Ekanamsha (Sanskrit: एकानंशा; Ekānaṁśā) is a Hindu goddess. She is primarily identified with the illusory power of Vishnu as Yogamaya. [3]
The goddess is believed to have been worshipped by the Vrishnis.[4] Many "kinship triads", depicting Vasudeva Krishna, Balarama, and their sister Ekanamsha have been found in the Mathura region, which are stylistically dated to the early centuries of the Common era.[5] She is believed to have also reincarnated as the goddess Subhadra, the daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini.[6]
Etymology
editIn Sanskrit, Ekanamsha means "the single, portionless one", and is a name of the new moon.[7] Another interpretation of her name is that the goddess Yogamaya came to be known as Ekanaṃsha because she was born of one part (aṃśa) of Vishnu himself.
Literature
editHarivamsa
editAccording to S. C. Mukherji, a modern scholar, in the Harivamsa, Ekanamsha is identified as a shakti of Vishnu as the goddess of Ekadasi, having descended as the daughter of Nanda to protect the baby Krishna from Kamsa.[8] In the Harivamsa, she is represented as sister of Vishnu, due to which she is offered the epithets Vimala Devi and Yogamaya.
Vishnudharmottara Purana
editThe Vishnudharmottara Purana describes the deity as Gandhari (the power of illusion pertaining to Vishnu), and this Gandhari represents the deities Dhrti, Kirti, Pusti, Sraddha, Sarasvati, Gayatri, and Kalaratri.
Brahmavaivarta Purana
editAccording to the Brahmavaivarta Purana, Ekanamsha was the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda, who was taken away by Vasudeva. When Kamsa tried to kill her, she transformed into the goddess Yogamaya, also known by the epithet Durga. Though in other versions the baby girl is carried to the Vindhya mountains, in this text, she stays with Vasudeva and Devaki. Later, when Krishna marries his chief consort, Rukmini, she is sent with Durvasa to protect and help him.[9]
References
edit- ^ Paul, Pran Gopal; Paul, Debjani (1989). "Brahmanical Imagery in the Kuṣāṇa Art of Mathurā: Tradition and Innovations". East and West. 39 (1/4): 116–117. ISSN 0012-8376. JSTOR 29756891.
- ^ Gupta, Vinay K. "Vrishnis in Ancient Literature and Art". Indology's Pulse Arts in Context, Doris Meth Srinivasan Festschrift Volume, Eds. Corinna Wessels Mevissen and Gerd Mevissen with Assistance of Vinay Kumar Gupta: 70–72.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2017-12-13). "Ekanamsha, Ekānaṃśā, Eka-anamsha: 9 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
- ^ Bhattacharji, Sukumari (2000).The Indian Theogony: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, New Delhi: Penguin, ISBN 0-14-029570-4, p.173
- ^ Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Delhi: Pearson Education. pp. 436–7. ISBN 978-81-317-1677-9.
- ^ Knapp, Stephen (2005). The Heart of Hinduism: The Eastern Path to Freedom, Empowerment, and Illumination. iUniverse. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-595-35075-9.
- ^ Hawley, John Stratton and Donna Marie Wolf (1986) (ed.) The Divine Consort: Rādhā and the Goddesses of India, Boston: Beacon Press, ISBN 0-8070-1303-X, p.372
- ^ Hudson, Dennis (1986) Piņņai, Krishna's Cowherd Wife in John Stratton Hawley and Donna Marie Wolf ed. The Divine Consort: Rādhā and the Goddesses of India, Boston: Beacon Press, ISBN 0-8070-1303-X, p.256
- ^ Brahmavaivarta Purana Sri-Krishna-Janma Khanda (Fourth Canto) 7th Chapter English translation by Shantilal Nagar Parimal Publications Link: https://archive.org/details/brahma-vaivarta-purana-all-four-kandas-english-translation