Ambika (goddess)

Ambika
Mother Goddess, Mother of the Universe and all Beings
Painting of Ambika by Raja Ravi Varma
AffiliationMahadevi, Durga
AbodeManidvipa
WeaponDiscus, Conch Shell, Trident, Mace, Bow, Sword, Lotus Flower
MountLion or Tiger
TextsMarkendeya Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana

Ambika (Sanskrit अम्बिका, IAST: Ambikā) is a Hindu goddess. She is generally considered a form of Shakti, Parvati, or Durga. In various texts, she is mentioned as the sister or consort of Rudra, and is associated with other forms such as Bhavani and Katyayani.[1]

Legend

According to the Devi Mahatmya, after the asura Mahishasura was slain by Durga, the divinities embarked on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas and sang a hymn of praise in honor of the supreme goddess. Meanwhile, Goddess Parvati had come to the source of the Ganges to bathe and observed the hymn. She asked the divinites to whom the hymn was dedicated. Before they could respond, she shed her outer corporeal form, revealing her true and auspicious form, who is then named Ambika.[2]

In the Vedic tradition, Ambikā is described as the sister of Rudra (Śiva).[3] The Yajurveda (Śukla recension, 3.57) invokes Rudra “together with his sister Ambikā” (svasrā-ambikā). The Shatapatha Brahmana (2.6.2.9) explains this line by stating explicitly that “Ambikā is the name of his (Rudra’s) sister.” A similar reference occurs Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa (1.6.10.5), where Ambikā is again identified in this ritual context. In the Nrisimha Tapaniya Upanishad of the Atharvaveda, Lord Narasimha is described using various names, including Ambikāpati (husband of Ambika). In later Puranic literature, however, the name Ambika is also applied to Parvati.

See also

References

  1. ^ Dalal, Roshen (2010). Ambika. Penguin Books. p. 18. ISBN 9780143415176. Retrieved 22 June 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Padma, Sree (3 July 2014). Inventing and Reinventing the Goddess: Contemporary Iterations of Hindu Deities on the Move. Lexington Books. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-7391-9002-9.
  3. ^ Müller, Friedrich Max (1891). Vedic Hymns: Hymns to the Maruts, Rudra, Vâyu, and Vâta. Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-81-7030-755-6. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
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