Tapati ( sa, तपती, tapatī) is a goddess in Hinduism. She is known also as the goddess of the river Tapati and mother-goddess of the South (home of the sun) where she brings heat to the earth. According to certain Hindu texts, Tapati was the daughter of

Surya Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a m ...

(the Sun god) and

Chhaya Chhaya or Chaya ( sa, छाया, Chāyā, shadow' or 'shade) is the Hindu personification and goddess of shadow, and a consort of Surya, the Hindu sun god. She is the shadow-image or reflection of Saranyu (Sanjna), the first wife of Surya. C ...

, one of the wives of Surya. Tapati's name literally means the "warming", "the hot one", "burning one". It had been said that no one in three worlds could match her in beauty, having perfect features, and severe religious self-discipline. This name is possibly connected to that of the queen of the Scythian gods, Tabiti, and it is possible that there was originally a dominant fire goddess in ancient Proto-Indo-Iranian religion.

Significance

According to the Hindu texts Tapati was famous for her devotion and neither

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

, nor

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

, nor

Apsara An apsaras or apsara ( sa, अप्सरा ' lso ' pi, अक्चरा, translit=accharā) is a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hinduism and Buddhist culture. They figure prominently in the sculpture, dance, literat ...

nor Gandharva was her equal in beauty, disposition or knowledge of the vedas.

Mode of Worship

Since the river Tapati was probably named after Tapati, people worship her both in the form of a goddess and in that of an important river having many admirable qualities, enumerated in Hindu texts.

Relatives

According to the Hindu texts, Tapati has the following relatives:

is her father and

is her mother, she was the younger sister of Yami and had two brothers Shani and Yama.

References

{{Hindu deities and texts Hindu goddesses Characters in the Mahabharata Sea and river goddesses Rigvedic rivers Hindu pilgrimage sites Water and Hinduism Personifications of rivers