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In Hinduism and Buddhism, svāhā (chi. 薩婆訶 sa po he) is an interjection, approximately "hail!" in mantras indicating the end of the mantra. In the Tibetan language, "svaha" is translated as "so be it." Whenever fire sacrifices are made, svāhā is chanted. Etymologically, the term is probably from su "well" and the root ah "to call".
As a feminine noun, svāhā in the Rigveda may also mean "oblation" (to Agni or Indra), and as oblation personified, Svāhā is a minor goddess, and the wife of Agni. She was originally a nymph[citation needed] but became immortal after marrying Agni, with whom, in some versions, she is the mother of Karttikeya. She is considered as a Daughter of daksha. She is taught to preside over burnt offerings. Her body is said to consist of the four vedas and her six limbs are the six Angas of the Vedas. Sometimes she is represented as a wife of rudra[1]
[edit] References
- ^ MW Sanskrit Digital Dictionary v1.5
