Kshānti

Kshānti, “forbearance”

Jaya has other meanings too: see all meanings of Jaya.

Kshānti is Forbearance in her devī form. In the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa, Brahmā tells Nārada of her in two great gatherings: she was among the devīs who stood round the jewelled vedi at the wedding of Bhagavān Śiva, and among the powers, each in her own form, who adorned the yajña of Daksha.

At the wedding of Bhagavān Śiva

The wedding of Bhagavān Śiva took place on the Himālaya, adorned with every kind of jewel, full of trees and creepers, visited by birds and frequented by devas, gandharvas, siddhas, cāraṇas and yakshas, with Vasishṭha, Agastya, Paulastya, Lomaśa and other ṛshis all round. There, on a raised divine platform, Viśvakarman had made a vedi (altar) studded with jewels, adorned with gold and set with rows of pillars of diamonds, rubies and sapphires. The devīs Jayā, Lakshmī, Śubhā, Kshānti, Kīrti, Pushṭi and others surrounded it, with the mountains Meru, Mandara, Kailāsa and Raivata, and it was honoured by Bhagavān Vishṇu, the ruler of the universe.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 3

At the yajña of Daksha

At the Cakratīrtha, Brahmā tells of the yajña of Daksha. It was surrounded by Brahmā and the devas, watched over by Vasishṭha and other ṛshis, protected by Indra, the Ādityas and the Vasus, and adorned with the Ṛk, Yajus and Sāman and the utterances of “Svāhā”. It was adorned all round by Śraddhā (Faith), Pushṭi (Nourishment), Tushṭi (Satisfaction), Śānti (Peace), Lajjā (Modesty), Sarasvatī (Speech), Bhūmi (Earth), Dyau (the Sky), Śarvarī (Night), Kshānti (Forbearance), Ushā (Dawn), Āśā (Hope), Jayā (Victory), Mati (Intellect) and others. Viśvakarman and Tvashṭṛ had built it, and the divine cows Surabhi, Nandinī, Kāmadhuk and Kāmadohinī fulfilled every wish there. Because Daksha had insulted Bhagavān Śiva and left him uninvited, Satī gave up her body by yoga, and Vīrabhadra and the bhūtas destroyed that yajña.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 39

Sources

  • Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapters 3, 39