Night, Goddess of

In the Vedas, the earliest and most
authoritative Hindu religious texts, the
gods and goddesses are associated with
phenomena in the natural world. In the
Vedas the goddess Ratri (Night) is mentioned both as a goddess and as the
night itself. At times she is seen as lifegiving, allowing people the opportunity
to refresh and renew themselves. At
other times she is associated with the
dangers of the night, such as wild animals and thieves. Ratri is considered a
sister to Ushas, the dawn. As night and
day alternate, the two goddesses mark
472
Nigantha Nataputta
Leader of a Toda tribe in the Nilgiri Hills.
out the regular passage of time that
characterizes the cosmic order (rta). For
further information on Night and all the
goddesses of Hinduism, see David R.
Kinsley, Hindu Goddesses, 1986.