However, as a male, he would not remember his life as a female and vice versa. Upon entering Sharavana, all-male beings except for Shiva, including trees and animals, are transformed into female when Ila approached Shiva for help, Shiva laughed with scorn but the compassionate Parvati reduced the curse and allowed Ila to switch genders every month. Ila the king of Bahlika while hunting in a forest accidentally trespassed Sharavana ("Forest of Reeds"), the sacred grove of the goddess Parvati. Hence bhagirath was from the union of two vulvas (bhaga)and named so. He then gave this potion to Mala to drink and advised Chandra to approach Mala and have sexual intercourse with her with the bhava of a man. He then prepared a potion as the prasad of the ritual. He then performed Putreshthi sacrifice which is perfomed to get blessed with a son. Vashistha gave them blessings that a son would be born to them. They went to the family rishi Vashistha and request them to help them continue the family line. After his death, his wives got worried because there was no heir to the royal lineage. Then the sun lineage of kings would not have their heir and after few generations lord Vishnu had to incarnate in this royal family as lord Ram. King Dilip of Ayodhya had two wives, Chandra and Mala but no children. Ganga is also named as Bhagirathi in the honour of him.
He brought the Ganga down to the earth from heaven which three generations of his ancestory tried but could not succeed. Bhagirath is a prominent figure amongst Hindus.