Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Ribhus included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana’).
Story of Ṛbhus
General information.
Ṛbhus are a group of divine beings who attained divinity by performing tapas. Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 137, Verse 25 says that even other gods worship the Ṛbhus.
Who were Ṛbhus?
Aṅgiras, the son of Brahmā had a son named Sudhanvā. Sudhanvā had three children, Ṛbhukṣan, Vibhvan and Vāja. These three persons form the Ṛbhus as mentioned in Ṛgveda, 1st Maṇḍala, 16th Anuvāka, 111th Sūkta.
Ṛbhus and Miracles.
(i) Long ago, a cow belonging to a Ṛṣi died. Its calf began to cry. The Ṛṣi took pity on it and prayed to the Ṛbhus. They made a cow and covered it with the skin of the dead cow and placed it in front of the calf. Because of its likeness to its mother, the calf believed it to be its mother.
(ii) Ṛbhus restored their parents who had become old, to youth. (Ṛgveda, 1st Maṇḍala, 16th Anuvāka. 11th Sūkta).
(iii) Ṛgveda says that it was the Ṛbhus who made Indra’s horses, the chariot of the Aśvinīs and Bṛhaspati’s cow.