Vedic Mythology c5.s1.t7.4

c5.s1.t7.4

As is to be expected, Uṣas is closely associated with the sun. She has opened paths for Sūrya to travel (1, 113¹⁶). She brings the eye of the gods and leads on the beautiful white horse (7, 77³). She shines with the light of the sun (1, 113⁹), with the light of her lover (1, 92¹¹). Savitṛ shines after the path of Uṣas (5, 81²). Sūrya follows her as a young man a maiden (1, 115²). She meets the god who desires her (1, 123¹⁰). She is the wife of Sūrya (7, 75⁵); the Dawns are the wives of the Sun (4, 5¹³). Thus as followed in space by the sun, she is conceived as his wife or mistress. But as preceding the sun in time she is occasionally thought of as his mother (cp. p. 35). She has generated Sūrya, sacrifice, Agni (7, 78³). She has been produced (*prasūtā*) for the production (*savāya*) of Savitṛ, and arrives with a bright child (1, 113¹⋅²). Uṣas is the sister of the Āditya Bhaga (1, 123⁵; cp. p. 45) and the kinswoman (*jāmi*) of Varuṇa (1, 123⁵). She is also the sister (1, 113²⋅³; 10, 127³) or the elder sister (1, 124⁸) of Night; and the names of Dawn and Night are often conjoined as a dual compound (*uṣāsā-naktā* or *naktoṣāsā*). Uṣas is born in the sky (7, 75¹); and the place of her birth suggests the relationship most frequently mentioned in the RV.: she is constantly called the daughter of heaven (1, 30²² &c.)⁴. She is once also spoken of as the beloved (*priyā*) of heaven (1, 46¹).