The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c17.s7.5

v1.c17.s7.5

Vāyu is beautiful, touching the sky, thousand-eyed : he travels on his impetuous course in a car with 99, 100, or 1,000 steeds yoked by his will. Indra rides with him in his car. He is said to have been generated by the two worlds for wealth, and to be the son-in-law of Tvaṣṭṛ, but the name of his wife is not given. He is also said to have generated the Maruts, and is once accompanied by them, but he has otherwise little connexion with them. In the Puruṣasūkta he is born of the giant’s breath. Like his friend Indra, he is fond of the Soma, which he drinks in its pure form and which he protects. He is entitled to the first draught of the Soma as the swiftest of the gods : when the gods race, the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa⁴ makes him come first, then Indra second. Like the other gods he is asked to grant fame, children and riches, and to protect the weak, but these are quite secondary traits.