Vedic Mythology c8.s1: § 68. A. Vṛtra

Vedic Mythology c8.s1

Language: English

§ 68. A. Vṛtra

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Of the individual atmospheric demons by far the most important and the most frequently mentioned is Vṛtra, who is the chief adversary of Indra and for whose slaughter that deity is said to have been born or grown (8, 78⁵; 10, 55). Hence the most distinctive epithet of Indra is *vṛtrahan*, ‘Vṛtra-slayer’. This compound is analyzed in two passages of the RV.: ‘May the Vṛtra-slayer slay Vṛtra’ (8, 78³) and ‘Vṛtra-slayer, slay the Vṛtras’ (8, 17⁹). Indra’s conflict with Vṛtra is also frequently referred to with *vṛtrahatya*, ‘slaughter of Vṛtra’ and sometimes with *vṛtratūrya*, ‘conquest of Vṛtra’.

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It has already been shown that Vṛtra is conceived as having the form of a serpent (§ 64). Hence he is without feet or hands (1, 32⁷; 3, 30⁸)². His head, which Indra pierces, is mentioned several times (1, 52¹⁰; 8, 6⁶. 65²), as well as his jaws, into which Indra strikes his bolt (1, 52⁶). His hissing or snorting is sometimes referred to (8, 85⁷; 5, 29⁴ cp. 1, 52¹⁰. 61¹⁰; 6, 17¹⁰). He has thunder at his disposal (1, 80¹²), as well as lightning, mist, and hail (1, 32¹³).

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Vṛtra’s mother is called Dānu and is compared with a cow (1, 32⁹). This name seems to be identical with the word *dānu*, which is several times used as a neuter meaning ‘stream’ and once as a feminine to designate the waters of heaven³. The same term is applied as a masculine, apparently in the sense of a metronymic, to Vṛtra or the dragon (2, 12¹¹; 4, 30⁷), as well as to the demon Aurṇavābha (2, 11¹⁸), and to seven demons slain by Indra (10, 120⁶). The regular metronymic Dānava is used five times to designate a demon combated by Indra and doubtless identical with Vṛtra. Indra cast down the wiles of the wily Dānava (2, 11¹⁰), he struck down the snorting Dānava (5, 29⁴), to release the waters (5, 32¹).

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Vṛtra has a hidden (*ninya*) abode, whence the waters, when released by Indra, escape overflowing the demon (1, 32¹⁰). Vṛtra lies on the waters (1, 121¹¹; 2, 11¹⁹) or enveloped by waters at the bottom (*budhna*) of the *rajas* or aerial space (1, 52⁶). He is also described as lying on a summit (*sānu*), when Indra made the waters to flow (1, 80⁵), or as having been cast down by Indra from lofty heights (8, 3¹⁹). Vṛtra has fortresses, which Indra shatters when he slays him (10, 89⁷) and which are ninety-nine in number (7, 19⁵; 8, 82²).

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There can be no doubt that the word *vṛ-tra* is derived from the root *vṛ*, 'to cover or encompass'⁴. Poets several times speak of Vṛtra as having encompassed the waters, *apo varivāṃsam* (2, 14², &c.) or *vṛtvī* (1, 52⁶), or as being an encompasser of rivers, *nadī-vṛt* (1, 52²; 8, 12²⁶ cp. 6, 30⁴; 7, 21³). These are clearly allusions to the etymology of the name. There is also evidently a play on the derivation when it is said that Indra 'encompassed the encompasser', *vṛtram avṛṇot* (3, 43³), or that in slaying Vṛtra he uncovered (*apa vṛ*) the prison of the waters (1, 32¹¹. 51⁴). A similar notion is implied in a passage in which the (cloud) mountain (*parvata*) is described as being within the belly of Vṛtra and Indra strikes the streams, placed in a covering (*vavri*), down declivities (cp. 1, 57⁶). Vṛtra is also said to be an encloser (*paridhi*) of the streams (3, 33⁶).

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It has been shown above that Indra's epithet *vṛtrahan* was understood by the Vedic poets to mean not only 'slayer of Vṛtra' but also as 'slayer of Vṛtras'. This plural, which is of frequent occurrence in the RV. and is always neuter, sometimes appears in passages mentioning the names of various individual fiends (7, 19⁴; 10, 49⁶). The result of Indra's conflict with the Vṛtras is the release of the waters (7, 34³) or of the rivers (8, 85¹⁸) which are 'encompassed', *vṛtān* (4, 42⁷). It is the Vṛtras which, as well as the fiends, he is to smite as soon as born (6, 29⁶) and to destroy which he has been produced by the gods (3, 49¹). With the bones of Dadhyañc he slew 99 Vṛtras (1, 84¹³) just as he shatters the ninety-nine forts of Vṛtra (7, 19⁵).

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The term Vṛtras, which is regularly employed with the verb *han*, 'to slay', also refers to terrestrial foes, as when Āryas and Dāsas are distinguished as two kinds of Vṛtras (6, 22¹⁰. 33³). There are, moreover, many passages in which it is quite as applicable to human enemies as to celestial demons. Then, however, it does not mean simply 'enemy', which is *amitra* (= *inimicus*) or *śatru* (cp. 6, 73²), but is employed with a side-glance at the demon Vṛtra, much as the English word 'fiend' in its present use, when applied to men, is suggestive of 'devil'. This relation of meaning is the converse of that in *dāsa* or *dasyu*, which first meant 'foe' and then 'fiend'. The use of *vṛtra* in the plural, as it is then always neuter, can hardly be derived from a generalization of the proper name Vṛtra, but must be based on an earlier meaning such as 'obstruction', then 'obstructor'. In the Avesta *verethra* means 'victory', which is, however, a secondary development of 'obstruction'.

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In the Brāhmaṇas Vṛtra is interpreted as the moon, which is swallowed by Indra identified with the sun, at new moon⁵.

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B. Vala⁶. This word occurs about twenty-four times in the RV. and is regularly connected with the release of the cows by Indra or his allies, especially the Aṅgirases (§ 54). Vala is a guardian of cows, whom Indra rent when he robbed Paṇi of his cows (10, 67⁶ cp. 6, 39²). He laments for his cows when taken by Bṛhaspati (10, 68¹⁰ cp. 67⁶). He has castles which were forced open by Indra (6, 18⁵), fences which were pierced by Indra (1, 52⁵), and an unbroken summit which was broken by Indra (6, 39²). The TS. (2, 1, 5¹) speaks of Indra having opened the hole (*bila*) of Vala and cast out the best beast in it, a thousand others following. There are, however, several passages in which the word is still unpersonified. The primary meaning in these cases seems to have been 'covering' or 'cave' (from the root *vṛ*, to cover). Thus the word is twice (1, 62⁴; 4, 50⁵) used in apposition with *phaliga*, the receptacle of the (atmospheric) waters (8, 32²⁵) and appears in the Naighaṇṭuka (1, 10) as a synonym of *megha*, 'cloud'. Indra is said to have driven out the cows and opened (*apa var*) the *vala* (2, 14³) or to have opened (*apāvar*) the aperture (cp. 1, 32¹¹) of the *vala* containing cows (1, 115). The PB. (19, 7) speaks of the cave (*vala*) of the Asuras being closed with a stone. In several passages the word may have either the primary or the personified sense (1, 52⁵; 2, 12³; 3, 34¹⁰). It has probably the latter in Indra's epithet *valaṃruja*, 'breaker of Vala', which occurs immediately after *vṛtrakhāda*, 'destroyer of Vṛtra' (3, 45² cp. 2, 12³). The transition to the personified meaning appears in a passage (3, 30¹⁰) in which Vala is spoken of as the stable (*vraja*) of the cow and as having opened (*vi āra*) for fear before Indra strikes. That the personification is not fully developed, is indicated by the action of Indra and others, when they attack Vala, being generally expressed by *bhid*, 'to pierce', sometimes by *dṛ*, 'to cleave', or *ruj*, 'to break', but not (as in the case of Vṛtra) by *han*, 'to slay'. The connexion of the verb *bhid* with the name of Vala is preserved in *valabhid*, which is a frequent epithet of Indra in post-Vedic literature. Here Vala is regarded as the brother of Vṛtra, and the two are associated in Indra's compound epithet *vala-vṛtra-han*, 'Slayer of Vala and Vṛtra'.

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⁵ HRI. 197. —

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C. Other demon foes of Indra. Arbuda is mentioned seven times (twice oxytone, five times proparoxytone) in the RV., always as an adversary of Indra. He is a wily beast, whose cows Indra drove out (8, 3¹⁹). Indra cast him down (2, 11²⁰. 14⁴ cp. 8, 32³), trod him down with his foot (1, 51⁶), pierced him with ice (8, 32²) or struck off his head (10, 67¹²). He is mentioned two or three times with Vṛtra (or Ahi) and appears to be cognate in nature to him⁷.

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² Cp. Agni in 4, 1¹¹ cp. 2, 23. —

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⁶ PW.; GW. s. v. *vala*; BRV. 2, 319—21. —

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⁷ Cp. GW. —

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Viśvarūpa⁸, the son of Tvaṣṭṛ, is a three-headed demon slain by both Trita and Indra, who seize his cows (10, 8⁸. 9). He is mentioned simply by his patronymic Tvāṣṭra in two or three other passages, in which he is described as rich in horses and cattle (10, 76³) and is said to have been delivered over by Indra to Trita (2, 11¹⁹; cp. pp. 61. 67). In the TS. (2, 5, 1¹) Viśvarūpa, though related to the Asuras, is spoken of as Purohita of the gods⁹. In the Mahābhārata (5, 22 f.) the three-heated son of Tvaṣṭṛ and Vṛtra are identical.

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¹ BREAL, Hercule 87—99; BRV. 2, 196—208; ORV. 135—6; ZDMG. 50, 665 f. —

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³ BRV. 2, 220; cp. OLDENBERG, SBE. 46, 123; according to PW. and GW. the words are distinct. —

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⁸ Cp. HVM. 1, 519. 531—2. —

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⁹ Cp. OST. 5, 230—2. —

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Svarbhānu¹⁰ is a demoniac (*āsura*) being mentioned four times in one hymn of the RV. (5, 40). He is described as eclipsing the sun with darkness. Indra fought against his wiles and Atri put the eye of the sun (back) in heaven. This demon is also mentioned several times in the Brāhmaṇas. In post-Vedic mythology his place is taken by Rāhu. The name appears to mean 'withholding the light of the sun'.

Linked texts (5)

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Taittirīyasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Mahābhārata — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Pañcaviṃśabrāhmaṇa — Sanskrit
Nighaṇṭu — Yāska, Sanskrit