Bhumi (goddess)

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Bhumi (Sanskrit: भूमि, romanized: Bhūmi), also known as Bhudevi, Dharani, Bhuvi, Dhare, Bhuvaneshwari, Avani and Vasundhara, is the goddess of the Earth in Hinduism. In the early Vedic period, the earth is personified by the goddess Prithvi, whom Bhumi later supplanted in the post-Vedic period. Nevertheless, Prithvi remains a prominent epithet for Bhumi, though their roles, attributes and depictions are drastically different. Bhumi features prominently in the texts such as the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and various Puranas. Bhumi plays a central role in Hindu mythology, where she is often portrayed as a supplicant, oppressed by evil forces, demons or corrupt rulers. These stories frequently depict her appealing to the god Vishnu for assistance, and in response, Vishnu intervenes to alleviate her distress by taking different avatars. In one instance, Vishnu takes the Varaha (boar) avatar to rescue her from the asura Hiranyaksha. In another narrative, Vishnu takes the avatar of King Prithu to tame Bhumi, who had run away in the form of a cow, and milks her to obtain resources benefiting all creatures. Bhumi is mentioned as the mother of Mangala (Mars), as well as the evil asura, Naraka. She incarnates as Satyabhama, the queen of Vishnu's avatar Krishna, to help defeat Naraka. Sita, the female protagonist of Ramayana, is also regarded as Bhumi's daughter. Bhumi is revered in Vaishnava sects, especially in South India, where she is regarded as Vishnu's secondary consort alongside Lakshmi. Some traditions, such as Sri Vaishnavism, view her as an aspect of Lakshmi. Iconographically, Bhumi is depicted holding a pomegranate and a blue lotus, and is often shown alongside Vishnu-Lakshmi or with Varaha. She is also depicted in the form of a cow.