Chhaya
Chhaya | |
---|---|
Goddess of Shadows | |
Saranyu | |
Abode | Suryaloka |
Mantra | Om Chhayave Namah |
Personal information | |
Consort | Surya |
Children | Savarni Manu, Shani, Tapati |
Chhaya or Chaya (
Chhaya is usually described as the mother of
Early Vedic and epic legends
In the
By the time of the
Puranic legends
The Markandeya Purana tells the tale of Sanjna-Chhaya twice, the tale is similar to that in the Harivamsa, but Sanjna leaves Surya as she is unable to bear his splendour and heat. The curse to Yama is a little different. Yama abuses Chhaya and picks his leg up to kick her. Chhaya curses Yama to have his leg affected with worms and sores. Surya grants Yama, a cock to eat the worms from his leg. In the other telling, the curse is almost same as the Harivamsa. Chhaya also cleverly says that she is Yama's father's wife, but does not say that she is his mother.[5][6]
The Vishnu Purana also records the legend similar to Markandeya Purana, but has few differences. Unable to bear Surya's intense heat, Sanjna after giving birth to three children - retires to the forest to practice harsh austerities in form of a mare, leaving her shadow-image Chhaya, her handmaid to take her place and tend for her husband and progeny. Surya mistakes Chhaya for Sanjna and fathers three children on her. Chhaya gives birth to Shani, Savarni Manu and Tapti. However, Chhaya became partial to her own children and ignored those of Sanjna. Yama, suspected the behavior of who he thought was his mother and offended her. Chhaya cast a curse on Yama (the details of the curse are not disclosed), which revealed to Yama and Surya that Chhaya was not the true Sanjna. After the extracting the truth from Chhaya, Surya finds Sanjna and brings her back.[6]
The
While most accounts consider Chhaya to be the reflection or shadow of Saranyu (Sanjna) - Surya's first wife;
Markandeya Purana as well as Vishnudharmottara Purana prescribe that Surya should be depicted in images with Chhaya and his other wives by his sides.[13]
References
- ^ a b Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (2008 revision) p. 406
- ^ According to Hindu cosmology, man is currently in the seventh Manvantara.
- ISBN 81-208-1491-6.
- ISBN 81-208-1491-6.
- ISBN 81-208-1491-6.
- ^ Wilson, Horace Hayman (1866). "II". The Vishńu Puráńa: a system of Hindu mythology and tradition. Vol. 8. London: Trubner & Co. pp. 20–23.
- ISBN 978-81-307-0532-3.
- ^ Pattanaik, Devdutt (2000). The goddess in India: the five faces of the eternal feminine. Inner Traditions / Bear & Company. p. 127.
- ISBN 0-89281-354-7.
- ISBN 0-8426-0822-2.
- ISBN 81-208-1491-6.
- Prabhupada. "Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: Chapter 13: Description of Future Manus". The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. Archived from the originalon 15 February 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ISBN 9788170418597.