Aditi
Mother of the Gods
The gentle mother of the devas, called the Adityas after her. Her name means "boundless" - like the open sky.
- Sanskrit/Telugu name: అదితి
- Also known as: Devamata, Mother of the Adityas
- Symbols: Boundless sky, Cow of plenty
Story
Aditi is one of the most loving figures in our puranas - the mother of the shining gods themselves. Her name means "without limits," and she is imagined as vast and kind as the open sky. In many tellings she was a daughter of Daksha who married the great sage Kashyapa, and her sons became the Adityas - the bright celestial gods, including Indra, Surya, and Varuna. Whenever her children were in trouble, Aditi prayed and did tapas (deep meditation) for them, like any amma would. In one beloved story, when the demon king Bali took over the heavens, Aditi prayed so sincerely that Vishnu himself agreed to be born as her son - the tiny Vamana, who won back the three worlds with three steps. That story is told in every Telugu home during Bali Padyami, right after Deepavali.
Fun fact
Because Vishnu was born as Vamana to Aditi, the mother of the gods can also say she is the mother of God's own avatar!