Vedic Mythology c8.s2.4

c8.s2.4

C. Pipru. This fiend, mentioned eleven times in the RV., is the enemy of Indra’s protégé (Vāl. 1¹⁰) Ṛjiśvan, who offers Soma to Indra and is aided by him in the conflict (5, 29¹¹; 10, 99¹¹). Indra with Ṛjiśvan (1, 101¹. ²; 10, 138³) or for him (4, 16¹³; 6, 20⁷) conquered Pipru. The fiend, who has the wiles of Ahi, possesses forts which are shattered by Indra (1, 51⁵; 6, 20⁷). When Indra slew the Dāsa Pipru as well as some other rarely mentioned beings, he shed the waters (8, 32²). When the sun unyoked his chariot in the midst of the sky, the Aryan found a match for the Dāsa: Indra acting with Rijiśvan, shattered the strong forts of the wily Asura Pipru (10, 138³). He delivered the wild beast (*mṛgaya*) Pipru to Ṛjiśvan, overthrew 50 000 blacks, and rent the forts (4, 16¹³). With Ṛjiśvan he drove out those who have a black brood⁷ (1, 101¹). Since Pipru is called an Asura as well as a Dāsa, it is doubtful whether he represents a human foe with a historical foundation, as some scholars think⁸. The name has the appearance of a Sanskrit word as a reduplicated derivative of the root *par* or *pṝ* (like *si-ṣṇ-u* from √san)⁹, possibly meaning ‘resister’, ‘antagonist’.