The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c16.s7.2

v1.c16.s7.2

The Dawn stands in the closest relation to the sun, who follows her as a lover. She is the wife as well as the beloved of Sūrya, but, as she precedes him as well as is followed by him, by another train of thought she appears as the mother of Sūrya or yet again as created by him. She is also the sister of the Āditya Bhaga, the kinswoman of Varuṇa, and the sister, the greater sister, of night, from whom, however, she is also born, and who appears invoked jointly with her ; both are mothers or wives of Sūrya or Agni.¹ Beyond all she is the daughter of Dyaus, and even once she appears as the beloved of heaven. With Agni she is closely connected, appearing before or with or after him as the fire lit for the morning sacrifice. She is the friend of the Açvins and is born at the yoking of their car : moreover, if she is Sūryā, she is also their wife. Once too, like Sūryā, she is associated with the moon, which precedes the dawns as the harbinger of day. Indra is said to have lighted up the dawn as is natural in the great finder of light, but once he appears as hostile and as shattering her car : ² the myth is obscure, and has been variously interpreted of the thunderstorm overwhelming the light of dawn, and as a victory of Indra bringing the sun over the dawn, which seeks to delay his advent. With the latter view may be compared the prayer that is once offered to her not to delay her coming, that the sun may not scorch her as a thief or an enemy.³ Normally, however, the Dawn never infringes the law of order : she goes straight along her path and never misses her way. She awakes the devout man to sacrifice, and is besought to let the niggard sleep on. But, by the usual inversion of ideas, she is sometimes represented as being awakened by the worshippers. To her worshipper she brings wealth, long life, renown, and glory, to her and to the sun the dead man is said to go,⁴ and the Fathers are seated in the lap of the ruddy dawns.⁵