The Goddess Sasthi

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Sasthi, {She-of-the-Sixth-Day}.
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Alternate meaning: {Birth-Giving-One}.
[to Whom the eighteenth day of June, day 169, is dedicated]

Geography/Culture: Hindustani: Bengal. Province in north east Indian and Bangladesh: 23.30n x 90.50e, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Linguistic Note: related English word: six, (Anglo Saxon siex, sex, Latin sex, Greek hex (hexagon), Sanskrit shash.
Description: Goddess of conception, childbirth and prosperity; Protectress of children's welfare; She Who concerns Herself with the happiness of infants; She Who is worshipped by women desiring offspring.
To Whom Sacred: cat (Her vahana); the sixth day after birth (when danger to mother and child is considered to be over and the child's destiny is fixed).
Festival: The ceremony Sashtijagara, is held on or after the sixth day after birth.

Titles/Variants, etc:

A folk Goddess, also considered a form of Durga.
Also called Skandamata, Mother-Attacker, {presumably Her negative aspect}.
Sashti appears to have becomes merged with Sri, Holy-One, (Who is linked with Laksmi), because of Her connection with prosperity.

Source: Stutley HDH/271; IM.VI/97; Shipley DWO 246. Image: "Image of birth, analogue of the creative funtion of the Goddess. South India, 18th century. Carved wood 13 in. Ahit Mookerjee, New Delhi" T.PR/99.

worked on: June 1990; July 1991; May 1995.
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