Lord Shiva, his wife Goddess Parvati, and his three sons: Kartikeya, Ganesha, and Ayyappa, the world knows all about them (Well little less about Ayyappa), but do you know about the Daughters of Lord Shiva.
Yes! The deity apparently had three daughters who are not as popular as his 3 sons but are still worshipped in some parts of India. These daughters have been mentioned in Shiva Purana and even many religious scriptures, and stories mention their existence.
The names of Mahadev’s daughters Ashokasundari, Jyoti, and Vasuki (or Manasa)—might not have the same widespread recognition as their father, mother, or siblings. However, each Mahadev daughter name is still revered and worshipped with devotion in various parts of India.
Ashokasundari is the first daughter of lord Shiva, she was created by Goddess Parvati. You can read about her in detail in ‘Padma Purana’. The religious stories suggest that Goddess Parvati created Ashokasundari to reduce her loneliness.
Parvati named her Ashokasundari because she let Parvati get rid of her sorrow ‘Shok’ and she was extremely beautiful ‘Sundari‘.
She is worshipped mainly in Gujarat and not much has been known about her except the famous story that she was present at the time when Shiva beheaded Ganesha. The story says that at that time she hid behind a sack of salt in fear.
From then Ashokasundari has been associated with salt which symbolises the eternal taste of life and without which the life is unsavoury.
The second daughter of Lord Shiva is Jyoti. Her name literally means light and she is popular as the Hindu goddess of light. There are two different myths about her birth.
The first myth suggests that Lord Shiva’s daughter Jyoti emerged from the halo of her father and she is a physical manifestation of Shiva’s grace but the second myth says that she has taken birth from a spark that emerges from the forehead of Goddess Parvati.
Jyoti is also known as Goddess Jwalamukhi and worshipped in many temples in Tamil Nadu. She is also worshipped as the goddess Rayaki who is associated with the Vedic Raka in some parts of India.
Also Read: Why Lord Shiva sits on Tiger Skin
Manasa’s story is intriguing of them all. She was born when Shiva’s semen touched a statue carved by the mother of snakes, Kadru. Manasa is indeed Shiva’s daughter but she is not Goddess Parvati’s child.
Manasa Devi is the goddess who cure snake bites.
The mythological stories suggest that Manasa has a bad temper because she faced rejection from her father, her husband, and her step-mother Parvati. She also hates Goddess Parvati for never accepting her as a daughter.
Goddess Manasa is ritually worshipped in temples of Bengal. She is worshipped without an image, generally, an earthen snake image or an earthen pot or a branch of a tree is worshipped as the Goddess Manasa.
Her cult is widespread in Bengal and she is widely worshipped in the rainy season because at that time snakes become more active.
She is also worshipped for protection from snake bites and infectious diseases like smallpox and chickenpox.
Where these three don’t have much mention in our religious stories and sculptures, there are enough evidence that all three of them are apparently real.
Also Read: Popular Names of Lord Shiva
If you liked the article daughters of Lord Shiva, do follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more updates. Don’t forget to like and share. Do tell us your views in the comment box below.
RATAN NAVAL TATA, a name that evokes humanity, empathy, kindness, genuineness, simplicity, intelligence, and integrity…
Filing income tax returns is an essential part of every individual's financial planning. In India,…
He's a rap icon, a music mogul, and a successful entrepreneur – he's Jay-Z. With…
Carpеts arе an еssеntial part of many homеs. Thеy add warmth and cosinеss to a…
A lеaky faucеt can bе frustrating, wastеful, and еxpеnsivе ovеr timе. Fortunatеly, fix a leaky…
Jim C. Walton, the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is one of the…