Aranyani

Aranyani (Sanskrit: अरण्यानि, romanized: Araṇyānī, lit. 'forest')[2] is the goddess of forests and the wild animals that dwell within them in Hinduism.[3]

Aranyani
Goddess of forests and wild animals[1]
Artwork of Aranyani.
AffiliationDevi
SymbolsAnklets, trees, wild animals
MountHorse
TextsRigveda

Literature

Aranyani has the distinction of having one of the most descriptive hymns in the Rigveda dedicated to her. The Aranyani Suktam (Hymn 146 in the 10th mandala of the Rigveda)[4] describes her as being elusive, fond of quiet glades in the jungle, and fearless of remote places. In the hymn, the supplicant entreats her to explain how she wanders so far from the fringe of civilisation without becoming afraid or lonely. She wears anklets with bells, and though seldom seen, she can be heard by the tinkling of her anklets.[5] She is also described as a dancer. Her ability to feed both man and animals though she 'tills no lands' is what the supplicant finds most marvellous. The hymn is repeated in Taittiriya Brahmana and interpreted by the commentator of that work.[6]

Aranyani bears resemblance to latter day forest deities like Banbini in West Bengal, Vanadevata in Goa and Konkan region, Vanadurga in parts of South India. Her worship has declined in modern-day Hinduism, and it is rare to find a temple dedicated to Aranyani. However, there is one in Arrah, Bihar known as the Aranya Devi Temple.[7]

She is sometimes regarded to be the owner of Kalpavriksha, the divine tree.

References
  1. "Aranyani, Araṇyāni, Araṇyānī: 9 definitions". 28 December 2018.
  2. www.wisdomlib.org (27 August 2021). "Rig Veda 10.146.1 [English translation]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  3. Murphy, Patrick D.; Gifford, Terry; Yamazato, Katsunori (1998). Literature of Nature: An International Sourcebook. Taylor & Francis. p. 317. ISBN 978-1-57958-010-0.
  4. "Hymn to a Forest Nymph in the Rig Veda". Archived from the original on 30 January 2020.
  5. The Hymns of the Rigveda, Ralph T. H. Griffith, 1973. Hymn CXLVI, Page 640
  6. Muir, John (1870). Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of the People of India. London: Trubner and Co. p. 422.
  7. Dalal, Roshen (2010). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. India: Penguin Books India. p. 28. ISBN 9780143415176.
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