History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.53

v7.c95.53

Prajāpati, who is mentioned very rarely in the Ṛgveda (IV. 53 2 where Savitṛ is called Prajāpati, IX. 5 9 where Soma is called Prajāpati, X. 85 4 where in the marriage hymn Prajāpati is prayed to bestow offspring, X. 169. 4 where Prajāpati is invoked to bestow good cows, X. 184 1 where Prajāpati along with other gods and goddesses is invoked for the blessing of conception in a married woman, X. 121 10 (already referred to above on p 1490), becomes the most prominent god in the Brāhmaṇas. The Ait Br. narrates the story that after Indra killed Vṛtra he wanted to be great and honoured in place of Prajāpati, that then Prajāpati said (if you are to be great) 'who am I going to be' (koham-iti) and thereby Prajāpati came to be called 'Ka'.²⁴⁴⁹