Daughters of Shiva : Devdutt Pattanaik

http://devdutt.com/articles/daughters-of-shiva.html

RSS (http://feeds.feedburner.com/Devdutt) Subscribe (http://devdutt.com/subscribe) Facebook

(https://www.facebook.com/DevduttPattanaik)

Devdutt (http://devdutt.com/) Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist

Home (http://devdutt.com/) Articles (http://devdutt.com/category/articles) Books (http://devdutt.com/category/books) Videos (http://devdutt.com/category/video) Archive (http://devdutt.com/archives) About (http://devdutt.com/about) Contact (http://devdutt.com/contact)
Daughters of Shiva

Jan 10, 2013 | Articles (http://devdutt.com/category/articles) , Indian Mythology (http://devdutt.com/category/articles

/indian-mythology) . (http://devdutt.com/articles/daughtersof-shiva.html/attachment/shivadaughters)

Published in Devlok, Sunday Midday, Dec. 16, 2012

With the appearance of Ashok Sundari on the Devon ke dev Mahadev teleserial on LifeOK channel, many are wondering since when did Shiva father daughters? Everyone has heard of his famous sons: Ganesha and Kartikeya. But daughters? Ashok Sundari? Where did she come from? The whole idea of Shiva Puran is to describe the gradual socialization of Shiva, from hermit to householder. And this means becoming a father and taking responsibility for fatherhood. As a hermit, Shiva is detached and disengaged with the world. But the Goddess is determined to make him participate. In that, she is helped by Vishnu and all the other gods. In Tamil temple lore, Vishnu is her brother and Brahma her father. Together they want this ascetic to establish a home. Only then will his great wisdom and his powers benefit the world at large. And so children are required. Thus sons are born. Notice how the two popular sons take care of humanitys most basic needs. Ganesha is associated with food that helps us cope with our fear of starvation. Kartikeya is associated with warfare that is necessary to defend ourselves from predators. Thus through his two sons, Shiva provides and protects. But this male preference has not been unnoticed by the devotees and the sages. And so across folk traditions there are references to his daughters.

1 of 5

1/24/2013 5:38 PM

Daughters of Shiva : Devdutt Pattanaik

http://devdutt.com/articles/daughters-of-shiva.html

The story of Ashok Sundari comes from the vrat-kathas of Gujarat and neighboring areas. She was created from a tree by Parvati to give her freedom from loneliness. She was called Ashoka as she got rid of Parvatis shok or sorrow. And Sundari because she was beautiful. Nothing much is known of her except that she was present at the time Ganesha was beheaded and she hid behind a sack of salt in fear, angering her mother, who was later pacified by her father. She is associated with salt, that ingredient without which life is unsavory. In Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, one occasionally comes across Jyoti, the goddess of light, who emerges from Shivas halo and is the physical manifestation of his grace. She is commonly associated with Kartikeya. In Bengali folk tales, Mansa, the goddess who cures snakebites, sister of Vasuki, king of snakes, was born when Shivas semen touched a statue carved by Kadru, mother of snakes. Thus she was Shivas daughter, but not Parvatis child, much like Kartikeya, who was born of Shivas semen but not in Parvatis womb. Parvati, known in the folktale as Chandi, does not like Mansa and is even jealous of her, suspecting she may be Shivas secret wife. It is Mansa who saves Shiva when he drinks poison during the churning of the ocean and identifies herself as Shivas daughter. But Chandi is so blinded by jealousy that she blinds Mansa in one eye. Tired of household quarrels, Shiva abandons Mansa but gives her a companion called Neta. Later, when Mansa gets married, Chandi tells her to go into the bridal chamber wearing snakes as ornaments, frightening her husband, Jaratkaru, who runs away. Abandoned by father and husband, the unhappy Mansa becomes a bitter angry goddess who has to be appeased if one wants to escape death by snakebite. The idea of devotees creating gods and goddess is not unknown to Hinduism. Few realize that Santoshi-maa did not exist in the Hindu landscape before the famous film in the 1970s. Is Ashok Sundari the next of our 330 million gods?

Share:
Like Tweet Share 5 108 4

Print (http://devdutt.com/articles/daughters-of-shiva.html#print) Email (http://devdutt.com/articles/daughters-of-shiva.html?share=email&nb=1)

Categories

Articles (http://devdutt.com/category/articles) (423) Indian Mythology (http://devdutt.com/category/articles/indian-mythology) (157) Leadership (http://devdutt.com/category/articles/leadership) (131) Mahabharata (http://devdutt.com/category/articles/mahabharata) (32) Modern Mythmaking (http://devdutt.com/category/articles/modern-mythmaking) (61) Myth Theory (http://devdutt.com/category/articles/myth-theory) (48) Ramayana (http://devdutt.com/category/articles/ramayana) (20) Translated Work (http://devdutt.com/category/articles/translated-work) (1) World Mythology (http://devdutt.com/category/articles/world-mythology) (57) Blog (http://devdutt.com/category/blog) (7) Books (http://devdutt.com/category/books) (27) Press (http://devdutt.com/category/press) (22) Uncategorized (http://devdutt.com/category/uncategorized) (7) Videos (http://devdutt.com/category/video) (52)

2 of 5

1/24/2013 5:38 PM

Daughters of Shiva : Devdutt Pattanaik

http://devdutt.com/articles/daughters-of-shiva.html

Business Sutra: CNBC (http://devdutt.com/category/video/business-sutra-cnbc) (12) Karta Yatra (http://devdutt.com/category/video/karta-yatra) (7) Shastrarth: CNBC Awaaz (http://devdutt.com/category/video/shastrarth) (24) TED (http://devdutt.com/category/video/ted) (3)
Recent Posts

Show me the original (http://devdutt.com/articles/show-me-the-original.html) When teachers learn and students teach (http://devdutt.com/articles/when-teachers-learn-and-studentsteach.html)

Daughters of Shiva (http://devdutt.com/articles/daughters-of-shiva.html) When brothers fight (http://devdutt.com/articles/when-brothers-fight.html) Value, Valuation and Values (http://devdutt.com/articles/value-valuation-and-values.html) Actions, good or bad, have consequences (http://devdutt.com/articles/actions-good-or-bad-haveconsequences.html)

Which way is the right way? (http://devdutt.com/articles/which-way-is-the-right-way.html) Indianomix Mythical or Modern (http://devdutt.com/uncategorized/indianomix-mythical-or-modern.html) Endings are a point of view (http://devdutt.com/articles/endings-are-a-point-of-view.html)

Related posts:
Ganeshas measuring scale (http://devdutt.com/articles/indian-mythology/ganesha%e2%80%99s-measuringscale.html) Three times around whose world? Yours or mine?...

Daughters of Eve (http://devdutt.com/articles/world-mythology/daughters-of-eve.html) Stories of women in the Bible

who took tough decisions....

Welcome back daughter (http://devdutt.com/articles/welcome-back-daughter.html) For a few days at least,the wife and
mother becomes a pampered daughter,once again,in her...

Celebrating Shivas Holy Night (http://devdutt.com/articles/indian-mythology/celebrating-shivas-holy-night.html)

An unconventional God - an unconventional way and rituals of worship.....

Wives of the Bachelor God (http://devdutt.com/articles/indian-mythology/wives-of-the-bachelor-god.html)

Kartikeya in the North,Murugan in the South - the tale of Shiva and Shakti's son....

When teachers learn and students teach (http://devdutt.com/articles/when-teachers-learn-and-students-teach.html) Next Prev When brothers fight (http://devdutt.com/articles/when-brothers-fight.html)

3 of 5

1/24/2013 5:38 PM

Daughters of Shiva : Devdutt Pattanaik

http://devdutt.com/articles/daughters-of-shiva.html

3 comments

Discussion

Community

Share

Jayasankar Chidambaram

10 days ago

Mahadev serial is a useless serial and Purana's are Wrognly interpreted by the Director and story writer. It is better we all lodge a protest against these Crooks.
0

Reply

Share

Jayasankar Chidambaram

10 days ago

It is just a nig imagination of this author. There is nothing like Ashok Sundari. Please ignore these Crook Writers.
0

Reply

Share

Raghav Venkataraman

14 days ago

"Is Ashok Sundari the next of our 330 million gods?" - I am from Tamilnadu and have not seen the Mahadev serial too. For me it is 330 million +1 :)
0

Reply

Share

ALSO ON DEVDUTT

What's this?

Show me the original

9 comments 9 days ago

When brothers fight

6 comments 16 days ago

Shirish Kirtiwar I wish, if you could translate @least some of your previous books(especially the 2 'seven secrets...

Anjan Brilliant as always.

When teachers learn and students teach

2 comments 12 days ago

Which way is the right way?

3 comments a month ago

Guest It's interesting that ancient Indian education system was so liberal in the learning process, wherea

Anudip Samui As per your last line, "There is not truth out there, only stories well told." Does this mean that

Pages

Biography (http://devdutt.com/about) Contact (http://devdutt.com/contact)

Recent Posts

4 of 5

1/24/2013 5:38 PM

Daughters of Shiva : Devdutt Pattanaik

http://devdutt.com/articles/daughters-of-shiva.html

Show me the original (http://devdutt.com/articles/show-me-the-original.html) When teachers learn and students teach (http://devdutt.com/articles/when-teachers-learn-and-studentsteach.html)

Daughters of Shiva (http://devdutt.com/articles/daughters-of-shiva.html) When brothers fight (http://devdutt.com/articles/when-brothers-fight.html) Value, Valuation and Values (http://devdutt.com/articles/value-valuation-and-values.html)
Recent Comments

Anusha Shajahan (http://www.facebook.com/anusha.shajahan) on History versus Mythology

(http://devdutt.com/articles/history-versus-mythology.html/comment-page-1#comment-8341)

Sandeep Kumar on Show me the original (http://devdutt.com/articles/show-me-the-original.html/commentpage-1#comment-8340)

Sandeep Kumar on Show me the original (http://devdutt.com/articles/show-me-the-original.html/commentpage-1#comment-8339)

A N Nanda on Show me the original (http://devdutt.com/articles/show-me-the-original.html/commentpage-1#comment-8338)

orchid on Fear of the evil eye (http://devdutt.com/articles/myth-theory/fear-of-the-evil-eye.html/commentpage-1#comment-8337)

All content 2013 by Devdutt Site design by Brand New (http://thebrandnewco.com/)

5 of 5

1/24/2013 5:38 PM