Class of deities in Hinduism
The sadhyas (Sanskrit : साध्य , romanized : Sādhya ) refers to a class of minor deities in Hinduism . According to the Puranas , they are the sons of Dharma and Sadhya, a daughter of Daksha .[ 1] Numbering either twelve or seventeen according to various texts , the sadhyas are described to be the embodiments of the rituals and hymns of the Vedas . They are stated to reside with the devas , or dwell in the region between heaven and earth.[ 2]
Description
The Puranas feature the sadhyas among the nine classes (gaṇas ) of deities, among the adityas , rudras , vasus , visvedevas , tushitas , abhasvaras , anilas, and the maharajikas .[ 3] [ 4] They are sometimes referred to as a class of the devas ,[ 5] or the gaṇadevas.[ 6]
The Agni Purana offers a list of the twelve sadhyas:[ 7]
Manas
Mantā
Prāṇa
Nara
Apāna
Vīrayān
Vibhu
Haya
Naya
Haṁsa
Nārāyaṇa
Prabhu
Literature
Upanishads
The Mundaka Upanishad describes the origin of the sadhyas from Brahman , the Ultimate Reality.[ 8]
Shiva Purana
According to the Shiva Purana , the sadhyas serve as the attendants of Shiva , under the command of Ganesha . They are regarded to reside on the Gaṇaparvata mountain, situated on Kailasha .[ 9]
Mahabharata
The sadhyas fight with Kartikeya in his battle against Tarakasura .[ 10]
Bhagavad Gita
Arjuna mentions the sadhyas as one of the classes that are awed by Krishna 's vishvarupa form.[ 11]
References
^ Kapoor, Subodh (2004). A Dictionary of Hinduism: Including Its Mythology, Religion, History, Literature, and Pantheon . Cosmo Publications. p. 336. ISBN 978-81-7755-874-6 .
^ Dowson, John (2013-11-05). A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature . Routledge. p. 271. ISBN 978-1-136-39036-4 .
^ Dalal, Roshen (2014-04-18). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths . Penguin UK. p. 448. ISBN 978-81-8475-396-7 .
^ Vettem Mani. Puranic Encyolopaedia Vettem Mani . p. 892.
^ Williams, George M. (2008-03-27). Handbook of Hindu Mythology . OUP USA. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2 .
^ Vaidik Sudha (2020-06-17). Puran Encyclopedia . p. 892.
^ Danielou, Alain (2017-01-01). The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism . Motilal Banarsidass. p. 303. ISBN 978-81-208-3638-9 .
^ Swami Sivananda. Dialogues from the Upanishads - Swami Sivananda . p. 42.
^ Prof. J. L. Shastri (1950). The Siva Purana Part 1 . p. 271.
^ Valmiki; Vyasa (2018-05-19). Delphi Collected Sanskrit Epics (Illustrated) . Delphi Classics. p. 8075. ISBN 978-1-78656-128-2 .
^ Harward University Press. The Bhagavad Gita Translated By Franklin Edgerton Harward University Press . p. 57.