Aditi is the goddess of the sky, consciousness, the past, the future, and fertility. Aditi means boundless or without limit.
Aditi is the mother of the celestial deities known as the Adityas and is referred to as the mother of many deities like Rudras and Vasus. As the celestial mother of numerous beings, the synthesis of all things, she is associated with space (akasha) and with mystic speech (Vāc).
Aditi is the daughter of Daksha and Asikni (Panchajani). She is married to the Sage Kashyapa. Aditi and the sage Kashyapa had 33 sons, out of whom twelve are called Âdityas including Surya, eleven are called Rudras, and eight are called Vasus.
According to mythology, Aditi grew concerned about the plight of her sons, the devas, during the reign of the asura monarch Mahabali. Her husband, the sage Kashyapa, advised her to observe the payovrata to propitiate Vishnu. Having observed the penance for twelve days, Vishnu was born as her son, Vamana, subsequently vanquishing Mahabali.
Aditi is usually mentioned in the Rigveda along with other gods and goddesses. There is no hymn addressed exclusively to her, unlike other Vedic gods.
The Iconography of Aditi:
Aditi flies across the boundless sky on a phoenix. The phoenix symbolizes strength and honour, but most importantly, reflects Aditi’s nature of cyclical rebirth and infinite creation.
Her weapons include the famous trisula, and a sword.
Aditi is described as possessing a pair of earrings, which are stolen from her by the asura named Naraka. Krishna returns the earrings to her after slaying the asura with his consort, Satyabhama.
