{{good article}} {{short description|Consort of Daksha in Hinduism}} {{Infobox deity | other_names = Panchajani, Virani, Virini | gender = Female | Devanagari = असिक्नी | parents = Virana or Panchajana (father) | type = Hindu | image = | consort = Daksha | name = Asikni | children = {{unbulleted list|Haryashvas and Shabalashvas|60 daughters including Aditi, Diti, Kadru, Vinata, Rohini, Sati, and Revati}} | god_of = }} In Hindu mythology, '''Asikni''' ({{langx|sa|असिक्नी|Asiknī|the dark one' or 'night}}), also known as '''Panchajani''' and '''Virani''', is a consort of Daksha in the Puranic pantheon. Most scriptures mention her as the mother of 6000 sons and 60 daughters.
==Etymology and epithets== The Sanskrit word "Asikni" means 'dark' or 'night'; it can also refer to "a girl attending woman's apartment".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gandhi|first=Maneka|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PkW6hs1OjyEC&q=Asikni&pg=PA379|title=The Penguin Book of Hindu Names|date=1993|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-012841-3|page=39|language=en}}</ref><ref name="M">{{Cite book|last1=Williams|first1=Monier|url=https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/csl-apidev/servepdf.php?dict=MW&page=120|title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages|last2=Leumann|first2=Ernst|last3=Cappeller|first3=Carl|date=1899|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House|isbn=978-81-208-3105-6|pages=120|language=en}}</ref> The word is used in the ''Rigveda'' (c. 1500 BCE) to describe the Chenab River.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Habib|first=Irfan|date=2001|title=Imaging River Sarasvati: A Defence of Commonsense|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3518272|journal=Social Scientist|volume=29|issue=1/2|pages=48|doi=10.2307/3518272|jstor=3518272|issn=0970-0293|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sharma|first=B. R.|date=1957|title=ON SAPTÁ—IN THE ṚGVEDA|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42930810|journal=Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute|volume=18|pages=298|jstor=42930810|issn=0045-9801}}</ref>{{Efn|Mentioned in RV 7.20.25 and 10.75.5.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Neelis|first=Jason|chapter=TRADE NETWORKS IN ANCIENT SOUTH ASIA|date=2011|title=Early Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks|pages=193|series=Mobility and Exchange within and beyond the Northwestern Borderlands of South Asia|publisher=Brill|doi=|jstor=10.1163/j.ctt1w8h16r.9}}</ref> Medieval literature notes it to be a river of pilgrimage.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Salomon|first=Richard|date=1979|title=Tīrtha-pratyāmnāyāḥ: Ranking of Hindu Pilgrimage Sites in Classical Sanskrit Texts|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43376115|journal=Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft|volume=129|issue=1|pages=112, 115|jstor=43376115|issn=0341-0137}}</ref>}}
She is also known by the patronymic "Panchajani" and "Virani".<ref name="VM">{{Cite encyclopedia|year=1975|title=Aksini|encyclopedia=Puranic Encyclopedia: a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi|location=Delhi, India|url=https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/csl-apidev/servepdf.php?dict=PE&page=057|last=Mani|first=Vettam|pages=57–58}}</ref>
==Legend==
=== Birth === Puranas differ about her parentage.
Devi-Bhagavata Purana,<ref name="VM" /> Kalika Purana,<ref name="VM2">{{Cite encyclopedia|year=1975|title=Dakṣa|encyclopedia=Puranic Encyclopedia: a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|location=Delhi, India|url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc241512.html|last=Mani|first=Vettam|pages=192–193}}</ref> Garuda Purana, and Brahma Purana<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Söhnen-Thieme|first1=Renate|title=Brahmapurāṇa: Summary of Contents, with Index of Names and Motifs|last2=Schreiner|first2=Peter|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|year=1989|isbn=978-3-447-02960-5|location=Wiesbaden, Germany|pages=4–5|language=en}}</ref> note Asikni to have been born of Brahma's left thumb. According to the Bhagavata Purana<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Tagare|first=Ganesh Vasudeo|title=The Bhagavata Purana: Part II|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1976|series=Ancient Indian Tradition & Mythology|volume=8|location=Delhi, India|pages=803–809}}</ref> and Shiva Purana,<ref name=":6" /> she was the daughter of Prajapati Panchajana.
Brahma Purana,<ref name=":0" /> Brahmanda Purana,<ref name=":10">{{Cite book|last=G. V. Tagare|url=https://archive.org/details/BrahmandaPuranaG.V.TagarePart2|title=Brahmanda Purana - English Translation - Part 2 of 5|date=1958|pages=407–414}}</ref> Vayu Purana,<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Tagare|first=G. V.|url=https://archive.org/details/the-vayu-purana-part-2-ancient-indian-tradition-and-mythology|title=The Vayu Purana: Part II|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1988|editor-last=Bhatt|editor-first=G. P.|series=Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology|volume=38|location=Delhi, India|pages=478, 494–497}}</ref> Kalika Purana, Kurma Purana,<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|last=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|url=https://archive.org/details/kurma-purana-full-parts-1-and-2|title=Kurma Purana Full (Parts 1 and 2)|date=1951-01-01|pages=142–143, 177}}</ref> Padma Purana,<ref name=":9" /> Garuda Purana,<ref name=":8">{{Cite book|last=J.L. Shastri|url=https://archive.org/details/GarudaPuranaEnglishMotilal3VolumesIn1|title=Garuda Purana English Motilal 3 Volumes In 1|date=1957-01-01|pages=20, 24–25}}</ref> and Shiva Purana<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Shastri|first=J. L.|url=https://archive.org/details/SivaPuranaJ.L.ShastriPart1|title=The Siva Purana: Part I|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1950|series=Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology|volume=1|publication-place=Delhi, India|pages=252, 328–335}}</ref> note her to be the daughter of Prajapati Virana.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Klostermaier|first=Klaus|date=1985|title=THE ORIGINAL DAKṢA SAGA|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40872713|journal=Journal of South Asian Literature|volume=20|issue=1|pages=96|jstor=40872713|issn=0091-5637}}</ref>
=== Marriage === The broad theme is common to Vayu Purana,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Long|first=J. Bruce|date=1977|title=Dakṣa: Divine Embodiment of Creative Skill|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1062496|journal=History of Religions|volume=17|issue=1|pages=57|doi=10.1086/462778|jstor=1062496|s2cid=162060462|issn=0018-2710|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Bhagavata Purana,<ref name="VM2" /> and Brahma Purana.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="VM" />{{Efn|Other Puranas typically skip the detailed narrative of Vishnu's boon.}}
Daksa was delegated by Brahma to create beings to populate the cosmos; he went on to create gods, sages, asuras, yaskhas and rakhashas from his mind, but failed to be further successful.<ref name="VM" /><ref name=":0" />{{Efn|Brahma Purana notes Daksa to have also created Gandharvas from his mind.}}{{Efn|Brahmanda Purana and Vayu Purana gives a longer list of creations inc. plants, human beings, ghosts, serpents, deer, flesh-eating demons, and birds. Va. P. also mentions that Mahadeva had rebuked him, after the mind-created species failed to propagate.}} Upon a successful penance, Vishnu granted Asikni as his wife and urged him to engage in sexual union.<ref name="VM" /><ref name=":2" />{{Efn|Asikni is noted to be supporting the entire world in Vayu Purana.}}
===Children=== {{see also|List of Daksha's daughters|Haryashvas and Shabalashvas}}Through their union, numerous children were born.<ref name="VM2" /> A common theme spans across the Brahmanda Purana,<ref name=":10" /> Bhagavata Purana,<ref name=":2" /> Linga Purana<ref>{{Cite book|last=Shastri|first=J. L. Ed|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.460751|title=The Linga-purana|pages=242}}</ref>{{Efn|Does not mention her as Asikni. Suti and Virini are used instead.}}, Garuda Purana,<ref name=":8" /> Kurma Purana,<ref name=":7" /> Shiva Purana,<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":1" /> Vishnu Purana,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=PUI Cologne Scan|url=https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/csl-apidev/servepdf.php?dict=PUI&page=2-226|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-11|website=www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de|page=226, 229|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212906/https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/csl-apidev/servepdf.php?dict=PUI&page=2-226 |archive-date=2021-07-11 }}</ref><ref name=":4" /> Vayu Purana,<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" /> Padma Purana<ref name=":9">{{Cite book|last=N. A.|first=Dehpande|url=https://archive.org/details/the-padma-purana-part-1-ancient-indian-tradition-and-mythology|title=The Padma Purana: Part I|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1988|editor-last=G. P.|editor-first=Bhatt|series=Ancient Indian Tradition And Mythology|volume=39|location=Delhi, India|pages=47}}</ref>{{Efn|Does not mention her as Asikni. Uses Virini and note her to be Daksa's "maid-servant"!}}, and Brahma Purana<ref name=":0" /> in this regard.<ref name="VM2" />
Daksha and Asikni initially produced five thousand sons, who were known as Haryashvas.<ref name="VM" /> They were interested in populating the Earth but upon the advice of Narada, took to discovering worldly affairs instead and never returned back.<ref name="VM" />{{Efn|Both Bh. P and Sh. P. note Brahma to have consoled a grievous Daksa after this loss.}} Daksha and Asikni again produced another thousand sons (Shabalashvas), who had similar intentions but were persuaded by Narada to the same results.<ref name="VM" />{{Efn|Bhagavat Purana and Shiva Purana note the sons to have already started a penance at the confluence of the Sindhu (to fulfill their duty) both the times, before being led astray by Narada. Bh. P. also describes the sayings of Narada in detail. Kurma Purana skips the case of Sabalasvas.}} An angry Daksha cursed Narada to be a perpetual wanderer. This time, he birthed sixty daughters from Asikni.<ref name="VM2" />{{Efn|In Vayu Purana, Narada is cursed with the perennial pain of staying in a womb. In Kurma Purana, he is cursed to be issue-less.}} They were married off to different sages and deities, and went on to give birth to various species.<ref name="VM2" /><ref name=":0" />{{efn|Marriage list is as follows: {{bulleted list|10 (Arundhati, Vasu, Yami, Lamba, Bhanu, Maruvati, Sankalpa, Muhurta, Sadhya, Vishva) of those daughters were married to Dharma|13 (Aditi, Diti, Danu, Arishta, Surasa, Khasa, Surabhi, Vinata, Tamra, Krodhavasha, Ira, Kadru, Muni) to sage Kashyapa|27 (Ashvini, Bharani, Krttika, Rohini, Mrigashira, Tarakam or Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha, Janakam or Magha, Phalguni, Uttarphalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Svati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyestha, Mula, Purvashadha, Uttarasadha, Srona or Shravana, Dhanistha or Shatabhisha, Abhijit or Prachetas, Purvabhadrapada, Uttarabhadrapada and Revati) to Chandra|4 to Arishtanemi|2 to Bahuputra|2 to sage Angiras|2 to Krisasva}}}}{{efn|Vishnu Purana notes these sixty daughters to have been created from His mind.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Hara|first=Minoru|date=2009|title=Divine Procreation|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24664700|journal=Indo-Iranian Journal|volume=52|issue=2/3|pages=231|doi=10.1163/001972409X12562030836697|jstor=24664700|issn=0019-7246|url-access=subscription}}{{pb}}Also, {{Cite book|last=Schreiner|first=Peter|title=Visnupurana : Althergebrachte Kunde über Visnu|publisher=Verlag der Weltreligionen im Insel Verlag|year=2013|isbn=9783458734956|edition=2|language=German}}</ref><br>Agni Purana notes the same.<ref name="Agni">{{Cite book|last=J. L. Shastri|first=G. P. Bhatt|url=https://archive.org/details/AgniPuranaUnabridgedEnglishMotilal|title=Agni Purana Unabridged English Motilal|date=1998-01-01|page=44}}</ref> Further, there is no mention of Asikni or their 6000 sons.<ref name="Agni" />}}
The Shiva Purana notes that thereafter Shiva had himself reincarnated within Asikni's womb; Asikni was widely respected and eulogized by all the deities during this span.<ref name=":6" />{{Efn|This was the result of a boon granted by Shiva to Daksa, much prior to his marriage, as the result of a long penance.}} In the tenth month, Asikni gave birth to Sati; she and Daksa went on to take good care of her.<ref name=":6" />{{Efn|"Sati", true to the boon (see prev. note), desired for Shiva since an early age and went on to marry Him. Also, see Daksha Yajna myth.}}
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} {{Hindu deities and texts}}
Category:Hindu goddesses