Menā
Menā (Menāvatī)
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Menā is a goddess of Hindu mythology, the wife of Himavat, the personification of the Himalayas, and queen of the mountains. Mother of the great goddess Pārvatī as well as of Gangā and Mount Maināka, she is celebrated in the Purāṇas as the mind-born daughter (mānasaputrī) of the Pitṛ ancestors.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- A figure of Hindu mythology whose story is recorded in the Purāṇas (compilations dating from around 300 BCE to the first millennium CE)
- Wife of Himavat, the king of the mountains and personification of the Himalayan range
- Mother of Pārvatī, the wife of the god Śiva, which makes her the god's mother-in-law in Shaivite mythology
- Also the mother of the river goddess Gangā and of Mount Maināka according to several traditions
- Described as a “mind-born” daughter (mānasaputrī) of the divine Pitṛ ancestors
Works & Achievements
Together with Himavat, Menā performs long austerities (tapas) so that the great Goddess will consent to be born as their daughter.
Menā gives birth to Pārvatī, the future wife of Śiva, and raises her in the palace of the mountains.
Wishing to stop her daughter from inflicting too harsh penances upon herself, Menā cries out “u mā” (“oh, do not!”), hence the name Umā given to Pārvatī.
Menā is also said to be the mother of Gangā, the celestial river that would descend to earth as the Ganges.
She gives birth to Maināka, the winged mountain that escaped Indra by plunging into the ocean.
Menā and Himavat give their daughter to Śiva; the rite seals the union of the great god and the Goddess.
Anecdotes
According to the Śiva Purāṇa, Menā and her husband Himavat performed long austerities so that the great Goddess would consent to be born to them. Their wish was granted: the Goddess came into the world as their daughter Pārvatī, “she of the mountain.”
The poet Kālidāsa relates that, seeing her daughter inflict terrible penances upon herself, Menā cried out “u mā!” — “oh, do not do that!”. From this motherly cry, it is said, came Pārvatī's other name: Umā.
The Śiva Purāṇa describes Śiva's arrival at the wedding, covered in ashes, adorned with serpents and surrounded by his troop of frightening spirits (gaṇa). Horrified at the thought of giving her delicate daughter to such a husband, Menā fainted, until she was reassured when the god revealed his resplendent form.
Menā is also the mother of Mount Maināka. When Indra cut off the wings of the mountains, Maināka — says the Rāmāyaṇa — hid in the ocean; he later rose from it to offer a resting place to Hanumān as he leapt toward Laṅkā.
In the Purāṇas, Menā is no mere queen: her children are elements of the world. Besides Pārvatī, she gives birth to Gangā, the celestial Ganges, and Maināka the mountain — nature itself is her offspring.
Primary Sources
In due time Menā, the worthy wife of the king of the mountains, gave birth to a radiant daughter; and when the child wished to undertake harsh penances, her mother, to dissuade her, said to her “u mā” (“oh, no!”), whence her name Umā.
Seeing Śiva adorned with serpents, his body smeared with ashes, escorted by his hideous gaṇa, Menā was seized with terror and fell down in a swoon, moaning: “How can I give my tender daughter to such a husband?”
Mount Maināka, son of Himavat, who had once fled beneath the ocean to escape Indra's thunderbolt, rose from the waves and offered Hanumān a place of rest during his leap toward Laṅkā.
From the Pitṛ ancestors there was born, by thought alone, a daughter, Menā; she became the wife of Himavat, king of the mountains, and was the mother of Maināka, of Gangā, and of the Goddess.
Key Places
Mountain range personified by Himavat, husband of Menā; this is where she reigns and where her daughter Pārvatī is born.
Capital of the mountain kingdom according to Kālidāsa, “the plateau of luminous herbs” where Menā holds her court.
Abode of Śiva, toward which Pārvatī departs after Menā gives her in marriage to the god.
Region of the headwaters of the Ganges, the sacred river identified with Gangā, said to be the daughter of Menā and Himavat.
Her son Maināka took refuge in the Southern Sea to flee Indra, then rose from it to help Hanumān on his way to Laṅkā.
