Indian Philosophy v1.c8.s2.97

v1.c8.s2.97

Parjanya was the Aryan sky god. He seems to have become Indra after the Aryans entered India, for Indra is unknown to the other members of the Aryan family. In the Vedas Parjanya is another name for the sky. " The Earth is the mother and I am the son of the Earth, Parjanya is the father. May he help us."³ In the Atharva-Veda Earth is called the wife of Parjanya.⁴ Parjanya is the god of cloud and rain.⁵ He rules as god over the whole world; all creatures rest in him ; he is the life of all that moves and rests.⁶ There are also passages where the word Parjanya is used for cloud or rain.⁷ Max Müller is of opinion that Parjanya is identical with the Lithuanian god of thunder called Perkunas.⁸