Religion:Bhumi (goddess)

Short description: Hindu goddess of the earth

Bhumi
Personification of the Earth
Bronze-alloy sculpture of Bhumi from Tamil Nadu
Other names	Bhudevi, Vasundhara, Prithvi, Bhumata, Dharati, Varahi, Puhumi, Vasumati
Affiliation	Vaishnavism Lakshmi
Abode	Bhuloka and Dyuloka
Planet	Earth
Mantra	Om Bhumaya Namaha
Mount	Elephant
Personal information
Consort	Varaha (Vishnu)
Children	Narakasura, Mangala, Sita
Equivalents
Greek equivalent	Gaia
Roman equivalent	Terra
Chinese equivalent	Houtu

Bhumi (Sanskrit: भूमि, romanized: Bhūmi), also known as Bhūdevī, is the personification of the earth as a goddess in Hinduism. According to Hindu mythology, Varaha, the third avatar (incarnation) of the god Vishnu, saved her from the asura Hiranyaksha and married her. She is regarded as the mother of Narakasura, Mangala and Sita.

The Vedic precursor of Bhumi seems to have been Prithvi Mata (Sanskrit: “Earth mother”), the primordial goddess of the Rigveda. In Sri Vaishnava tradition, Bhudevi is considered as the second aspect of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi, along with the aspects of Sridevi and Niladevi.

Etymology

The name "Bhūmi" is the Sanskrit word for "earth". The version "Puhumi" is the equivalent in Old Awadhi.

Mythology

Birth

Varying accounts of Bhumi's birth are narrated in Hindu scriptures. The Southern Recension of the epic Mahabharata mentions Bhumi as the daughter of the creator god Brahma. The Devi Bhagavata Purana states her to be born of out the remains of two Rakshasas, Madhu and Kaitaba.

Rescue by Varaha

A sculpture of Bhumi seated on Varaha's lap.

Bhumi is the consort of the anthropomorphic Varaha, an avatar of the preserver god Vishnu. According to the Puranas, during the Satya Yuga (first eon), the demon Hiranyaksha kidnapped Bhumi and hid her in the primordial waters. Upon the request of the gods, Vishnu took the avatar (incarnation) of Varaha to rescue her. Varaha slew the demon and retrieved the Earth from the depths of the ocean, lifting it on his tusks. He restored Bhudevi to her rightful place in the universe, and proceeded to marry her.

The episode of the devas seeking the assistance of Vishnu's Varaha avatar in rescuing Bhudevi is described in the Padma Purana:

They sought the shelter of Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu. Then knowing that wonder, he, Viṣṇu, the holder of a conch, a disc, and a mace, took up the Boar-form, existing everywhere and having no beginning, middle or end. The highest lord full of everything, having hands and feet on all sides, having large fangs and arms, struck the demon with one fang. The mean son of Diti, with his huge body pounded, died. Seeing the earth fallen (from the demon’s head), he lifted it with his fang, and putting it on Śeṣa’s head as before, took up the form of a Tortoise.1 Seeing great Viṣṇu of the form of the hog, all deities and sages, with their bodies bowed with devotion, praised him.

Children

Narakasura was the first born of Bhudevi. There are two stories about Narakasura's birth. In the first one, he was the first son of Bhumi and Varaha. He was born when Bhumi requested Varaha for a son. Narakasura later performed a penance to receive a boon that only his mother would be able to kill him. In the second one, Narakasura's father was Hiranyaksha and was born when Hiranyaksha's horns touched Bhumi. Narakasura is believed to have been the founder of the legendary Bhauma dynasty among the Boro people.

Mangala, according to Vaishnava tradition, was the son of Varaha and Bhumi.

Sita, the wife of Rama, emerged from the earth, and subsequently adopted by the King of Mithila, Janaka. The tale goes that there was once a drought in Mithila, the hometown of Sita. Janaka, the future father of Sita, was ploughing the ground. Under his plough, he found a baby girl (Sita). Rain showered upon the earth and Janaka and his wife decided to adopt the girl. As Sita was born from the earth, she was also known as Bhumija.

Saving Prahlada

Prahlada, the son of Hiranyakashipu, was a devotee of Vishnu. The father did not like the son’s devotion to Vishnu. He punished Prahlada in a number of ways. Once, he threw down Prahlada from the top of a high building. At that moment, Bhudevi appeared there and received him in her arms.

The milking of the earth

One of the most well-recounted legends of Bhumi is her episode with the emperor of the world, Prithu. When Prithu hears that his people are starving because the earth had withdrawn most of her vegetation, he furiously chases her in her form of a cow. She submits, allowing herself to be milked so that living beings could be nourished once more. Attributes such as the courage, valour, knowledge, and the bodily health of the Brahmin sages are stated to have been milked from the earth, and the virtues and the truths that characterise animals may be attributed to her as well:

Pṛthu got angry on hearing this and taking his bow Ajagava and several arrows went in search of the goddess of earth. The goddess got frightened and fled taking the form of a cow. She went to all lokas but Pṛthu followed her with his bow and arrows everywhere. At last desiring to escape from the arrows of such a valiant king Bhūmidevī went to him and trembling with fear said "Oh king, why do you make such a persistent attempt, to kill me which would be the great sin of Strīvadha? (killing a woman)." The Rājā replied that there was no sin in killing wicked persons. The goddess asked what refuge was there for the people if the earth was destroyed. The king said that he would protect his people by the power of his yoga. Bhūmidevī was frightened and she said "Oh king, I shall give you back all I have destroyed in the form of milk. Therefore, virtuous as you are, if you are really interested in the welfare of the people I shall allow you to milk me and take back everything you want. Do bring a calf."

Satyabhama avatar

The scriptures narrate how Bhumi took the incarnation as a human to slay her son, Narakasura. According to the legend, after receiving his desired boon, Narakasura grew arrogant and drunk with his power. He started capturing women and forcefully made them his wives. He captured nearly 16,000 women. He wrested control of heaven from Indra and no deity was able to defeat him because of his boon. Narakasura even took the earrings of Indra's mother, Aditi, and gave them to his mother, Bhumi. Bhudevi was requested by the devas to slay her son. She manifested herself upon the earth as Satyabhama, the daughter of Satrajit. Satyabhama married Krishna, and the couple waged war on Narakasura. She finally beheaded the latter with her husband's Sudarshana Chakra, thus fulfilling the prophecy that the asura could only be killed by his mother.

Iconography and Worship

Idol (murti) of Bhumi at a temple in Tamil Nadu

Bhudevi is depicted as seated on a platform that rests on the back of four elephants, representing the four cardinal directions. She is usually portrayed with four arms, holding a pomegranate, a water vessel, a bowl containing healing herbs, and another bowl containing vegetables, respectively. She is also sometimes depicted with two hands, the right hand holding a blue lotus known as Kumuda or Utpala, the night lotus, while the left hand may indicate the pose of Abhayamudra, the fearlessness or the Lolahasta Mudra, which is an aesthetic pose meant to mimic the tail of a horse.

Temples

• Bhudevi, Vittalapuram, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh
• Bhoomidevi temple chendia-karnataka
• Sri Bhu Sametha -Venkateswaraswamy temple
• Bhu Varaha Swamy temple, Srimushnam
• Bhu Varahaswamy Temple , Tirumala
• Bhumidevi sametha Sri Uppiliappan Perumal, Thirunageswaram, Tamil Nadu
• Panniyur Sri Varahamurthy Temple, palakkad

Raja Festival

The Raja festival in Odisha, Eastern India, is a three-day celebration dedicated to Bhudevi, also known as Bhoomi Devi. This festival honors the essence of womanhood and agriculture in life. During Raja, Bhudevi is revered as a symbol of motherhood, femininity, and fertility. The festival marks the beginning of the monsoon and the arrival of new crops, as it is believed that Bhudevi is resting and preparing to bless humanity with a prosperous harvest. Raja is predominantly celebrated by women and young girls. They indulge in self-care, donning new clothes and beautiful ornaments. Applying red dye (alta) to their feet and adorning their hair with flowers are essential rituals. They are treated to their favorite food and a special Odia delicacy called Poda Pitha, a baked rice cake prepared exclusively for this occasion. Elaborate flower-laced swings are set up for the women and girls, who are considered embodiments of goddesses, particularly Bhudevi. They are not allowed to touch the ground during the festival. To respect Bhudevi's deep slumber, people refrain from digging the earth or engaging in agricultural work during this time. The festival embodies the interdependence and respect for agriculture, women, and the environment in Odisha and beyond.