Daughters of Shiva : Devdutt Pattanaik

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Daughters of Shiva

Jan 10, 2013 | Articles (http://devdutt.com/category/articles) , Indian Mythology (http://devdutt.com/category/articles

/indian-mythology) .
(http://devdutt.com/articles/daughtersof-shiva.html/attachment/shivadaughters)

Published in Devlok, Sunday Midday, Dec.

16, 2012

With the appearance of Ashok Sundari on the

Devon ke dev Mahadev teleserial on LifeOK
channel, many are wondering since when did
Shiva father daughters? Everyone has heard of
his famous sons: Ganesha and Kartikeya. But
daughters? Ashok Sundari? Where did she
come from?
The whole idea of Shiva Puran is to describe the
gradual socialization of Shiva, from hermit to
householder. And this means becoming a father
and taking responsibility for fatherhood. As a hermit, Shiva is detached and disengaged with the world. But the Goddess
is determined to make him participate. In that, she is helped by Vishnu and all the other gods. In Tamil temple lore,
Vishnu is her brother and Brahma her father. Together they want this ascetic to establish a home. Only then will his great
wisdom and his powers benefit the world at large.
And so children are required. Thus sons are born. Notice how the two popular sons take care of humanitys most basic
needs. Ganesha is associated with food that helps us cope with our fear of starvation. Kartikeya is associated with
warfare that is necessary to defend ourselves from predators. Thus through his two sons, Shiva provides and protects.
But this male preference has not been unnoticed by the devotees and the sages. And so across folk traditions there are
references to his daughters.

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The story of Ashok Sundari comes from the vrat-kathas of Gujarat and neighboring areas. She was created from a tree
by Parvati to give her freedom from loneliness. She was called Ashoka as she got rid of Parvatis shok or sorrow. And
Sundari because she was beautiful. Nothing much is known of her except that she was present at the time Ganesha was
beheaded and she hid behind a sack of salt in fear, angering her mother, who was later pacified by her father. She is
associated with salt, that ingredient without which life is unsavory.
In Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, one occasionally comes across Jyoti, the goddess of light, who emerges from Shivas
halo and is the physical manifestation of his grace. She is commonly associated with Kartikeya.
In Bengali folk tales, Mansa, the goddess who cures snakebites, sister of Vasuki, king of snakes, was born when Shivas
semen touched a statue carved by Kadru, mother of snakes. Thus she was Shivas daughter, but not Parvatis child,
much like Kartikeya, who was born of Shivas semen but not in Parvatis womb. Parvati, known in the folktale as Chandi,
does not like Mansa and is even jealous of her, suspecting she may be Shivas secret wife. It is Mansa who saves Shiva
when he drinks poison during the churning of the ocean and identifies herself as Shivas daughter. But Chandi is so
blinded by jealousy that she blinds Mansa in one eye. Tired of household quarrels, Shiva abandons Mansa but gives her
a companion called Neta. Later, when Mansa gets married, Chandi tells her to go into the bridal chamber wearing
snakes as ornaments, frightening her husband, Jaratkaru, who runs away. Abandoned by father and husband, the
unhappy Mansa becomes a bitter angry goddess who has to be appeased if one wants to escape death by snakebite.
The idea of devotees creating gods and goddess is not unknown to Hinduism. Few realize that Santoshi-maa did not
exist in the Hindu landscape before the famous film in the 1970s. Is Ashok Sundari the next of our 330 million gods?

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3 comments

Discussion

Community

Jayasankar Chidambaram

Share

10 days ago

Mahadev serial is a useless serial and Purana's are Wrognly interpreted by the Director and
story writer. It is better we all lodge a protest against these Crooks.
0

Reply

Share

Jayasankar Chidambaram

10 days ago

It is just a nig imagination of this author. There is nothing like Ashok Sundari. Please ignore these
Crook Writers.
0

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Raghav Venkataraman

14 days ago

"Is Ashok Sundari the next of our 330 million gods?" - I am from Tamilnadu and have not seen the
Mahadev serial too. For me it is 330 million +1
:)
0

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ALSO ON DEVDUTT

Show me the original

When brothers fight

9 comments 9 days ago

6 comments 16 days ago

Shirish Kirtiwar I wish, if you could translate @least

some of your previous books(especially the 2 'seven
secrets...

Anjan Brilliant as always.

When teachers learn and students teach

Which way is the right way?

2 comments 12 days ago

3 comments a month ago

Guest It's interesting that ancient Indian education

system was so liberal in the learning process, wherea

Anudip Samui As per your last line, "There is not

truth out there, only stories well told." Does this mean
that

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