Ilavida
Encyclopedia
Ilavida or Idavida is a character in the Ramayana
, as the stepmother of Ravana
and the first wife of Vishrava
, the son of Brahma
, the Creator.
The daughter of the Rishi Bharadwaja and the sister of the Rishi Garga, Ilavida was given in marriage to the Rishi Vishrava and bore him a son, Kubera
who would eventually become the King of Lanka (present day Sri Lanka
).
Vishrava left Ilavida after meeting, and falling in love with, the Asura Princess, Kaikesi
, the daughter of King Sumali
and Queen Thataka
. Through Kaikesi, he fathered another four children, Ravana
, Vibhishana
, Kumbakarna and the most notorious Soorpanaka.
When Ravana
invaded Lanka and usurped his older brother Kubera's throne, a disgusted Vishrava left his demonic family and returned to Ilavida, never to see Kaikesi
or her offspring ever again. Kubera fled to Devaloka
(Heaven) where he was charged by Indra, the King of the Devas, to manage his treasury. Kubera is best known to Hindus, therefore, as not the erstwhile King of Lanka, but as the God of Wealth.
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, as the stepmother of Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
and the first wife of Vishrava
Vishrava
Vishrava was the son of Pulastya and the grandson of Brahma, the Creator, and a powerful Rishi as described in a scripture epic of Ancient India. A scholar par excellence, he earned great powers through Tapasya, which in turn, earned him great name and fame amongst his fellow Rishis...
, the son of Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, the Creator.
The daughter of the Rishi Bharadwaja and the sister of the Rishi Garga, Ilavida was given in marriage to the Rishi Vishrava and bore him a son, 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...
who would eventually become the King of Lanka (present day Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
).
Vishrava left Ilavida after meeting, and falling in love with, the Asura Princess, Kaikesi
Kaikesi
In Hinduism, Kaikesi was the mother of Ravana.The daughter of Sumali and Thataka and the sister of Maricha and Subahu, she schemed with her parents to seduce the Rishi Vishrava and through him, produce powerful, demonic offspring...
, the daughter of King Sumali
Sumali
Sumali is the grandfather of Ravana, the principal antagonist of the Ramayana.He, his elder brother Malyavan and younger brother Mali were the sons of the daitya Sukesh....
and Queen Thataka
Thataka
Tadaka was a Yaksha princess-turned-demoness in the epic Ramayana. The daughter and only child of the Yaksha king Suketu, she was a beautiful princess that was wooed by and married Sumali, an Asura King...
. Through Kaikesi, he fathered another four children, Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
, Vibhishana
Vibhishana
Vibhishana or Bibhishan is a character in the epic Ramayana. He was the younger brother of the demon Ravana. Though a half-demon himself, Vibhishana was of a noble character and advised Ravana, who kidnapped and abducted Sita, to return her to her husband Rama in an orderly fashion...
, Kumbakarna and the most notorious Soorpanaka.
When Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
invaded Lanka and usurped his older brother Kubera's throne, a disgusted Vishrava left his demonic family and returned to Ilavida, never to see Kaikesi
Kaikesi
In Hinduism, Kaikesi was the mother of Ravana.The daughter of Sumali and Thataka and the sister of Maricha and Subahu, she schemed with her parents to seduce the Rishi Vishrava and through him, produce powerful, demonic offspring...
or her offspring ever again. Kubera fled to Devaloka
Devaloka
In Indian religions, a devaloka or deva loka is a plane of existence where gods and devas exist. The deva lokas are usually described as places of eternal light and goodness, similar to the concept of Heaven...
(Heaven) where he was charged by Indra, the King of the Devas, to manage his treasury. Kubera is best known to Hindus, therefore, as not the erstwhile King of Lanka, but as the God of Wealth.