Aditi; 10 Definition(s)

Introduction

Aditi means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Itihasa (narrative history)

Aditi (अदिति) refers to the name of a Lady mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.59.12, I.65, I.90.7). Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Aditi) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

Purana

Aditi (अदिति) is the name of a mind-born ‘divine mother’ (mātṛ), created for the purpose of drinking the blood of the Andhaka demons, according to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.8. The Andhaka demons spawned out of every drop of blood spilled from the original Andhakāsura (Andhaka-demon). According to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.35, “Most terrible they (eg., Aditi) all drank the blood of those Andhakas and become exceedingly satiated.”

The Matsyapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, and was originally composed of 20,000 metrical verses, dating from the 1st-millennium BCE. The narrator is Matsya, one of the ten major avatars of Viṣṇu.

Aditi (अदिति).—Genealogy. Kaśyapa, grandson of Brahmā and son of Marīci married Aditi, daughter of Dakṣaprajāpati. Aditi had twelve sisters: Diti, Kālā, Danāyus, Danu, Siṃhikā, Krodhā, Pṛthā, Viśvā, Vinatā, Kapilā, Muni and Kadrū. (Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapter 65, Verse 12). Devas are sons born to Kaśyapa by Aditi and hence they are known as Āditeyas also. Kaśyapa married all the thirteen sisters including Aditi, and all living beings owe their origin to them. (See Kaśyapa). Descendants. 33 sons were born to Aditi. 12 of them are called Dvādaśādityas, viz. Dhātā, Aryamā, Mitra, Śakra, Varuṇa, Aṃśa, Bhaga, Vivasvān, Pūṣā, Savitā, Tvaṣṭā and Viṣṇu. Amongst the other 21 sons are the 11 Rudras and 8 Vasus. (See Mahābhārata Ādi Parva, Chapter 65, Verse 15). (See full article at Story of Aditi from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

1a) Aditi (अदिति).—A daughter of Dakṣa and a wife of Kaśyapa.¹ Mother of Vāmana-Hari and other gods.² Was much concerned at the evacuation of Amarāvati by gods, and informed her husband of her grief. Kaśyapa consoled her saying that it was all Hari's māyā and everything would be rectified by His aid. Asked to the means of approaching Hari, Kaśyapa taught her the payovrata. Observed the vrata for twelve days as directed. Hari heard her prayers, promised to be born in her womb to protect her sons, and desired that she should keep it a secret. She soon waited on Kaśyapa and became pregnant with Hari. Then Hari was praised by Brahmā.³ Birth of the Lord described.⁴ Changed before her into a boy-brahmacārin.⁵ Worshipped for food and other things, while her sons the Ādityas are prayed to for attainment of heaven.⁶ Her desire was fulfilled by Vāmana. Pleased with his anointing, gods sent their praises to Aditi on the exploits of Vāmana.⁷ Kṛṣna took back the kuṇḍalas which had been taken away by Naraka, and Satyabhāmā in her Lord's company bowed to Aditi and handed over the kuṇḍalas. At this Aditi embraced her daughter-in-law.⁸ Prajāpati caused the tejas of the aṇḍa in her garbha, and removing it at the request of gods, made it into two pieces, and finding it weak, placed it on the lap of the Sungod (Mārtāṇḍa): given to dharma.⁹ A part of Mother Earth.¹⁰ A mother goddess.¹¹ Worshipped in housebuilding.¹² Mother of the 12 Ādityas the former Jayadevas.¹³ Known for strength.¹⁴

• 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 1. 10; VI. 6. 25; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 33. 17; III. 3. 56, 117; 71. 200; Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 15. 124; III. 1. 42.
• 2) Bhāgavata-purāṇa VIII. 13. 6; VI. 6. 38-39; VI. 18. 9; X. 3. 42; Matsya-purāṇa 172. 5; 178. 20; Vāyu-purāṇa, 96. 196; 97, 23.
• 3) Bhāgavata-purāṇa VIII. ch. 16 & 17.
• 4) Bhāgavata-purāṇa VIII. 18. 1-11; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 72. 22; 73. 75.
• 5) Bhāgavata-purāṇa VIII. 18. 12.
• 6) Ib. VIII. 18. 13-19; II. 3. 4; Matsya-purāṇa 171. 55-8.
• 7) Ib. VIII. 23. 4, 21, 27; Matsya-purāṇa 244. 9-48; 245. 63; 246. 58.
• 8) Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 59. 38; Ib. [65 (v) 6-10]; Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 29. 11, 35; 30 (whole).
• 9) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 277-94, 465.
• 10) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 71. 238; Matsya-purāṇa 6. 1. 5; 11. 2; 47. 9; 146. 18; 154. 351; 171. 29.
• 11) Matsya-purāṇa 179. 15.
• 12) Matsya-purāṇa 253. 27.
• 13) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 4. 34; Vāyu-purāṇa 66. 55; 60. 65.
• 14) Vāyu-purāṇa 69. 92. Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 13. 79.

1b) Born of Dakṣa and son was Vivasvān.^*

• * Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 1. 6.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Aditi, one of the hundred daughters of Daksha, is the wife of the sage Kashyapa and the mother of the Devas. Hence, the Devas are also called Adithyas. Her name means 'un-binding' or 'liberation'. She is said to possess ear-rings of unsurpassed splendor. She is always jealous of her sister (and co-wife) Diti, the mother of the Asuras.

Once she incited her son Indra to cause the fetus of Diti to be split into seven pieces[Devi:4.3.18]. Diti cursed her, saying,

"May seven sons be born to you. May you also suffer the grief of loss of your seven sons."

Diti was born as Devaki, the sister of Kamsa as a result of this curse. Her first seven children were killed by her brother, for it had been foretold that her eighth child would be the his slayer.

Aditi also is the mother of the Vamana Avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu.

Aditi (अदिति): A goddess of the sky, consciousness, the past, the future and fertility.

In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Mother of the sun, who is called Adicca, which is explained as Aditiya putto. DA.iii.963.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

aditi (अदिति).—f (S) The name of the mother of the gods.

aditi (अदिति).—f The name of the mother of the Gods in Hindu mythology.

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Aditi (अदिति).—a. [na dīyate khaṇḍyate badhyate bṛhattvāt; do-ktic] Free, not tied. आदित्यासो अदितयः स्याम (ādityāso aditayaḥ syāma) Rv.7.52.1. boundless, unlimited, inexhaustible; entire, unbroken; happy, pious (mostly Ved. in all these senses).

-tiḥ [atti prāṇijātam; aditic]

1) Devourer i. e. death; यद्यदेवासृज तत्तदत्तुमध्रियत, सर्वं वा अत्तीति तददितेरदितित्वम् (yadyadevāsṛja tattadattumadhriyata, sarvaṃ vā attīti tadaditeradititvam) Bṛ. Ār. Up.1.2.5.

2) An epithet of God.

-tiḥ f. [na dātuṃ śaktiḥ]

1) Inability to give, poverty.

2) [dātuṃ chettum ayogyā] (a) The earth. (b) The goddess Aditi, mother of the Ādityas, in mythology represented as the mother of gods; see further on. (c) Freedom, security; boundlessness, immensity of space (opp. to the earth). (d) Inexhaustible abundance, perfection. (e) The lunar mansion called पुनर्वसु (punarvasu). (f) Speech; या प्राणेन संभवत्यदितिर्देवतामयी (yā prāṇena saṃbhavatyaditirdevatāmayī) (śabdādīnāṃ adanāt aditiḥ Śaṅkara). (g) A cow. cf. ŚB. on MS. 1-3-49. (h) Milk; wife (?).

-tī (dual) Heaven and earth. [अदिति (aditi) literally means 'unbounded', 'the boundless Heaven', or according to others, 'the visible infinite, the endless expanse beyond the earth, beyond the clouds, beyond the sky'. According to Yāska अदिति- रदीना देवमाता (aditi- radīnā devamātā), and the verse beginning with अदितिर्द्यौः (aditirdyauḥ) &c. Rv.1.89.16. he interprets by taking अदिति (aditi) to mean अदीन (adīna) i. e. अनुपक्षीण, न ह्येषां क्षयोऽस्ति इति (anupakṣīṇa, na hyeṣāṃ kṣayo'sti iti). [In the Ṛigveda Aditi is frequently implored 'for blessing on children and cattle, for protection and for forgiveness'. She is called 'Devamātā' being strangely enough represented both as mother and daughter of Dakṣa. She had 8 sons; she approached the gods with 7 and cast away the 8th (Mārtaṇḍa, the sun.) In another place Aditi is addressed as 'supporter of the sky, sustainer of the earth, sovereign of this world, wife of Viṣṇu', but in the Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa and Purāṇas, Viṣṇu is said to be the son of Aditi, one of the several daughters of Dakṣa and given in marriage of Kaśyapa by whom she was the mother of Viṣṇu in his dwarf incarnation, and also of Indra, and she is called mother of gods and the gods her sons, 'Aditinandanas'; See Dakṣa and Kaśyapa also].

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