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Vedic Mythology c5.s2.t6: § 30. Vāyu-Vāta

Vedic Mythology c5.s2.t6

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§ 30. Vāyu-Vāta

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Each of the two names of wind Vāyu and Vāta is used to express both the physical phenomenon and its divine personification. But Vāyu is chiefly the god and Vāta the element. Vāyu is celebrated alone in one whole hymn besides parts of others, and in about half a dozen others conjointly with Indra. Vāta is invoked only in two short hymns (168 and 186) at the end of the tenth book of the RV. The names of both sometimes occur in the same verse (6, 50¹²; 10, 92¹³). The difference between the two is illustrated by the fact that Vāyu alone is as a god associated with Indra, the two deities being then often invoked as Indravāyū. This couple was regarded as so closely connected by the ancient native interpreters, that either of them might represent the deities of the atmospheric region in the Vedic triad (Nir. 7, 5). Vāta on the other hand, being less fully personified, is only associated with Parjanya (§ 31), whose connexion with the thunderstorm is much more vivid than that of Indra. Different sets of epithets are applied to the two wind-gods, those belonging to Vāta being chiefly expressive of the physical attributes of swiftness and violence.

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Few references are made to Vāyu’s origin. The two worlds are said to have generated him for wealth (7, 90³). He is once spoken of as the son-in-law of Tvaṣṭṛ (8, 26²¹⁻²), though his wife’s name is not mentioned (cp. § 38). In the Puruṣa hymn he is said to have sprung from the breath of the world-giant (10, 90¹³). Vāyu is rarely connected with the Maruts. He is, however, once said to have generated them from the wombs of heaven (1, 134⁴) and to be accompanied by them (1, 142¹²) as well as by Pūṣan and the Viśvedevas. His personal attributes are rather indefinite. He is beautiful (1, 2¹) and with Indra is spoken of as touching the sky, swift as thought, and thousand-eyed (1, 23²· ³). He is once said to have roaring velocity (10, 100²). Vāyu has a shining car drawn by a team or by a pair of red (*rohita*) or ruddy (*aruṇa*) steeds. His team consists of 99 (4, 48⁴), 100 or even 1000 (4, 46³) horses yoked by his will. The attribute *niyutvat*, ‘drawn by a team’, often occurs with reference to Vāyu or his car, being otherwise used only once or twice in each case with reference to Indra, Agni, Pūṣan, or the Maruts. Vāyu’s car, in which Indra is his companion (4, 46². 48²; 7, 91⁵), has a golden seat and touches the sky (4, 46⁴). Like the other gods, Vāyu is fond of Soma, to which he is often invited to come with his teams and the first draught of which he obtains as his share¹ (also in company with Indra: 1, 135⁴), for he is the swiftest of the gods (ŚB. 13, 1, 2⁷ &c.)². The AB. (2, 25) tells a story of how in a race which the gods ran for the first draught of Soma, Vāyu reached the goal first and Indra second. He is in the RV. also called a protector of Soma (10, 85⁵) and has the characteristic epithet *śucipā*, ‘drinking the clear (Soma draught)’, an epithet which Indra once shares with him. He is also once connected with the ‘nectar-yielding’ (*sabardughā*) cow³ (1, 134⁴). Vāyu grants fame, offspring, wealth in steeds, oxen, and gold (7, 90²· ⁶). He disperses foes (4, 48²) and is invoked for protection by the weak (1, 134⁵).

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Vāta, as the ordinary name of wind, is celebrated in a more concrete manner. His name is frequently connected with the root *vā*, to blow, from which it is derived. One of the hymns devoted to his praise (10, 168) describes him as follows. Shattering everything and thundering, his din presses on; he goes along whirling up the dust of the earth; he wanders in the air on his paths; he does not rest even a day. Firstborn, he is a friend of the waters; but the place of his birth is unknown. This deity wanders where he lists; one hears his roaring, but his form one does not see (cp. 1, 164⁴⁴). He is the breath of the gods (cp. 7, 87²; 10, 92¹³) and is worshipped with oblations.

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Vāta, like Rudra, also wafts healing and prolongs life, for he has the treasure of immortality in his house (10, 186). This healing power of wind doubtless represents its purifying character (cp. p. 77). The activity of wind is chiefly mentioned in connexion with the thunderstorm (4, 17¹²; 5, 83⁴; 10, 168¹· ²). Blasts of wind being coincident with the appearance of lightnings and preceding the reappearance of the sun, Vāta is spoken of as producing ruddy lights (10, 168¹) and of making the dawns to shine (1, 134³). The swiftness of wind often supplies a comparison for the speed of the gods (4, 17¹²; 5, 41³; 9, 97⁵²) or of mythical steeds (1, 163¹¹; 4, 38³). Its noise is also frequently mentioned (4, 22⁴; 8, 91³; 10, 168¹· ⁴). The name of Vāta has been identified with that of the Germanic god of storm and battle, Odhin or Wodan⁴, which is explained as formed with a derivative suffix from the cognate base. But this identification seems to be very doubtful⁵.

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1 1, 134¹. 135¹; 4, 46¹; 5, 43³; 7, 92¹; 8, 89². — 2 Oldenberg, ZDMG .39, 55, note 1; HVM. 1, 260. — 3 Cp. Oldenberg, SBE. 46, 244. — 4 Grohmann, KZ. 10, 274; Zimmer, ZDA. 19, 170—2. 179—80; Mannhardt, ibid. 22, 4; Mogk in Paul’s Grundriss 1075; Stokes, BB. 19, 74; Macdonell, JRAS. 25, 488; v. Schroeder, WZKM. 9, 239. — 5 Cp. BDA. p. x; IF. 5, 272.

OST. 5, 143—6; KRV. 38; BRV. 1, 24—8; Sp.AP. 156—8; HVBP. 82—3; ORV. 225—6.

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§ 31. Parjanya. — This god plays a very subordinate part among the deities of the RV., being celebrated in only three hymns, while the name is mentioned less than thirty times. His praises are also sung in one hymn of the AV. (4, 15), which, however, chiefly consists of verses from the RV. In the following passages the word *parjanya* can only have the appellative sense of 'rain-cloud'. 'This same water rises and descends day by day; the rain-clouds (*parjanyāḥ*) quicken the earth, the fires quicken heaven' (1, 164⁵¹). The Maruts 'even during the day cause darkness by the water-carrying rain-cloud, when they inundate the earth' (1, 38⁹); 'they poured out the pail of heaven, they discharge the raincloud through the two worlds, the rain pervades the dry places' (5, 53⁶). Bṛhaspati is besought to cause the cloud to rain and to send the rain-charged (*vṛṣṭimantam*) cloud (10, 98¹· ⁸). Soma flows 'like the rain-charged cloud' (9, 2⁹) and the drops of Soma speed 'like the rains of the cloud' (9, 22²). In the AV. the rain-shedding cow Vaśā is thus addressed: 'The rain-cloud is thy udder, o excellent goddess, the lightnings are thy teats, O *Vaśā*' (AV. 10, 10⁷). In all such passages the native commentators explain *parjanya* by *megha*, 'cloud'. On the other hand *parjanya* is used to explain *dyaus* in VS. 12, 6 and *stanayitnu*, 'thunder' in ŚB. (14, 5, 5¹⁰)¹. In some cases it is hard to say whether we have the appellative or the personified meaning. Thus the might of Agni is said to resound like *parjanya* (8, 91⁵); and the frogs are spoken of as uttering their voices when roused by *parjanya* (7, 103¹). In most passages, however, the word clearly represents the personification which presides over the rain-cloud, while generally retaining the attributes belonging to the phenomenon. The latter then becomes an udder, a pail (*kośa*) or water-skin (*dṛti*: 5, 83⁸· ⁹; 7, 101⁴). The personification is to a considerable extent theriomorphic, Parjanya being often spoken of as a bull, though with a certain confusion of gender (probably because clouds are otherwise cows). He is a roaring bull with swift-flowing drops, who places his seed in the plants as a germ (5, 83¹, cp. 7· 9; AV. 4, 15¹). The clouds (*abhrāṇi*) impelled by the wind come together, and the roaring waters of the great bellowing aqueous (*nabhasvataḥ*) bull delight the earth (AV. 4, 15¹). Sometimes Parjanya is like a barren cow, sometimes he is productive, disposing of his body according to his wish (7, 101³).

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The shedding of rain is his most prominent characteristic. He flies around with a watery car and loosens and draws downwards the water-skin (5, 83⁷). Like a charioteer urging on his horses, he displays his rainy messengers; when he sheds rain water, the roar of the lion resounds from afar;

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with thunder he comes shedding rain-water as our divine (*asura*) father (5, 833. 6). He is besought for rains (7, 101⁵) and is implored to withhold rain after shedding it (5, 83¹⁰). It is, however, implied that the action of Parjanya, as well as of the Maruts, in shedding rain is subordinate to that of Mitra and Varuṇa (5, 63³⁻⁶). He is several times said to thunder (5, 83). Thundering he strikes down trees, demons, evil-doers; the whole world is terrified at his mighty weapon (5, 83²). He and Vāta are the wielders of mighty thunder (10, 66¹⁰). Parjanya is also associated with lightning, though less frequently than with thunder. The winds blow forth, the lightnings fall, when Parjanya quickens the earth with his seed (5, 83⁴). Parjanya thunders with lightning in the (aerial) ocean (AV. 19, 30⁴). He also appears to be meant, in a hymn of the RV. to the Viśvedevas, by the god who thunders and roars, rich in clouds and water, who with lightning excites the two worlds, besprinkling them (5, 42¹⁴).

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As the shedder of rain Parjanya is naturally in a special degree the producer and nourisher of vegetation. When he quickens the earth with his seed, the plants spring up; in his activity are plants of every form; he has produced plants for nourishment (5, 834. 5. 10, cp. 6, 52⁶; AV. 4, 152. 3. 15; 8, 7²¹). He is the fructifier and increaser of plants; protected by the god they bear good fruit (7, 1011. 5). Reeds and grass are produced by his action (7, 102¹, cp. 5, 75¹⁵; AV. 1, 2¹. 3¹; 19, 30⁵). Parjanya places the germ not only in plants but in cows, mares, and women (7, 102²), and is invoked to bestow fertility (5, 83⁷ cp. 6, 52¹⁶). He is the bull that impregnates everything: in him is the soul of what moves and stands (7, 101⁶; cp. 1, 115¹). He is even described as a self-dependent sovereign, who rules over the whole world, in whom all beings and the three heavens are established, and in whom the threefold waters flow (7, 1012. 4. 5). Owing to his generative activity Parjanya several times receives the epithet of 'father' (7, 101³; 9, 82³; AV. 4, 15¹²; 12, 1¹²). He is once called 'our divine (*asura*) father' (5, 83⁶); and in another passage 'the occult power of the Asura' (5, 633. 7) perhaps refers to him.

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His wife is by implication the Earth (5, 83⁴; 7, 101³, cp. 1, 160³). The AV. (12, 1¹²) states that Earth is the mother, Parjanya the father², but elsewhere explicitly calls Vaśā his wife (10, 10⁶). In these respects as well as the theriomorphic conception of him as a bull, his relation to thunder, lightning, and rain, he approximates to the character of Dyaus (cp. 10, 45⁴; 2, 4⁶. 27¹⁵) whose son he is once called (7, 102¹). Parjanya himself is said to produce a calf (*vatsam*), the germ of plants (7, 101¹, cp. v. ³; 5, 83¹), who perhaps represents lightning. Soma may, however, be meant, for his father is once (9, 82³) said to be Parjanya³, and he is spoken of as 'increased by Parjanya' (9, 113³).

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Parjanya is associated with various other deities. His connexion is closest with Vāta, who, with the single exception of Agni in one passage, is the only god forming a dual divinity with him (§ 44). The Maruts are also a few times invoked with Parjanya (5, 63⁶. 83⁵) and are called upon to sing his praises (AV. 4, 15⁴). Agni is celebrated with him in two verses of one hymn (6, 526. 16; cp. § 44). Indra has much in common with the 'rainy' Parjanya, being compared with him in this respect (8, 6¹). The two gods have in fact much the same natural basis, the connexion with which is, however, much clearer in the case of Parjanya (cp. p. 82).

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Parjanya's name is of uncertain derivation. But it is still usually identified, owing to the similarity of character, with that of the Lithuanian thundergod Perkúnas⁴, though the phonetic difficulties of the identification cannot be explained. The freshness of the conception in the RV. renders it probable that if the two names are really connected, their Indo-European form was still an appellative. It seems clear that in the RV. the word is an appellative of the thundering rain-cloud as well as the proper name of its personification, the god who actually sheds the rain. The senses of rain-cloud and rain-god both survive through the Brāhmaṇas into the later language. The native dictionaries explain the appellative as ‘thunder-cloud’ (*garjanmegha* &c.), while the deity is sometimes found identified with Indra in the Mahābhārata.

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¹ Cp. OO. 1, 223. — ² The TA. 1, 10, 1^2 says that Bhūmi or Earth is the wife and Vyoman or Sky is the husband. — ³ Cp. BLOOMFIELD, FaR. 153. — ⁴ OO. 1, 223; ZIMMER, ZDA. 19, 164 f., cp. AIL. 42 f.; LRV. 3, 322 f.; ZDMG. 32, 314 f.; KRV. note 139; HIRT, IF. 1, 481—2.

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BÜHLER, OO. 1, 214—29; DELBRÜCK, ZVP. 1865, p. 275 f.; ROTH, ZDMG. 24, 302—5 (on RV. 1, 165); OST. 5, 140—2; BRV. 3, 25—30; KRV. 40; BRI. 14; WC. 56 f.; HVBP. 80—2; ORV. 226; SBE. 46, 105; HRI. 103—4.

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