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Prithvi

Prithvi (Sanskrit: पृथ्वी, pṛthvī, also पृथिवी, pṛthivī, "the Vast One"), also rendered Pṛthvī Mātā, is the Sanskrit name for the earth, as well as the name of a devi (goddess) in Hinduism of the earth and some branches of Buddhism. In the Vedas, her consort is Dyaus, the sky god. Her Puranic equivalent is known as Bhumi, the consort of Varaha.

AsPṛthvī Mātā ('Mother Earth') she is complementary to Dyaus Pita ('Father Sky').^[1] In the Rigveda, the earth and the sky are primarily addressed dually as Dyavapṛthivi.^[2] She is associated with the cow; Prithu, an incarnation of Vishnu, milked her in the form of a cow.

Owing to strong historical Hindu influence, the name is also used for national personificationsofIndonesia, where she is referred to as Ibu Pertiwi.

Buddhism[edit]

In Buddhist texts and visual representations, Pṛthvī is described as both protecting Gautama Buddha and as being his witness for his enlightenment. Prithvi appears in Early Buddhism in the Pāli Canon, dispelling the temptation figure Mara by attesting to Gautama Buddha's worthiness to attain enlightenment.^[3] The Buddha is frequently depicted performing the bhūmisparśa or "earth-touching" mudrā as a symbolic invocation of the goddess. ^[4]

InChinese Buddhism, she is considered one of the Twenty-Four Protective Deities (二十四諸天 Èrshísì zhūtiān) and is usually enshrined in the Mahavira Hall of Buddhist temples along with the other devas.

Pṛthvī Sūkta[edit]

The Pṛthvī Sūkta is a hymn of the Atharvaveda (12.1).

Epithets[edit]

See also[edit]

• Phra Mae Thorani – Mother Earth (goddess) of Buddhist mythology
• Vasudhara – Buddhist bodhisattva of prosperity

References[edit]

Works cited[edit]

• Doniger O'Flaherty, Wendy, ed. (2007). The Rig Veda: An Anthology: One Hundred and Eight Hymns. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-044989-1.
• Shaw, Miranda Eberle (2006). Buddhist Goddesses of India. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-12758-3.

Further reading[edit]

• Dallapiccola, Anna (2024). Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-51088-9.
• Kinsley, David (1987). Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-0379-5.

External links[edit]

Media related to Prithvi at Wikimedia Commons