E

Earth

In Hindu mythology, Earth is considered
a goddess. The notion that India is a
sacred land is one of the most deeply
rooted elements in Hindu life, and many
of India’s mountains, rivers, and other
geographical features are considered
gods and goddesses. This belief extends
to Earth itself. In the Vedas, the oldest
Hindu sacred texts, Earth appears as the
goddess Prthivi, who is lauded for her
fertility, her nurturing capacity, and her
firmness in supporting all things. Prthivi
almost always appears in conjunction
with Dyaus, a male deityassociated
with the sky, whose name is a cognate
form of the Greek god Zeus. Sky and
Earth thus form the divine couple, with
the rain from the sky fertilizing and
energizing the earth.
In later mythology the figure of
Prthivi is supplanted by the goddess
Bhudevi (“Earth Goddess”), who is con-
sidered to be one of the wives of the god
Vishnu. Bhudevi is less frequently asso-
ciated with fertility and nurturing; her
primary function is as a supplicant to
galvanize the world-rescuing activity of
Vishnu. When the wicked become too
oppressive, or a demonbecomes too
powerful and disrupts the cosmic order,
Earth cries out to Vishnu for help, and
Vishnu obligingly restores the cosmic
balance. One example of this is the Boar
avatar, in which Earth herself is rescued
from bondage by Vishnu. For further
information see David R. Kinsley, Hindu
Goddesses,1986.

Earth

(2) In its material form, one of the
five elements in traditional Indian

cosmology, the others being water,

fire, wind, and akasha. In some

philosophical schools, each of the

elements is paired with one of the five

senses; in this case earth is associated

with smell. The element earth is also

associated with certain bodily functions,

especially the elimination of solid wastes.

Eating

Throughout the world the act of eating

is imbued with cultural significance and

cultural messages, and Hindu culture

makes no exception. Given the strong

emphasis on purity, Hindus pay signifi-

cant attention to the preparation and

consumption of food. Factors such as

whom one eats with, who may prepare

one’s food, and what types of food one

will eat and how it should be prepared

all send messages about the social status

of an individual or a community. The

groups with the highest status, particu-

larly brahmins, are the strictest with

regard to their dining habits. For the

most part, such high-status groups

adhere to a principle known as com-

mensality—that is, only eating food

cooked by members of their social

group. With regard to the content of

one’s diet, the great divide is between

vegetarian and nonvegetarian. An exclu-

sively vegetarian diet indicates higher

status, and among nonvegetarians there

are status gradations depending on

what types of meat one eats. For ortho-

dox Hindus, every meal is a potential

source of ritual contamination and must

be carefully monitored. Food cooked in

water is seen as far more susceptible to

pollution (ashaucha) and greater care is

taken in accepting it, whereas food fried

in oil or ghee is believed to be much

more resistant to pollution and thus a

lesser source of ritual danger. From a

religious perspective, the safest meal of

all is the meal that is cooked and eaten

at home. See also Vegetarianism.

Eclipses

Without exception, eclipses are consid-

ered highly inauspicious and ritually

Eclipses