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The goddess Aditi and Prthivi have been included under the heading principal goddesses because seen from the point of origin and continuance, they have a wider scope. In fact, prithivi or the earth goddesses has the widest scope trailing to the temple rituals practiced till date. About Aditi her presence as the mother of the gods in the Puranas and importance as such is worth noting and as such she is taken up for study. Unlike the other goddesses who are present and predominant in present day worship, Aditi is merely a shadowy figure in the present times in terms of popularity.

chapter II Major goddesses Aditi. Aditi the Vedic goddess is the first of the Vedic Goddess group who has been taken for study. This Vedic maiden who is also a puranic wife and mother, has some likeness in the tantra with Dhumavati the first of the ten knowledge goddesses. The reason for taking up Aditi as the first in the study is that this goddess though is associated with a 'male' as a mother or as a wife she's not dependent on them. She, infact comes to the rescue of her sons especially of Indra etc... who are the great Gods of the Vedic religion. Meanings. The dictionary meaning of Aditi is the earth, the mother of the gods³. Another interesting meaning of Aditi is misfortune'. Derivative meanings. Etymologically Aditi is derived from the root 'do' - 'To divide', 'to destruct' (avakhandane) added with a negative prefix 'a' Aditi thus means "whose attribute is not violation or infliction." It can be understood that she who isnot divided, is unbounded and unlimited and could mean the vast limitless earth in the original sense. The Satapatha Brahmana gives a strange version for Aditi's etymology. It states "Whatever the god death created, he eats 8 The Students Sanskrit English Dictionary p. 12 9 Apte V.S. The Consise Sanskrit - English Dictionary MLBD 69 63

chapter II Major goddesses 64 49 everything hence the name 'Aditi' and verily, he who knows the nature of Aditi becomes an eater of everything, and all food becomes his"11 Synonyms. Aditi in the Yajurveda is equated with the cow and as such has several names¹² such as Ida, Ranti, Havya, Kamya, Chandra, Jyoti, Aditi, Sarasvati, Mahi and Visruti. Occurrences. 13 The Great Mother principle is invoked as 'Mahimata' in the Rigveda This reflects the basic nature of Aditi as 'Mata' for motherhood and Mahi for Magnitude. Quite often Aditi is designated as 'Mahimata'. Aditi is said to have brought forth mitra-varuna and is spoken of as the guardian of Rta¹³. There is frequent mention of Aditi and her sons with Rta. Aditi symbolizes an abstract deity, the principle of boundlessness or infinitude. The word Aditi is often explained in later literature as the negation of Diti and is derived from the root da meaning 'to bind' or 'to enclose'. 10 SatBr 10.6.5.5. 11 Br. Up 7.4.2.7 12 VS.VIII.43; SBr 4.5.8.10 13 Rigveda VIII 25.3 14 Rigveda I 152.3, 1-153.3, VIII.25-1,3,7-8 V.65-2 V.67.4, VII-66.13

chapter II Major goddesses 65 Wallis holds that she simply denotes freedom from bondage¹s she is regarded as underlined in her personification either 16 by the eternal principle of celestial light ie. jyotismati, or sinless ness¹7 immortality' immortality 18 and deathlessness" thus representing infinite consciousness or universal coherence. The JaiUpBr 20 Commenting on Rigveda 21 States she is Omnipotent and immense, a power superior to her divine creation thus, marking her supremeness over the Gods. The Rigveda 22 speaks of dawn as the face of religion and on the basis of this Maxmuller holds that Aditi was one of the oldest names of dawn 23. Aditi as mother. Motherhood and motherly qualities of Aditi are seen in excess. Aditi is seen associated with the other Vedic gods as their mother. Among the sons of Aditi are Mitra and Varuna, Aryama 24 Indra is her mighty son 25. Among her other children are Bhaga 15 Cosmology of the Rigveda, London 1887 P.57 16 Rigveda I.115.5, 1.136.3 17 Rigveda I.162.22., II 27.14 Rigveda I 24.I, VIII.101.15 18 19 Rigveda I. 24.1 20 JaiUpBr 1.41 21 Rigveda 1.89.10 22 Rigveda I.113.19 23 Max Muller, sacred books of the east- XXXII P.228 Varanasi, reprint. 24 Rigveda VII.60.5 25 Rigveda I.61.7, IV.18.1, VIII.42.2 26 Rigveda,VII.41.2

chapter II Major goddesses 66 Amsa, Daksa 28 and Surya or Martanda 29. Thus she is the mother of seven 30 or eight sons 31. And thus she is attributed with eight yonis, one for each son. And at the same time she is a virgin³² indicated by the use of epithets such as anarva, apravita, yuvati, kanya, yosa, kumari etc...33. Aditi is the great mother par excellence in the later vedic samhitas and Brahmana texts as well. She is eulogized as the Great mother, whose sway is just and rule is strong 34. She is the archetype of motherhood and all men are her children . 35 Aditya vai Prajah³5, With the passage of time and the development of religion she is now a regular mother of the gods and the mother of the world³6. When desirous of a son, she herself puts on an amulet³7 thus amulet is described to be a ring which wards off evil and protects the progeny as well³8 Thus it is evident from the Atharvaveda that Aditi was offered 38 worship and propiated for favour on various occasions in the life of a 27 Rigveda II 17.1, II. 41.2 28 Rigveda X 72.4 29 Rigveda X.88.11., VII.101.11., X.72.8,9 30 Rigveda IX. 114.3 31 Rigveda X.72.8,9 32 Atharvaveda VIII.9.21 33 V.S.21.5; Atharvaveda VII. 6.2 34 VS 21.5; Atharvaveda VII .6.2 35 TB 1.88.1 and SB -5.52.10, Tan Br 13.9.5, 18.8.12 36 Atharvaveda III.22.1 also Vishnu-purana V.XXX.5, 24. 37 Atharvaveda Vii.81.3 38 Atharvaveda VI.81.2

chapter II Major goddesses 67 67 child 39. Another significant factor leading to Aditis high position in popular worship was her close connection with the sacrifice. Her position is justified in the Brahmana text. In the Yajna rituals, the cow stood for Aditi+1. Aditi as the wife and mother of Visnu. One important added aspect to the nature of Aditi is her also with Visnu as his consort¹²- 'Visnupatni' But in the post-vedic literature, in the Puranas, Visnu in his dwarf incarnation is said to have taken his birth from Aditi by Kasyapa Prajapati 3. In the BMP 44 it is stated that Aditi undertook the difficult vrta known as payovrata, to beget Visnu as her son and who would enable the victory of her dear son Indra. The belief of Aditi as Visnupatni was temporary but what remains long lasting is that she is the mother of Visnu as Vamana popular as Upendra. Aditi the goddess with two heads. Aditi as the cosmic cow is said to have two heads, one on either side 45. The Satapatha Brahmana states that in her aspect as Vac 39 Atharvaveda II .28.4,5 Rigveda III 58.1,I 164.9 and Atharvaveda 19.9 40 AiBr 1.7 41 42 43 Vishnu-purana III.1.42,43 VS-29.60; Taitariya-samhita - VII.5.14.1, Taitariya-samhita IV.4.12.5, Kataka-samhita -XII.14; XXXXV.10 44 BMP VIII.XVIII 21-23. V.S. 4.19 and S'B.3.2.4.16

chapter II Major goddesses 89 she is double headed and her two heads face the east and the west. The Samhitas explains the reason for this, that as to Aditi belong the opening and concluding oblations of the sacrifices, she is called double headed 47.Aditi is said to have eight wombs, eight children, and the eight night is especially sacred to her. Perhaps this Aditi who is characterized by mother features and her association with number eight is the precursor of the concept of the Asta-Matykas. Worship. The Astami of each lunar fortnight is enjoined for offering libations to her 48. Dange S.A.49 quoting the Ai.Br.50 is of the opinion that, Aditi was also an important mother goddess. This is evident from the fact that Aditi, the mother of the gods, was offered a caru of boiled rice. In the dharmasutras", Aditi is offered libations along with other vedic male deities like Agni, Prajapati, Soma, Rudra and Brhaspati which highlights her unquestionable acceptance and importance among the vedic gods. In tantra the goddess Dhumavati who happens to be the first of the ten knowledge goddesses has a similar character to Aditi. She is the eldest of the other goddesses. Dhumavati is depicted as a Sakti without Siva and is sober in appearance. Dhumavati means the one 46 V.S.419 and S'B.3.2.4.16. 47 Tai Sam 6.1.7.5; Mai Sam 3.7.5 48 Atharvaveda VIII.9.21. 49 S.A Dange Vani Jyotih Vol. III, 1987 Journal of P.G. Dept of Sanskrit, Utkal University Bhubneshwar. 50 Ai.Br.II.1 51 Bhaudayana-dharmasutra II.19.1.

chapter II Major goddesses 69 who is composed of smoke. Her nature is not of illumination but of obstruction. She obscures this false world and reveals the true form. DhUmavati stands for the feminine principle of negation in all its aspects. On the outer level she represents poverty, destitution and suffering and misfortunes 52. In the Puranas Aditi is mentioned to posse's special ear rings from which nectar oozes. This ear ring was taken forcibly by the Asura Naraka 3 which is retrived by Krsna. 53 Conclusion. Aditi is the mother of all that moves. In the Veda she is depicted as having eight valiant sons and in the Purana she herself undertakes a difficult vrta for the welfare of her sons especially that of Indra. As Dhumavati in the tantra, she stands for the power of smoke which acts as a veil of smoke over the variegated world and reveals only that which is true. 52 53 Frawley David, Tantric Yoga And The Wisdom Goddesses MLBD Delhi-1997 P.122 Vishnu-purana V.19.11 also BHP X.59.23.a