https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=AshokasundariAshokasundari - Revision history2026-07-31T13:08:26ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Ashokasundari&diff=314750&oldid=prevUpdateBot at 17:11, 27 June 20222022-06-27T17:11:26Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Hindu goddess, daughter of deities Shiva and Parvati}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}<br />
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}<br />
{{Infobox deity<br />
| name = Ashokasundari<br />
| type = Hindu<br />
|image = Ashokasundari 1 245CMR.jpg<br />
| caption = A painting of Ashokasundari.<br />
| Devanagari = अशोकसुन्दरी<br />
| Sanskrit_transliteration = {{IAST|Aśokasundarī}}<br />
| affiliation = [[Devi]], [[Bala Tripurasundari]]<br />
| god_of = Goddess of Imagination and Beauty<br />
| consort = [[Nahusha]]<br />
| other_names = Lavanya, Anvi, Bala Tripura Sundari, Viraja<br />
| abode = [[Kailash]]<br />
| mother = [[Parvati]]<br />
| father = [[Shiva]]<br />
| siblings = [[Ganesha]] (brother), [[Kartikeya]] (brother), and [[Ayyappa]] (half brother) <br />
| children = [[Yayati]] and a hundred daughters<br />
| texts = [[Padma Purana]]<br />
}}<br />
'''Ashokasundari''' ([[Sanskrit]]: अशोकसुन्दरी, {{IAST|Aśokasundarī}}) is a [[Hindu goddess]] and daughter of the deities [[Shiva]] and [[Parvati]]. She is referenced in the ''[[Padma Purana]]'', which narrates her story.<ref>Bibek Debroy, Dipavali Debroy (2002). ''The holy Puranas''. p. 152. "''Nakusha and Ashokasundari had a son named Yayati''.”</ref> The goddess is mostly venerated in [[South India]] in the form of [[Bala Tripurasundari]].<br />
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==Etymology==<br />
Ashokasundari was created from the wish-fulfilling tree [[Kalpavriksha]] when Parvati wished for a daughter to reduce her loneliness. The words in her name are derived from her creation. ''Ashoka'' refers to the easing of Parvati's ''shoka'', which means "sorrow", while ''sundari'' means "beautiful girl".<ref name="Garg1992"/><br />
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==Legend==<br />
The birth of Ashokasundari is recorded in the ''[[Padma Purana]]''. In one of the variants of the tale of [[Nahusha]], Parvati once requested Shiva to take her to the most beautiful garden in the world. As per her wishes, Shiva took her to Nandanvana, where Parvati saw a tree known as [[Kalpavriksha]] which could fulfill any wish. Since Kartikeya, the son of Parvati, had grown up and left Kailash, as a mother it caused immense grief and loneliness to Parvati. She asked for a daughter from the wish-fulfilling tree to get rid of her loneliness. Her wish was granted and Ashokasundari was born. Parvati prophesied that Ashokasundari would marry according to her destiny [[Nahusha]] of the lunar dynasty, who would be equal to [[Indra]], the king of heaven.{{sfn|Mani|1975}}<br />
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Once, Ashokasundari was roaming in Nandanvana with her maids, a [[rakshasa]] ([[demon]]) called Hunda saw her and fell in love with her. However, the goddess rejected the advances of the demon and informed him about her destiny to marry Nahusha. Hunda disguised himself as a widow, whose husband was killed by him, and asked Ashokasundari to accompany her to her hermitage. The goddess went with the disguised demon and reached his palace. She came to know of his treachery and cursed him to be killed by Nahusha and escaped to her parents’ abode [[Mount Kailash]].{{sfn|Mani|1975|page=[https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/62 62]}}<br />
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Hunda kidnaps the infant Nahusha from his palace, however, he is rescued by a maid of Hunda and given under the sage [[Vashistha]]’s care. After a few years, Nahusha grows up and understands about his destiny to kill Hunda. Hunda abducts Ashokasundari and tells her that he had killed Nahusha. The goddess was consoled by a [[Kinnara]] couple who informed her of Nahusha's wellbeing and prophesied that she would mother a powerful son called [[Yayati]] and a hundred beautiful daughters. Nahusha fought Hunda and defeated him after a fierce battle and rescued Ashokasundari, whom he married. Over course of time, in absence of Indra, Nahusha was temporarily made the regent of heaven.<ref name="Garg1992">{{cite book|author=Gaṅgā Rām Garg|title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World Vol. 3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uGbXAAAAMAAJ|year=1992|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-376-4|page=712}}</ref>{{sfn|Mani|1975|pages= [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/62 62], 515–516}}<ref name="Williams2008">{{cite book|author=George M. Williams|title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&pg=PA345|date=27 March 2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-5332-61-2|pages=217–8, 230}}</ref><br />
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==Development==<br />
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Ashokasundari is mentioned very little in [[Hindu mythology]]; her tale only appears in the ''Padma Purana'' scripture. Her appearance in a television series [[Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev|Devon Ke Dev Mahadev]] on the life of Shiva and Parvati brought her to the notice of many.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nair|first=Roshni|date=2015-09-13|title=Beyond Ganesh: The other children of Shiva-Parvati|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-beyond-ganesh-the-other-children-of-shiva-parvati-2124690|access-date=2020-11-19|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref> She later appeared in other series too such as Vighnahartha Ganesh .<br />
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==References==<br />
===Notes===<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
===Bibliography===<br />
{{ref begin}}<br />
*{{cite book |title = Puranic Encyclopaedia: a Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature |url = https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft | publisher = Motilal Banarsidass Publishers |year = 1975| isbn = 978-0-8426-0822-0 |first = Vettam|last = Mani}}<br />
{{ref end}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
{{wikiquote-inline}}<br />
{{Hindu Deities and Texts}}<br />
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[[Category:Hindu goddesses]]<br />
[[Category:Shaivism]]</div>UpdateBot