Jyestha or Jyeshtha (Sanskrit: ज्येष्ठा, Jyeṣṭhā, "the eldest" or "the elder") is the Hindu goddess of adversity and misfortune.

Texts that elaborate on the iconography of Jyestha are: the Agamas such as the Amshumadbhedagama, the Suprabhedagama and the Purvakarangama; the Vishnudharmottara Purana and other shorter references in the Baudhayanagrhyasutra.

[4] The earliest recorded bilingual inscription detailing the iconography and worship practices from the 8th century is found in the caves of Tiruparankunram near Madurai.

[4] Jyestha is described as having "large pendulous breasts descending as far as her navel, with a flabby belly, thick thighs, raised nose, hanging lower lip, and is in colour as ink.

[6] Jyestha wears different ornaments and a tilaka mark on her forehead, a sign of her married status.

[6][7] Jyestha has a banner depicting a crow, and is popularly called "crow-bannered" (Kakkaikkodiyal) in Tamil.

[9] Though Jyestha is almost never depicted astride on a mount, she is described in most texts as riding a donkey like Alakshmi.

It is swallowed by the god Shiva and then Jyestha appears from the ocean, wearing red garments.

She is said to dwell in houses with quarrel, where liars use harsh language, where evil and sinful men live, where there is long hair, skulls, bones, ashes or charcoal (signs of an unorthodox mendicant).

She dwells in places where "family members quarrel and elders eat food while disregarding the hunger of their children".

Eventually tired of her anti-social nature, Dussaha abandons Jyestha in a place where non-vedic (heretical) rituals are performed.

[2] Shaiva Puranas extol her as one of eight portions of the Supreme Goddess (Parashakti), who regulates human lives in different ways.

She is also associated with her namesake nakshatra (constellation) - Jyestha, which inherits the negative qualities of the goddess.

If a bride enters a household in the Jyestha constellation, then her eldest brother-in-law is believed to die.

The lotus, the abhaya mudra and her relationship with Lakshmi associate her with the Vaishnava (related to Vishnu) pantheon.

[19] However, at the height of the popularity, Jyestha was a goddess, who needed to be propitiated by a good wife daily.

[2] As per the legend in the Linga Purana, it is believed that the women of houses that please the goddess by offerings can keep her away from their homes.

[12] The 13th century Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri prime minister Hemadri, who wrote a book on religious vows and fasts, notes that Jyestha should be worshipped by a male devotee to bring fortune to his wife and progeny.

[20] The Saradatilaka-Tantra describes that in Tantric ritual, Jyestha is worshipped to cause enmity between friends (Vidvesa).