Worship of natural phenomena has dominated Hindu religious practice since its origin. Many natural phenomena are seen to have feminine properties and it is these properties which led to the centralization of goddess worship. Some feminine traits abundant in nature include fecundity, fruitfulness, and fertility present in the earth, mothers and cows.
Another feature common in goddess worship is their ability to uphold rta, cosmic order. All these common features of nature are prominent in three (3) of the main goddesses in Vedic literature; Prithivi the earth, Ushas the dawn, and Ratri the night. The origin of worship for the earth is based out of the sacrality of the earth for its fecundity and stability, and due to these attributes, the earth has been worshipped as a goddess throughout the Hindu tradition.
The earth as a goddess has a basis in the underlying perception that the earth and the cosmos is a living being itself. And it is this “cosmic organism” that is worshipped as the earth goddess, Prithvi. The earth as a solid mass and an anthropomorphic goddess is the two ways in which Prithivi is identified. And it is the reverence to the stability and fecundity of the earth that provides the basis of the hymns dedicated to Prithivi.
Within the Samhitas, Prithivi has three aspects of her being. She is seen as the “universal mother of physical creation” as well as the earth as a physical entity that sustains life. The third aspect of Prithivi’s nature describes her as manifest matter itself, just like the waters in the creation narrative that is formed from the cosmogonic process.
In some myths the creation of the world came from the released energy from Prajapati which became the substance that makes up the earth and provides life for everything on its surface. In another myth from the Visnu Purana, the earth, Prthivi was born from the foot of Visnu.
श्रीविष्णुमहापुराणम् (संस्कृत एवं हिंदी अनुवाद)- The Vishnu Purana
In other myths Prthivi is said to have germinated from Aditi, which in later Hindu tradition is almost completely identified with Prthivi in the Brahmanas. In later texts new names were introduced for the earth goddess such as Bhu or Bhudevi. A central and dominant quality of Prthivi is her maternal nature. She often hailed as mother and is worshipped for her fertility by providing sustenance to all living things that live on her.
Because of this, she is often likened to a cow, who provides milk for her calf. It is through the worship of Prthivi and other motherly goddesses that the status of the cow is heightened. Prthivi is often described as a firm, supportive, benign being whose fertility and abundance helps with the growth and wellbeing of all living things that thrive on her surface.
Prthivi is said to be the source of strength, vigour and she quickens life. Hymns in many texts emphasize Prthivi’s nourishing and creative nature in which she provides seemingly inexhaustible sources of plants and herbs, and especially crops. Prthivi is often called the all-producer based on these associations. Another name given to the earth goddess is rtajna, she who knows rta.
She does not distinguish between poor and wealthy, good and wicked beings, or demons and the gods, who call her broad expanse home. In some hymns she is described as the splendid energy of women, the fragrant mother, the light and luck in men and goddess of emotional and material abundance. Prthivi is one of the few goddesses in the Vedic scriptures that can be considered a goddess in her own right.
Even with this high status as her own deity, Prthivi is almost always found in hymns linked with Dyaus, the sky god. For some scholars Prthivi is associated with the sky as well as the earth and not just exclusively the earth, though in later texts and in the Atharva Veda she is more commonly portrayed as an individual.
The Hymns of the Atharva-Veda (Set of 2 Volumes)
This divine couple, sometimes called Dyavaprthivi (sky-earth), are said to be the creators of the world and the universal parents of the gods. They are said to be the preservers of all their creations and are described as energetic beings who encourage virtue. Together they are said to have created full, fat, nourishing waters and represent a realm of safety and abundance where rta pervades and happiness prevails.
This multivalent duality is said to have been born through Soma and they sustain life by generating fertility through their reciprocal roles. It is said in myths that Dyaus fertilizes Prthivi with the rain which represents his seed. They are often petitioned to bring happiness, to expiate sin and to protect people from danger and Prthivi is said to provide material well-being and good luck to those she blesses.
In some myths, Prthivi’s worshippers will perform rites in the form of sacrificial rituals, amulets and prayers in order to appease and propitiate the earth. Sacrifices were believed to replenish and rebuild the energy lost by Prajapati when he created the earth. These sacrifices, with the continuous release of power by Prajapati uphold rta and the balanced cycle.
Like Prthivi, most other Vedic goddesses have a strong connection with rta and natural phenomena. One such goddess is Usas, the dawn. The conception of the dawn dates back to the time of the primitive Aryans. Both the Hellenic and the Hindu Aryans have philologically corresponding names for the dawn as a goddess; Eos in Greek, Aurora in Roman, and Usas in the Hindu pantheon.
Though even before the Aryan dichotomy, the ideal of the goddess of the dawn, or guardian of daybreak was present. The poetic beauty found in the hymns dedicated to Usas is only matched by that of those dedicated to Eos in the time of Homer. The hymns in the Rg Veda dedicated to Usas are said to be some of the most beautiful use of poetic language and for the Vedic poets, one of the most beloved objects of celebration.
With over 20 hymns dedicated just to Usas she is the most popular goddess in the Rig Veda . In spite of her popularity in earlier times, Usas is rarely mentioned in later texts. Usas, the dawn, is associated with light and is often said to be the mother of the gods. As an auspicious deity, Usas is seen as luminous, many-tinted, and delicate.
She is often seen as a young maiden, a skilled dancer decorated with gems, a “gaily attired wife appearing before her husband, a beautiful girl coming from her bath” or likened to a cow. Worshippers believe that Usas, like a cow presenting her udder to her calf, will present her bosom to the patron as well as for the benefit of humankind as a whole.
Rgveda with Four Commentaries (Skandasvamin, Udgitha, Venkata Madhava and Mudgala): Eight Volumes (Sanskrit Only)
By bringing light forth for humankind to every place of dwelling Usas is a friend to all mankind. Her light uncovers all people and things, with no preference to status or wealth from the night’s darkness. She is seen as an ever-young maiden being born daily with the coming of the light at each new dawn. At each dawn she is said, in some hymns, to come forth, bringing the light, in a hundred chariots.
In other hymns she is said to have a single shining chariot drawn by either cows, ruddy horses, or by the Ashvins, her sons. Usas, in one or many chariots, leads the way for and is urged on by Surya, the sun. She is praised for awakening all life forms but leaves the deceased to their rest. Usas is associated with the life and the breath of all being that she is the one that impels life.
As the reoccurring dawn, Usas is a reminder to people of their limited time through the disappearance of generations and the wasting away of lives. It is through this immortal rebirth at the dawn twilight that Usas supports rta, the cosmic order. The dawn sets everything into motion, causes birds to leave their nests, and awakens the sleeping to go and perform their varied duties just like a young housewife.
Usas provides a service to other gods by arousing the people off to perform their daily sacrifices and entices the gods to help kindle the fires for sacrifice by getting them to drink Soma. In some hymns Usas is said to be the “eye of the gods”, who sees everything that people do. As the dawn, Usas is said to have been fathered by the sky, Dyaus or the sun, Surya. In another myth Usas is said to have been fathered by Prajapati.
It is in this myth that all living things were said to be created by the shape-changing of Usas who was fleeing her incestuous shape-changing father. This myth and others helps to support her motherly nature. Usas is said to give wealth, strength, and fame and is believed to give her petitioners joy, longevity, sons, horses and cattle. People will often invoke Usas to punish or drive away one’s enemies, though she is rarely called upon to forgive the transgressions of humans.
Usas is also asked to dispel the darkness and drive the chaotic forces and evil demons far away. She is praised for disclosing the hidden treasures by driving away the night, her sister, Ratri. Ratri, the night, is mainly found in the Rig Vedas when she is linked to her sister Usas; though like Usas, Ratri is rarely found in later texts. In these hymns Ratri and Usas are said to be powerful mothers who strengthen the vital powers of individuals.
At times they are described as twins who’s never ending cyclical appearances support rta through the alternating yet predicable flow of light and dark, and vigour and rest. Like her sister Usas, Ratri is sometimes identified as a beautiful maiden though descriptions of her physical appearance are mentioned rarely.
Ratri is affiliated with darkness and is often called gloomy and barren when compared to Usas. In some hymns of the Rig Vedas, she is referred to as hostile despite her usual depiction as a benign being. Unlike Usas, whose abode is not known, Ratri is said to live in the abode of Yama the god of death in the south. Ratri is admired for the stars she bares as light in the darkness, letting all creatures rest and for giving dew.
Though she is seen as the guardian of the night but she is also seen as the very things, both hostile and benign, that thrive in the night. People will petition Ratri for protection against the evils of the night such as thieves, wolves and any other creatures that could do them harm. In the Rig Vedas, there are hymns in which Ratri, the night and darkness, is chased away by the god of fire, Agni and Usas. Unlike Usas and Prthivi, Ratri is not as well studied.
Manifestation of day and night as goddesses or divine beings is not limited to Indian culture only. Even in ancient Greek mythology, which has several parallels with Indian culture, day and night, along with sleep are imagined as beautiful entities who govern human life. They are always around us and function to maintain the daily flow and cycle of time. In the context of Vedic culture, Prithvi, Usas, and Ratri as goddesses embody the value of nature and its components in our lives. These divine beings are vital, visible, and approachable as part of our lives, which is what made them important to the ancient devotee.
Prithvi or Bhudevi as mother or Maa is worshipped even today, in everyday and special rituals. Though Usas and Ratri are not as popular in modern Hindu culture as they were in the Vedic period, they are present in the larger Hindu traditions and rites and our routines, defining our daily routines with their arrival and departure.
Key Takeaways
The Vedas, the oldest Hindu scriptures, contain references to various goddesses who represent different aspects of nature and life.Prthivi, also known as Mother Earth, is a goddess who represents fertility, sustenance, and stability. She is often depicted with a lotus in one hand and a cornucopia in the other.Usas, the goddess of dawn, represents new beginnings and the renewal of life. She is depicted with a radiant and youthful appearance and is associated with the color pink.Ratri, the goddess of night, represents the mysteries of darkness and the unknown. She is depicted with a dark complexion and is associated with the color black.These goddesses have been revered and worshiped in Hindu culture for centuries and continue to hold significance in modern-day Hinduism.
The Vedas, the oldest Hindu scriptures, contain references to various goddesses who represent different aspects of nature and life.
Prthivi, also known as Mother Earth, is a goddess who represents fertility, sustenance, and stability. She is often depicted with a lotus in one hand and a cornucopia in the other.
Usas, the goddess of dawn, represents new beginnings and the renewal of life. She is depicted with a radiant and youthful appearance and is associated with the color pink.
Ratri, the goddess of night, represents the mysteries of darkness and the unknown. She is depicted with a dark complexion and is associated with the color black.
These goddesses have been revered and worshiped in Hindu culture for centuries and continue to hold significance in modern-day Hinduism.
Bunce, Fredrick (2000) An Encyclopaedia of Hindu Deities, Demigods, Godlings, Demons and Heros with Special Focus on Iconographic Attributes, Vol 1. New Delhi: D.K. Printworld (P) Ltd.
Chitgopekar, Nilima (2002) Invoking Goddesses: Gender Politics in Indian Religion. New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Cush, Denise, Robinson, Cathrine, York, Michael (2008) Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. New York: Routledge.
Friedrichs, Kurt (1989) The Encyclopaedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion. Boston: Shambhala Publications Inc
Your email address will not be published *
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist