Prīti
Prīti, “joy, love”
Caitra has other meanings too: see all meanings of Caitra.
Prīti is a wife of Kāmadeva and the co-wife of Rati. She gives joy to all in all the worlds and is honoured by all the devatās.
Her former birth
In the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Yudhishṭhira of the Vibhūti Dvādaśī vrata, and within it the muni’s words to King Pushpavāhana. A veśyā named Anaṅgavatī completed that vrata in the month of Māgha. She duly honoured Bhagavān Hṛshīkeśa and gave her guru a golden kalpavṛksha, an excellent lavaṇācala and a śayyā with all its things. The next morning she gave him the śayyā with the lavaṇācala and many villages, and she gave twelve other brāhmaṇas twelve cows, with gold, clothes and ornaments. Anaṅgavatī was then born as the co-wife of Rati, famed by the name Prīti.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 85
With Kāmadeva
Śrī Kṛshṇa says that when Bhagavān Śaṅkara burned Kāmadeva to ash with the flame of his eye, Kāmadeva’s wives Rati and Prīti wept and lamented. Moved by compassion, Devī Pārvatī prayed to Bhagavān Śiva, who granted that Kāmadeva would be born of the mind and live once each year, on Caitra śukla trayodaśī.
On that day an image of Kāmadeva with Rati, Prīti and Vasanta is made from sindūra and turmeric beneath an aśoka tree, or an image of gold is set up. A woman who in vasanta ṛtu performs with bhakti the pūjā of Kāmadeva with his retinue, Rati, Prīti, Vasanta, Malayānila and the rest, gains saubhāgya, beauty, sons and happiness.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 133–136
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 85, 133–136