The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c23.s1.47

v1.c23.s1.47

Arbuda appears seven times as a beast whose head Indra struck off: he seems to be cognate to Vṛtra with whom or Ahi he is mentioned.³ Svarbhānu,⁴ the Asura, is more interesting: he is clearly the demon who eclipses the sun, and who has to be overthrown by Atri or the Atris, and by Indra. Though he is several times mentioned in the Brāhmaṇas, his place is in post-Vedic mythology regularly taken by Rāhu. The Atharvaveda⁵ also knows of Grahas who affect the moon. Of Uraṇa who had ninety-nine arms we know no more.⁶ But we hear a good deal of Viçvarūpa, the three-headed son of Tvaṣṭṛ, slain by Trita and by Indra for the sake of his cows, and who in the Brāhmaṇas⁷ appears as the Purohita of the gods, though akin to the Asuras. Tvaṣṭṛ, it is said, sought to punish Indra for the death of his son, but his effort to exclude him from the Soma sacrifice was defeated by Indra, who insisted on taking a share in it. The legend tells also of the origin of three birds from the three heads of the demon, as they were struck off by Indra, and explains the use of each of the three heads for drinking respectively the Soma, the Surā, and taking other forms of nourishment.⁸ To Hillebrandt⁹ the moon seems to be meant by this form, and he lays just stress on the fact that the Brāhmaṇas are aware of the hostile character of the moon, which they often equate with Vṛtra, and which seems once regarded in a hostile light in the Rigveda; but this view cannot be regarded as probable as that which insists on the identity of the legend with those of Herakles and Geryoneus and Hercules and Cacus.¹⁰