Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates ‘Goddess Prishni’ of the study on women in the Vedic society reflecting the Atharva-veda Samhita in English. These pages discusses the social aspects of women, education, customs of marriage, practices of polyandry and polygamy, descriptions of female deities and various rites and rituals. It is shown how women earned much praise in ancient Indian society. Included are Sanskrit text and references of the Atharvaveda and commentary by Sayana-Acharya.
17. Goddess Pṛśni
Pṛśni is the word which generally denotes white colour.[1] In certain references, Pṛśni is presented as a deity. Sometimes, Pṛśni is identified with the heaven, or the bright Āditya.[2] The author of the Nirukta[3] also holds that Āditya is called Pṛśni because it is thoroughly pervaded by the bright colour. The enlightenment of the undisclosed universe is attributed to this Pṛśni or Āditya.[4] Pṛśni is also spoken of as causing rain.[5] From these references, Pṛśni seems to be a male deity. But, in certain references, femininity is also observed in connection with Pṛśni. Maruts are called pṛśnimātṛn, i.e. those whose mother is Pṛśni.[6] Here, Sāyaṇācārya[7] interprets Pṛśni as mādhyamikā vāk. Thus, Pṛśni seems to be a female one too.
In the Atharvaveda, Pṛśni is lauded for peace.[8] Pṛśni, the mother of the Maruts is called as devagopā,[9] i.e. protected by the gods. She is asked to be pleasant to the invokers.[10] Varuṇa presents dakṣiṇā to Pṛśni.[11]
Pṛśni is sometimes interpreted as identical to gau, i.e. cow[12] and sometimes as the epithet of gau.[13] Pṛśni is also presented as an all-pervading deity in the Atharvaveda.[14]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
[4]:
anudbhūtanāmarūpātmakaṃ jagat brahmānanyatvena sarvaśaktitvād udbhūtanāmarūpatvena vyaktam akārṣīd ityarthaḥ / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 2.1.1
[6]:
[7]:
Ibid.
[8]:
… saṃ cakṣe pṛśnimetāmupāje / Atharvaveda, 5.11.2
[9]:
[10]:
Atharvaveda, 19.11.3
[12]:
Ibid., 6.31.1
[14]:
Ibid., 6.31.1