The Arctic Home in the Vedas c13.7

c13.7

animal, to the sight of their worshipper Vishvaka, son of Kṛṣṇa (I, 116, 23 ; X, 65, 12). But the story most often referred to is that of the rescue of Bhujyu, son of Tugra, who was abandoned in the midst of ocean (samudre), or in the water-clouds (udameghe), and who, tossed about in darkness, invoked the aid of the youthful heroes. In the ocean which is without support (anârambhaṇe), they took him home in a hundred-oared (śatâritram) ship (I, 116, 5). They rescued him with animated water-tight ships, which traversed the air (antarikṣa), with four ships, with an animated winged boat, with three flying cars having a hundred feet and six horses. In one passage Bhujyu is described as clinging to a log in the midst of water (arṇaso madhye, I, 182, 7). The sage Rebha stabbed, bound, hidden by the malignant, overwhelmed in waters for ten nights and nine days, abandoned as dead, was by the Ashvins revived and drawn out, as Soma juice is raised with a ladle (I, 116, 24 ; I, 112, 5). They delivered Vandana from his calamity and restored him to the light of the sun. In I, 117, 5, they are also said to have dug up for Vandana some bright buried gold of new splendour ‘like one asleep in the lap of Nir-ṛiti,’ or like ‘the sun dwelling in darkness.’ They succoured the sage Atri Sapta-vadhri, who was plunged in a burning pit by the wiles of a demon, and delivered him from darkness (I, 116, 8 ; VI, 50, 10). They rescued from the jaws of a wolf a quail (vartikâ), who invoked their aid (I, 112, 8). To Ṛijrâshva, who had been blinded by his cruel father for killing one hundred and one sheep and giving them to a she-wolf to devour, they restored his eyesight at the prayer of the she-wolf (I, 116, 16; 117, 17); and cured Parâvrij of blindness and lameness (I, 112, 8). When Vishpalâ’s leg had been cut off in the battle like the wing of a bird, the Ashvins gave her an iron one instead (I, 116, 15). They befriended Ghoṣâ when she was growing old in her father’s house by giving her a husband (1, 117, 7; X, 39, 3). To the wife of a eunuch (Vadhrimatî) they gave a son called Hiraṇya-hasta (I, 116, 13; VI, 62, 7). The cow of Shayu which had left off bearing they caused to give milk (I, 116, 22); and to Pedu they gave a strong swift dragon-slaying steed impelled by Indra which won him unbounded spoils (I, 116, 6).”