Ekanamsha

Three individuals without attributes, possibly deities Samkarsana, Vāsudeva and Ekanamsha, on a punch-marked coin, 4th-2nd century BCE.[1]
Balarama, Vāsudeva and the goddess Ekanamsha shown in a rock painting at Tikla, 3rd-2nd century BCE.[2]

Ekanamsha (Sanskrit: एकानंशा; Ekānaṁśā) is a Hindu goddess. She is primarily identified with the illusory power of Vishnu as Yogamaya. [3]

The goddess is believed to have been worshipped by the Vrishnis and the Abhiras.[4][5] Many "kinship triads", depicting Vasudeva Krishna, Balarama, and their sister Ekanamsha have been found in the Mathura region, which are stylistically dated to the early centuries of the Common era.[6] She is believed to have also reincarnated as the goddess Subhadra, the daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini.[7]

Etymology

In Sanskrit, Ekanamsha means "the single, portionless one", and is a name of the new moon.[8] She is also called Ekanamsha because she alone (eka) protected Krishna at birth.[9]

Another interpretation of her name is that the goddess Yogamaya came to be known as Ekanaṃsha because she was born of one part (aṃśa) of Vishnu himself.

Relation to other figures

Yogamaya and Subhadra

Subhadra is associated with the goddess Ekanamsha or Yogamaya, both forms of the primordial goddess Mahadevi.[10] Yogamaya facilitates Krishna's birth by being born to Nandagopa and Yashoda. Then, her place is swapped with Krishna to protect the latter from the tyrant ruler Kamsa. After warning Kamsa about his impending death, Yogamaya vanishes.

According to Professor Lavanya Vemsani, Yogamaya manifests as Ekanamsha— the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda—, who then reincarnates as Subhadra.[11] According to Devdutt Pattanaik, the scriptures don't clarify if Yogamaya becomes Subhadra after fulfilling her role, but the name 'Yogamaya' is synonymous with Subhadra in Puri, Odisha, where she is worshipped prominently.[12]

According to Professor Lavanya Vemsani, interpreting Ekanamsha, and her incarnation as Subhadra, as both lover and sister of Krishna and Balarama is misplaced.[11]

Vishnu

In the Harivamsa, Vishnu and Ekanamsha hold complementary roles. Her work of confusing Kamsa is necessary for Vishnu to incarnate.[13]

Literature

Harivamsa

According to S. C. Mukherji, a modern scholar, in the Harivamsa, Ekanamsha is identified as a shakti of Vishnu as the goddess of Ekadasi, having descended as the daughter of Nanda to protect the baby Krishna from Kamsa.[14] She is born to Nanda and Yashoda, and brought to Mathura by Vasudeva. Thus, Kamsa is tricked into thinking she is the ninth child of Devaki (Krishna's mother), but she is not Krishna's biological sister. [15] When Ekanamsha leaves her infant body, the goddess is described as Narayan's consort, Katyayani, or Durga.[16]

The text describes Ekanamsha as the goddess placed between Samkarsana (Balarama) and Krishna. She receives homage from the Yadavas, who see her as encompassing all goddesses. Indra also adopts her as a sister.[17]

Vishnudharmottara Purana

The Vishnudharmottara Purana describes the deity as Gandhari (the power of illusion pertaining to Vishnu), and this Gandhari represents the deities Dhrti, Kirti, Pusti, Sraddha, Sarasvati, Gayatri, and Kalaratri.

Brahmavaivarta Purana

According to the Brahmavaivarta Purana, Ekanamsha is described as the avatar of Durga, who became the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda, who was taken away by Vasudeva. When Kamsa tried to kill her, she transformed into the goddess Yogamaya, & berated Kamsa for his attempt to commit infanticide. Though in other versions the baby girl is carried to the Vindhya mountains, in this text, she stays with Vasudeva and Devaki. Later, when Krishna marries his chief consort, Rukmini, she is sent with Durvasa to protect and help him.[18]

Iconography

Ekanamsha is portrayed with Krishna in the earliest Krishnaite iconography. [19]

Kushana images from 2nd-century CE Mathura depict a triad of deities: two gods flanking a goddess. Comparable 9th-century representations in Etah and Ellora mirror this composition. This is identified as the Vrishni triad, featuring Samkarshana (Balarama), Ekanamsha, and Vāsudeva (Krishna). Here, Ekanamsha is an ancient goddess worshipped by the Vrishni people and is identified with Subhadra; later this triad becomes popular in Jagannath sect.[10][20]

References

  1. ↑ Paul, Pran Gopal; Paul, Debjani (1989). "Brahmanical Imagery in the Kuṣāṇa Art of Mathurā: Tradition and Innovations". East and West. 39 (1/4): 116–117. ISSN 0012-8376. JSTOR 29756891.
  2. ↑ Gupta, Vinay K. "Vrishnis in Ancient Literature and Art". Indology's Pulse Arts in Context, Doris Meth Srinivasan Festschrift Volume, Eds. Corinna Wessels Mevissen and Gerd Mevissen with Assistance of Vinay Kumar Gupta: 70–72.
  3. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2017-12-13). "Ekanamsha, Ekānaṃśā, Eka-anamsha: 9 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
  4. ↑ Kannal, Deepak (1996). Ellora, an Enigma in Sculptural Styles. Books & Books. p. 43. ISBN 978-81-85016-47-4.
  5. ↑ Bhattacharji, Sukumari (2000).The Indian Theogony: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, New Delhi: Penguin, ISBN 0-14-029570-4, p.173
  6. ↑ Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Delhi: Pearson Education. pp. 436–7. ISBN 978-81-317-1677-9.
  7. ↑ Knapp, Stephen (2005). The Heart of Hinduism: The Eastern Path to Freedom, Empowerment, and Illumination. iUniverse. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-595-35075-9.
  8. ↑ Hawley, John Stratton and Donna Marie Wolf (1986) (ed.) The Divine Consort: Rādhā and the Goddesses of India, Boston: Beacon Press, ISBN 0-8070-1303-X, p.372
  9. ↑ Couture, André; Schmid, Charlotte (2001). "The Harivaṃśa, the Goddess Ekānaṃśā, and the Iconography of the Vṛṣṇi Triads". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 121 (2): 179. doi:10.2307/606559. ISSN 0003-0279.
  10. 1 2 Hawley, John Stratton; Wulff, Donna Marie (1984). The Divine Consort: Rādhā and the Goddesses of India. Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House. ISBN 978-0-89581-441-8.
  11. 1 2 Vemsani, Lavanya (21 May 2021). Feminine Journeys of the Mahabharata: Hindu Women in History, Text, and Practice. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-73165-6.
  12. ↑ Pattanaik, Devdutt (1 July 2018). Shyam: An Illustrated Retelling of the Bhagavata. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5305-100-6.
  13. ↑ Couture, André; Schmid, Charlotte (2001). "The Harivaṃśa, the Goddess Ekānaṃśā, and the Iconography of the Vṛṣṇi Triads". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 121 (2): 174. doi:10.2307/606559. ISSN 0003-0279.
  14. ↑ Hudson, Dennis (1986) Piņņai, Krishna's Cowherd Wife in John Stratton Hawley and Donna Marie Wolf ed. The Divine Consort: Rādhā and the Goddesses of India, Boston: Beacon Press, ISBN 0-8070-1303-X, p.256
  15. ↑ Couture, André; Schmid, Charlotte (2001). "The Harivaṃśa, the Goddess Ekānaṃśā, and the Iconography of the Vṛṣṇi Triads". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 121 (2): 176. doi:10.2307/606559. ISSN 0003-0279.
  16. ↑ Couture, André; Schmid, Charlotte (2001). "The Harivaṃśa, the Goddess Ekānaṃśā, and the Iconography of the Vṛṣṇi Triads". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 121 (2): 175. doi:10.2307/606559. ISSN 0003-0279.
  17. ↑ Couture, André; Schmid, Charlotte (2001). "The Harivaṃśa, the Goddess Ekānaṃśā, and the Iconography of the Vṛṣṇi Triads". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 121 (2): 180. doi:10.2307/606559. ISSN 0003-0279.
  18. ↑ Shanti Lal Nagar (2003-01-01). Brahma Vaivarta Purana - English Translation - All Four Kandas.
  19. ↑ Couture, André; Schmid, Charlotte (2001). "The Harivaṃśa, the Goddess Ekānaṃśā, and the Iconography of the Vṛṣṇi Triads". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 121 (2): 181. doi:10.2307/606559. ISSN 0003-0279.
  20. ↑ Vemsani, Lavanya. Krishna in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Hindu Lord of Many Names: An Encyclopedia of the Hindu Lord of Many Names. pp. 257–258.
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