SHARAD PATIL Earth Mother Significantly enough, there seems to have been an Intimate connection between irina, the so-called natural cleft in the earth at the south-east of the Aryan sacrificial ground, and Nirrti, the goddess of evil. Who was she ? ^g-vedic hymns VII. 104. 9, X. 10.11, X. 18.10, X. 59J-4, X. 95.14 and Atharva-vedic hymns VI. 84, XIV. 2.19 invoke Nirrti either as a deity of evil or of death. We come across her fullest description in Taittiriya Sarimita IV- 2.5 as follows: g. Homage to thee, 0 Nirrti of every form (ViSva-rupe), Loosen ye this bond made of iron; Do thou in accord with Yama and Yami Mount this highest vault. h. The bond that Nirrti, the goddess (devi Nirftir.), Bound on thy neck, not to be loosened. This I loosen further as from the middle of life; Then living^ let loose, do thou eat the food. i. Thee in whose cruel (Krflra)l mouth here I make offering,. For the loosening of the bonds, As dearth5 men know thee (Bhfimimiti tvajana viduh), As 'Nirrti,9 I know thee on every side.