Hindu dharma is
Monotheism in disguise of Polytheism. Even though there exists many gods and goddess
throughout the history of Hindu dharma
they all were believed to be forms of eternal power which protects humanity in
this universe and at the same time can overturn . One such female
incarnation of supreme divine power is Goddess RENUKADEVI. From thousands of
years ago there lived many people who are born as a result of many Holy Fire
Ritulas who later spend their life in most divine way and attain salvation.
Super natural powers they attained through intense meditation and penance were
used by them for final goal of HINDU DHARMA " SHISHTA RAKSHANA AND DHUSHTA
SHIKSHANA ". Sometimes they become saviour of many innocent people. So they
were treated with utmost respect and believed to be an incarnation of invisible
eternal Divine thing. No one is born with eternal and unsurmountable power it
is their character that leads them in their path.
Divinity exists in each and every human being it
should be waken up by themselves with their good qualities. One among such
persons was goddess Renuka devi daughter of king of Vidhrabha region in
Maharashtra who is believed to be an incarnation of goddess Parvathi in Kruthayuga.
Prasnejit was the ruler from Suryavamsha Ikshvaaku
dynasty ruling current place of Vidharbha region of Maharashtra. King was well
known for his supremacy but he remained childless even after getting three
wives. This made king unhappy. Upon suggestion of Priests from his court he performed
holy fire ritual for progeny. From the flames of fire there evolved a baby
glittering like gold. King was so happy and thought the baby was a boon to him
by goddess Durga. As baby was not born out of a womb of a female she is called
as Ayonija and king named her as Renuka. As she was born out of fire she was
even praised as Agnija.
From her childhood onwards Renuka was spiritually
advanced. She had learnt each and every
art , a princess must know. When Renuka
reached age to marry Saint Agasthya advised Prasnejit to make Renuka married to
saint Jamadhagni.
Saint Jamadhagni was from lineage of Bhrigu Maharshi
son of Sage Ruchika and Sathyavathi. He
was known as one among the Saptharshis and was well known for his angry. Sage
can smash anyone who come to his notice by committing any mistake.
Jamadhagni showed reluctance to marry
Renuka as she was princess and cant sustain in hermitage with utmost
austerities. Renuka then lived in the hermitage for few days and proved her
self to be capable to follow Ashrama rituals. Saint Jamadhagni accepted Renuka
and married her in the presence of all Guru and Heavenly gods. Lord Indra
gifted a celestial cow named kamadhenu which can offer what ever we ask for.
Curse Between Jamadhagni and Sun : (Birth of Umbrella and Chappal)
One fine morning Renuka and Jamadhagni travelling
along the banks of kamandalu river. Suddenly a desire of sex has raised in
jamadhagni and thought to have in open area as it is barren place and no one
could see. But Jamadhagni forgot the tradition that sex in presence of sun is a
sun. Jamadhagni urged Renuka to walk fast due to severe heat of sun she could
not walk on sand. Saint got angry and asked Renuka for the reason and she
replied the same. Then saint became furious and called cursed the sun god to loose
his glory and become a diminished star. Sun reminded saint about the sin he
committed and cursed the saint that he will be killed by a King. Then saint
Naradha came and pacified both of them and mitigated their curses that Sun will
be attacked by Rahu and Kethu once in a year and loose his glory and King will
be eventually killed by a king but his son would protect him. Sun also blesses
Umbrella or Chathra and Chappal or Padhuka two makind to protect them from his
intense heat during summer.
After that Renuka and Saint were living happily in a
hermitage near Kundalipuram of current Tamilnadu. Renuka gave birth to four
sons namely Vasu Viswavasu, Bhruathkvanu, Rama Bhadra. Younger son Ramabhadra
is an incarnation of Lord MahaVishnu who later came to known as ParashuRama.
Parashuram was a powerful champ who mastered all the sciences. He did immense
penance for Lord Shiva and acquired Maha Parashu an Axe. Then onwards he is
called as ParashuRam. Renuka daily used to fetch water from a river nearby and
that water is used for holy rituals. By her devotion towards her husband and
her idealness Renuka was capable of
making pots out of dry sand. She daily makes a fresh pot with sand at river bed and used to carry
it on her head by balancing with a Black Cobra.
RENUKA BEING CURSED BY JAMADHAGNI :
One fine morning when Renuka was on her way to river to bring water by
means of sandpots. After making pots she stepped into the river for filling
water into the pot. In water she found the shadow of Gandharva couple engauged
in sexual play. Renuka up on seeing this lost concentration and sandpot on her
head was broke. she tried to make new
pot but sand becoming heaps and she was
unable to complete that. She tried to catch Adhiseshu but she cant even catch as that snake started
flewing away. She came to know about the reason about these things and went to
hermitage with empty hands. Jamadhagni
upon seeing Renuka coming with empty
hands came to know about what happened and cursed her to get dreadful skin
disease and cursed her from the protection of all Panchabhuthas. He also asked
her to leave hermitage and not be in his sight.
Renuka felt remorse and tried to worship lord shiva but shiva shrine has
disappeared. As there is no way she started moving away from the Ashram and
travelling across forests.She was unable to get food,water etc due to curse
from Jamadhagni. She moved to tribal area where downtrodden people used to live
usually called as ChandalaVaatika. There Renuka reached house of a Chuckler
woman's house. She was called as Mathangi a woman belonging to Mathang
community. Mathangi received Renuka with
utmost love and care and started treating the skin disease with medicinal roots
and herbs available around. One day when Renuka was on her way in the forest
she came across two saints namely Eknath and Jognath who recognized Renuka as
princess and asked the reason for her bad situation. Then Eknath and Jognath
thought for a while and suggested Renuka a ritual which is utmost severe. The
only one who can ameliorate her condition as Lord Shiva and asked to her to do
penance with utmost austerities. Renuka sat to North East in the Mathangi house
and started doing penance. Time passed meanwhile Termites and Mounds start
heaping around Renuka and with in few days she got completely enclosed by those
Mounds. Mathangi used to worship Renuka through this anthill. After many days
Lord shiva came to Renuka's vision and said that time has come to wash away her
sin. Shiva asked Renuka to beg rice from near by villages and cook holy rice
with it without keeping on fire and reach him in the place near by where he was
situated along with Ganga who can wash her sin completely. Renuka did the same
and cooked the rice by keeping pot on her stomach and lying in severe sun. To
her surprise rice got cooked and by carrying that pot on head she reached
Shiva. There she offered the holy rice to Shiva and bathed in the natural
spring near by along with Mathangi , to her surprise all her diseases and sins got washed away. Voice from sky spoke that "
Renuka all your sins got cured but now comes really a testing time for you be
ready for that and accept the fate you will become immortal later and received
by your husband with love and care".
Feeling happy for getting rid of sins Renuka along with Mathangi reached
the hermitage and went to Jamadhagni.
RENUKA TURNING MARI AMMAN/ RENUKA YELLAMMA
Sage upon seeing Renuka felt happy and came to know entire thing
happened by Renuka but he hesitated to accept her because she is still a human
and thought her soul to be liberated.
Think her to liberate her soul and free her mind from sensual pleasures jamdhagni thought for a while and decided to
give her kapaala Moksha by decapitating her head. Sage called his 3 elder
sons but due to their attachement with her they couldnot do that. Sage
called Parashurama and asked him to slay Renuka's head. Parashurama understood
the reason behind father's order and tried to behead her mother But Mathangi
who couldnot understand the purpose stopped Parashurama who got angry and
beheaded her too. Jamadhagni then asked parashurama to ask for a boon. Parashurama asked to make her mother
alive. Saint agreed and gave same holy
water and asked him to pour on the corpse upon joining their heads. Parashurama
in a hurry to make her mother alive , exchanged heads of Mathangi and
Renuka and attached wrongly . Parashuram
got awe stuckby seeing this and brought to ladies to his father. Parashurama up
on seeing her mother with exchanged face said Mari Amman ( Mother who has
changed ) thus Renuka was named as Mari amman.
Jamadhagni then named the other with Renuka body and
Mathangi head as Yellamma means mother of all.
Sage poured his Shakthi into Yellamma who moved to forests and started
blessing the people. There by Yellamma is called as Dhandu Mariamman or
Verkaadu MaariAmman.
LATER LIFE IN HIMALAYAS ADVENT OF KAARTHAVEERYARJUNA
:
Saint Jamadhagni took sanyashrama deeksha and along with his family shifted their hermitage
to Himalayas to live their later life. Kaamadhanenu a holy cow gifted to
Jamadhagni and Renuka by Lord Indra on their marriage occasion was also taken
along with them. The region they live comes under kingdom of Kaarthaveeryarjuna
a blessed king blessed with 1000 hands by Lord Dattathreya. He attained many
powers by worshiping Lord Dattathreya. With those powers that king turned
arrogant and tried to rewrite the shashtras on his own. He neglected the words
of Saints and Sages in his court. One fine day king thought of having a look at
his kingdom and came to the place where Jamadhagni's hermitage was
located. King after hearing about greatness of sage came to his hermitage then
Saint with utmost respect recieved king and asked him to come to his hermitage
and take rest for the night. Then arrogant king under estimating the sage said "How to live in your Hermitage
there are no facilities nothing here to eat except leafs and buds" Then
saint with utmost peace said that he has a Kamadhenu which gives what ever you
ask. King by getting surprised accepted and came before Kamadhenu which gave
all the things they have asked for.
King after having lavish and sumptuous dinner asked Jaamdhagni to
surrender cow to him. Jamadhagni said " It was not to be held with all
people it is most holy if it is used for unnecessary things it becomes
humiliation to cow and one who has
gifted us". Then king became angry
and said he was the king of this place and one who live in the kingdom must
follow king's words. The sage refused to give the cow. King fought with sage
and threw arrows at him. Sage died and king caught the cow and ran away. Then
Renuka after coming from river saw Jamadhagni laying and called parashurama for
help. Parashurama came running towards
hermitage and came to know all the story happened. Parashuram in angry went to
the palace and waged war against King. Sahasraveeryarjuna then died and when
blood of King touched Parashuram they both realised the reason behind their
births. Parashuram in remorse tokk the cow and came to hermitage. Then all were
gathered to conduct final rituals to Saint jamadhgani then Maharshi Bhrigu the
head of Brigukula came and made saint Jamadhagni alive by means of Sanjeevani
DEATH OF JAMADHAGNI AND RENUKA ENTERING FUNERAL
PYRE:
After defeating king and his
fatherbecame alive parashuram asked his
father for his further rituals. Jamadhagni said killing king of our kingdom was
a sin it was not accepted by shashtras so you must do severe penance at Ganda
Madhana range and do penance for lord shiva. Parashuram accepted and went back
to Ganda madhan range. By taking this as oppurtunity karthveeryajuna's sons
came to ashram and killed Jamadhagni with 21 arrows Renuka while seeing this called his son
Parashuram 21 times each time for one arrow. Parashuram had entire vision and
ran back to hermitage .By the time he reaches Jamdhagni was no more. Renuka
then asked all the elders in Bhrigu's
lineage to commence funeral rituals and for her Sathisahagamanam.
When Parashuram tried to attempt them Renuka
rejected by saying that your penance was not completed you were not fit for
this rituals so do what I say. Take a Kaavida (Two baskets hanged on both sides
of a Bamboo) keep his father's corpse in one and her in another and move
towards south and you will come across Baniyan tree which occupied 100 yojanas
there pray for Lord Dattathreya and ask him to conduct the funeral rituals.
Parashuram did so and reached place now called Mahurgad in Maharashtra and
worshipped lord Dattathreya.
As Dattathreya was the one who blessed Kaarthaveeryarjuna with all
powers he will purify you from sin of killing Karthaveeryarjuna. Parashuram
worshipped Dattathreya with utmost devotion upon which Dattathreya came and
blessed Parashuram. Dattathreya upon seeing Renuka in that pity situation felt
bad then Renuka by wiping his tears said it was according to Vidhi dharma and
asked to continue with further rituals. Then Dattathreya arranged Funeral pyre
and worshiped both couple who are incarnations of Lord shiva and Parvathi and
lit the fire. There by they godly souls of couple reached Shiva and Parvati.
Then parashurama pledged on the fire that before this fire gets ended up he will traverse across this earth 21 times
and killed all the kings who are deviating from dharma and neglecting
Shashtras. Parashuram with his axe ran and killed all the kings and finally
came to Ayodhya where Lord Dasaratha Rama was ruling Parashuram ran to Lord
Shri Ram and when he came across him he was unable to raise the axe and tears
rolled of from his ears. Parashuram getting fainted were lifted up by Vashishta
and said that It was the time to leave this avthara as ParashuRama as Rama is the person who came to
establish a kingdom which is free of all the bad things and he would set his
ruling as role model for next generations.
Thanks for this useful info. Yellamma is my family god
ReplyDeleteThanks for this useful info. Yellamma is my family god
ReplyDeleteWelcome . Sri Matha Krupa Kataksha Siddirasthu
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletelavanya prasad
Deletethanks for this story of my life godess Amma Renukka Yellamma's
Thanks for this story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this story.
ReplyDeleteHello. I need your article for referencing in my thesis. But I dont understand the meaning of the title Sarvam Shakthi Mayam. Is this the title page or the name of the authot
ReplyDeleteit means everything is supreme power
DeleteGreat story of GODDESS YELLAMMA-RENUKA-MATANGI MATA
ReplyDeleteRenuka Krupaa Khataaksha Phala Siddirasthu
Deleterenuka yellama mother name??
ReplyDeleteBeing Yellamma she is mother of all she has no mother and father. But as Renuka she is the daughter of Prasnejit and Kamala king and queen of Vidharbha dynasty
DeleteRenuka
ReplyDeleteSadaa Vijayathe
DeleteIs there a tamil version to this story.
ReplyDeleteMight be derr but i couldnot provide as I cant confirm it.
DeleteIs goddess renuka an avatar of parvati. What's app me 8825414724
ReplyDeleteNo Renuka has her own birth and is elder than Parvathi. You might have heard about fight between Parashuram and Ganesh in which Ganesh will loose his tusk, then parvathi comes to know about renuka as a divine form.
DeleteCan u suggest some primary texts to read about Renuka Yellamma. Because it is always better to rely on primary texts than secondary? Any books to read?
ReplyDeleteDevi Bhagavatham and Padma Purana has mentioned as mother of Parashuram. A book named Renuka Puranam is explicit on her but very difficult to find out.
DeleteOh no doubt, very very good information & we came to know about out family Goddess. Thanks for this information. will you mail me for "worship of Renuka Yellama Mata ?
ReplyDeleteSend ur contact number
Deletewe want entire procedure for Pooja on day to day basis i.e. sewa of Maa Renuka Yellamma
ReplyDeleteHii Kalpana thanks for reading. I will post yantra puja goddess renuka in due course
DeleteThanks a lot for Renuka devi Mahatma , Renuka bless you.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for giving this valuable information. I would like to ask you a doubt regarding a temple called Ma Renuka Mandhir in Uttarkashi. I would like to know about this temple. Its about 20 km away from Uttarkashi town, called Nakuri, towards Dehradun route. Thank you.
ReplyDeletePlease tell
ReplyDeleteRENUKA Devi mool mantra& dhyan mantra
HI mail me personally or drop ur contact number here
DeleteThank you for the great information.
ReplyDeleteI want to know more about mother yellamma devi.
And how to praise or pray her.
Please mail or drop ur contact numer
Delete