[Advaita-l] 'Kuladevataa' concept in Kalidasa's Kumarasambhavam

[V Subrahmanian]

The concept of Kuladevataa is timeless. Even as ancient as in Kalidasa's
times we see the idea in vogue in Vedic families. Here is an instance in
the Kumarasambhava, in the episode of Parvati's wedding:

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/6cr


*तामर्चिताभ्यः कुलदेवताभ्यः कुलप्रतिष्ठां प्रणमय्य माता
।**अकारयत्कारयितव्यदक्षा
क्रमेण पादग्रहणं सतीनाम् ।। ७.२७ ।।*
*Mena Devi, the wife of Himavan, made Parvati bow to all the family deities
that had been worshiped. Also the sumangali-s who were there on the
occasion too were shown that respect by Parvati. All this happened just
before the actual pani-grahanam, on the day of the wedding.    *

     अन्वयः- कारयितव्यदक्षा माता कुलप्रतिष्ठां ताम् अर्चिताभ्यः
कुलदेवताभ्यः प्रणमय्य सतीनां पादग्रहणं क्रमेण अकारयत् ।
    Mallinatha's commentary  मल्लिo- तामिति । कारयितव्येषु दक्षा कारयित्री
। कर्मोपदेशकुशलेत्यर्थः । माता मेना प्रतितिष्ठत्यस्यामिति प्रतिष्ठा ।
`आतश्चोपसर्गे' इति कः स्त्रियां टाप् । कुलस्य प्रतिष्ठां कुलालम्बनभूताम् ।
स्थितिकारिणीमित्यर्थः । तां गौरीम् । अर्चिताभ्यः पूजिताभ्यः *कुलदेवताभ्यो
गृहदेवाभ्यः प्र*णमय्य प्रणामं कारयित्वा ।


That families had a deity to which special worship is offered first during
all important occasions is known from the above. The very name
'kula-devataa' signifies that a deity is specific to a family/lineage. If
there was a mandatory worship of only one deity by everyone, the
adjective/prefix 'kula' would be meaningless. This shows that not just one
deity was worshiped. The plural in the verse shows that there were many
deities that were together called 'kuladevataa-s'. This practice was in
vogue from extremely ancient times. Kalidasa is very old in time compared
to Shankaracharya.


Many other evidences for the idea of Kuladevata can be seen here:


https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2016/12/15/the-concept-of-kuladevata-family-deity/



Om Tat Sat

subbu