Vedic Mythology c5.s3.t3: § 36. Bṛhaspati

Vedic Mythology c5.s3.t3

Language: English

§ 36. Bṛhaspati

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This god occupies a position of considerable prominence in the RV., eleven entire hymns being dedicated to his praise. He also forms a pair with Indra in two hymns (4, 49; 7, 97). His name occurs about 120 times and in the form of Brahmaṇas pati about 50 times besides. The two forms of the name alternate in different verses of the same hymn (e. g. in 2, 23). The physical features of Bṛhaspati are few. He is seven-mouthed and seven-rayed (4, 50⁴), beautiful-tongued (1, 190¹; 4, 50¹), sharp-horned (10, 155²), blue-backed (5, 43¹²), and hundred-winged (7, 97⁷). He is golden-coloured and ruddy (5, 43¹²), bright (3, 62⁷; 7, 97⁷), pure (7, 97⁷), and clear-voiced (7, 97⁵). He has a bow, the string of which is the rite (*ṛta*), and good arrows (2, 24⁸; cp. AV. 5, 18⁸. ⁹). He also wields a golden hatchet (7, 97⁷) and is armed with an iron axe, which Tvaṣṭṛ sharpens (10, 53⁹). He has a car (10, 103⁴) and stands on the car of the rite, which slays the goblins, bursts the cowstalls, and wins the light (2, 23³). He is drawn by ruddy steeds (7, 97⁶).

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Bṛhaspati was first born from great light in the highest heaven and with thunder (*raveṇa*) drove away darkness (4, 50⁴; cp. 10, 68¹²). He is the off-spring of the two worlds (7, 97⁸), but is also said to have been generated by Tvaṣṭṛ (2, 23¹⁷). On the other hand, he is called the father of the gods (2, 26³), being said to have blown forth the births of the gods like a blacksmith (10, 72²).

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Bṛhaspati is a domestic priest¹ (2, 24⁹; VS. 20, 11; TS. 6, 4, 10; AB. 8, 26⁴), a term almost peculiar to Agni (p. 96). The ancient ṣeers placed him at their head (*puro-dhā*) (4, 50¹). He is Soma's *purohita* (ŚB. 4, 1, 2⁴). He is also a *brahman* or praying priest² (2, 1³; 4, 50⁸), once probably in the technical sense (10, 141³). In later Vedic texts Bṛhaspati is the *brahman* priest (in the technical sense) of the gods³. He is even called the prayer or devotion (*brahma*) of the gods (TS. 2, 2, 9¹ &c.) Bṛhaspati promotes the yoking of devotion, and without him sacrifice does not succeed (1, 18⁷). As a pathmaker he makes good the access to the feast of the gods (2, 23⁶. ⁷). From him even the gods obtained their share of sacrifice (2, 23¹). He awakens the gods with sacrifice (AV. 19, 63¹). He himself pronounces the hymn in which Indra, Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman, the gods take pleasure (1, 40⁵). He sings chants (10, 36⁵). His song (*śloka*) goes to heaven (1, 190⁴) and metre (*chandas*) belongs to him (MS. 1, 9²). He is associated with singers (7, 10⁴; 10, 14³). He sings with his ‘friends that cry like Haṁsas’ (10, 67³), by whom the Aṅgirases⁴ (§ 54) mentioned in the preceding verse (10, 67²) seem to be meant. He is also said to be accompanied by a singing (*ṛkvat*)⁵ host (*gaṇa*: 4, 50⁵). This is doubtless the reason why he is called *gaṇapati*, ‘lord of a host’ (2, 23¹), a term once applied to Indra also (10, 112⁹).

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As the name Brahmaṇas pati shows, the god is a ‘lord of prayer’. He is also described as the supreme king of prayers, the most famous sage of sages (2, 23¹). Mounting the car of the rite he conquers the enemies of prayer and of the gods (2, 23³·⁸). He is the generator of all prayers (1, 190²). He utters prayer (1, 40⁵) and communicates prayers to the human priest (10, 98²⁷). Thus he comes later to be called a 'lord of speech', *vācaspati* (MS. 2, 6⁶, cp. ŚB. 14, 4, 1²³), a term specially applied to Bṛhaspati as god of eloquence and wisdom in post-Vedic literature.⁶

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There are several passages in which Bṛhaspati appears identified with Agni. Thus 'the lord of prayer, Agni, handsome like Mitra' is invoked (1, 38¹³). In another passage (2, 1³ ff.) Agni, though identified with other gods as well, is clearly more intimately connected with Brahmaṇaspati, as only these two names are in the vocative. In one verse (3, 26²) both Mātariśvan and 'Bṛhaspati the wise priest, the guest, the swiftly-moving' seem to be epithets of Agni, while in another (1, 190²) Mātariśvan seems to be an epithet of Bṛhaspati. Again, by Bṛhaspati, who is blue-backed, takes up his abode in the house, shines brightly, is golden-coloured and ruddy (5, 43¹²), Agni must be meant. In two other verses (1, 18¹⁹; 10, 182²) Bṛhaspati seems to be the same as Narāśaṁsa, a form of Agni (p. 100). Like Agni, Bṛhaspati is a priest, is called 'Son of strength' (1, 40²) and Aṅgiras (2, 23¹⁸) as well (the epithet *āṅgirasa* belonging to him exclusively), and burns the goblins (2, 23¹⁴) or slays them (10, 103⁴). Bṛhaspati is also spoken of as ascending to heaven, to the upper abodes (10, 67¹⁰). Like Agni, Bṛhaspati has three abodes (4, 50¹); he is the adorable one of houses (7, 97⁵), and 'lord of the dwelling', *sadasas pati*⁷ (1, 18⁶; Indra-Agni are once called *sadaspatī*, 1, 21⁵). On the other hand, Agni is called *brahmaṇas kavi*, 'sage of prayer' (6, 16³⁰) and is besought (2, 2⁷) to make heaven and earth favourable by prayer (*brahmaṇā*). But Bṛhaspati is much more commonly distinguished from Agni (2, 25³; 7, 10⁴; 10, 68⁹), chiefly by being invoked or named along with him in enumerations (3, 20⁵ &c.).⁸

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Like Agni, Bṛhaspati has been drawn into and has obtained a firm footing in the Indra myth of the release of the cows. The mountain yielded to his splendour, when Bṛhaspati, the Aṅgiras, opened the cowstall and with Indra as his companion let loose the flood of water enveloped by darkness (2, 23¹⁸, cp. 1, 56⁵. 89⁹). Accompanied by his singing host (cp. § 54) he with a roar rent Vala; shouting he drove out the lowing cows (4, 50⁵). He won treasures and the great stalls full of cows; desiring waters and light, the irresistible Bṛhaspati slays his foe with flames (6, 73³). What was firm was loosened, what was strong yielded to him; he drove out the cows, he cleft Vala with prayer; he covered up the darkness and made heaven visible; the stone-mouthed well filled with honey, which Bṛhaspati pierced with might, that the celestials drank, while they poured out together abundantly the watery fountain (2, 24³·⁴). When Bṛhaspati with fiery gleams rent the defences of Vala, he revealed the treasures of the cows; as if splitting open eggs, he drove out the cows of the mountain; he beheld the honey enclosed by the stone; he brought it out, having cloven (Vala) with his roar; he smote forth as it were the marrow of Vala (10, 68⁴⁻⁹). He drove out the cows and distributed them in heaven (2, 24¹⁴). Bṛhaspati fetched the cows out of the rock; seizing the cows of Vala, he took possession of them (10, 685). His conquest of Vala is so characteristic that it became proverbial (AV. 9, 3²). Being in the clouds (*abhriya*) he shouts aloud after the many cows (10, 68¹², cp. 67³). These cows may represent the waters, which are expressly mentioned (2, 23¹⁸; 6, 73³) or possibly the rays of dawn (cp. 10, 67⁵. 68⁹).

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In releasing the cows Bṛhaspati seeks light in darkness and finds the light; he found the Dawn, light, and Agni, and dispelled the darkness (10, 68⁴. ⁹). In shattering the fort, he found the Dawn, the Sun, the Cow (10, 67⁵). He hid or dispelled the darkness and made visible the light (2, 24³; 4, 50⁴). Bṛhaspati thus comes to acquire more general warlike traits. He penetrated the mountain full of riches and split open the strongholds of Śambara (2, 24²). Bṛhaspati Aṅgirasa, the first-born holy one, cleaver of rocks, roars as a bull at the two worlds, slays Vṛtras (*vṛtrāṇi*), shatters forts, overcomes foes (6, 73¹. ²). He disperses foes and wins victory (10, 103⁴). No one can overcome him in great fight or small (1, 40⁸). He vanquishes the enemy in battle (2, 23¹¹). He is to be invoked in combats (2, 23¹³) and is a priest much praised in conflict (2, 24⁹).

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Being the companion and ally of Indra (2, 23¹⁸. 24²; 8, 85¹⁵), he is often invoked with that deity (4, 50¹⁰. ¹¹ &c.). With Indra he is a somadrinker (4, 49³. 50¹⁰) and, like him, is styled *maghavan*, 'bountiful' (2, 24¹²). Indra, too, is the only god with whom he forms a pair (2, 24¹²; 4, 49¹⁻⁶). Thus he comes to be styled *vajrin*, 'wielder of the bolt' (1, 40⁸) and to be described as hurling the bolt, the Asura-slaying missile (AV. 11, 10¹³). He is also invoked with the Maruts at the same time as Indra (1, 40¹) and is once besought to come accompanied by the Maruts, whether he be Mitra, Varuṇa or Pūṣan (10, 98¹). In one passage he is said to have heard the prayer of Trita buried in a well and to have delivered him (1, 105¹⁷).

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Bṛhaspati favours the man who offers prayer (2, 25¹) but scourges the hater of prayer (2, 23⁴). He protects the pious man from all dangers and calamities, from curse and malignity, and blesses him with wealth and prosperity (1, 18³; 2, 23⁴⁻¹⁰). Possessed of all desirable things (7, 10⁴. 97⁴), he is opulent, a procurer of wealth, and an increaser of prosperity (1, 18²). He is a prolonger of life and a remover of disease (1, 18²). Having such benevolent traits he is called a father (4, 50⁶; 6, 73¹).

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He is *asurya*, 'divine' (2, 23²), belongs to all the gods (3, 62⁴; 4, 50⁶), and is the most god-like of the gods (2, 24³). As a god he widely extended to the gods and embraces all things (2, 24¹¹, cp. 8, 61¹⁸). Mightily he holds asunder the ends of the earth with his roar (4, 50¹). It is his inimitable deed that sun and moon rise alternately (10, 68¹⁰). He is also spoken of as stimulating the growth of plants (10, 97¹⁵. ¹⁹). Later Bṛhaspati is brought into connexion with certain stars. Thus in the TS. (4, 4, 10¹) he is stated to be the deity of the constellation Tiṣya⁹, and in post-Vedic literature he is regarded as the regent of the planet Jupiter.

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Bṛhaspati is a purely Indian deity. Both forms of the name occur throughout the older as well as the later books of the RV. But since appellations formed with *pati* (like *vācas pati*, *vāstoṣ pati*, *kṣetrasya pati*) to designate deities presiding over a particular domain, must be comparatively recent as products of reflexion¹⁰, this mythological creation can hardly go much further back than the beginning of the Rigvedic period. The accentuation of the word *bŕhaspáti* shows it to be an improper compound. The prior member might possibly be a neuter noun in *-as*¹¹, but the contemporaneous form *bráhmaṇas páti*, which is a kind of explanation, indicates that the poets of the RV. regarded it as the genitive¹² of a noun *bṛh*, from the same root as *brahman*.

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The evidence adduced above seems to favour the view that Bṛhaspati was originally an aspect of Agni as a divine priest presiding over devotion, an aspect which (unlike other epithets of Agni formed with *pati*, such as *viśām pati*, *gṛhapati*, *sadaspati*) had attained an independent character by the beginning of the Rigvedic period, though the connexion with Agni was not entirely severed. Langlois¹³, H. H. Wilson¹⁴, Max Müller¹⁵ agree in regarding Bṛhaspati as a variety of Agni. Roth¹⁶ was of opinion that this sacerdotal god is a direct impersonation of the power of devotion. Similarly Kaegi¹⁷ and Oldenberg¹⁸ think him to be an abstraction of priestly action, which has appropriated the deeds of earlier gods. Weber¹⁹ considers Bṛhaspati to be a priestly abstraction of Indra, and is followed in this by Hopkins²⁰. Finally, Hillebrandt²¹ holds him to be a lord of plants and a personification of the moon²², representing predominantly the igneous side of that luminary.

Linked texts (7)

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Atharvavedasaṃhitā — Atharvan & Aṅgiras, Sanskrit
Taittirīyasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Maitrāyaṇīsaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Śatapathabrāhmaṇa — Yājñavalkya & Śāṇḍilya (Vedic teacher), Sanskrit
Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit
Vājasaneyisaṃhitā — Sanskrit

Vedic Mythology c5.s3.t3: § 36. Bṛhaspati

§ 36. Bṛhaspati

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Linked texts (7)