Ratri, Goddess of the Night.
The gods and
goddesses are linked to natural events in the Vedas, the oldest and most
authoritative Hindu religious literature.
Ratri (Night) is mentioned in the Vedas both as a goddess
and as the night itself.
She is sometimes seen as life-giving, helping people to
replenish and revitalize themselves.
She is often connected with nighttime threats such as wild
animals and burglars.
Ushas, the morning, considers Ratri to be her sister.
The two goddesses mark forth the regular flow of time that
marks the cosmic order as night and day alternate (rta).
See David R. Kinsley's Hindu Goddesses, 1986, for further
information about Night and all the Hindu goddesses.
