goddess jyeSTA myth

[Guest guest]

Is the jyeSTA myth (elder sister of zrI) purely a Southern myth?

M-W dictionary does not quote it from earlier sources like epics.

padmapuranam, bhagavatham talk of it.

 

I don't think Sukumari Bhattacharji (Ind. theogony) is correct

in positing that jyeSTA is Dravidian who was replaced by

zrI who is Aryan.

 

Kamban, for example says that she is scum that first came out

while samudra was churned, zrI is the rasam enjoyed by Narayana.

Tirukkural, Alvars, Nayanmars talk of jyeSTA/jyAyA.

No Pallava temple without her, and the priests offered demon

worship to her. After 9th century, she was discarded.

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan

[Guest guest]

See

 

Julia Leslie, "Sri and Jyestha: ambivalent role models for women",

in _Roles and Rituals for Hindu Women_ ed. by Julia Leslie (London:

Pinter, 1991), pp. 107--127.

 

Most of the issues concerning the background, mythology, and meaning

of Jyestha are discussed in this article.

 

DW

[Guest guest]

Incidently, when we celebrated the Vinayaka Chaturthi-chaturdashi

festival in Pune, the Maharashtrian families (who would invite us

over) installed Ganapati icons at their homes and some had his wives

(as I was told, unless I misheard because I was too busy relishing

modaks and masaala milk!)Jyeshthaa and Kanishthaa on his two sides. I

do not know the story behind this but hope it sheds some light on the

issue being discussed.

 

But anyways-

 

sukhakarta dukhaharta vartta vighnaachi....

 

Regards

 

Vishal

 

INDOLOGY, vvrsps@r... wrote:

> Dear Dr. Ganesan:

> I will appreciate if you can give me the exact reference (verse no.)

for this:

>

> <Kamban, for example says that she is scum that first came out<BR>

> while samudra was churned, zrI is the rasam enjoyed by Narayana.>

>