Rati (Delight)
Rati, “delight”
Rati has other meanings too: see all meanings of Rati.
Grammar: feminine noun, from the root ram (to delight, to rejoice): “delight”.
Meaning: delight, joy, the pleasure in what one loves; at the first creation, one of the powers Brahmā brought forth.
In the scriptures: in the Brahma Purāṇa, Lomaharshaṇa Sūta tells the munis of Naimishāraṇya the first creation. Svayambhū first created the waters and released into them his vīrya, the saṅkalpa of creation; it became a golden egg floating on the waters, and in it Brahmā himself was born as Svayambhū, and so was named Hiraṇyagarbha. After a year he divided the egg into the sky and the earth, made the space between them ākāśa, raised the earth that had sunk in the waters and fashioned the ten directions. There he created kāla (time), manas (mind), vāk (speech), kāma (desire), krodha (anger) and rati (delight). Then, wishing to create, he brought forth from his mind the seven Brahmās, Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasishṭha (Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 1).
Related terms: Kāma · Krodha · Kāla · Manas · Vāk · Hiraṇyagarbha
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 1