The Greatest Mothers In The Hindu Mythology

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No matter which culture you belong to, respecting mothers and holding her at a place of high regard, is a common feature. Be it the Virgin Mary of the Christian faith or the myriad of Goddesses that belong to the Hindu religion, Mothers are always respected, loved and worshipped. Mothers are the source of life, the beginning of each and every life on earth.

The role of a mother in raising a child, who is an asset to the society, is very great. She is the one who acts as the first school for the child. She teaches the child the basics of culture, behaviour and other important aspects of life. She is the one who sows the seed of greatness in the child, which is only nourished by the other factors of the child's life.

It is a common saying in our country that God couldn't be present everywhere and that is why he created mothers. So important are mothers that even the Gods have required mothers at certain point of time in their avatars.

There are many instances in the mythology where glorious mothers have been instrumental in the lives of illustrious sons. These mothers are a role model for every woman in today's society. They have become immortals in their own right and shall be remembered for as long as our civilization exists.

Today, we bring to you a list of some notable mothers mentioned in the Hindu Mythology. They have shown exceptional courage in the face of difficult situations or have shown uncommon strength and character even in the most demanding situations. Read on to know more.

Maha Sati Anasuya
Maha Sati Anasuya was the embodiment of chastity and purity. She was a great 'pativrata' and a woman of great morals. The legend of Devi Anasuya tells us that she wished to beget great sons who were equal to Lord Brahma, Lord Maha Vishnu and Lord Shiva.

She performed a great penance to achieve the same. The Trimurtis were about to grant the wish of Devi Anasuya when their spouses, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Parvati asked them to test their virtue and if she was indeed worthy of such a blessing.

The Trimurtis appeared as sages and requested Devi Anasuya to give them Nirvana Bhiksha, which is to give them alms in her naked form. This was troubling to say the least. Devi Anasuya couldn't say no to the sages and accepting their wish would be against her pativrata dharma.

She meditated on her husband Atri. She asked the Lords to assume the form of babies. And in the form of babies, she fed them her milk in the naked state. With this, the Gods became her children. They fused into one child with two feet, one body, six hands and three heads.

Such was Devi Anasuya's motherly affection that the Goddesses had to beg for Bhartra Bhiksha to get their husbands back.

Sita Devi
Sita Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, is popularly revered for being Lord Sri Rama's wife. She was pious, dutiful, chaste and devoted to her husband. Despite all her great qualities, she was first accused of being impure, as she had to live in her kidnapper, Ravana's house for a long time.

To prove her purity, she had to undergo the Agni pariksha, where Lord Agni Dev himself testified her purity. She was again accused of being impure by a lowly dhobi. Listening to the dhobi's words, Lord Sri Rama abandoned the pregnant Sita.

Sita Devi then gave birth to twin boys in Sage Valmiki's ashram. She raised Lav and Kush on her own and educated them to be worthy of Lord Sri Rama. When the time came, she handed the sons to her husband. She had suffered enough for one lifetime and returned to her Mother, the Bhoomi Devi's Lap.

Kunti
Kunti is one among the Pancha Kanya. She had received the boon of summoning any God and receiving a child from them. Her first son was Karna, born from Surya Dev.

She could not raise the son, as she was not yet married. She had to abandon Karna due to societal pressures and she burnt with pain and regretted the same throughout her life.

When she married Pandu, she bore three sons, Yudhishtar, Arjuna, Bhima from Lord Dharma, Lord Indra and Lord Vayu. She also shared the boon with Madri, the second wife of Pandu.

Madri bore Nakul and Sahadev from the Ashwini Kumar. Madri and Pandu soon passed away due to a curse and Kunti was left to raise the five boys. She was never partial to anyone of them and in turn was loved and respected by all of them.

Yashoda
Yashoda Maiyya was the adoptive mother of Lord Sri Krishna. Such was her love and affection for Lord Krishna that the world today takes her name as the mother of Krishna before that of Devaki, his birth mother.