Sushmajee
Dictionary Of Hindu Religion | Dictionary
| Dictionary-P-Q | |
| Prithvi |
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P-Q R S T-U V-W-X Y-Z see also Bhoor Lok; Earth's Motions; The Earth.
This world in which we live. She is one of the
14 Lok. In Ved, she is considered a Devee and is a part of Vyaahriti -
Bhoor, Bhuvah, Swaha, in which Bhoor refers to Prithvi. Also spelled as
"Prithivee". Once in the times of the King Prithu, Prithvi refused to
give anything to its people, so he ran to kill her. Then she surrendered
to him and the King regarded her as his daughter. From that day she was
called Prithvi. Its synonyms are Dharatee, Vasudhaa, Vasumatee, Vasundharaa,
In fact there is a difference between Bhoomi and Prithvi - Bhoomi means
land and Prithvi means inhabited land. Thus Bhoomi is a geographical
concept and Prithvi is a demographical concept.
Mahaveer, Saavan, and Kavi were
not interested in material wealth and devoted themselves to the Lord.
Brahmaa's son was Manu and Manu had two sons - Uttaanpaad and Priyavrat.
Priyavrat, having ruled the globe for 1.1 billion years (1,100,000,000),
divided the Earth into seven parts by the rut left by his chariot wheels,
which resulted in seven continents and seven seas. Thus, the Earth is
divided into seven Dweep (Continents, primary divisions) ruled by seven
sons of the monarch Priyavrat.
The Prithvi as Deity Origin and
Meaning Some Other Names Special Features Qualities - Tolerance and forgiveness. The earth endures the cruel acts of evildoers, pardons them and even nurtures them. In the context of evildoers it is said, ‘ते मृत्युलोके भूमिभारभूता मनुष्यरुपेण मृगाश्चरन्ति ।’ meaning animals in human form (unrighteous people) on the Earth (Mrityu Lok) become a burden to it. And Fragrance - This is a feature of the earth. Ability and Manifest Energy Ability : Creation 10%, sustenance 20% and dissolution 70%. Manifest energy : 10% Idols One does not come across idols of this Deity. Spiritual Practices The Earth is worshipped in the form of snake holes. This form of the Earth is referred to as Santeri. The form of the Earth as Bhoomak is ritualistically worshipped by performing ritualistic worship of the kitchen platform. Although we consider the Earth as a Deity we touch her with our feet, walk over her, make her dirty, etc. Hence every morning after waking up, before placing the feet on the ground the following prayer is recited. ‘समुद्रवसने देवी पर्वतस्तनमण्डले
। विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं
पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्व मे ।' Lord Vishnu is the sustainer. The Earth too performs the same function. Hence she is considered as Vishnu’s consort. At times Shree Devee (Lakshmee) and Bhoo Devee (Deity of the Earth) are depicted on either side of the idol of Lord Vishnu. Forms of Prithvi The Earth becomes a mother only after becoming ‘moist’. Hence in the verse (Stotra) Shree Sookt with reference to mud and moisture it is said “because of you she bore progeny and became a mother”. The lotus is associated with both muck and moisture. The menstruating woman (Ambuvachi) : Rajah (रज:) means minute particles and Rajaswalaa (रजस्वला) means the woman undergoing her menses (periods). According to the Krishiparaashar (6th century AD) a farmer who wishes to grow a crop is prohibited from sowing seeds for three and a half days between the end of the Hindu Lunar months of Jyeshth and the beginning of Aashaadh because at that time the earth is menstruating. If this rule is violated then it amounts to a sin and that individual gets destroyed. Based on the date (Tithi) during the period between the end of the Mrigshiraa and the beginning of the Aardraa lunar asterisms (Nakshatra) for three days, the earth is in her menstrual cycle. This state is referred to as "Ambuvachi". According to the regional variation these days may vary. 1. In the Indian state of Aassaam, the temple of the female deity Kaamaakshee is kept closed for three days from the sixth (Shashthee) / seventh (Saptamee) day till the tenth (Dashamee) / eleventh (Ekaadashee) day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu Lunar month of Aashaadh. On the fourth day after ritualistic worship the temple doors are opened. To signify menstruation of the Deity, on that day, devotees are given a piece of red cloth as offering (Prasaad). On the seventh day (Saptamee) ‘Saat’ festival is celebrated here. 2. In Kaashmeer, the festival of Radnyisnaapan, bathing of the Earth, the consort of the Sun Deity after her menstruation, is celebrated from the fifth (Panchamee) to the eighth (Ashtamee) day of the dark fortnight of the Hindoo Lunar month of Chaitra. 3. In Keral, in India, the rituals of Tripukharattu and Ucharal are performed in the month of January or February in which for three days the house, courtyard and garden are neither swept nor watered or smeared with cow dung. 4. In Udeesaa, in India, in the last few days of the Hindoo Lunar month of Jyeshth or the first one or two days of Aashaadh, the festival of Rajotsav (menstruation) is celebrated. As the mother and nurturer - Obeying the directives of Sage Jamadagni, Parashuraam beheaded his mother, Renukaa. The head is worshipped as the female Deity Yallama and the body as Bhoo Devee, Lajjaa-gauree, Lanjikaa, Yogaambika, Nitambinee, Kotavee (kot means nude), Chinnamastaa, etc. Lanjikaa refers to the great birth passage (Mahaa-Yoni) of the entire universe. Only the body represents creation and the organs of sustenance. The female Deity is primarily the Deity of nature and its nurturer too. That is why she is worshipped in the form of the birth passage which represents creation and the breasts which represent nurture. Nirriti - "निर्गत: ऋत: यस्मात्" means Nirriti is the one in whom the path to know the ultimate truth is deficient. She is the Deity of death. She exists in the form of a pot (Kumbh). Formerly a dead child used to be buried in a pot. A pot resembles an uterus. It suggests that birth occurs through the womb and that after death once again one has to return to the womb. Spiritual Experience Baabaa (HH Bhaktaraaj Mahaaraaj) - "Spiritually the Moon too is considered a great Deity. The Moon is the deity of the mind and imparts tremendous amount of Serenity (Shaanti). Your trip to the Moon must have had a great impact on your mind." Edgar Mitchell - "Of course the Moon makes the mind tranquil. But in this journey to the Moon the most fascinating experience that I had was the vision of the Earth from the Moon." Baba - "What effect did that have on you?" Edgar Mitchell - "I think I can describe that vision as “a glimpse of an experience of the soul, an experience of non-duality between the soul and the universe”. I experienced that for approximately three hours."
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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/06
Contact: sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on
11/23/12