MickiAddy25 at 09:22, 21 April 2026

2026-04-21T09:22:20Z

New page

{{short description|Celestial nymph in Hindu mythology}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Hindu
| gender = Female
| affiliation = [[Apsara]]
| children = {{bulleted list|Chitrangada and [[Nala (Ramayana)|Nala]] (from [[Vishvakarma]])|Ruru (from Pranati)|Vedavati or Devavati (from [[Parjanya]])|Ten sons of Raudrashva|A hundred daughters and a son, [[Gādhi|Gadhi]] (from [[Kushanabha]])|[[Drona]] and Shrutavati (from [[Bharadvaja]])|[[Shuka]] (from [[Vyasa]])}}
| texts = [[Ramayana]], [[Mahabharata]], [[Puranas]]
| abode = [[Svarga]]
}}
'''Ghritachi''' ({{langx|sa|घृताची|Ghṛtācī|abounding in clarified butter}}) is a prominent [[apsara]] (celestial nymph) in [[Hindu mythology]]. She is known for her beauty and sexual relationships with many men, both divine and human, and for becoming the mother of their children.

==Literature==
Ghritachi appears in many Hindu religious scriptures, including the [[Itihasa|epic]]s, the ''[[Ramayana]]'' and the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', as well as the ''[[Puranas]]''. She is described to be belonging to the ''daivika'' (lit. 'divine') class of apsaras,<ref name="Dalal">{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC&q=Ghritachi |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |date=2010 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-341421-6 |language=en}}</ref> and presides over [[Kumbha (month)|Kumbha]], a month in [[Hindu calendar|Indian lunisolar calendar]].<ref name="wis">{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2015-08-25 |title=Ghritaci, Ghṛtācī: 14 definitions |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/ghritaci |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref> The scriptures describe her procilivity to seduce men, including [[rishis]] (sages), [[gandharvas]] (celestial musicians), [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] (gods) and kings.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Walker |first=Benjamin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_J2RDwAAQBAJ&q=Gh%E1%B9%9Bit%C4%81ch%C4%AB+ |title=Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L |date=2019-04-09 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-62421-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="SK">{{Cite book |last=Kapoor |first=Subodh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HJ6O8nwsFWgC&q=Ghritachi&pg=PR7 |title=A Dictionary of Hinduism: Including Its Mythology, Religion, History, Literature, and Pantheon |date=2004 |publisher=Cosmo Publications |isbn=978-81-7755-874-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=George M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&dq=ghritaci&pg=PA143 |title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology |date=2008-03-27 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=978-0-19-533261-2 |language=en}}</ref>

The ''[[Shiva Purana]]'' mentions Ghritachi once engaged in intercourse with [[Kamadeva|Kama]], the god of desire, before being separated by his preceptor [[Brihaspati]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Debroy |first=Bibek |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=9CTREAAAQBAJ&pg=PT6&dq=kama+ghritachi&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&ovdme=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiG4u__5daTAxV4S2cHHdVJH9AQ6AF6BAgOEAM#v=onepage&q=kama%20ghritachi&f=false |title=Shiva Purana: Volume 2 |date=2023-05-29 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5708-080-4 |language=en}}</ref> According to the ''[[Vamana Purana]]'', Ghritachi once lived with [[Vishvakarma]], the architect of the gods, and had a daughter named Chitrangada. Vishvakarma prohibits his daughter to marry anyone, due to which he is cursed to become a [[vanara]] (monkey) till a son is borne to him; Ghritachi liberates him by giving birth to [[Nala (Ramayana)|Nala]], who later helps the god [[Rama]].<ref name="Mani" /><ref name = "Child" /> The ''[[Brahma Vaivarta Purana]]'' attributes the origin of many mixed-caste to the children of Ghritachi and Vishvakarma.<ref name = "SK" />

Ghritachi also fell in love with the gandharva Parjanya and gave birth to a daughter, Vedavati (or Devavati).<ref name="Mani" /> In the ''Ramayana'', Ghritachi also temporarily became the wife of King [[Kushanabha]], son of Ajaka, and gave birth to a hundred daughters, whom the god [[Vayu]] wanted to marry.<ref name="Mani" /> Later, to beget a son, Kushanabha performed the ritual [[Putrakameshti|Putrakameshti Yajna]] and she gave birth to a son, [[Gaadhi|Gadhi]].<ref name = "Child" /> Ghritachi also gave birth to the ten sons of King Raudrashva, who belonged to the [[Puru and Yadu Dynasties|Puru dynasty]]. The names of these sons were Riteyu, Kaksheyu, Sthaṇḍileyu, Kriteyuka, Jaleyu, Sannateyu, Dharmeyu, Satyeyu, Vrateyu, and Vaneyu. According to the ''Mahabharata'', Ghritachi once seduced the sage Pramati, son of [[Chyavan|Chyavana]], and mothered [[Ruru (Mahabharata)|Ruru]].<ref name="Mani" /><ref name = "Child">{{Cite web |last=Mahapatra |first=Shalini |date=2020-09-09 |title=The Virtuous Children of Apsara Ghritachi Part X |url=https://www.indica.today/quick-reads/virtuous-children-apsara-ghritachi/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=Indic Today |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name = "H" />

The ''[[Shanti Parva]]'' of the ''Mahabharata'' and ''[[Devi Bhagavata Purana]]'' narrate that the sage [[Vyasa]] is desiring an heir, but is reluctant to marry. Ghritachi takes the form of a parrot and appears in front of him. Seeing her, the sage emits his seed on a fire-stick and a son, [[Shuka]], is born from it.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Doniger |first=Wendy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KI5D5aexThoC&dq=gh%E1%B9%9Bt%C4%81c%C4%AB&pg=PA40 |title=Purana Perennis: Reciprocity and Transformation in Hindu and Jaina Texts |date=1993-02-23 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-1382-1 |language=en}}</ref>

The ''[[Adi Parva]]'' of the ''Mahabharata'' also narrates that Ghritachi, while bathing in the river [[Ganges]], is spotted by the sage [[Bharadvaja]], who becomes sexually aroused after seeing her and involuntarily ejaculates into a basket. A son [[Drona]]—who later becomes the guru of the [[Pandavas]] and [[Kauravas]]— is born from it. The ''[[Shalya Parva]]'' reveals that a similar incident took place another time, this time leading to the birth of a daughter named Shrutavati.<ref name="Mani">{{Cite book |last=Mani |first=Vettam |url=http://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft |title=Puranic encyclopaedia : a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature |date=1975 |publisher=Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass |others=Robarts - University of Toronto |isbn=978-0-8426-0822-0}}</ref><ref name="UP">{{Cite book |last=Handique |first=Krishnakanta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w_JjAAAAMAAJ&q=muni+apsara |title=Apsarases in Indian Literature and the Legend of Urvaśī and Purūravas |date=2001 |publisher=Decent Books |isbn=978-81-86921-16-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Dhand |first=Arti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kq1JvDXJ5EwC&dq=Gh%E1%B9%9Bt%C4%81c%C4%AB&pg=PA75 |title=Woman as Fire, Woman as Sage: Sexual Ideology in the Mahabharata |date=2009-01-08 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-7140-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="H">{{Cite book |last1=Wagenaar |first1=Henk W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_kWROaer5UsC&dq=ghritaci&pg=PA949 |title=Allied Chambers transliterated Hindi-Hindi-English dictionary |last2=Parikh |first2=S. S. |date=1993 |publisher=Allied Publishers |isbn=978-81-86062-10-4 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Hindu apsaras}}
{{HinduMythology}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Apsara]]
[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category: characters in the Ramayana]]

Ghritachi - Revision history

MickiAddy25 at 09:22, 21 April 2026