Arundhati

Who is Arundhati?

Arundhuti is the wife of the sage Vashistha, one of the seven sages who are identified with the Ursa Major. She is identified with the morning star and also with the star Alcor which forms a double star with Mizar in Ursa Major. Arundhuti, though the wife of one of the seven seers, is accorded the same status as the seven seers and is worshipped with them as such. In the Vedic and Puranic literature, she is regarded as the epitome of chastity, conjugal bliss and wifely devotion. In post-Puranic epic poems in Sanskrit and Hindi, she has been described as “chaste and revered” and with a character that is “unblemished, inspiring and worthy of imitation”. In the Hindu culture, there are several beliefs, practices and traditions centred on Arundhuti including a ritual in the marriage ceremony after the Saptapadi, a fast, a belief about imminent death, and a maxim.