Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita

by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words

This page relates ‘Goddess Ushas’ of the study on women in the Vedic society reflecting the Atharva-veda Samhita in English. These pages discusses the social aspects of women, education, customs of marriage, practices of polyandry and polygamy, descriptions of female deities and various rites and rituals. It is shown how women earned much praise in ancient Indian society. Included are Sanskrit text and references of the Atharvaveda and commentary by Sayana-Acharya.

Uṣas is the deity of the Vedic pantheon belonging to the Heaven.[1] Yāska[2] has derived Uṣas from the root vaś, meaning to desire, or from the root vas, meaning to shine.

According to Sāyaṇācārya,[3] Uṣas is the goddess, who presides over the juncture of the day and night toward the dawn. Here, it is noteworthy that in the Atharvaveda, sometimes Uṣas is addressed in singular number[4] and sometimes in plural number.[5] Sāyaṇācārya[6] observes that due to the recurrence of Uṣas, she is addressed in plural number.

Sometimes, Uṣas is identified with Rātri, i.e. night.[7] But, in fact, she is not the night, because, in one reference,[8] Uṣas is prayed along with Rātri for protection. This clears the distinction between Uṣas and Rātri. Besides, Uṣas is presented as the sister of Rātri.[9] Indra is the originator of Uṣas.[10]

Uṣas is also very close to Vāk. In one mantra of the Atharvaveda,[11] Uṣas is spoken of as in concord with Vāk and Vāk is also in concord with Uṣas. Along with Soma, she is asked to protect one from the sins of harsh words.[12] Being a deity, she is ajarā, i.e. unaging.[13] She is the spouse of Sūrya.[14] She is free from sins,[15] knowledgeable[16] and the most shining one during the day.[17] She is aśvāvatī,[18] i.e. possessing many horses, gomatī,[19] i.e. possessing cows and vīravatī,[20] i.e. bearing offspring. Again, she is called bhadrā,[21] i.e. propitious. Being propitious, she is asked to protect people with well-being.[22] Uṣas is prayed to submit herself to the sacrifice and to convey Bhaga the same, as a horse pulls a chariot.[23] She was obtained by Bṛhaspati in the mountain in order to search the cows.[24] With the appearence of Uṣas, the darkness of the night disappears.[25] Though the time of Uṣas is near to the appearence of the Sun, yet, she is beseeched to protect till the end of the day.[26]

Thus, it is apparent that Uṣas is the goddess of solar family representing the time, before the Sun rises.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

cf., Nirukta, 12.1-5

[2]:

uṣā vaṣṭeḥ kāntikarmaṇaḥ / ucchateritarā mādhyamikā / Ibid., 12.5 Also vide, Sarup, L. (ed. & trans.), Op.cit., Part I, p.185-186

[3]:

uṣāḥ ahorātrayoḥ saṃdhau vartamānā uṣaḥkālābhimāninī devatā / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 11.8.7

[4]:

cf., Atharvaveda, 6.3.3; 7.86.2; 16.6.5

[5]:

cf., Ibid., 3.7.7; 3.16.6-7; 7.23.2; 8.9.12; 11.8.7

[6]:

pratidivasam āvṛttyapekṣayā uṣasām iti bahuvacananirdeśaḥ / Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 3.7.7

[7]:

uṣasām rātrīṇām / Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 7.86.2

[8]:

Atharvaveda, 6.3.3

[9]:

uṣā apa svasustamaḥ … / Ibid., 19.12.1

[10]:

yaḥ sūryaṃ ya uṣasaṃ jajāna yo apāṃ netā sa janāsa indraḥ / Ibid., 20.34.7

[11]:

uṣā devī vācā saṃvidānā vāg devyuṣasā saṃvidānā / Ibid., 16.6.5

[12]:

muñcatu mā śapathyādahorātre atho uṣāḥ / somo mā devo muñcatu yamāhuścandramā iti // Ibid., 11.8.7

[13]:

ketumatī ajare bhūriretasā / Ibid., 8.9.12

[14]:

sūryapatnī saṃ carataḥ prajānatīḥ … / Ibid.

[15]:

arepasaḥ apāpāḥ pāpahāriṇyaḥ / Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 7.23.2

[16]:

sacetasaḥ samānajñānāḥ / Ibid.

[17]:

ahni viṣaye manyumattamāḥ / atiśayena dīptimatyaḥ prakāśayuktāḥ / Ibid.

[18]:

aśvāvatī bahubhiraśvairupetāḥ / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 3.16.7

[19]:

gomatī gomatyo / Ibid.

[20]:

vīravatī vīravatyaḥ putrādibhirupetāḥ / Ibid.

[21]:

bhadrā śivaṃkarī / Ibid.

[22]:

ghṛtaṃ duhānā viśvataḥ prapītā yūyam pāta svastibhiḥ sadā naḥ / Atharvaveda, 3.16.7

[23]:

arvācīnaṃ vasuvidaṃ bhagaṃ me rathamivāśvā vājina ā vahantu / Ibid., 3.16.6

[24]:

Ibid., 20.16.9

[25]:

uṣā apa svasustamaḥ / Ibid., 19.12.1 yadā uṣa abhavad tadā anantarameva rātrīrbhavati / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[26]:

uṣā no ahne ābhajādahastubhyaṃ vibhāvari / Atharvaveda, 19.50.7

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