Ajay Kumar: Created a new article

2023-09-18T18:12:21Z

Created a new article

New page

{{Short description|Hindu goddess of sacrifices and a Vedic invocation}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Hindu
| image = Agni and consort.jpg
| alt = Svaha
| caption = [[Agni]] with Svaha
| god_of = Goddess of Sacrifices<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r-OYL6Khg0UC&dq=svaha+goddess&pg=PA232 | title=Living Banaras: Hindu Religion in Cultural Context | isbn=9780791413319 | last1=Hertel | first1=Bradley R. | last2=Humes | first2=Cynthia Ann | date=January 1993 | publisher=SUNY Press }}</ref>
| consort = [[Agni]]<ref>{{cite book |author= Antonio Rigopoulos |title= Dattatreya: The Immortal Guru, Yogin, and Avatara: A Study of the Transformative and Inclusive Character of a Multi-faceted Hindu Deity |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZM-BlvaqAf0C&pg=PA72 |year=1998 |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |isbn=978-0-7914-3696-7 |page=72 }}</ref>
| abode = Agniloka
| mantra = Om Svaha
| parents = [[Daksha]] (father) and [[Prasuti]] (mother){{efn|In some texts, Svaha is mentioned as the daughter of [[Brihaspati]] and [[Tara (Hindu goddess)|Tara]].<ref name = "Dalal" />}}
| children = Pavaka, Pavamana, Shuchi, [[Agneya]], [[Kartikeya|Skanda]]<ref name = "Dalal">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&dq=svaha+goddess&pg=PT1197 | title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide | isbn=9788184752779 | last1=Dalal | first1=Roshen | date=18 April 2014 | publisher=Penguin UK }}</ref>
| siblings =
| affiliation = [[Devi]]
}}

'''Svaha''' ([[Sanskrit]]: स्वाहा, [[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]]: Svāhā), also referred to as '''Manyanti''', is the [[Hindus|Hindu]] goddess of sacrifices featured in the [[Vedas]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hertel |first1=Bradley R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r-OYL6Khg0UC&dq=svaha+goddess&pg=PA232 |title=Living Banaras: Hindu Religion in Cultural Context |last2=Humes |first2=Cynthia Ann |date=1993-01-01 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-1331-9 |pages=232 |language=en}}</ref> She is the [[Royal consort|consort]] of [[Agni]], and the daughter of either [[Daksha]] or [[Brihaspati]], depending on the literary tradition. According to the [[Brahma Vaivarta Purana|Brahmavaivarta Purana]], she is an aspect of [[Prakṛti|Prakriti]] (nature), an element without which Agni cannot sustain.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&dq=svaha+goddess&pg=PT1197 |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |date=2014-04-18 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-277-9 |language=en}}</ref>

Additionally, in [[Hinduism]], the [[Sanskrit]] [[lexical item]] '''''svāhā''''' (romanized Sanskrit transcription; [[Devanagari]]: स्वाहा; Chinese: 薩婆訶, ''sà pó hē'', Japanese: ''sowaka''; Tibetan: སྭཱ་ཧཱ་ ''sw'a h'a''; Korean: 사바하, ''sabaha''; Vietnamese : ta bà ha) is a [[:wikt:dénouement|denouement]] used at the end of a [[mantra]], which is invoked during [[yajna]] fire sacrifices and worship.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pal |first1=Ankit |title=why do we say swaha at the end of Mantra during Havan |url=https://www.newstrend.news/391099/why-do-we-say-swaha-after-every-mantra-in-havan/ |website=newstrend.news |date=September 2020 |publisher=Newstrend |access-date=4 March 2021}}</ref> ''Svāhā'' is chanted to offer [[oblation]] to the gods.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cappeller|first=Carl|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z60SAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA655|title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Based Upon the St. Petersburg Lexicons|date=1891|publisher=K. Paul|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Franco|first=Rendich|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KphVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA604|title=Comparative etymological Dictionary of classical Indo-European languages: Indo-European - Sanskrit - Greek - Latin|date=2013-12-14|publisher=Rendich Franco|language=en}}</ref> As a feminine noun, ''svāhā'' in the [[Rigveda]] may also mean oblation (to Agni or Indra). Svaha is also considered to mean an auspicious ending.

== Etymology ==
Etymologically, the Sanskrit term derives from the root words सू sū- "good" and आहा -āhā "to call".<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=The mantric word svaha|url=http://www.visiblemantra.org/svaha.html|access-date=2021-03-04|website=www.visiblemantra.org}}</ref>

== Legends ==
Svaha is personified as a [[goddess]] and as the consort of [[Agni]]. According to the [[Brahmavidya Upanishad]], Svaha represents the [[shakti]] or power that cannot be burned by Agni.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Dalal|first=Roshen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1197|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|date=2014-04-18|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=978-81-8475-277-9|language=en}}</ref> In the [[Upanishads]], Svaha confesses to be enamoured by Agni and wishes to dwell with him. Hence, the deities state that oblations would be offered to Agni while invoking her name during hymns, allowing Svaha to dwell with Agni in perpetuity.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6JI-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA296|title=Original Sanskrit texts on the origin and progress of the religion and institutions of India|date=1863|publisher=Williams and Norgate|language=en}}</ref>

In some versions, she is one of the many divine mothers of [[Kartikeya]] (Skanda). She is also the mother of [[Agneya]] (Aagneya) — the daughter of Agni. She is considered to be a daughter of [[Daksha]] and his consort [[Prasuti]]. She is thought to preside over burnt offerings. Her body is said to consist of the four Vedas and her six limbs are considered to be the six Angas of the Vedas.

=== Story ===
In the ''[[Mahabharata]] Vana Parva'', [[Markandeya]] narrates her story to the [[Pandavas]]. Svaha was the daughter of [[Daksha]]. She fell in love with the God of Fire, Agni, and was pursuing him. Agni did not notice her. He presided over the sacrificial rituals of the [[Saptarshi|Saptarishi]]s. The deity became highly besotted with the wives of the Saptarishis who were so ravishing that he kept staring at them.

Finally, Agni could not bear the guilt of longing for wives belonging to someone else and he went to the forests to perform penances. Svaha followed him and understood his desire. She took the forms of the wives of the Saptarishis (though she was unable to take the form of [[Arundhati (Hinduism)|Arundhati]], wife of Vashishtha) and approached Agni six times, seducing him and throwing the seed of each union into a golden pot, from which Skanda was born.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hertel |first1=Bradley R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r-OYL6Khg0UC&dq=svaha+goddess&pg=PA232 |title=Living Banaras: Hindu Religion in Cultural Context |last2=Humes |first2=Cynthia Ann |date=1993-01-01 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-1331-9 |pages=232 |language=en}}</ref>

== Literature ==

=== Brahmanda Purana ===
The Brahmanda Purana mentions the names of the children of Svaha: Pavamāna, Pāvaka, and Śuci.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2019-06-12 |title=The race of Agni [Chapter 12] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-brahmanda-purana/d/doc362725.html#note-e-125577 |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>

=== Devi Bhagavata Purana ===
In the [[Devi-Bhagavata Purana|Devi Bhagavata Purana]], [[Narayana]] offers [[Narada]] the procedure to meditate upon Svaha:<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2013-05-15 |title=On the history of Svāhā [Chapter 43] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/devi-bhagavata-purana/d/doc57356.html |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|text=The following is the Dhyānam (meditation) of Svāhā Devī :-- O Devī Svāhā! Thou art embodied of the Mantras; Thou art the success of the Mantras; Thou art Thyself a Siddhā; Thou givest success and the fruits of actions to men; Thou dost good to all. Thus meditating, one should offer Pādya (water for washing the feet), etc., uttering the basic Mantra; success then comes to him. Now hear about the Radical Seed Mantra.

The said mantra (Mūla mantra) is this :-- “Om Hrīm Śrīm Vahnijāyāyai Devyai Svāhā.” If the Devī be worshipped with this Mantra, all the desires come to a successful issue.|title=[[Devi Bhagavata Purana]]|source=Book 9, Chapter 43}}
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Hindu Culture and Epics}}

[[Category:Hindu goddesses]]
[[Category:Rigvedic deities]]
[[Category:Sanskrit words and phrases]]
[[Category:Daughters of Daksha]]
[[Category:Hindu mantras]]
[[Category:Buddhist mantras]]
[[Category:Jain mantras]]

Svaha - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article