Teiresias and Ila’s Cosmic Body-Swap Sagas
The Greek Prophet Who Pissed Off Snakes (and Hera)
Born male to the nymph Chariclo, Teiresias had one fatal flaw: terrible timing. While wandering Mount Cyllene, he stumbled upon two snakes mid-coitus. His response? Whack them with a stick. Bad move.
Hera, ever the champion of marital bliss (and snake solidarity), cursed him on the spot: “Enjoy womanhood.” Just like that, Teiresias became female.
For seven years, he lived as a woman – marrying, bearing children, navigating a world suddenly reshaped. His parole came via poetic justice: spotting another pair of entwined snakes. This time, he left them alone. Curse lifted. Manhood restored.
The Hindu Prince Who Walked Into the Wrong Forest
Sudyumma (later Ila), son of Manu, wasn’t just unlucky – he was catastrophically oblivious. He wandered into Sharavana, Parvati’s sacred grove – a place where Shiva and his consort engaged in eternal coitus. The rules were clear: No males allowed. Parvati’s curse ensured it: trespassers would shed masculinity instantly.
One step past the threshold, Sudyumma became Ila. Trees, animals – even the air – feminized around her. Shiva demanded monopoly; the grove complied.
Ila adapted: she married Budha (Vedic moon god, not the Buddha), bore a son (Pururavas), and navigated duality. After desperate pleading, Parvati offered a compromise: one month male, one month female. True freedom only came after bribing Shiva himself with a horse sacrifice.
III. Why These Stories Still Slap
On the surface, these are divine punishments. Dig deeper? They’re about identity as a temporary state.
Teiresias didn’t "escape" womanhood – he lived it. His later clairvoyance? Arguably forged in the fire of dual existence.
Ila didn’t "revert" – she integrated. Her lineage (via Pururavas) founded lunar dynasties. The body was fluid; the self endured.
The Real Moral
Life detonates your plans. A goddess curses you. You eat questionable salmon. You wake up unrecognizable.
But – as Teiresias and Ila prove – you are not your anatomy. You are the choices made around it. The children raised. The sacrifices offered. The self rebuilt, month by month, or snake encounter by snake encounter.
So if today’s disaster feels permanent? Remember: even gods change their minds.
Especially if you bring a horse.
