Goddess Yellamma is a popular Hindu deity in South India especially in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and in parts of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra . She is the Hindu Goddess of the poor and downtrodden and is popularly associated with the Devadasi concept. The story of origin of Yellamma is unique and is associated with Goddess Renuka the mother of Parashurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
But once she happened to see a king making love to his wife on the riverbank and she had adulterous thoughts. She lost her divine powers and her husband Sage Jamadagni came to know about this.
The sage had five sons and in anger he ordered them to cut the head of Renuka. Four of them refused but Parashuram, the fifth son readily agreed to cut the head of his mother.When Parashuram raised his axe to kill his mother, she ran and took refuge in the house of a low-caste poor woman. Parashuram followed his mother and while performing the act of beheading, he also accidentally chops of the head of the low-caste poor woman who tries to prevent the matricide.
Pleased with his son’s devotion, Sage Jamadagni asked Parashuram to accept a boon. He immediately said that he wanted his mother alive. Sage Jamadagni readily agreed and gave him a pot of water to be sprinkled on the corpse.
In a hurry to bring back his mother life, Parashuram accidentally placed the low-caste woman’s head with his mother’s body. Sage Jamadagni accepted this new form of his wife Renuka.
The original head of Renuka was from then onwards worshipped as Yellamma. And thus the Goddess is referred as Renuka Yellamma.
Even today, symbolically the head of Renuka is worshipped by attaching it to a pot or basket in rural Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. There is also a symbolic meaning to the entire episode which is often left to listener of the story to interpret.
26 comments:
I have never such a detailed account of this goddess history before. G8.
beautiful story
I am a strong disciple and devotee of Godess Renuka Yellamma Devi. Her power and blessings are unimaginable. I am now completely become a god-fearing person and the god is always there with me. Even in this kaliyug I am seeing miracles of this god and even i have spoken in my dreams:).
Hudho Renuka Yellamma Hudho Jagadhaamba !!
Your descsciple and son:
Anantha
I truly believe in the goddess RENUKA YELLAMA and she dose exist between us and she dose hear our prayers and protects us from all black magic and evil.....
Hail YELLAMA RENUKA DEVI....
I am blessed by Godess Renuka Yellamma and what is all having with me is because of Godess Renuka Yellamma. Its like a rebirth for me by the ashirvad of Renuka Yellamma.
renuka yellamma is every thing for me. i always keep her in my heart.she gives whatever i want for my family.jai renuka yellamma.
jai jai yellamma
shri renuka yellamma goddess hhas great powers even now!!!!
udho udho yellamma,jai sri renuka yellamma devi.
just now i visited her temple on the way to hyderabad.my brother,black magic addict..some what changed...really i believein her and help her temples in donating money..hats of to yellamma devi...
udho udho yellamma..udho udhp yellamma
I am devotee of Renuka Yellama. She listens to our prayer and gives what ever we need on the situation. Lot of miracles happened in my life and to my family members.
Jai renuka yellama ki jai.
Jaganmatha, lokamatha, renukamatha namo namaha.
vasanth
"In a hurry to bring back his mother life, Parashuram accidentally placed the low-caste woman’s head with his mother’s body"
That's not true. Parashuram is Lord VIshnu himself. He cannot do anything accidently or mistake and neither did Renuka run away. According to the true story, Renuka was restored her head only and all her 4 sons too came back to life.
Also it would be wrong to say that Renukamba had adulterous thoughts. She was only late in bringing the water as she watched the Gandharva couple.
The main lesson in this story is that Lord Parashuram obeyed his father Jamadagni without questioning, just like Lord Ram obeyed his father Dasharath.
thanks very much for this article.
-Sharath
The posts are quite informative. I would like to respond to Sree's post. There is nothing wrong or right when it comes to mythology. One has to understand the times, ethos and the social orders of that time. There are many versions of the same story in many states. Folk stories are considered the 'true' stories as they tend to get less influenced by the times than the texts that were written by 'well-read' poets. The puranas are written and rewritten and in the process lot of editions and 'editings' too happened. As readers who are spiritually inclined i think we shouldnt find fault with folk versions or sanctify the sanskrit texts ot their available translations. India's greatness has been this diversity, the acceptance of all. Each culture re-represents the stories relating to their life. Learn the lessons and there it should end.
Thank you,
Bharathi.
Honour killings and crimes of passion are terrible. Whenever folk meet there will be different feelings. Some may be aroused or excited. This is to be expected for folk are atracted to one another in many ways and by many means. There is no monopoly on the different feelings and expressions of love and to stop or funnel the flow of these emotions would be to the detriment of love. To accept that love is a part of life and is a worthwhile value is to the betterment of life. Attraction, liking, happy love, romance and lust are traits to be followed and admired.
hi anybody can give me the link to download the mp3 file Yellamma Stotra or Aarti of the mother?
I am a priest in Yellamma Devi Temple (Udbhava moorthy of Renuka thai) which is located in Besagarahalli Maddur Tq, I believe this Devi more than any body in this world. My life is completely dedicated to her followers and society growth. I always chant her name in my mind then I feel very relaxed and she is the one who kept me in very good position today.
A devotee of Yellamma
-Partha Sarathi.
My views On the Story-
Though I’m an atheist but I wud like to interpret the teachings of this story.. An old saying is- “The lady of the household is like a pot, A nicely baked Pot could save the water from getting dirty, Unbaked or half-baked pot could get a pure water dirty” Taking in context, Family as the water and women as the pot. One cud see this as an oppression and offence to the women, but one should keep in mind the structure of Indian Society of that time.
The Idea behind this was each and every being of the society should be given the duties according to the capabilities..
With regard the difference of gender in Indian Society, It cud be said that men have strong bodies compared to women. Men could be of great use outside the household while hunting for food, to fight with the attacks of wild animals, to cut the wood for making house and for kitchen fire, moving heavy goods etc.
Whereas women have given their duties inside the household, because naturally, women are inborn manager, they can manage the household with tiny details, whereas men would get frustrated. Women are of soft stature, and can handle the household quarrels and loads of responsibilities. Also, women have to bear children. As the process of bearing children make women weak thus need to be protected from the wilds outside the household.
So,The Rishi Jamadagni was a very strict husband. The Rishi Jamadagni had a vidya through which he could watch the auras of any individual and cud understand what the person is thinking about. As Renuka was sexually aroused by the watching the sexual acts of gandharvas, Rishi Jamadagni got So angry that, without totally interpreting her wife’s thoughts. He ordered his sons to Cut her Head. His other sons thinking over the matter, Parashuram without waiting for a moment beheaded her mother.
Later, when Rishi Jamadagni realized his mistake, he put the the idea of bringing her wife back to life in his Son Parashuram’s mind.
The lessons of the story could be-
- A Brahmin’s wife should never even think of sex, other than being with his husband. If she does, there could be serious consequence.
- A Brahmin’s son have the Dharma of obeying his Father, as his father is the keeper of eternal knowledge (Brahma Gyan).
- One should not take decision, while in anger. Otherwise result wud be like Rishi Jamadagni unable to bring her wife back to life fully. Only, the head cud be brought to Life.
- One should wisely use the boons/powers. Parashuram mistakenly spilled the life bringing potion, and with what left , only the head could be brought back to life.”with power comes great responsibility”(Spiderman).
- 4 other sons of Rishi Jamadagni, who doubted there father,and stood with the Righteousness and ignoring the father’s order(Dharma). They were beheaded but kept the righteousness above the Dharma and hence brought back to life. Keeping the righteousness above the Dharma is a key principle of Hinduism that one needs to understand. Same principle was also repeated in the last chapter of Ramayan, where lakshman was tested by Ram. To disobey the Dharma for virtue of Righteousness is celebrated in Hinduism.
- Parashuram obeyed the Dharma ignoring the virtue of righteousness. Hence, all his life he had this guilt of misunderstanding a women, hence, he never married and never allowed a women’s touch as a full chastity of Brahmacharya.
In later life of Parashuram, Brahmacharya gave him such dreaded divine powers, that he was able to kill all the warrior clans of the world 7 times.
Being my homly goddesses i could not see the original face till today, her super blessings through dreams.
Being my omely goddesses i could not trace her for yeas but her blessings are for ever.till sun and moon.
hari om, am too a very small bakth of devi yallam we belive in kokatnoor yalama she our anctors god. both are same even i have a firm belive in her. may she showered her blessings on her bakths on very auspious day of navratra
hariom, dear readers
can i get a stotra arti of devi yallama in maharathi or english if yes kindly mail me on chhaya.athanikar@vantageindia.co.in
Kindly inform me the yellama yatra in dec2012
jai mother yallama
jai yallama
jai mother yallama
yellamma talli nee mahimalu choopinchavu............nuvvu maa rakshana kavacham ani niroopinchavamma
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