Vedic Mythology c6.s5.2

c6.s5.2

B. Navagvas². The name of these beings occurs altogether fourteen times in the RV., six times in association with that of the Aṅgirases. The Navagvas are spoken of as 'our ancient fathers' (6, 22²), or as 'our fathers' along with the Aṅgirases, the Atharvans, and the Bhṛgus (10, 14⁶). Like the Aṅgirases, they are connected with the myth of Indra, Saramā, and the cows of the Paṇis (1, 62³·⁴; 5, 45⁷; 10, 108⁸). Indra with the Navagvas as his friends sought the cows (3, 39⁵). Pressing Soma they laud Indra with songs; they broke open the stall of the cows (5, 29¹²). In one hymn they are described as having sung with the pressing stones for ten months (5, 45⁷·¹¹). In two of its occurrences in the plural the word *navagva* is a simple adjective, being in one of these cases an attribute of the rays of Agni (6, 6³). It is also found three times in the singular, when it appears to be an epithet of Aṅgiras (4, 51⁴; 10, 62⁶) or of Dadhyañc (9, 108⁴). It apparently means 'going in (a company of) nine'³, designating as a plural noun a group of nine ancient priestly ancestors.