[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Reference works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference) › [Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975) › c4.1081 # Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1081 Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature c4.1081 - **Language:** English ### [c4.1081](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.1081) 5) \*Other information regarding Aśvinikumāras.\* (1) How they tested Upamanyu. This story is given under the word Āpodadhaumya. (2) Birth of Nakula and Sahadeva. Kuntī, wife of Pāṇḍu, had obtained from Sage Durvāsas five sacred mantras, the chanting of each of which would give her a child. Even before her marriage Kuntī tested the power of the mantras by chanting one of them. Sūrya appeared and she had to take a son from him who became the famous Karṇa later. By chanting the second, third and fourth meditating on Yama, Vāyu and Indra, Kuntī got respectively the sons Dharmaputra, Bhīma and Arjuna. The fifth mantra she gave to Mādrī and she meditated on the Aśvinīdevas and got Nakula and Sahadeva. (3) The Aśvinīdevas were present for the marriage of Pāñcālī. (Śloka 6, Chapter 186, Ādi Parva, M.B.). During the burning of the forest Khāṇḍava the Aśvinīdevas stood on the side of Arjuna. (4) King Yuvanāśva became pregnant and bore a child. It was the Aśvinīdevas who took the child out by surgery. The boy became known as Māndhātā later. (Śloka 3, Chapter 42, Droṇa Parva, M.B.). (5) During the Mahābhārata battle the Aśvinīdevas handed over some Pārṣadas to the god, Skanda. (Śloka 38, Chapter 43, Śalya Parva, M.B.). (6) The Aśvinīdevas like very much oblations of Ghee. The others who like it are Bṛhaspati, Pūṣan, Bhaga and Pāvaka. (Śloka 7, Chapter 65, Anuśāsana Parva, M.B.). (7) The month of Aśvina (October-November) is the month of Aśvinikumāras and if a man gives ghee to the Brahmins in that month he will acquire more physical beauty. (Śloka 10, Chapter 65, Anuśāsana Parva, M.B.). (8) One who offers Ghee as oblation to the fire for twelve months in succession will reach the country of the Aśvinikumāras. (Śloka 95, Chapter 107, Anuśāsana Parva, M.B.). (9) The great poet of Kerala, Vallathol, in his commentary on the 93rd Sūkta of the Ṛgveda states that there is a belief that the Aśvins and Candrasūryas (the Sun and Moon) are one and the same. (10) Dirghaśravas son of Dīrghatamas once prayed to the Aśvinīdevas to get rains and it is said that they gave a downpour of sweet water. (Ṛgveda, Sūkta 112, Ṛk 11). (11) Once a sage named Gotama was lost in a desert and craved bitterly for drinking water. He prayed to the Aśvinīdevas for water and they dug a well itself in the desert and quenched the thirst of the sage. (Ṛk 9, Sūkta 16, Ṛgveda). (12) The sage Dadhyaṅc taught the Aśvinīdevas the technique, Madhuvidyā. There is an interesting story about it. It was Indra who taught this to Dadhyaṅc and while teaching him he had threatened that if he gave away that secret to anybody else his head would be cut off. Aśvinīdevas found a way to tide over this difficulty. They at first cut off his head and fixed the head of a horse on him. It was with the head of a horse that Dadhyaṅc taught them Madhuvidyā and as soon as the teaching was over his horse-head was cut off and the real head placed in its place. (Ṛk 22, Sūkta 116, Ṛgveda). (13) The vehicle of the Aśvinīdevas is a donkey. Once this donkey in the disguise of a wolf went and stayed with Rjrāśva, son of the Rājarṣi Vṛṣāgir. Rjrāśva gave the wolf to eat hundred goats belonging to the people of the place. Vṛṣāgir got angry at this act of his son and cursed him. The son became blind and he got back his eyesight by pleasing the Aśvinīdevas by prayer and offerings. (Ṛk 16, Sūkta 115, Ṛgveda). (14) Once Suryā decided to give his daughter in marriage to the owner of the horse which would win a horse-race which Suryā would conduct. In the race the horse of the Aśvinīdevas won and they thus married Sūryā’s daughter. (Ṛk 17, Sūkta 117, Ṛgveda). (15) The Aśvinikumāras killed an asura of name Viṣvak and destroyed his dynasty also. (Ṛk 16, Sūkta 117, Ṛgveda). - [Previous: c4.1080](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.1080) - [Next: c4.1082](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.1082) - [Up: c4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4) ## Linked texts (2) - [Mahābhārata](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.1.186.6) — Vyāsa, Sanskrit - [Ṛgvedasaṃhitā](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.samhita.rg.1.16.9) — Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.1081](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.1081) · Pramāṇa