Aranyani

The Vedic Goddess Aranyani is to be worshipped in forests. First and foremost, care for and protect the wellbeing and sanctity of forests and the animals that dwell in them. If you don’t do this, no mantra, song, or puja will please her.

If you want to actually go and worship her, she is not a Goddess to worship at home or in temples. She is to be worshipped in forests, beyond the edge of civilization and cleared/tilled lands, and especially at dusk, in the evening twilight.

There is a very ancient mantra addressed to her, the Aranyani Sukta, given in Rigveda 10.146:

अरण्यान्यरण्यान्यसौ या परेव नश्यसि |

कथाग्रामं न पर्छसि न तवा भीरिव विन्दती३ँ ||

वर्षारवाय वदते यदुपावति चिच्चिकः |

आघाटिभिरिवधावयन्नरण्यानिर्महीयते ||

उत गाव इवादन्त्युत वेश्मेव दर्श्यते |

उतो अरण्यानिःसायं शकटीरिव सर्जति ||

गामङगैष आ हवयति दार्वङगैषो अपावधीत |

वसन्नरण्यान्यां सायमक्रुक्षदिति मन्यते ||

न वा अरण्यानिर्हन्त्यन्यश्चेन नाभिगछति |

सवादोःफलस्य जग्ध्वाय यथाकामं नि पद्यते ||

आञ्जनगन्धिं सुरभिं बह्वन्नामक्र्षीवलाम |

पराहम्म्र्गाणां मातरमरण्यानिमशंसिषम ||

araṇyānyaraṇyānyasau yā preva naśyasi |

kathāghrāmaṃ na pṛchasi na tvā bhīriva vindatīam̐ ||

vṛṣāravāya vadate yadupāvati ciccikaḥ |

āghāṭibhirivadhāvayannaraṇyānirmahīyate ||

uta ghāva ivādantyuta veśmeva dṛśyate |

uto araṇyāniḥsāyaṃ śakaṭīriva sarjati ||

ghāmaṅghaiṣa ā hvayati dārvaṅghaiṣo apāvadhīt |

vasannaraṇyānyāṃ sāyamakrukṣaditi manyate ||

na vā araṇyānirhantyanyaścen nābhighachati |

svādoḥphalasya jaghdhvāya yathākāmaṃ ni padyate ||

āñjanaghandhiṃ surabhiṃ bahvannāmakṛṣīvalām |

prāhammṛghāṇāṃ mātaramaraṇyānimaśaṃsiṣam ||

“Aranyani of the Forest, who vanishes before our eyes, how is it that you dwell in no village, yet are unafraid? When the first insects of evening raise their shrill voice and other forest-creatures reply, at that time the Lady of the Forest exults, seeming to sound with tinkling bells. And the cows seem to be grazing, and the house seems to be visible, when at the darkling evening the Lady of the Forest dismisses the carts - so it seems. One man calls his cow; another is gathering wood. One who lingers in the forest in the darkling evening may think they hear a scream. Aranyani herself does not harm anyone, but some other approaching creature might. People may eat of the forest’s delicious fruits that fall, and then take their rest, as they will. She who is fragrant, abundant with foods yet without tilling the land, mother of the wild animals, Aranyani I praise.”