APOTHEOSISAPOTHEOSIS OFOF WATERWATER ANDAND ITSITS INEVITABILITYINEVITABILITY ININ INDIANINDIAN CULTURECULTURE

Dr.Dr. GauriGauri MahulikarMahulikar Reader,Reader, DepartmentDepartment ofof SanskritSanskrit UniversityUniversity ofof MumbaiMumbai

•APOTHEOSISAPOTHEOSISGreekGreek wordword –– apotheoun=makeapotheoun=make OFOF WATERWATER aa godgod ofof • Water=ApaHWater=ApaH (Sanskrit)(Sanskrit) rootroot Ap-toAp-to obtainobtain • AA NaturalNatural PhenomenonPhenomenon • SecondSecond GrossGross ElementElement ‘ApanAH‘ApanAH vyApanAH’vyApanAH’ • All-encompassingAll-encompassing principleprinciple • Rasa,Rasa, tastetaste isis it’sit’s subtlesubtle aspectaspect • VariousVarious forms:forms: Rain,Rain, Stream,Stream, Lake,Lake, Pond,Pond, River,River, Sea,Sea, Ocean.Ocean.

ApotheosisApotheosis == DeificationDeification

• Purity-Purity- CleansesCleanses physicalphysical andand spiritualspiritual dirtdirt • Sanctity-Sanctity- HolinessHoliness attachedattached • CreativityCreativity –– NasadiyaNasadiya SuktaSukta • EfficacyEfficacy –– UdavajraUdavajra magicalmagical missilemissile • ConceptConcept ofof TirthaTirtha andand TirthankarTirthankar

WaterWater andand GodsGods

• AjaAja EkapadEkapad –– SunSun • AhirbudhnyaAhirbudhnya –– CloudCloud VrtraVrtra AhiAhi AnantaAnanta • ApamApam NapatNapat –– LightningLightning • IndraIndra –– ReleasesReleases WaterWater fromfrom VrtraVrtra • AgniAgni –Resides–Resides inin WaterWater (Fire(Fire WaterWater Union)Union) • Visnu,BrhaspatiVisnu,Brhaspati andand MarutsMaruts –– AssistAssist IndraIndra

RainRain == ParjanyaParjanya

• RgvedaRgveda glorifiesglorifies ParjanyaParjanya asas aa deitydeity • It’sIt’s thethe divinedivine semensemen impregnatingimpregnating thethe vastvast nakednaked earth.earth. • TheThe Seeder,Seeder, fructifierfructifier ofof plantsplants • Sat.Sat. Br.Br. 2.3.4.12.3.4.1 ‘VIryamapah’‘VIryamapah’ • CalledCalled ‘Jivan’‘Jivan’ Life-sustainingLife-sustaining principleprinciple • ThunderingThundering killskills evilsevils (RV,V.83.2,9)(RV,V.83.2,9) asas

DifferentDifferent ReservoirsReservoirs ofof WaterWater • PondsPonds • PoolsPools • WellsWells • LakesLakes • RiversRivers • OceansOceans

RiversRivers

• WashWash offoff dust,dust, dirtdirt andand impurityimpurity • Purifiers,Purifiers, sanctifierssanctifiers • Healing,Healing, life-bestowinglife-bestowing principleprinciple • HaloHalo ofof supernaturalsupernatural • LivingLiving units.units. HaveHave guardianguardian deitiesdeities • Anthropomorphic.Anthropomorphic. Rivers=Maidens/WivesRivers=Maidens/Wives • Mermaids,Mermaids, Dancers,Dancers, Mothers,Mothers, GoddessesGoddesses

MotherMother GoddessesGoddesses

• Payas = Milk, sustaining • Called NadImatrka • NadImatrka region • Associated with Nagas • Shrines at river side • Purifies physically and mentally

RestrictionsRestrictions andand TaboosTaboos

• NoNo NudeNude bathsbaths inin RiversRivers • DisregardingDisregarding thethe guardianguardian deitydeity • ‘‘Ciraharana’Ciraharana’ ofof GopisGopis inin Bhag.Bhag. PuranaPurana • ‘‘Shakambhari’Shakambhari’ isis worshippedworshipped byby GopisGopis • NoNo ExcretionExcretion inin RiverRiver

RiversRivers == CursedCursed NymphsNymphs

• PatternPattern isis set.set. Ascetic-austerities-IndraAscetic-austerities-Indra worried-sendsworried-sends aa nymph-nymph- sagesage cursescurses her-turnsher-turns intointo river-river- mitigation-mitigation- joinjoin majormajor riverriver • Maharashtra-Maharashtra- Mula,Mula, MuthaMutha NiraNira • MarryMarry kingskings onon contractcontract • SantanuSantanu –– GangaGanga • SamvaranaSamvarana -- TapiTapi

HarmfulHarmful aspectaspect ofof riversrivers

• AssociatedAssociated withwith YaksaYaksa • CalledCalled ‘sati‘sati asra’asra’ • ProtectedProtected byby ‘Mhasoba’,‘Mhasoba’, ‘Joting’,‘Joting’, ‘Vetal’‘Vetal’ • ‘‘OtoOto bharane’bharane’ toto pacifypacify thethe wrathwrath • ConsistConsist ofof greengreen bangles,bangles, coconut,coconut, rice-grains,rice-grains, piecepiece ofof cloth,cloth, betelbetel nutnut etc.etc. • AtAt newnew canal,canal, dam,dam, irrigationirrigation plant,plant, floodflood

ZooZoo morphmorph ofof riverriver

• CowCow mostmost frequentfrequent • MythMyth ofof GodavariGodavari inin AndhraAndhra PradeshPradesh • MythMyth ofof Go-da-variGo-da-vari inin BrahmaBrahma PuranaPurana • OtherOther zoozoo morphsmorphs == fish,fish, tortoise,tortoise, nagasnagas

WaterWater andand CultureCulture

• WhatWhat isis CultureCulture • InevitabilityInevitability ofof waterwater inin samskarassamskaras • WhatWhat isis SamskaraSamskara • NamesNames andand NumberNumber • FromFrom birthbirth tilltill death,death, variousvarious ritualsrituals

RitualRitual DetailsDetails

• SamkalpaSamkalpa • AcamanaAcamana • ArghyaArghya • PadyaPadya • AbhisekaAbhiseka • SnanaSnana

RitualRitual BathBath

• PurificationPurification • StoryStory ofof KathaKatha andand RevatiRevati • StoryStory ofof sagesage ChyavanaChyavana • BridalBridal bathbath • GraduationGraduation bathbath • AvabhrthasnanaAvabhrthasnana afterafter sacrificesacrifice • WashesWashes allall impuritiesimpurities

OtherOther CulturesCultures

• JudaismJudaism –– MikvehMikveh –– RitualRitual bathbath • Islam–NamazIslam–Namaz –– cleaningcleaning hands,hands, feet,feet, headhead • AlAl mosquesmosques havehave waterwater sourcesource • ChristianityChristianity –– linkedlinked withwith BaptismBaptism • JesusJesus baptisedbaptised byby JohnJohn thethe BaptistBaptist inin riverriver JordanJordan

AbhisekaAbhiseka fromfrom GhataGhata

• ImportanceImportance ofof GhataGhata oror KalasaKalasa • FertileFertile fluidfluid • KingKing Yuvanasva’sYuvanasva’s conceptionconception (Bhag.P.)(Bhag.P.) • UsedUsed inin pacificatorypacificatory ritesrites like,like, Grahasanti.Grahasanti. PutrasantiPutrasanti etc.etc. • UsedUsed toto removeremove evil-eyeevil-eye • InIn thethe absenceabsence ofof snana,snana, abhisekaabhiseka

FestivalsFestivals • ImportantImportant featurefeature ofof anyany cultureculture • SocialSocial getget togethettogethet • HarvestHarvest festivalsfestivals • AssociatedAssociated withwith rainyrainy seasonseason • NagapancamiNagapancami • Onam,Onam, Pongal,Pongal, boatboat racesraces • PolaPola –– worshipworship ofof bull,bull, friendfriend ofof farmerfarmer • SimhasthaSimhastha KumbhaKumbha MillionsMillions gathergather withoutwithout invitationinvitation

HomageHomage toto WaterWater

• RV.VII.49.4RV.VII.49.4 (Hymn(Hymn praisingpraising water)water) • YasuYasu rajaraja VarunoVaruno yasuyasu SomoSomo • VisveVisve devahdevah yamurjamyamurjam madantimadanti • VaisvanaroVaisvanaro yasvagnihyasvagnih pravistahpravistah • TaTa ApoApo DevirihaDeviriha mamavantu.mamavantu.

CultCult ofof RiversRivers

• HolyHoly placesplaces ofof pilgrimagepilgrimage • BathBath oror dipdip inin TIrthaTIrtha • AssociatedAssociated withwith godsgods