sudyumna who was ignorant of this curse entered this forest with his friends while hunting. At once all of them were transformed into women. Grief-stricken, they stayed in the forest for some days, and then started for the palace. Sudyumna bearing the name Ilā walked at the head of the party as a beautiful woman. On the way Budha met Ilā, they fell in love with each other and got married. A son, ʳܰū was born to Budha by Ilā. (岵ٲ).

Transformation again;

Ilā expressed to ղṣṭ, her grief at having been turned into a woman, the sage requested Śrī ʲś to restore her to her former form as a man. Ś said that Ilā would be a man and a woman every alternate month, throughout life. During the month when she was a man he would engage himself in matters of Government, and the next month, when a woman, she would stay in the inner apartments in the palace. ṇḍa ʳܰṇa, Chapter 32 says that ṣv, brother of ʳܰū ruled the state till the latter became a major. As soon as ʳܰū attained majority Sudyumna handed over to him the reins of Government and retired to the forest for tapas, and during this period he was taught the Navākṣara mantra by sage . Sudyumna adored ٱī with this Mantra. She appeared to him and blessed him with the state of salvation. (岵ٲ).

ʳܰū married śī, and ruled the country. (岵ٲ, 9th Skandha; ٱī 岵ٲ, First Skandha; Ѳٲ Ā徱 Parva, Chapter 75 and ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 147, Verse 26).

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