Vedic influence on the Sun-worship in the Puranas
by Goswami Mitali | 2018 | 68,171 words
This page relates ‘Ashvins (the twin deities)’ of the study on the Vedic influence of Sun-worship in the Puranas, conducted by Goswami Mitali in 2018. The tradition of observing Agnihotra sacrifice and the Sandhya, etc., is frequently observed among the Hindus. Another important innovation of the Sun-worship in the Puranas is the installation of the images of the Sun in the temples.—This section belongs to the series “Salient Traits of the Solar Divinities in the Veda”.
Part 27 - The Aśvins (the twin deities)
The Aśvins, the twin deities,[1] occupy a specific place among the deities of light.
Sāyaṇācārya, in his interpretation on the respective passage clearly narrates the episode of the Aśvins’ birth, according to which the twin deities were born of Vivsvat and Saraṇyū:
uta api ca sāśvarūpiṇī saraṇyūstadā aśvināvabharat/ svodare garbhabhūtau dhāritavatī/ yat yadā tat jāyāpatibhyāmaśvarūpātmanā sambhogakāle retaḥ patitam āsīt tadāśvinau janayāmāsetyarthaḥ/[2]
Yāskācārya, in his Nirukta mentions that among the Aśvins, one is the son of night and the other is the son of dawn.[3] They are invoked conjointly, and their time of appearance and functions are identical. As the deities of the morning twilight, they dispel darkness and the evil spirits.[4] The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa mentions the Aśvins as red white in colour[5] that directs their connection with the morning Sun. The Aśvins are called rudravartanī,[6] i.e. red-pathed, hiraṇyavartanī, i.e. golden-pathed. The car of the Aśvins is sunlike or golden,[7] having thousand rays[8] or ornaments.[9] It signifies the solar character of the deities. The Aśvins are connected with marriage, production and love.[10] They are worshipped to bring lovers together. They are regarded as the divine physicians in the Vedic texts.[11]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid.
[3]:
[5]:
cf., śyeta āśvino bhavati/ śyetāviva hyaśvināva…/ Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, 5.5.4.1
[6]:
Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 1.3.3
[8]:
[9]:
cf., ataḥ sahasranirṇijā rathenā yātamaśvinā// Ibid., 8.8.11,14