A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature c5.1618

c5.1618

SARANYŪ. ‘The fleet runner.’ A daughter of Twashtri. She has been identified with the Greek Erinnys. The beginning of this myth is in a hymn of the Rig-veda, which says— “1. Twashtri makes a wedding for his daughter. (Hearing) this, the whole world assembles. The mother of Yama, the wedded wife of the great Vivaswat (the sun), disappeared. 2. They concealed the immortal (bride) from mortals. Making (another) of like appearance, they gave her to Vivaswat. Saranyū bore the two Aswins, and when she had done so she deserted the two twins.” In the Nirukta the story is expanded as follows:— “Saranyū, the daughter of Twashtri, bore twins to Vivaswat, the son of Aditi. She then substituted for herself another female of similar appearance, and fled in the form of a mare. Vivaswat in like manner assumed the shape of a horse and followed her. From their intercourse sprang two Aswins, while Manu was the offspring of Savarnā (or the female of like appearance).” The Brihad-devatā has another version of the same story:— “Twashtri had twin children, (a daughter) Saranyū and (a son) Tri-siras. He gave Saranyū in marriage to Vivaswat, to whom she bore Yama and Yamī, who also were twins. Creating a female like herself without her husband’s knowledge, and making the twins over in charge to her, Saranyū took the form of a mare and departed. Vivaswat, in ignorance, begot on the female who was left Manu, a royal Rishi, who resembled his father in glory; but discovering that the real Saranyū, Twashtri’s daughter, had gone away, Vivaswat followed her quickly, taking the shape of a horse of the same species as she. Recognising him in that form, she approached him with the desire of sexual connection, which he gratified. In their haste his seed fell on the ground, and she, being desirous of offspring, smelled it. From this act sprang the two Kumāras (youths), Nāsatya and Dasra, who were lauded as Aswins (sprung from a horse).”— Muir’s Texts, v. 227. See the Purānic version under “Sanjnā.”