Aditi

Symbol: cosmic mother; cow; soma

Culture: Hindu

Overview

Aditi is the Hindu mother goddess. She is revered as the sky goddess who gave birth to the sun, planets, stars, the constellations of the zodiac, and all other celestial bodies. Aditi is also known as the mother of the millions of Hindu gods, as well as the mother of the Adityas, sons who represent the solemn principles of the Hindu faith. Devotees consider her to be the source of life and creative forces as well as the sustainer of life. Because of this, she is considered to be the source of all living beings and is sometimes called the Universal Mother.

In Mythology

In connection with the image of Aditi as a nurturing, supportive maternal figure, she is sometimes portrayed as a cow. This connects her with the nourishment a cow provides to its own offspring and to other beings as well. Through this imagery, her milk is associated with soma. Soma is a fermented beverage made from plant sap mixed with water and milk that was credited with conveying immortality to the gods. Hindu priests often consumed soma, which was said to be invigorating, and people used it as an offering for the gods. Those who drank soma were said to become a step closer to the divinity of the gods.

Aditi is known as the mother of the Adityas. These are the sons of Aditi and their existence is recorded in the Veda hymns and writings. However, there are discrepancies as to their number and names. There are at least six and possibly as many as eight or more, though only seven names are given in the Veda—Amsa, Aryanan, Bhaga, Daksha, Mitra, Varuna, and Marttanda. Some Hindu lore says that the eighth son, Marttanda, was deformed and Aditi cast him away from the family. His brothers took pity on him and removed part of the deformity, which was then used to form the elephant.

Other stories about Aditi credit her with twelve children that represent the twelve main principles of Hinduism. These include courage, chivalry, and making good use of one’s skills. Still other stories portray her as the mother of Indra, a thunderbolt-wielding deity associated with thunderstorms, drought-ending rain, and war. This is an example of the way many traditions and story canons came together to form the religion known as Hinduism.

Though Aditi is considered to be the mother of all creation, she is sometimes portrayed without a spouse. Some hymns refer to her as the wife of Daksha, the creator god responsible for all living things. Daksha created them, the Vedas say, but Aditi bore them in her womb and gave them life. In other scenarios, she is the daughter of Daksha and married to Kashyapa, another creator god; in these stories, she is the mother of Vamana, the human incarnation of the major Hindu deity, Vishnu. Some of the confusion apparently results from the fact that Aditi is seen as the mother of all gods and multiple traditions were brought together to establish Hinduism.

Origins & Cults

The name Aditi is a Sanskrit word that means “limitless,” “boundless,” “entire,” but also conveys the idea of freedom and security. The name references the role of the goddess as mother of all of creation who gives life to all. It also refers to the unlimited love and protection she provides to the world. Another name for Aditi is Great Mother. She is also associated with other maternal goddesses such as Rhea, the mother of the Greek gods of Olympus.

The earliest mention of Aditi comes in the Rig Veda, an important collection of hymns written between about 1500 and 1000 BCE. Aditi is mentioned frequently in these Hindu songs where she is revered for her role as the mother of all beings in heaven and earth. The hymns often mention her as an intercessor for humankind. She is seen as someone to whom both deities and humans can turn to with prayers and requests for assistance. These requests can include material needs, prayers for safety in times of danger, and pleas to help overcoming bad behaviors.

Unlike many of the world’s major religions, Hinduism has no known founder and even the exact time of its origin is unknown. The lack of a central tenet of beliefs also makes it difficult to pin down the beginnings of the faith’s tradition. Hinduism incorporates the beliefs and traditions of several related religions. However, most scholars say the origins of Hinduism can be traced to an area near present-day Pakistan more than four thousand years ago. Even without an exact date of origin, this timeframe would make it the oldest religion still practiced.

Hinduism has a main god, Brahman, also known as the creator god and the supreme spirit. Hindus also recognize the existence of many other gods and goddesses. Brahman’s spirit is thought to be in all of these deities and in every living thing as well.

There are also various sects of Hinduism that identify with special worship of one or more of the main deities—Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, and Brahman. The majority of the world’s Hindus live in India. With more than 900 million followers, Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam.

Estimates place the number of Hindu deities at more than 330 million. Each Hindu deity has his or her own stories and attributes. Many are thought to be overseers of various aspects of the world. Brahman and all the gods and goddesses are worshipped communally in temples. Many Hindus have personal temples in their homes to worship gods and goddesses that have special meanings to them.

Aditi is worshiped in several temples across India. A stone sculpture of the goddess was once revered at Sangameswara Temple in the Andhra Pradesh state of India. The sculpture has since been moved to a museum. Another sculpture at the Naganatha Temple in the Karnataka state has also been placed in a museum. A temple dedicated to Aditi is located at the Rock Cut Caves in Vizhinjam, in the state of Kerala.

Bibliography

“Aditi, The Mother of Gods.” Hinduwebsite.com, 2019, www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/concepts/aditi.asp. Accessed 19 April 2019.

Cartwright, Mark. “Soma.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 30 Jan. 2016, www.ancient.eu/Soma/. Accessed 19 April 2019.

“Diwali.” BBC, 20 Oct. 2010, www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/holydays/diwali.shtml. Accessed 19 April 2019.

“Hinduism.” BBC, 2014,www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/. Accessed 19 April 2019.

Kinsley, David. Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition. 1986. Motilal Banarsidass, 1998.

Kurin, Richard. “Aditi: A Celebration of Life.” Smithsonian Institute Folklife Festival, 2019, festival.si.edu/articles/1985/aditi-a-celebration-of-life. Accessed 19 April 2019.

Sadhwani, Tina. “Goddess Aditi: The Primal Creatrix.” Hindu Human Rights, 5 June 2013, www.hinduhumanrights.info/goddess-aditi-the-primal-creatix/. Accessed 19 April 2019.

Violatti, Cristian. “Vedas.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 8 May 2018, www.ancient.eu/The‗Vedas/. Accessed 19 April 2019.