Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c29.3

c29.3

Tradition naturally begins with myth, and the myth that seeks to explain the earliest conditions in India derives all the dynasties that reigned there (not the populace) from a primaeval king Manu Vaivasvata, son of Vivasvant (the sun), as briefly noticed above (p. 84). It is narrated in three forms, of which the second and third have more in common than the first. According to the first,¹ Manu had ten sons of whom the eldest was Ila, and Ila while on conquest entered Śiva’s grove Śaravana and became changed into a woman, Ilā, because Umā had laid a curse that any male creature which entered it should become female. Ilā consorted with Budha, son of Soma (p. 58), and Ila (sic) had by him a son Purūravas Aila. Then through Śiva’s favour Ilā became a Kimpuruṣa named Sudyumna, a man one month and a woman another month. According to the second form,¹ Manu had nine sons and offered a sacrifice to Mitra and Varuṇa to obtain a son, but a daughter Ilā was born therefrom. She met Budha and bore Purūravas. Then she became a man named Sudyumna but through the same curse² was turned into a woman. Finally, through Śiva’s favour she regained manhood as Sudyumna. The third form³ agrees generally in this version, but places the transformation into manhood and back again into womanhood before she met Budha. Other books condense or combine these versions.⁴