Iḷā
deity figure · 2 works · 17 mentions · 32 anchored passages
Ila · Ilā · Iḻā · Lord of Iḷā · daughter of Prajāpati · lord of the Bāhlīkas · son of Kardama · son of Prajāpati · the royal seer
spoken of as
1 expressionIla / Ilā1 mention
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa (Sanskrit)
"For it is heard, O gentle one, that in former times there was a son of Kardama Prajāpati — Ila by name, the lord of the Bāhlīkas, glorious and supremely righteous.
in the texts
Rigveda
Goddess/personification of instruction and ritual libation, made by the gods as teacher of humankind.
They made Iḷā as the instructor of human beings, as when a son is born to his own father.
For him we worship Iḷā, rich in brave men, swift in aid, faultless.
Agni, oft-invoked, the first, at the step of the father-like Iḷā, enkindled among mankind — clothed in beauty, the immortal, the all-wise, worthy of being cleansed, seeking glory — he is the victorious one.
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa
The righteous king of the Bāhlīkas who is transformed into a woman by Śiva's curse, alternates between genders for a year while united with Budha, bears Purūravas, and is finally restored to manhood by an Aśvamedha.
"For it is heard, O gentle one, that in former times there was a son of Kardama Prajāpati — Ila by name, the lord of the Bāhlīkas, glorious and supremely righteous.
"Such was that king — steadfast in righteousness and valor, supremely noble in intellect, the greatly renowned lord of the Bāhlīkas.
"Then the boon-granting one, greatly renowned, smiling and together with the goddess, himself spoke these words to the son of Prajāpati: