Editing Prithvi (section)

{{Short description|Vedic goddess of the Earth}}
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{{About|the Vedic goddess|the Puranic goddess and the consort of Vishnu|Bhumi (goddess)}}{{Redirect|Dharti Mata|the 1938 film|Dharti Mata (film)}}
{{Infobox deity<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology-->
| type = Hindu
| devanagari = पृथ्वी
| other_names = 
| symbol= [[Zebu|Cow]]
| affiliation = [[Devi]], [[Pancha Bhoota]]
| member_of   = [[Thirty-three gods]]
| children = [[Ushas]] and other [[Rigvedic deities]]
| planet = [[Earth]]
| texts = ''[[Rig Veda]], [[Atharva Veda]] (Prithvi Suktam)'', [[Brahmanas]]
| consort = [[Dyaus]]
| deity_of = [[Earth goddess|Personification of the Earth]]
| greek_equivalent = [[Gaia]]
| roman_equivalent = [[Tellus Mater]] 
| norse_equivalent = [[Jörð]]
| Indo-european_equivalent = [[Dʰéǵʰōm]]
}}
{{classic element}}
'''Prithvi''' ([[Sanskrit]]: पृथ्वी, ''{{IAST|Pṛthvī}}'', also पृथिवी, ''{{IAST|Pṛthivī}}'', "the Vast One", also rendered '''Pṛthvī Mātā'''), is the [[Sanskrit]] name for the [[earth]], as well as the name of the goddess-personification of it in [[Hinduism]]. The goddess Prithvi is an archetypal [[Mother Goddess]], and one of the most important goddesses in the [[historical Vedic religion]].<ref name=":0" />

She is depicted as a stable, fertile, and benevolent presence in the [[Vedas]]. She is frequently addressed as a mother, and a nurturing, generous goddess who provides sustenance to all beings living on her vast, firm expanse. While the ''[[Rigveda]]'' predominantly associates her with [[Dyaus]] ('Father Sky'), the ''[[Atharvaveda]]'' and later texts portray her as an independent deity.<ref name=":0" />

In classical Hinduism, the figure of Prithvi is supplanted by the goddess [[Bhūmi|Bhumi]], while the term Prithvi serves as one of her epithets. She becomes significantly associated with [[Vishnu]], one of the most important gods in later Hinduism, and his avatars—[[Varaha]] and [[Prithu]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&q=bhumi+prithvi+vedic |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |date=2014-04-18 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-277-9 |language=en}}</ref>

Besides Hinduism, Prithvi holds a significant position in [[Buddhism]], symbolising the vastness and support that the Earth provides to all life. Her appearance in the Buddhist tradition is tied to the very moment of [[Buddha]]’s enlightenment, and she is considered the first goddess in the [[Buddhist pantheon]].<ref name=":5">{{cite book |last=Shaw |first=Miranda Eberle |title=Buddhist Goddesses of India |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-691-12758-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/buddhistgoddesse00shaw |url-access=registration}}
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