Bhutamata () is a frighful form of the Hindu goddess
Parvati
Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
, sometimes also regarded to be the
shakti
Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refer ...
(divine feminine energy) of the deity
Kartikeya
Kartikeya (/Sanskrit phonology, kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda (Sanskrit phonology, /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/Sanskrit phonology, sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha (Sanskrit phonology, /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan ...
.
Legend
In the
Skanda Purana
The ''Skanda Purana'' ( IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest '' Mukhyapurāṇa'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Shaivite literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parv ...
, the deity Kartikeya allowed the
bhutas (ghosts),
pishachas, and
vetalas along the banks of the river
Sarasvati
Saraswati (, ), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal Devi, goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, purification, language and culture. Together with the godde ...
to consume
Vedic
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed ...
ritual offerings that were performed incorrectly. However, these beings eventually started to consume all the offerings made to the
devas, who complained to Kartikeya. Out of the deity's fury, a twelve-eyed goddess emerged from between his eyebrows and sought to serve him. Kartikeya commanded her to bring the disobedient creatures to submission and restore them to right conduct. Accompanied by a host of numerous goddesses, the goddess attacked the creatures, who quickly propitiated her. Pleased, the goddess offered a boon to the creatures. They requested that she be ''Bhutamata'' (the mother of the bhutas) and promised to never transgress the laws of Kartikeya.
References
Hindu goddesses
{{Hindu-myth-stub
Forms of Parvati