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Aditi ( Sanskrit: अदिति, lit. 'boundless' or 'limitless' or 'innocence') is an important Vedic goddess in Hinduism. She is the personification of the sprawling infinite and vast cosmos. She is the goddess of motherhood, consciousness, unconsciousness, the past, the future, and fertility. She is the mother of the celestial deities known as the
adityas In Hinduism, Adityas ( sa, आदित्य, Āditya, of Aditi, ), refers to the offspring of Aditi, the goddess representing the infinity. The name ''Aditya'', in the singular, is taken to refer to the sun god Surya. Generally, Adityas ar ...
, and is referred to as the mother of many deities. As celestial mother of numerous beings, the synthesis of all things, she is associated with space (''akasha'') and with mystic speech ('' Vāc''). She may be seen as a feminine form of Brahma, and associated with the primal substance (''mulaprakriti'') in the Vedanta. She is mentioned more than 250 times in the ''
Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts ('' śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only on ...
,'' the verses replete with her praise.


Family

Aditi is the daughter of Daksha and Asikni (Panchajani). The '' Puranas'', such as the ''
Shiva Purana The ''Shiva Purana'' is one of eighteen major texts of the ''Purana'' genre of Sanskrit texts in Hinduism, and part of the Shaivism literature corpus. It primarily revolves around the Hindu god Shiva and goddess Parvati, but references and ...
'' and the '' Bhagavata Purana'', suggest that Daksha married all of his daughters off to different people, including Aditi and 12 others to Sage Kashyapa. When Kashyapa was living with Aditi and Diti in his ashrama, he was really pleased with Aditi's services, and told her to ask for a boon. Aditi prayed for one ideal son. Accordingly, Indra was born. Later, Aditi gave birth to the twelve adityas, namely
Varuna Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, su ...
, Parjanya, Mitra, Amsha,
Pushan Pushan ( sa, पूषन्, Pūṣan) is a Hindu Vedic solar deity and one of the Adityas. He is the god of meeting. Pushan is responsible for marriages, journeys, roads, and the feeding of cattle. He was a psychopomp (soul guide), condu ...
, Dhatri, Aryaman, Surya, Bhaga,
Savitr Savitṛ (Sanskrit: stem ', nominative singular '), also rendered as Savitur, in Vedic scriptures is an Aditya i.e. off-spring of the Vedic primeval mother goddess Aditi. His name in Vedic Sanskrit connotes "impeller, rouser, vivifier." He ...
, Vamana, and Viṣṇu. Her 16 younger sisters were also married to Sage Kashyapa.


Origin

The first mention of Aditi is found in ''
Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts ('' śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only on ...
'', which is dated by mainstream consensus to have been composed between 1800 and 1200 BC. She is portrayed as the mother of the
Adityas In Hinduism, Adityas ( sa, आदित्य, Āditya, of Aditi, ), refers to the offspring of Aditi, the goddess representing the infinity. The name ''Aditya'', in the singular, is taken to refer to the sun god Surya. Generally, Adityas ar ...
, a group of societal Rigvedic deities, including
Varuna Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, su ...
, Mitra, Aryaman, Daksha, Bhaga, Amsha, and sometimes Surya and Savitar. As the mother of the societal deities, she represented the compliance to social behavior. Her motherhood was also an important attribute, and later was expanded so that she became the mother of all deities. According to the
Shatapatha Brahmana The Shatapatha Brahmana ( sa, शतपथब्राह्मणम् , Śatapatha Brāhmaṇam, meaning 'Brāhmaṇa of one hundred paths', abbreviated to 'SB') is a commentary on the Śukla (white) Yajurveda. It is attributed to the Vedic ...
(a commentary on the Shukla Yajurveda), Aditi is also invoked during ritual
sacrificial Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exis ...
offerings as being synonymous with the Earth:


Attributes


Motherhood

Aditi and the sage Kashyapa had 33 sons, out of whom twelve are called Âdityas including Surya, eleven are called Rudras, and eight are called Vasus. Aditi is said to be the mother of the great god Indra, the mother of kings (
Mandala 2 The second Mandala of the Rigveda has 43 hymns, mainly to Agni and Indra chiefly attributed to the Rishi '' ''. It is one of the "family books" (mandalas 2-7), the oldest core of the Rigveda, which were composed in early vedic period(1500-1000 B ...
.27) and the mother of gods ( Mandala 1.113.19). In the ''Vedas'', Aditi is Devamata (mother of the celestial gods) as from and in her cosmic matrix all the heavenly bodies were born. She is preeminently the mother of 12 Âdityas, whose names include , , , , Savitar, Bhaga, , , Mitra, and . She is also the mother of the Vamana, ''avatar'' of Vishnu. Accordingly, the Vamana ''avatar'', as the son of Aditi was born in the month of Shravana (fifth month of the
Hindu Calendar The Hindu calendar, Panchanga () or Panjika is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt ...
, also called Avani) under the star Shravana. Many auspicious signs appeared in the heavens, foretelling the good fortune of this child. In the ''Rigveda'', Aditi is one of the most important figures of all. As a mothering presence, Aditi is often asked to guard the one who petitions her ( Mandala 1.106.7; Mandala 8.18.6) or to provide him or her with wealth, safety, and abundance (
Mandala 10 The tenth mandala of the Rigveda has 191 hymns. Together with Mandala 1, it forms the latest part of the Rigveda, containing much mythological material, including the Purusha sukta (10.90) and the dialogue of Sarama with the Panis (10.108), and ...
.100; 1.94.15).


Creativity

Aditi is usually mentioned in the ''Rigveda'' along with other gods and goddesses. There is no one hymn addressed exclusively to her, unlike other Vedic gods. Since She is perhaps not related to a particular natural phenomenon like other gods. Compared to Ushas and
Prithvi Prithvi or Prithvi Mata ( Sanskrit: पृथ्वी, ', also पृथिवी, ', "the Vast One") is the Sanskrit name for the earth, as well as the name of a devi (goddess) in Hinduism and some branches of Buddhism. In the Vedas, her ...
, Aditi can be defined as the cosmic creator. The verse " Daksha sprang from Aditi and Aditi from Daksha" is seen by Theosophists as a reference to "the eternal cyclic re-birth of the same divine Essence" and divine wisdom.


Freedom

The name Aditi includes the root "da" (to bind or fetter) and suggests another attribute of her character. As A-diti, she is an unbound, free soul and it is evident in the hymns to her that she is often called to free the petitioner from different hindrances, especially sin and sickness. (
Mandala 2 The second Mandala of the Rigveda has 43 hymns, mainly to Agni and Indra chiefly attributed to the Rishi '' ''. It is one of the "family books" (mandalas 2-7), the oldest core of the Rigveda, which were composed in early vedic period(1500-1000 B ...
.27.14). In one hymn, she is asked to free a petitioner who has been tied up like a thief ( Mandala 8.67.14). As one who unbinds, her role is similar to her son Varuna's as guardian of Rta, cosmic moral order. She is called the supporter of creatures ( Mandala 1.136).


Might

Aditi was attributed the status of ''first deity'' by the Vedic culture, although she is not the only one attributed this status in the ''Vedas''. She is addressed in the Rigveda as "mighty" and revered as the eternal mother of all creation.


Others

Like many other Hindu gods and goddesses, Aditi has a '' vahana'' (a mount). Aditi flies across the boundless sky on a phoenix. The phoenix symbolizes strength, honour, but most importantly, reflects Aditi's nature of cyclical rebirth and infinite creation. Her weapons include the famous '' trishula,'' and a sword. Aditi is described to possess a pair of earrings, which are stolen from her by the asura named
Naraka Naraka ( sa, नरक) is the realm of hell in Indian religions. According to some schools of Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism, ''Naraka'' is a place of torment. The word ''Neraka'' (modification of ''Naraka'') in Indonesian and Mala ...
. Krishna returns the earrings to her after slaying the asura with his consort, Satyabhama.


Worship

A well known old temple of Aditi is located near rock cut cave in Vizhinjam, Kerala.


See also

*
Payovrata According to ''Bhāgavata Purāṇa'', Payovrata is the ''vrata'' ("penance") observed by goddess Aditi (अदिति) to propitiate Lord Vishnu. Ritual It is usually observed for 12 days, and during that time the devotee subsists on a diet ...
*
Adityas In Hinduism, Adityas ( sa, आदित्य, Āditya, of Aditi, ), refers to the offspring of Aditi, the goddess representing the infinity. The name ''Aditya'', in the singular, is taken to refer to the sun god Surya. Generally, Adityas ar ...
* Surya Namaskar * Sun worship in Hinduism * List of solar deities in Hinduism * List of Surya temples *
List of Hindu deities Hinduism is the largest religion in the Indian subcontinent, and the third largest religion in the world. Hinduism has been called the "oldest religion" in the world, and many practitioners refer to Hinduism as "the eternal law" ('). Within th ...
* List of Hindu pilgrimage sites *
List of Hindu temples This is a list of lists of Hindu temples. List is in alphabetical order in three types: based on geographic locations and by continents; by theme; and by prime deity. By location Africa * List of Hindu temples in Mauritius * List of Hindu t ...


Notes


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{Hindu Culture and Epics Hindu goddesses Fertility goddesses Creator goddesses Sky and weather goddesses Daughters of Daksha