பூமாதேவி என்பது புவியைத் தாயாகக் கருதி வணங்கும் உருவத்தைக் குறிக்கிறது.

இவரை பூமிதேவி, பூதேவி

என்றும் அழைக்கின்றனர். இந்து புராணங்களின் படி, இவர் காக்கும் கடவுளான விஷ்ணுவின் மனைவியாக
கருதப்படுகிறார். மேலும் திருமால் வராக அவதாரம் எடுத்த போது நரகாசுரனை பெற்றார். சத்தியபாமாவை,
பூமாதேவியின் இன்னொரு வடிவமாகக் கருதுகின்றனர். சீதையின் தாயாகவும் கருதுவர்.

Bhumi (goddess)

Bhumi

Goddess of the Earth[1]

Idol of goddess Bhumi at a temple in Tamil Nadu

Other names Bhudevi, Prithvi, Varahi, Puhumi, Vasundhara,

Vasumati, Basumati

Affiliation Vaishnavism Lakshmi

Abode Bhuloka and Dyuloka

Mantra Om Bhumyai Namah

 Mount Elephant

Personal information

Consort Varaha (Vishnu)

Children Narakasura, Mangala, Sita

Equivalents

Greek Gaia

equivalent

Roman Terra

equivalent

Bhumi (Sanskrit: भूमि, romanized: Bhūmi), also known as Bhudevi and Vasundhara,
is a Hindu goddess who is the personification of the Earth. She is a consort of the
god Vishnu. According to Vaishnava tradition, she is the second aspect of Vishnu's
consort, Lakshmi, along with the aspects of Sridevi and Niladevi.[2] Varaha, the third
avatar of Vishnu, saved her from the demon Hiranyaksha and later married her,
making her one of his consorts. She is regarded as the mother
of Narakasura, Mangala, and Sita.[3]

Etymology and iconography[edit]

The name "Bhūmi" is Sanskrit word for "earth". The version "Puhumi" is the
equivalent in Old Awadhi.[4] She is known by various names such as Bhuvati,
Bhuvani, Bhuvaneshwari, Avni, Prithvi, Varahi, Dharti, Dhaatri, Dharani, Vasudha,
Vasundhara, Vaishnavi, Kashyapi, Urvi, Ira, Mahi, Ela, Vasumati, Dhanshika,
Vasumati, Hema, and Hiranmaya.
Bhudevi is depicted as seated on a platform that rests on the back of four elephants,
representing the four cardinal directions. She is usually portrayed with four arms,
holding a pomegranate, a water vessel, a bowl containing healing herbs, and
another bowl containing vegetables, respectively.[5] She is also sometimes depicted
with two hands, the right hand holding a blue lotus known as Kumuda or Utpala, the
night lotus, while the left hand may indicate the pose of Abhayamudra, the
fearlessness or the Lolahasta Mudra, which is an aesthetic pose meant to mimic the
tail of a horse.[6][7]

Literature[edit]
Padma Purana[edit]
The episode of the devas seeking the assistance of Vishnu's Varaha avatar in
rescuing Bhudevi is described in the Padma Purana:[8]
They sought the shelter of Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu. Then knowing that wonder, he, Viṣṇu,
the holder of a conch, a disc, and a mace, took up the Boar-form, existing
everywhere and having no beginning, middle or end. The highest lord full of
everything, having hands and feet on all sides, having large fangs and arms, struck
the demon with one fang. The mean son of Diti, with his huge body pounded, died.
Seeing the earth fallen (from the demon’s head), he lifted it with his fang, and putting
it on Śeṣa’s head as before, took up the form of a Tortoise.1 Seeing great Viṣṇu of
the form of the hog, all deities and sages, with their bodies bowed with devotion,
praised him.

— Padma Purana, Chapter 237

Brahmanda Purana[edit]
Prahlada, the son of Hiranyakashipu, was a devotee of Vishnu. The father did not
like the son’s devotion to Vishnu. He punished Prahlada in a number of ways. Once,
he threw down Prahlada from the top of a high building. At that moment, Bhudevi
appeared there and received him in her arms.[9]

Consort and children[edit]

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Bhudevi is the consort of the anthropomorphic Varaha, an avatar of Vishnu.[10] In the

Satya Yuga, the demon Hiranyaksha kidnapped her and hid her in the primordial
waters, and Vishnu appeared as Varaha to rescue her. Varaha slew the demon and
retrieved the Earth from the depths of the ocean, lifting it on his tusks. He restored
Bhudevi to her rightful place in the universe, and proceeded to marry her. Mangala,
and according to Vaishnava tradition, Narakasura, were the sons of Varaha and
Bhumi.[11][12]
Narakasura was the first born of Bhudevi. There are two stories about Narakasura's
birth. In the first one, he was the first son of Bhumi and Varaha. He was born when
Bhumi requested Varaha for a son. Narakasura later performed a penance to receive
a boon that only his mother would be able to kill him. In the second one,
Narakasura's father was Hiranyaksha and was born when Hiranyaksha's horns
touched Bhumi.[13] Narakasura is believed to have been the founder of the
legendary Bhauma dynasty among the Boro people.
Sita, the wife of Rama, emerged from the earth, and thus Bhumi is her spiritual
mother. The tale goes that there was once a drought in Mithila, the hometown of
Sita. Janaka, the future father of Sita, was ploughing the ground. Under his plough,
he found a baby girl (Sita). Rain showered upon the earth and Janaka and his wife,
Sunaina, decided to adopt the girl. As Sita was born from the earth, she was also
known as Bhumija.[14]
 

Bhudevi seated on Varaha's lap.

Sita entering the Earth with her mother Bhumi after a feud with her husband Rama.

Temples of Bhudevi

 Bhudevi, Vittalapuram, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh

 Bhoomidevi temple chendia-karnataka
 Sri Bhu Sametha -Venkateswaraswamy temple
 Bhu Varaha Swamy temple, Srimushnam
 Bhu Varahaswamy Temple , Tirumala
 Bhumidevi sametha Sri Uppiliappan Perumal, Thirunageswaram, Tamil
Nadu
 Panniyur Sri Varahamurthy Temple, palakkad

The milking of the earth[edit]

Main article: Prithu
One of the most well-recounted legends of Bhumi is her episode with the emperor of
the world, Prithu. When Prithu hears that his people are starving because the earth
had withdrawn most of her vegetation, he furiously chases her in her form of a cow.
She submits, allowing herself to be milked so that living beings could be nourished
once more. Attributes such as the courage, valour, knowledge, and the bodily health
of the Brahmin sages are stated to have been milked from the earth, and the virtues
and the truths that characterise animals may be attributed to her as well:[15]
Pṛthu got angry on hearing this and taking his bow Ajagava and several arrows went
in search of the goddess of earth. The goddess got frightened and fled taking the
form of a cow. She went to all lokas but Pṛthu followed her with his bow and arrows
everywhere. At last desiring to escape from the arrows of such a valiant king
Bhūmidevī went to him and trembling with fear said "Oh king, why do you make such
a persistent attempt, to kill me which would be the great sin of Strīvadha? (killing a
woman)." The Rājā replied that there was no sin in killing wicked persons. The
goddess asked what refuge was there for the people if the earth was destroyed. The
king said that he would protect his people by the power of his yoga. Bhūmidevī was
frightened and she said "Oh king, I shall give you back all I have destroyed in the
form of milk. Therefore, virtuous as you are, if you are really interested in the welfare
of the people I shall allow you to milk me and take back everything you want. Do
bring a calf."

Satyabhama avatar[edit]
Main article: Satyabhama
After receiving his desired boon, Narakasura grew arrogant and drunk with his
power. He started capturing women and forcefully made them his wives. He
captured nearly 16,000 women. He wrested control of heaven from Indra and no
deity was able to defeat him because of his boon. Narakasura even took the earrings
of Indra's mother, Aditi, and gave them to his mother, Bhumi. Bhudevi was requested
by the devas to slay her son. She manifested herself upon the earth as Satyabhama,
the daughter of Satrajit. Satyabhama married Krishna, and the couple waged war on
Narakasura. She finally beheaded the latter with her husband's Sudarshana Chakra,
thus fulfilling the prophecy that the asura could only be killed by his mother.[16]

References[edit]
1. ^ "Bhumi, Bhūmi, Bhūmī: 41 definitions". Wisdom Library. 11 April 2009. Earth
(भूमि, bhūmi) is one of the five primary elements (pañcabhūta)
2. ^ Duffy, Michelle; Mair, Judith (2017-08-07). Social inclusion, social exclusion and
encounter. Festival Encounters. Routledge. pp. 83–93. doi:10.4324/9781315644097-
8. ISBN 9781315644097. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
3. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2019-01-28). "Story of Bhūmi". www.wisdomlib.org.
Retrieved 2020-09-09.
4. ^ "पृथिवी", Wiktionary, 2022-07-03, retrieved 2022-10-22
5. ^ Rao, T.A.G. (1997). Elements of Hindu Iconography. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-
208-0876-2.
6. ^ Stutley, Margaret (2003). The Illustrated Dictionary of Hindu Iconography. Munshiram
Manoharlal Publishers. p. 82. ISBN 81-215-1087-2.
7. ^ Mitchell, A. G.; Victoria and Albert Museum (1982). Hindu gods and goddesses. United
Kingdom: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. p. 8. ISBN 9780112903727.
8. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2019-10-31). "The Boar Incarnation of Viṣṇu [Chapter
237]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
9. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2019-01-28). "Story of Bhūmi". www.wisdomlib.org.
Retrieved 2022-08-11.
10. ^ "Killing of Narakasura".
11. ^ Dalal, Roshen (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books
India. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
12. ^ "Bhoomi Devi – Our Sacred Goddess Mother Earth". Anaadi Foundation Blog.
Retrieved 2020-09-09.
13. ^ Dalal, Roshen (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books
India. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
14. ^ "The Story of Mother Sita the consort of Rama". Salagram.net. Archived from the
original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
15. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2019-01-28). "Story of Pṛthu". www.wisdomlib.org.
Retrieved 2022-08-11.
16. ^ "Happy Diwali: The Legends Linked To Deepavali Festival". NDTV.com.
Retrieved 2020-06-09.

External links[edit]
 Media related to Bhūmi at Wikimedia Commons