Ashokasundari

Ashokasundari or Ashoka Sundari (Sanskrit: अशोकसुंदरी, Aśokasundarī) is a regional Hindu goddess, who is described as the daughter of the deities Shiva and Parvati. Ashokasundari is mentioned in the katha folk tales of Gujarat. She is associated with salt. Though she is not generally described as Shiva's child in mainstream scriptures, her tale is told in the scripture Padma Purana.

Etymology

Ashok Sundari was created from a tree by Parvati to get rid from her loneliness. The words in her name ashok are derived as she got rid of Parvati’s ‘shok’ which means sorrow and sundari means a beautiful girl.

Legend

The birth of Ashokasundari is recorded in the Padma Purana. 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. Parvati asked for a daughter from the wish fulfilling tree to get rid of her loneliness. Her wish was granted and Ashokasundari was born. Parvati gave her the boon that she will marry Nahusha of the lunar dynasty, who will be equal to Indra, the king of heaven. Once, Ashokasundari was roaming in Nandanvana with her maids, a rakshasa (demon) called Hunda saw her and fell in her love. 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 Kailash. 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 is consoled by a Kinnara couple who inform her of Nahusha's wellbeing and prophesize that she will mother a powerful son called Yayati and a hundred beautiful daughters. Nahusha comes to fight Hunda and defeats him after a fierce battle and rescues Ashokasundari, who he marries. Over course of time, in absence of Indra, Nahusha was temporarily made the reagent of heaven.

A vrata-katha (a tale about a religious fast) from Gujarat and neighbouring areas Ashokasundari. Little is told about her even in this tale. She is described to be present at the time when her father Shiva beheaded her younger brother Ganesha. The goddess got frightened by Shiva’s wrath and hid behind a bag of salt. When Parvati came to know about it, she became very angry and cursed Ashokasundari to become a part of salt. Later when Ganesha's head was restored by Shiva, Shiva calmed Parvati. She is associated with salt without it food is tasteless. She is often called Okha and salt is not purchased in the month of Chaitra in her memory.

Although Ashokasundari is very less mentioned in Hindu mythology, her appearance in a television series Devon Ke Dev Mahadev on the life of Shiva and Parvati brought her to the notice of many.