The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c16.s5: § 5. Vivasvant

The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c16.s5

Language: English

§ 5. Vivasvant

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Vivasvant is not the subject of any complete hymn in the Rigveda, where, however, he is mentioned about thirty times. The most important thing about him is his relation to Manu, the ancestor of the human race, who thence bears the name Vaivasvata or Vivasvant, taking simply his father's name as a sign of paternity. Men are also in the Brāhmaṇas styled directly his offspring, and the Rigveda ascribes to him as to other gods the fathership of the gods. His wife is Saraṇyū, the daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ, and he is the father of the Açvins. To him and to Mātariçvan Agni was first manifested, and he has Mātariçvan or Agni as his messenger. Soma again dwells with Vivasvant and is cleansed by his daughters, doubtless, in the ordinary mythical style of the Soma hymns, his fingers. In the prayer of Vivasvant Indra rejoices, and places his treasure beside him. Varuṇa also is mentioned along with him. In one passage the worshippers of the Ādityas pray that the well-wrought arrow of the god may not slay them before old age.¹ In the Atharvaveda² he is said to protect from Yama.

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¹ RV. viii. 67. 20.

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² xviii. 3. 62.

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The seat of Vivasvant is a special feature of the god: it is mentioned five times: in it the singers praise the greatness of Indra or of the waters; the gods and Indra delight in it, nor can it be doubted that it is meant, when it is said that a new hymn is placed in Vivasvant as a centre (*nābhi*).

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The word *vivasvant* is used occasionally as an epithet of Agni and Uṣas in the etymological sense of shining forth, which is specially appropriate in the goddess Dawn. The Çatapatha Brāhmaṇa³ explains the god Vivasvant’s name by the doctrine that he illumines night and day, which are connected with him in the Rigveda: it calls him Āditya, and this name is elsewhere found in the Yajurveda,⁴ and in post-Vedic literature Vivasvant is a name of the sun.

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³ x. 5. 2. 4; RV. x. 39. 2.

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⁴ MS. i. 6. 12.

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In the Yasna of the Avesta we find Vīvaṅhvant, father of Yima, who is the first man to prepare the Haoma, the second being Āthwya, and the third Thrita. The parallelism is perfect, for not only is Vivasvant the father of Yama, but it is said in one passage of the Rigveda⁵ that Indra drank Soma beside Manu Vivasvant and Trita. From the parallelism it is possible to support the theory of Oldenberg,⁶ which sees in Vivasvant nothing more or less than a deification of the first sacrificer, the ancestor of the human race. But the theory is, on the whole, somewhat inadequate to account for all that is said of Vivasvant. His connexion with the Açvins, with Agni, and with Soma can be explained, as well as the importance laid upon his seat, by the theory that he is the sun, especially the rising sun. This also suits best the obvious etymological sense of his name. Further refinement of his essence, such as making him, with Ludwig,⁷ the god of the bright sky, or, with Barth,⁸ the heaven of the sun, is hardly necessary. The god in any case bears the appearance of having lost much of his original colour and life.

Linked texts (4)

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Maitrāyaṇīsaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Atharvavedasaṃhitā — Atharvan & Aṅgiras, Sanskrit
Śatapathabrāhmaṇa — Yājñavalkya & Śāṇḍilya (Vedic teacher), Sanskrit