Dyaus
Dyaus | |
---|---|
God of the Sky | |
Other names | Dyēus |
Part of a series on |
Hinduism |
---|
Dyaus (/d.jaʊʃ/ DYOWSH), or Dyauspitar (Devanagari द्यौष्पितृ, Dyáuṣpitṛ́), is the Ṛigvedic sky deity. His consort is Prithvi, the earth goddess, and together they are the archetypal parents in the Rigveda.[1]
Nomenclature
Dyauṣ stems from
The noun dyaús (when used without the pitṛ́ 'father') refers to the daylight sky, and occurs frequently in the Rigveda, as an entity. The sky in Vedic writing was described as rising in three tiers, avamá, madhyamá, and uttamá or tṛtī́ya.[3]
Literature
Dyáuṣ Pitṛ́ appears in hymns with Prithvi Mata 'Mother Earth' in the ancient Vedic scriptures of Hinduism.[4]
In the Ṛg·veda, Dyáuṣ Pitṛ́ appears in verses 1.89.4, 1.90.7, 1.164.33, 1.191.6, 4.1.10. and 4.17.4
Dyauṣ's most defining trait is his paternal role.
Dyauṣ is also stated to be like a black stallion studded with pearls in a simile with the night sky.[6][10]
Indra's separation of Dyauṣ and Prithvi is celebrated in the Rigveda as an important creation myth.[8]
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-946515-54-4.
- ^ West 2007, p. 171.
- ^ Ṛg·veda, 5.60.6.
- ISBN 978-1-78023-538-7.
- ^ Sanskrit: Ṛg·veda, Wikisource; translation: Ralph T. H. Griffith Rigveda, Wikisource
- ^ a b c d e Macdonell, Arthur Anthony (1897). Vedic Mythology. Oxford University Press. pp. 21–22.
- ISBN 9788184752779. Entry: "Dyaus"
- ^ a b c d Jamison, Stephanie; Brereton, Joel P. (2014). The Rigveda –– The Earliest Religious Poetry of India. Oxford University Press. pp. 50–51.
- ISBN 978-0-19-928-075-9.
- ^ Jamison & Brereton 2014, p. 1492.