*GODDESS OF THE WEEK* Renuka (Yellamma) Devi

[Guest guest]

She resides in Vijayanagara in the company of the flute and other

instruments. She is bedecked with gems and her speech is the essence

of sweetness. Her eyes are like arrows. She is the mother of

Parasurama. She resides in the middle of a triangle. She is the raga

Kannada Bangala. She was responsible for the death of a Gandharva.

 

I am protected all the time by Renuka Devi!

[Guest guest]

I have been wanting to reply to this message for sometime.

 

Sridharthakurli wrote : I do believe this cult falls under

Chinnamasta

 

Devi Bhakta reply : "The similarity between Renuka and Chinnamasta is

that Renuka, a brahmin woman, had her head chopped off by her own

son, on the instructions of his angry father, Renuka's husband. An

outcaste woman who is sheltering Renuka also loses her head in the

chaos. The son is overcome with regret, and wins a boon to re-attach

his mother's head. But he makes an error and attaches it to the

outcaste woman's body. The resulting being becomes a goddess"

 

Some devotees believe Shre Yellamma or Renuka devi, also known as

BalaTripura Sundari and also the Avatar of Chinnamasta. And like Devi

Bhakta remarked : their similarity between Renuka Devi and

Chinnamasta is that both heads got cut off. The only difference is

the circumstances which leads to this event. Renuka Devi got her head

off by her Son Parasuraman, only to be reinstated back after he got

the boon from his father for following his orders. Whereas

Chinnamasta beheaded her own head and reinstated it herself. It is

one of her divine play.

 

Having said all that, lets look closely at Renuka Devi/ Yellamma Devi.

Two women are involved here. One a Brahmin lady and the other a

outcast. This is no ordinary Brahmin lady. She [ Renuka ] is an

extremely pious, pure wife who is married to a devout holy man. She

is so pure that she can perform miraculous tasks such as making jars

out of loose sand and boiling water simply by placing a pot of water

on her head. One day, however she sees two gandharvas making love and

feels envy for them. Thereupon she loses her miraculous powers.

Discovering this and suspecting sexual disloyalty, her husband

commands their son [ Parasuraman ] to kill his mother.

 

The outcase woman, who tried to shelter the Brahmin lady when she ran

to her, got her head cut of by Parasuraman. Her act itself in trying

to protect a defenceless person, is divine.

 

To show his great pleasure to the Son, the father grants him one

boon. The Sons asks that his mothers life to be restored. Eventually

she is restored to life, but in the process her head and body get

transposed with those of an outcast woman.

 

The act of restoring the head, both women becomes an immortal, just

like Chinnamasta. As we are aware the powerful symbolism of the head

not only in Hinduism but also in Buddhism and many other religions.

The head symbolizes supremacy. The severing of ones head symbolically

represents liberation

 

In the Purusa Sukta of the RgVeda ( 10.90 ), it is said, Purusa

creates the universe by his own dismemberment, many major creations

originated from his head. The sky is said to evolved from his head.

 

Satapatha Brahmana, a sacrificial text states that : " when one

receives a new head, a transformation occurs which is usually

interpreted as receiving a better head" and with reference to

Ganesha, when he received his elephant head, he received his`real'

head which express his true nature. Therefore one can apply this

logic to the case of Renuka Devi. This new state of transformation,

She is able to assume various forms.

 

 

Renuka Devi is also associated closely with another powerful Goddess

Mariamman. It is said that Mariamman have the head of the Brahmin

lady and the body of untouchables, whereas Renuka Devi , the head of

the untouchables and the body of the Brahmin. In some versions the

untouchable body is Maatangi. Quite interesting to hear when Devi

Bhakta said " Some legends associate Lajja Gauri (a headless

goddess; see Group homepage) with the outcaste body, which is also

worshipped alone by some devotees. In other. understandings, her

mixed brahmin/outcaste pedigree creates an interesting goddess in her

society-defying totality"

 

And Madhava Prabu asked : "Renuka Devi is also known as Arani Padai

Veedu Amman...Is it true???? "

 

Kalika Putra remarked : Renuka is also known as karu mariamman and in

northern India as Mada Chamari she is hardcore vamachara goddess to

my knowledge and many associate her to devi draupadi then chinnamasta

however I can see how the resemblance is derived. Maha Mari is the

most volatile out of all the mari ammans and she is more so linked to

maha kali.

 

They are indeed an interesting and powerful goddess.