Ila- Hindu FigureMortal"Progenitor of the Lunar Dynasty"

The Sacred Grove

Ila was born as the son of Vaivasvata Manu, the progenitor of humanity in the current age. Known as Sudyumna in male form, the young prince went hunting and unwittingly entered a sacred grove where Shiva and Parvati dwelt in privacy. The power of that grove was such that any male who entered it became female. Sudyumna was instantly transformed into a beautiful woman named Ila. Bewildered by the change, Ila wandered the forest with her companions, who had likewise been transformed. The Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana recount that Ila's father Manu, grieved at the loss of his son, appealed to Shiva and Vishnu for mercy. Through their combined grace, a compromise was reached: Ila would alternate between male and female forms, spending one month as a man and one month as a woman. In some versions, the transformation was eventually resolved through Vishnu's intervention, restoring Sudyumna permanently to manhood.

Mother of the Lunar Line

During the time spent as a woman, Ila encountered Budha, the son of the moon god Chandra and the deity associated with the planet Mercury. Budha was captivated by Ila's beauty, and the two were united. From their union was born Pururavas, who became the first king of the Chandravamsha (Lunar Dynasty). This lineage would grow into one of the two great royal lines of Hindu tradition, producing the Yadavas (the clan of Krishna) and the Kuru kings (the Pandavas and Kauravas of the Mahabharata). Ila thus occupies a pivotal genealogical position: born of Manu's Solar line but founding the Lunar line through marriage to Budha, bridging the two dynasties that structure much of Puranic and epic history.