Jyestha (goddess)

Jyestha or Jyeshtha (Sanskrit: ज्येष्ठा, Jyeṣṭhā, "the eldest" or "the elder" or "superior") is an Elder Goddess in Hinduism with vastly varying interpretations of her attributes depending on regional and cultural variations. She is seen either as Goddess who defeats evil, a goddess of misfortune, a goddess of fertility and agriculture, an evil spirit and so on.

Jyestha appears in the Hindu tradition as early as 300 BCE. Her veneration was at its peak in South India in the 7th-8th century CE. By the 10th century, her popularity had waned.

She was also worshipped by the Chola Kings as parivara devata. In the Sundaresvarar temple at Tirukkattalai, Goddess Jyestha has a sub-shrine dedicated to her ^[2]. She was seen as a granter of prosperity, also named as Mootha Devi, Moodevi, Thavvai, Settai, Kettai, and Mamugadi in Tamil Nadu, South India ^[3][4].

There are numerous sculptures of Jyestha worshipped in Pazhuvettarayar temples in Ariyalur and Perambalur districts of Tamil Nadu ^[5], and more generally her worship was prevalent across Tamil-speaking communities.

Her worship was primarily done by women to prevent misfortune from coming to their families^[6].

She remains worshipped across India in smaller shrines and lesser-known communities.

She is worshipped as Zeastha at the Zeastha Devi Shrine in Jammu & Kashmiri in which she is seen as a benevolent figure created to confront the Asuras and rescue Goddess Lakshmi ^[7].

Her worship in Tamil Nadu continues as Thavvai in the Brahma Pureeswar temple in Perunagar, and in other locations such as Rajikilpakkam^[8], Villupuram^[9], and so on.

In Sanskrit, Jyestha (ज्येष्ठ) refers to the "most excellent or beauteous; greatest; highest; best; first; chief; superior" ^[10] , closely related to  ज्यायिष्ठ jyāyiṣṭha a. (irreg.) 1 The most excellent. -2 First, noblest, best; यत्त्वेव राज्ञो ज्यायिष्ठं कार्याणां तद् ब्रवीमि ते Mb.12.152.17.

Alternate meanings include "  ज्येष्ठ jyeṣṭha a. (Superl. of प्रशस्य or वृद्ध) 1 Eldest, most senior. -2 Most excellent, best. -3 Pre-eminent, first, chief, highest. -ष्ठः 1 An elder brother; R.12.19,35. -2 An epithet of the Supreme Being. -3 Life. -4 N. a lunar month (= ज्यैष्ठ q. v.). -ष्ठा 1 An eldest sister. -2 N. of the eighteenth lunar mansion (consisting of the three stars). -3 The middle finger. -4 A small house-lizard. -5 An epithet of the Ganges. -6 The goddess of misfortune, elder sister of Lakṣmī; ज्येष्ठा च माया कलहश्च दम्भः Bhāg.1.17.32. -ष्ठी A small house-lizard. -ष्ठम् 1 The most excellent, the first or head. -2 Tin. -Comp. -अंशः 1 eldest brother's share. -2 the right of the eldest brother to a larger share of the patrimonial property. -3 the best share. -अम्बु n. 1 water in which grain has been washed. -2 the scum of boiled rice. -आश्रमः 1 the highest or most excellent order in the religious life of a Brāhmaṇa; i. e. that of a householder; तस्माज्ज्येष्ठाश्रमो गृही Ms.3.78. -2 a householder. -कलशः N. of Bilhaṇa's father. -तातः a father's eldest brother. -तातिः f. Ved. superiority. -राज् m. a Sovereign; ज्येष्ठराजं ब्रह्मणां ब्रह्मणस्पते Rv.2.23.1. -ललिता A particular vow to be observed in the month of Jyeṣṭha. -वर्णः 1 the highest caste (that of Brāhmaṇas). -2 a Brāhmaṇa. -वृत्तिः f. the duties of seniority. -श्वश्रूः f. 1 a wife's eldest sister. -2 the eldest mother-in-law. -सामन् n. N. of a particular Sāman; ब्रह्मदेयात्मसंतानो ज्येष्ठसामग एव च Ms.3.185.^[11]

The connection of the best or eldest is typically what is used in astrological interpretations and religious observances as related to the Jyestha nakshatra (lunar mantion) and the month of Jyestha (May-June).^[12]

In the context of the Goddess Jyestha, the interpretation varies depending upon regional and cultural practice.

Texts that elaborate on the iconography of Jyestha are: the Agamas such as the Amshumadbhedagama, the Suprabhedagama and the Purvakarangama; the Vishnudharmottara Purana and other shorter references in the Baudhayanagrhyasutra.^[13] The earliest recorded bilingual inscription detailing the iconography and worship practices from the 8th century is found in the caves of Tiruparankunram near Madurai.^[14]

Jyestha is usually depicted with two arms. Her nose is long and prominent to the extent that she is sometimes called elephant-faced.^[13] Jyestha is described as having "large pendulous breasts descending as far as her navel, with a flabby belly, thick thighs, raised nose, hanging lower lip, and is in colour as ink."^[15] Her large stomach is described to support her swollen pendulous breasts. Her complexion is black or red. She wears blue-black or red garments. She is often depicted seated comfortably on a throne with her feet on the ground.^[13]

According to textual descriptions, Jyestha holds a blue or white lotus in her right hand. A water-pot is held in her left hand or placed near her throne or placed in the hand that makes the abhaya mudra - gesture of protection. Her left hand usually rests on her seat or on her thigh.^[16] Sometimes, Jyestha holds a broom, in her hand.^[15]

Jyestha wears different ornaments and a tilaka mark on her forehead, a sign of her married status.^[16] Her hair is usually braided and piled on top of her head or wound around her head in the hairstyle called vasikabandha.^[15][16]

Jyestha has a banner depicting a crow, and is popularly called "crow-bannered" (Kakkaikkodiyal) in Tamil. A group of two attendant goddesses sometimes stand beside her, usually carrying a crow and a broom.^[17] Sometimes a crow stands next to her.^[15] Jyestha is often depicted with two attendants, sometimes interpreted as her son Mànthan and daughter Mànthi. The man is bull-faced and holds a rope or cord. The woman is depicted as a beautiful damsel with a conical crown.^[18]

Though Jyestha is almost never depicted astride on a mount, she is described in most texts as riding a donkey like Alakshmi. In other texts, she is drawn in a chariot by lions or followed by tigers or astride a camel or lion.^[18]

Different Hindu texts associate Jyestha with wildly divergent attributes.

In the Matysa Purana (179:20), Jyestha is referred to as one of the Divine Mothers that emerged from Bhairava to drink the blood of the demon Andhaka in order to conquer him ^[19] .

In the Bhrahmanda Purana, as part of the Lalitopakhyana or Lalita Mahatyma (72b-76), Jyestha is listed is one of the deities that participates in the Goddess Lalitha's battle against Bandhasura ^[20] .

According to the Kamba Ramayana, Jyestha appears during the churning of the cosmic ocean. The Hindu trinity — the Trimurti find her and order her to live in inauspicious places. As Jyestha emerged before Lakshmi, Jyestha is considered the elder sister of Lakshmi. Thus, Jyestha is also called Mudevi or Mudhevi.^[21]

In the Padma Purana, when the churning of the ocean commences, the poison first appears from the ocean. It is swallowed by the god Shiva and then Jyestha appears from the ocean, wearing red garments. When she asks the gods what she is supposed to do, she is ordered to dwell in inauspicious places. She is described to bring sorrow and poverty. She is said to dwell in houses with quarrel, where liars use harsh language, where evil and sinful men live, where there is long hair, skulls, bones, ashes or charcoal (signs of an unorthodox mendicant).^[22]

According to the Linga Purana, the god Vishnu divides the world into the good and the bad. He creates Lakshmi (Sri) and Jyestha, both born from the churning of the cosmic ocean. While Lakshmi marries Vishnu, Jyestha is married to the sage Dussaha. The sage soon discovers that his ugly wife can not bear the sound or sight of any auspicious things and complains to Vishnu or the sage Markendeya (in some versions). Vishnu/Markendeya recommends Dussaha to take Jyestha only to inauspicious places. Jyestha is described to stay away from religious people. Jyestha then earns the epithet Alakshmi, "one who is inauspicious". She dwells in places where "family members quarrel and elders eat food while disregarding the hunger of their children". She is described to be comfortable in the company of false mendicants who were considered as heretics by Hindus. Eventually tired of her anti-social nature, Dussaha abandons Jyestha in a place where non-vedic (heretical) rituals are performed. She then approaches Vishnu for relief. Vishnu decreed that Jyestha would be sustained by offerings of women.^[23][24]

Shaiva Puranas extol her as one of eight portions of the Supreme Goddess (Parashakti), who regulates human lives in different ways.^[21]

Jyestha denotes the negatives of a Hindu wife, while Lakshmi denotes the positives. Jyestha is also associated with the senior wife — who is also called Jyestha in Sanskrit — in a polygamous family. She is also associated with her namesake nakshatra (constellation) - Jyestha, which inherits the negative qualities of the goddess. If a bride enters a household in the Jyestha constellation, then her eldest brother-in-law is believed to die.^[25]

According to Leslie, as Jyestha is described as elephant-faced and invoked to remove obstacles, a role akin to the elephant-headed god Ganesha, Jyestha could be a precursor of Ganesha. In some parts of India, she is identified with Shitala Devi, the goddess of small pox. The lotus, the abhaya mudra and her relationship with Lakshmi associate her with the Vaishnava (related to Vishnu) pantheon. Her terrifying aspects and her association with Shaktism suggest a Shaiva (related to Shiva) connection. The crow - the symbol of bad luck - links her to deities like Nirriti and Yama.^[26] Kinsley associates Jyestha with Dhumavati, a widow goddess, part of the Tantric Mahavidya goddess group. Like Jyestha, Dhumavati is dark, ugly and is associated with the crow. Also like Jyestha, she dwells in quarrels, inauspicious places, and has a bad temper.^[27] Lakshmana Desika, the commentator on the Saradatilaka-Tantra, identifies Dhumavati with Jyestha.^[28]

While Jyestha does not fit in the class of benevolent (saumya) Hindu goddesses with beautiful bodies, she is a contrast to the other class of the fierce (ugra) goddesses with terrible features, emaciated bodies and malevolent qualities.^[29]

Jyestha appears early in the Hindu mythology.^[15] She first appears in the Baudhayana-grihyasutra (300 to 600 BCE).^[30] Many of her images still exist, usually on the outskirts of villages. During the 7th-8th century CE, she was a popular goddess in South India. As Shaktism spread, her fame slowly declined.^[31]

The Vaishnava Alvar saint Thondaradippodi Alvar, dated between 7th to 9th century, comments on number of "foolish devotees" who worship Jyestha, who keeps them away from the truth. He decreed that it was useless to worship her.^[21][31] By the 10th century, her worship more or less ceased.^[21]

Jyestha's images are rarely worshipped today.^[31] They are kept unrecognised in neglected corners in temples or thrown out of temples.^[31] Where they are still recognised, they are objects of fear. In a temple in Uttaramerur, the Jyestha image is kept with the face towards the ground. The mere glance of the goddess is believed to bring death on the village.^[31]

However, at the height of the popularity, Jyestha was a goddess, who needed to be propitiated by a good wife daily. The Stridharmapaddhati declares that a wife must offer food offerings to Jyestha before having her own meal. One who does not do so would end up in hell after death; but the one who follows this routine would be blessed with progeny and prosperity.^[31] The Baudhayana Sutra also elaborates on the worship of Jyestha.^[21] As per the legend in the Linga Purana, it is believed that the women of houses that please the goddess by offerings can keep her away from their homes.^[23]

The 13th century Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri prime minister Hemadri, who wrote a book on religious vows and fasts, notes that Jyestha should be worshipped by a male devotee to bring fortune to his wife and progeny.^[32] The Saradatilaka-Tantra describes that in Tantric ritual, Jyestha is worshipped to cause enmity between friends (Vidvesa). Jyestha as the presiding deity of Vidvesa, was invoked before the start of the rituals.^[33][34]

• Kinsley, David R. (1997). Tantric visions of the divine feminine: the ten mahāvidyās. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-20499-7.
• K.G., Krishnan (1981). Studies in South Indian History and Epigraphy volume 1. Madras: New Era Publications.
• Leslie, Julia (1992). "Sri and Jyestha: Ambivalent Role Models for Women". In Leslie, Julia (ed.). Roles and rituals for Hindu women. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-1036-8.