Legends Svaha is personified as a
goddess and as the consort of
Agni. According to the
Brahmavidya Upanishad, Svaha represents the
shakti or power that cannot be burned by Agni. In the
Upanishads, Svaha confesses to be enamoured by Agni and wishes to dwell with him. Hence, the deities state that oblations would be offered to Agni while invoking her name during hymns, allowing Svaha to dwell with Agni in perpetuity. In some versions, she is one of the many divine mothers of
Kartikeya (Skanda). She is also the mother of
Agneya (Aagneya) — the daughter of Agni. She is considered to be a daughter of
Daksha and his consort
Prasuti. She is thought to preside over burnt offerings. Her body is said to consist of the four Vedas and her six limbs are considered to be the six Angas of the Vedas.
Story In the
Mahabharata Vana Parva,
Markandeya narrates her story to the
Pandavas. Svaha was the daughter of
Daksha. She fell in love with the God of Fire, Agni, and was pursuing him. Agni did not notice her. He presided over the sacrificial rituals of the
Saptarishis. The deity became highly besotted with the wives of the Saptarishis who were so ravishing that he kept staring at them. Finally, Agni could not bear the guilt of longing for wives belonging to someone else and he went to the forests to perform penances. Svaha followed him and understood his desire. She took the forms of the wives of the Saptarishis (though she was unable to take the form of
Arundhati, wife of Vashishtha) and approached Agni six times, seducing him and throwing the seed of each union into a golden pot, from which Skanda was born.
Devi Bhagavata Purana In the
Devi Bhagavata Purana,
Narayana offers
Narada the procedure to meditate upon Svaha:
Beyond the Indian subcontinent and Hinduism In
Hinduism in Thailand call her
Mae Phra pheling (แม่พระเพลิง) Which means goddess of Fire in Thai Language,. She is generally respected along with goddess
Ganga and Mae Phra phay (wife of Vayu) from Hinduism with
Phra Mae Thorani and
Phosop from
tai folk religion, They five are usually worshipped or mentioned together., Her famous and much talked about sculptures in Thailand include Kuan Yin Inter-Religious Park Phu Sawan sub district,
Kaeng Krachan district,
Phetchaburi province. and Baan Sukhawadee, Sukhumvit Road, Bang Lamung district,
Chonburi province. In general she is worshipped invite as a protector in various rituals of
Hinduism in Thailand and
Tai folk religion with other four goddesses Including being mentioned as a witness to the merit-making ceremony and the water pouring ceremony is a traditional Thai Buddhist ritual style. The cult of her and the other four goddesses is quietly popular in Thailand. , She and four other goddesses are revered as the goddess guardians of area
Bang Saen,
Chonburi Province , The courtyard five Benjathevi (ลานเบญจเทวี) in side of ONPA Hotel & Residence hotel in
Bang Saen Beach,
Chonburi Province It is one of the sacred places dedicated to her and other four goddesses. ==Notes==