Ailas
Encyclopedia
The Ailas were a dynasty of kings of ancient India. Pururavas
, the son of Ila
was the founder of this dynasty. The Mahabharata
(Sabha Parva:14) mentioned about the Ailas as, "The numerous royal lines and other ordinary Kshatriyas all represent themselves to be the descendants of Aila and Ikshwaku
. The descendants of Aila, as indeed, the kings of Ikshwaku’s race, are each divided into a hundred separate dynasties." Aila is a synonym of Pururavas meaning son of Ila.
as the originator of the human race. (Hence the names man (English), manav (Hindi) and manava (Sanskrit) to denote humanity.) At MBh 1:75 it is stated that all the races originated from a few women (about 50) and a few men. Such men and women who gave birth to human races were called patriarchs and matriarchs. Among the prominent patriarchs were Prachetas, Daksha
, Kasyapa and Manu. The patriarch Manu was the son of Vivaswat. Vivaswat was the son of Aditi (who herself was one of the 13 matriarchs, all of them wives of the patriarch Kasyapa). Ikshwaku
was the son of Manu who gave race to the royal dyanasty of Ikshwaku
s. Ila was another son or daughter of Manu (It is not clear if Ila was a male or female. There is a myth that tells that Ila was a male, turned to female and was wedded to Budha the son of Soma and thus became the originator of the Lunar Dynasty
of kings.) Pururavas is mentioned here as the son of Ila. (Also at 2:76 and 13:6)
The same lineage is repeated with variations.
At 1:95:-
Daksha begat Aditi
, and Aditi begat Vivaswat, and Vivaswat begat Manu, and Manu begat Ha and Ha begat Pururavas. And Pururavas begat Ayus, and Ayus begat Nahusha, and Nahusha begat Yayati
.
At 13:147:-
Daksha will beget a daughter who will be named Dakshayani
. From Dakshayani will spring Aditya, and from Aditya will spring Manu. From Manu will spring a daughter named Ila and a son to be named Sudyumna. Ila will have Vudha (Budha) for her husband, and from Vudha will spring Pururavas. From Pururavas will spring Ayu. From Ayu will spring Nahusha, and Nahusha will beget a son named Yayati.
At 7:141:-
Atri had for son Soma. Soma’s son was called Vudha. Vudha had one son, of the splendour of the great Indra, called Pururavas. Pururavas had a son called Ayus. Ayus had for his son Nahusha. Nahusha had for his son Yayati.
. It hath been heard by us that Ila was both his mother and father. And the great Pururavas had sway over thirteen islands of the sea. And, though a human being, he was always surrounded by companions that were superhuman. And Pururavas intoxicated with power quarrelled with the Brahmana
s and little caring for their anger robbed them of their wealth. Beholding all this sage Sanatkumara
came from the region of Brahman and gave him good counsel, which was, however, rejected by Pururavas. Then the wrath of the great Rishis was excited, and the avaricious monarch, who intoxicated with power, had lost his reason, was immediately destroyed by their curse.
It was Pururavas who first brought from the region of the Gandharvas
the three kinds of fire (for sacrificial purpose). And he brought thence, the Apsara Urvasi
also. And the son of Ila begat upon Urvasi six sons who were called Ayus, Dhimat, Amavasu and Dhridhayus, and Vanayus, and Satayus. And it is said that Ayus begat four sons named Nahusha, Vriddhasarman, Rajingaya, and Anenas, on the daughter of Swarbhanu. Nahusha ruled his extensive kingdom virtuously. King Nahusha supported evenly the Pitris, the celestials, the Rishis, the Brahmanas, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, the Rakshasas, the Kshatriyas, and the Vaisyas. And he suppressed all robber-gangs with a mighty hand. But he made the Rishis pay tribute and carry him on their backs like bests of burden. And, conquering the very Devas
by the beauty of his person, his asceticism, prowess, and energy, he ruled as if he were Indra
himself. Nahusha begat six sons, named Yati, Yayati, Sanyati, Ayati, and Dhruva. Yati betaking himself to asceticism. Yayati became a monarch of great prowess and virtue. The sons of Yayati were all great bowmen. They were begotten upon (his two wives) Devayani and Sarmishtha. And of Devayani were born Yadu and Turvasu, and of Sarmishtha were born Drahyu, Anu, and Puru. From Yadu sprang the clan of Yadavas and from Puru the Pauravas. The Kauravas and Pandavas belonged to the Paurava branch.
Two chapters viz. MBh 12:71,72, are a conversation between Pururavas and sages Matiraswan and Kasyapa where they discus issues related to disharmony among the four castes of ancient India. Here Pururavas was mentioned as Aila's son.
Pururavas among the Diptakshas is mentioned as a destroyer of his race at 5:74
Pururavas is mentioned to have obtained the science of sword from Ikshwaku
. Pururavas later gave this knowledge to son Ayus.
The couple Pururavas and Urvasi is mentioned at many places like 5:117, 1:44
One should also name Pururavas of the Solar race. He was the son of Ila and celebrated over the three worlds. One should, indeed, take the name of that dear son of Vudha. (13:150). Here Pururavas is mentioned to be of solar race (Solar Dynasty).
(that is near to it), as sacred. There also is the mountain named Puru which is resorted to by great Rishis and where Pururavas was born, and Bhrigu practised ascetic austerities. For this it is, that asylum hath become known as the great peak of Bhrigutunga. Near that peak is the sacred and extensive Vadari (Badrinath). (MBh 3:90)
king Yudhisthira
. He is also mentioned as the ruler of Yakshas, there. At 5:111 his kingdom is mentioned to be at Kailasa (in Tibet) in the Himalayas. At 9:47 he is mentioned as linked with a place called Kauvera on the banks of Saraswati River
. It is not clear if Ailavila and Yaksha king Kubera
were one and the same.
Pururavas
Pururavas was the first king of the Aila dynasty or the Somavamsha. According to the Vedas, he is a mythological entity associated with the Surya and Usha , and is believed to resided in the middle region of the cosmos. The Rig Veda states that he was a son of Ila and was a pious king...
, the son of Ila
Ila (Hinduism)
Ila is an androgyne in Hindu mythology, known for his/her sex changes. As a man, he is known as Ila or Sudyumna and as a woman, is called Ilā...
was the founder of this dynasty. The Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
(Sabha Parva:14) mentioned about the Ailas as, "The numerous royal lines and other ordinary Kshatriyas all represent themselves to be the descendants of Aila and Ikshwaku
Ikshwaku
Ikshwakus were a mythical dynasty of rulers of ancient India, which branched out from the Solar Dynasty. They ruled from the Kosala Kingdom with Ayodhya as their capital. The two Indian epics, viz. Ramayana and Mahabharata have numerous mentions of this dynasty. The most famous among all the...
. The descendants of Aila, as indeed, the kings of Ikshwaku’s race, are each divided into a hundred separate dynasties." Aila is a synonym of Pururavas meaning son of Ila.
The Aila Lineage
The ancient Indian literature tends to consider the patriarch figure ManuManu (Hinduism)
In various Hindu traditions, Manu is a title accorded to the progenitor of mankind, and also the very first brahman king to rule this earth, who saved mankind from the universal flood. He was absolutely honest which was why he was initially known as "Satyavrata"...
as the originator of the human race. (Hence the names man (English), manav (Hindi) and manava (Sanskrit) to denote humanity.) At MBh 1:75 it is stated that all the races originated from a few women (about 50) and a few men. Such men and women who gave birth to human races were called patriarchs and matriarchs. Among the prominent patriarchs were Prachetas, Daksha
Daksha
In Hinduism, Daksha, "the skilled one", is an ancient creator god, one of the Prajapatis, the Rishis and the Adityas. Daksha is said to be the son of Aditi and Brahma...
, Kasyapa and Manu. The patriarch Manu was the son of Vivaswat. Vivaswat was the son of Aditi (who herself was one of the 13 matriarchs, all of them wives of the patriarch Kasyapa). Ikshwaku
Ikshwaku
Ikshwakus were a mythical dynasty of rulers of ancient India, which branched out from the Solar Dynasty. They ruled from the Kosala Kingdom with Ayodhya as their capital. The two Indian epics, viz. Ramayana and Mahabharata have numerous mentions of this dynasty. The most famous among all the...
was the son of Manu who gave race to the royal dyanasty of Ikshwaku
Ikshwaku
Ikshwakus were a mythical dynasty of rulers of ancient India, which branched out from the Solar Dynasty. They ruled from the Kosala Kingdom with Ayodhya as their capital. The two Indian epics, viz. Ramayana and Mahabharata have numerous mentions of this dynasty. The most famous among all the...
s. Ila was another son or daughter of Manu (It is not clear if Ila was a male or female. There is a myth that tells that Ila was a male, turned to female and was wedded to Budha the son of Soma and thus became the originator of the Lunar Dynasty
Lunar Dynasty
In Hindu mythology, the Lunar Dynasty is one of the three principal houses of the Kshatriya varna, or warrior–ruling caste...
of kings.) Pururavas is mentioned here as the son of Ila. (Also at 2:76 and 13:6)
The same lineage is repeated with variations.
At 1:95:-
Daksha begat Aditi
Aditi
Aditi in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. In the Vedas Aditi is mother of the gods from whose cosmic matrix the heavenly bodies were born...
, and Aditi begat Vivaswat, and Vivaswat begat Manu, and Manu begat Ha and Ha begat Pururavas. And Pururavas begat Ayus, and Ayus begat Nahusha, and Nahusha begat Yayati
Yayati
Yayati was a Puranic king and the son of king Nahusha and one of ancestors of Pandavas. He was a great scholar of Vedas. He had five brothers, Yati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati and Kriti. He had two wives, Devayani and Sharmishtha. Devayani was the daughter of Shukracharya, the priest of Asuras ....
.
At 13:147:-
Daksha will beget a daughter who will be named Dakshayani
Dakshayani
Dākshāyani or Satī is a Hindu Goddess of marital felicity and longevity. She is worshipped particularly by Hindu women to seek the long life of their husbands...
. From Dakshayani will spring Aditya, and from Aditya will spring Manu. From Manu will spring a daughter named Ila and a son to be named Sudyumna. Ila will have Vudha (Budha) for her husband, and from Vudha will spring Pururavas. From Pururavas will spring Ayu. From Ayu will spring Nahusha, and Nahusha will beget a son named Yayati.
At 7:141:-
Atri had for son Soma. Soma’s son was called Vudha. Vudha had one son, of the splendour of the great Indra, called Pururavas. Pururavas had a son called Ayus. Ayus had for his son Nahusha. Nahusha had for his son Yayati.
Pururavas Aila
The learned Pururavas was born of IlaIla (Hinduism)
Ila is an androgyne in Hindu mythology, known for his/her sex changes. As a man, he is known as Ila or Sudyumna and as a woman, is called Ilā...
. It hath been heard by us that Ila was both his mother and father. And the great Pururavas had sway over thirteen islands of the sea. And, though a human being, he was always surrounded by companions that were superhuman. And Pururavas intoxicated with power quarrelled with the Brahmana
Brahmana
The Brāhmaṇas are part of the Hindu śruti literature. They are commentaries on the four Vedas, detailing the proper performance of rituals....
s and little caring for their anger robbed them of their wealth. Beholding all this sage Sanatkumara
Sanatkumara
Sage Sanatkumara was one of the Four Kumaras, the four Manasputras or spiritual sons of Brahma according to Puranic texts of Hinduism, including the Bhagavata Purana, whose other sons were Sanaka, Sanatana, and Sanandana . Sanatkumara in Sanskrit means "eternal youth"....
came from the region of Brahman and gave him good counsel, which was, however, rejected by Pururavas. Then the wrath of the great Rishis was excited, and the avaricious monarch, who intoxicated with power, had lost his reason, was immediately destroyed by their curse.
It was Pururavas who first brought from the region of the Gandharvas
Gandharva Kingdom
Gandharva Kingdom refers to the territory inhabited by a people called the Gandharvas, who were one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. They were well versed in music and dance. Gandarvas were also powerful warriors who roamed in Indian kingdoms disregarding any Indian king or Kshatriya warrior...
the three kinds of fire (for sacrificial purpose). And he brought thence, the Apsara Urvasi
Urvasi
Urvashi Urvashi Urvashi in Hindu legend. She was a celestial maiden in Indra's court and was considered the most beautiful of all the Apsaras....
also. And the son of Ila begat upon Urvasi six sons who were called Ayus, Dhimat, Amavasu and Dhridhayus, and Vanayus, and Satayus. And it is said that Ayus begat four sons named Nahusha, Vriddhasarman, Rajingaya, and Anenas, on the daughter of Swarbhanu. Nahusha ruled his extensive kingdom virtuously. King Nahusha supported evenly the Pitris, the celestials, the Rishis, the Brahmanas, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, the Rakshasas, the Kshatriyas, and the Vaisyas. And he suppressed all robber-gangs with a mighty hand. But he made the Rishis pay tribute and carry him on their backs like bests of burden. And, conquering the very Devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
by the beauty of his person, his asceticism, prowess, and energy, he ruled as if he were Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
himself. Nahusha begat six sons, named Yati, Yayati, Sanyati, Ayati, and Dhruva. Yati betaking himself to asceticism. Yayati became a monarch of great prowess and virtue. The sons of Yayati were all great bowmen. They were begotten upon (his two wives) Devayani and Sarmishtha. And of Devayani were born Yadu and Turvasu, and of Sarmishtha were born Drahyu, Anu, and Puru. From Yadu sprang the clan of Yadavas and from Puru the Pauravas. The Kauravas and Pandavas belonged to the Paurava branch.
Two chapters viz. MBh 12:71,72, are a conversation between Pururavas and sages Matiraswan and Kasyapa where they discus issues related to disharmony among the four castes of ancient India. Here Pururavas was mentioned as Aila's son.
Pururavas among the Diptakshas is mentioned as a destroyer of his race at 5:74
Pururavas is mentioned to have obtained the science of sword from Ikshwaku
Ikshwaku
Ikshwakus were a mythical dynasty of rulers of ancient India, which branched out from the Solar Dynasty. They ruled from the Kosala Kingdom with Ayodhya as their capital. The two Indian epics, viz. Ramayana and Mahabharata have numerous mentions of this dynasty. The most famous among all the...
. Pururavas later gave this knowledge to son Ayus.
The couple Pururavas and Urvasi is mentioned at many places like 5:117, 1:44
One should also name Pururavas of the Solar race. He was the son of Ila and celebrated over the three worlds. One should, indeed, take the name of that dear son of Vudha. (13:150). Here Pururavas is mentioned to be of solar race (Solar Dynasty).
Birth Place of Pururavas
The spot where Ganga rusheth past, cleaving the foremost of mountains which is frequented by Gandharvas and Yakshas and Rakshasas and Apsaras, and inhabited by hunters, and Kinnaras, is called Gangadwara. Sanatkumara regardeth that spot visited by Brahmarshis, as also the tirtha KanakhalaKankhal
Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India.Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as Kanakhala , Kankhal is one of 'Panch Tirth' within Haridwar, with other spots being Gangadwara , Kushwart , Bilwa Teerth and Neel Parvat...
(that is near to it), as sacred. There also is the mountain named Puru which is resorted to by great Rishis and where Pururavas was born, and Bhrigu practised ascetic austerities. For this it is, that asylum hath become known as the great peak of Bhrigutunga. Near that peak is the sacred and extensive Vadari (Badrinath). (MBh 3:90)
Ailavila (Kubera?)
A king named Ailavila is mentioned as acquiring the science of swords at 12:165. He is mentioned at 5:139 as allied to PandavaPandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
king Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
. He is also mentioned as the ruler of Yakshas, there. At 5:111 his kingdom is mentioned to be at Kailasa (in Tibet) in the Himalayas. At 9:47 he is mentioned as linked with a place called Kauvera on the banks of Saraswati River
Saraswati River
Saraswati River can refer to:*Sarasvati River*Saraswati River , a distributary of the Hooghly River which was active till around the 16th century AD*Ghaggar-Hakra River...
. It is not clear if Ailavila and Yaksha king Kubera
Kubera
Kubera , also spelt Kuber, is the Lord of wealth and the god-king of the semi-divine Yakshas in Hindu mythology. He is regarded as the regent of the North , and a protector of the world His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species and the owner of the treasures of...
were one and the same.