Vedic Mythology c7.s7.3

c7.s7.3

Mountains (*parvata*) are often in the RV. conceived as divinely animate, being invoked as deities nearly twenty times in the plural and four times in the singular. In this capacity they never appear alone, but only with other natural objects such as waters, rivers, plants, trees, heaven and earth (7, 34²³, &c.), or with gods like Savitṛ, Indra, and others (6, 49¹⁴, &c.). They are invoked as manly, firmly fixed, rejoicing in plenty (3, 54²⁰). Parvata is even three times lauded with Indra in the dual compound *Indrāparvatā* (1, 122³. 132⁶). The pair are spoken of as driving in a great car and are besought to come to the offering (3, 53¹). Here Parvata seems to be a mountain god, conceived anthropomorphically as a companion of Indra.