Shatarupa

Shatarupa
Shatarupa
Genealogy
Consort	Svayambhuva Manu (1st Manu)
Children	Priyavrata; Uttānapāda; Ākūti; Devahūti; Prasuti

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In Hindu history, when Brahma was creating the universe, he made a female deity known as Shatarupā^[1] (śata-rūpā = "she of a hundred beautiful forms/one who can acquire hundred forms"). According to the Matsya Purana, Shatarupa was known by different names, including Satarupa, Sandhya and Brahmi. According to Brahma Purana, Shatarupa is regarded as the first woman to be created by Brahma along with Manu.^[2]

Hindu mythology uses a story to explain Brahma’s four heads. When Brahma created Shatarupa, he was immediately infatuated and pursued her wherever she went. Shatarupā moved in various directions to avoid his gaze but wherever she went, Brahmā developed another head until he had four, one for each direction of the compass. Desperate, Shatarupa leaped over him to stay out of his gaze even for a moment. A fifth head, however, appeared above the others. Thus, Brahmā developed five heads. At this moment Shiva appeared, determined that since Shatarupā was Brahma's creation, it was wrong and merged into devi Mookambika and formed the Ardhanarishvara, translated as "half-man and half-woman god." Shiva told Brahma that males and females are both the same as their souls are exactly the same, and the soul doesn’t have a gender only material. The outer body is different only because of different body parts.

Shatarupa married Svayambhuva Manu and had five children — two sons, Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, and three daughters, Ākūti, Devahūti and Prasuti.^[3] Manu handed over his first daughter Ākūti to the sage Ruci, the middle daughter, Devahūti, to the sage Kardama, and the youngest, Prasūti, to the god Daksha.

References

^ Air Marshal RK Nehra. Hinduism & Its Military Ethos. Lancer Publishers LLC. ″In an entirely different version, there is reference to a selfcreated daughter of Brahma called Shatarupa (literally meaning hundred forms)."
^ The Brahma Purana declares: "To continue with Creation, Brahma gave form to a Man and a Woman. The man was Swayambhu Manu and the Woman was named Shatrupa. Humans are descended from Manu, that is the reason they are known as Manusya."
^ Dipavali Debroy, Bibek Debroy (1992). The Garuda Purana. p. 136. ″Manu and Shatarupa had two sons named Priyavrata and Uttanapada and three daughters named Prasuti, Akuti and Devahuti."

External links

Brahma Purana

[1] Air Marshal RK Nehra. Hinduism & Its Military Ethos. Lancer Publishers LLC. ″In an entirely different version, there is reference to a selfcreated daughter of Brahma called Shatarupa (literally meaning hundred forms)."

[2] The Brahma Purana declares: "To continue with Creation, Brahma gave form to a Man and a Woman. The man was Swayambhu Manu and the Woman was named Shatrupa. Humans are descended from Manu, that is the reason they are known as Manusya."

[3] Dipavali Debroy, Bibek Debroy (1992). The Garuda Purana. p. 136. ″Manu and Shatarupa had two sons named Priyavrata and Uttanapada and three daughters named Prasuti, Akuti and Devahuti."

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v t e Hindu deities and texts
Gods	Trimurti Brahma Vishnu Shiva Agni Ashvins Chandra Dattatreya Ganesha Hanuman Indra Kama Kartikeya Krishna Kubera Rama Shasta Surya Varuna Vayu Vishvakarma Yama more
Goddesses	Tridevi Saraswati Lakshmi Parvati Aditi Bhumi Chhaya Durga Ganga Shachi Kali Mahadevi Mahavidya Matangi Matrikas Radha Rati Rohini Rukmini Sanjna Sati Shakti Shashthi Sita more
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Hinduism Hindu mythology

See also

References

External links