Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita

by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words

This page relates ‘Goddess Yatudhani’ 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.

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30. Goddess Yātudhānī

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Yātudhānī is the feminine form of Yātudhāna,^[1] one class of demoniac forces, causing pain to persons.^[2] Like the Yātudhānas, Yātudhānīs are also mentioned in the plural form,^[3] and thus, it is clear that the term stands for a class.

To destroy these Yātudhānīs, who act in a hostile manner against the livingbeings, along with the Yātudhānas and other evil forces, Agni is implored in the Atharvaveda.^[4] Further, it is stated that out of the Yātudhānīs, one curses people with harsh words which may destroy others.^[5] One, again, is spoken of as seizing violence, the root of sins.^[6] It is told about another Yātudhānī that she has seized one’s young to take its sap.^[7]

All these Yātudhānīs are asked to eat the offspring of their own and of the enemies of the people.^[8] They are asked to eat their own sons, sister and grand daughter.^[9] The Yātudhānīs are also wanted to be destroyed by themselves, by pulling one another by their hair, till death.^[10]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

yātudhānaśabdāt “puṃyogād ākhyāyām” iti ṅīṣ / Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 1.28.2

[2]:

yātudhānān yātūnāṃ yātanānāṃ vidhātṛṛn rākṣasān / Ibid.

[3]:

… saṃ daha yātudhānyaḥ / Atharvaveda, 1.28.2

[4]:

cf., Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[5]:

yā śaśāpa śapanena … / Atharvaveda, 1.28.3 yā yātudhānī śapanena ākrośena nāśahetubhūtena paruṣavākyena śaśāpa śāpaṃ kṛtavatī / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[6]:

… yāghaṃ mūramādadhe / Atharvaveda, 1.28.3 yā anyā yātudhānī mūram mūlam sarveṣāṃ dūritānām ādibhūtam aghaṃ hiṃsārūpaṃ pāpam ādade parijagrāha / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[7]:

yā rasasya haraṇāya jātamārebhe … / Atharvaveda, 1.28.3 yā aparā yātudhānī jātam apatyam uddiśya rasasya asṛgādirūpasya śarīragatasya haraṇāya apaharaṇāya pānāya ārebhe upacakrame / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[8]:

… tokamattu sā / Atharvaveda, 1.28.3 sā sarvā yātudhānī tokam / apatyanāmaitat / svakīyam apatyam asmacchatrusaṃbandhi vā attu bhakṣayatu / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[9]:

putramattu yātudhānīḥ svasāramuta naptyam / Atharvaveda, 1.28.4

[10]:

adhā mitho vikeśyo vi ghnatāṃ yātudhānyo … / Ibid. atha svaputrādihananāntaraṃ yātudhānyaḥ rākṣasyaḥ vikeśyaḥ parasparatāḍanena vikīrṇāḥ keśāḥ yāsāṃ tāstathoktāḥ / tathābhūtāḥ satyaḥ mithaḥ parasparaṃ vi ghnatām viśeṣeṇa ghnantu / parasparatāḍanena mriyantām ityarthaḥ / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

Last Updated: 10 October, 2022