Renuka

Place in Hindu pantheon

In Hindu tradition, Renuka is identified as one of the four principal incarnations of Adi Parashakti, the primordial goddess, along with Kamakshi, who is venerated in Kanchi; Vishalakshi, who is venerated in Varanasi; and Meenakshi, who is venerated in Madurai and Bahulakshi.

Renuka is also venerated in other parts of India under various regional names, including Aai Yellamma, Ekvira, Yamai, Ellai Amman, Padmakshi Renuka, Ucchangi Mariamma, Ellai Amma Mahar, Renuka Bhavani, Yellamma Devi, Mariamman, and Padmakshi Renuka. Her worship spans multiple local traditions and communities, where devotees revere her as Jagadamba, the Mother of the Universe, a mother goddess and divine protector. Legends surrounding Renuka are chronicled in Hindu scriptures such as the Mahabharata, Harivamsa, and Bhagavata Purana.

Childhood and marriage

Renuka was born to King Renu after he performed a ritual fire sacrifice called yajna in order to ensure peace and prosperity. Emerging from the sacrificial fire, Renuka became her parents' cherished child, and at age eight the sage Agastya advised her that she would marry Jamadagni when she reached maturity. Jamadagni was the son of Richika and Satyavati, who had earned divine blessings through penance, and Renuka assisted Jamadagni in rituals. Her own daily ritual involved bathing in the Malaprabha River with such intense focus that her spiritual power enabled her to mould sand into an unbaked pot, and later, use a coiled serpent as a rope to carry water for her husband's oblations.

Renuka and Jamadagni had a daughter Anjana, and five sons: Ṛumaṇvān, Suhotra, Vasu, Viśvāvasu, and Rama Bhargava (later known as Parashurama, Vishnu's sixth avatar). Parashurama earned Shiva's favor through penance and received an axe (parashu) as a reward, which then became his namesake.

Estrangement from Jamadagni and death

One day when Renuka went to the river she saw the king Chitraratha having sex with his wives. Captivated by the sight, she momentarily lost her concentration and devotion to her husband. Distracted in this way, she lost the spiritual power granted to her through her chastity, causing her to lose the water she had collected. When she came back to the ashram, Jamadagni divined these events through his yogic power and cursed her lack of devotion.

After being cursed by her husband Renuka went east and sat in the forest to meditate. In her penance she met with the saints Eknath and Joginath, and requested their help in gaining mercy from her husband. They first consoled her and then instructed her to follow their advice exactly, telling her to first purify herself by bathing in a nearby lake and then to worship a Shivalinga which they gave her. Next she was asked to visit the nearby town and beg for rice from the houses, and this ritual - called Joga Bedodu in Karnataka, Jogawa in Marathi, and Yellamma Jogu in Telangana - is still carried out by women during a particular month. After collecting the rice, Renuka was to give half to the saints and then cook the remaining half, adding jaggery, and then partake of the cooked rice with full devotion. The saints said that if she performed this ritual for three days she would be able to visit her husband on the fourth day.

Knowing the anger of Jamadagni, the saints also warned Renuka that she may not be fully pardoned by her husband and that she would have to experience the most difficult time of her life for a few minutes. "After that," they said, "you will be eternally revered and will be blessed with your husband. You will be worshipped by all the people henceforth." After blessing her thus, the saints disappeared. Renuka followed their instructions with devotion and worshipped the Shivalinga with reverence. On the fourth day, she went to see her husband.

But Jamadagni was still furious with Renuka and ordered his four eldest sons to kill his wife. All four refused to kill their mother, leading to Jamadagni cursing his four sons and reducing them to ashes for disobeying his order. Jamadagni then called his fifth son Parashurama, who was meditating on Shiva, and ordered him to behead Renuka. Parashurama immediately obeyed his father's words and beheaded his mother with his axe.

Resurrection

Pleased with his youngest son's devotion and obedience towards him, Jamadagni offered a boon to Parushurama, who wisely asked for his mother and brothers to be brought back to life. Jamadagni was impressed by Parshurama's pragmatism and feeling strong remorse for what he had done to his beloved and compassionate wife, so he brought Renuka and her four other sons back to life. He then vowed not to get angered ever again and to give up krodha forever. However, in the happiness of bringing his mother's life back, Parashurama brings his father the head of another lady called Yellamma, while his father curses the four eldest sons with losing their masculinity for not listening to him. As a result, Renuka is now called Renuka Yellamma and becomes the deity of the transgender community, protecting her four eldest sons when they seek shelter with her after her resurrection.

Variations of the story

A common version of this story in South India is that a low or outcast woman sees Renuka/Yellamma being taken to the forest to be killed by her son Parshurama, and intervenes. Unfortunately, this only results in her head being cut off as well as Renuka's. However, when the women are restored to life they both become goddesses, and this is sometimes considered the origin story for Yellamma and Mariamman, with the two goddesses arising from the two women.

According to another legend, the emperor Sahastarva wanted to marry Renuka, and so when Parashuram was away Sahastarva killed Jamadagni and his four sons, causing Renuka to jump into the pond known as Ramsarover. This lake is today venerated as Renuka Sanctuary. Another version of the lake story has the Haihaya King Sahasrarjuna (Kartavirya Arjuna) killing Jamadagni because he wanted the Kamadhenu cow from Jamadagni and Renuka, causing Renuka to jump into the pond.

A version among the Deori people holds that Jamadagni asked his sons to kill Renuka to prove their obedience, and then brought her back to life.