Part 8 - Savitṛ (the God of Atmosphere)

The stimulative aspect of the Sun is represented by the form Savitṛ in the Vedic literature. Though there is contradiction among the scholars regarding the abstraction of the deity, yet Savitṛ cannot be a mere abstract deity as because anthropomorphism of his personality is well cited in the Vedas who is called hiraṇyākṣaḥ,^[1] i.e. golden-eyed, hiraṇyapāṇi,^[2] i.e. gold-handed, etc.

The golden deity Savitṛ is mentioned in the Vedas as the supporter of the sky, i.e. divo dhartā.^[3] Sāyaṇācārya interprets the term divo dhartā in the relevant passages as divaḥ dyulokasya dhartā dhārakaḥ^[4] or divaḥ dyulokasya dhartā dhārayitā avasthāpayitā vā/^[5] Savitṛ supports the sky with his stimulative rays.

He is referred to in the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā as the supporter of the whole world:

na pramiye saviturdaivyasya tadyathā viśvaṃ bhuvanaṃ dhārayiṣyati/^[6]

Savitṛ diffuses his rays preceded by Uṣas,^[7] impels Sūrya,^[8] and impels the car of the Aśvins.^[9] Sāyaṇācārya has interpreted the identification of the two divinities, Savitṛ and Sūrya by saying that though they are same as regards their divinity, but they are different in their forms and one may go to the other, cf.,

yadyapisavitṛsūryayorekadevatātvam tathāpi mūrttibhedena gantṛgantavyabhāvaḥ.^[10]

In the Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, they are said as identical,^[11] in the Upaniṣads by means of Savitṛ prayer, the worship of the Sun is ordained.^[12]

The atmospheric character of Savitṛ becomes clear with his portrayal in the Vedas as the illuminator of the three regions, viz. the air, heaven and earth.^[13] The brightness of the deity illumines the eight points of the earth, along with three desert regions and the seven rivers. ^[14]

Sāyaṇācārya in his commentary on the respective passage has pointed out the eight points of the earth and the three desert and seven rivers thus:

pṛthivyāḥ saṃbandhinīḥ aṣṭau kakubhaḥ prācyādyāścatasro diśa āgneyyādyāścatasro vidiśa ityevamaṣṭau diśaḥ vyakhyat savitā prakāśitavān/ tathā yojanā prāṇinaḥ svasvabhogena yojayitṛn dhanva antarikṣopalakṣitān trī trisaṃkhyākān pṛthivyādilokān sapta sindhūn gaṅgādinadīḥ samudrānvā savitā vyakhyat/^[15]

Besides this, Savitṛ conveys the departed spirit to the righteous.^[16]

Savitṛ is mentioned as the rays of the Sun in the Vedas.^[17]

He stretches out his light continually from the east, shining with the rays of the Sun, cf.,

sūryaraśmirharikeśaḥ purastātsavitā jyotirudyānajasram/^[18]

Thus, he gives light and disperses darkness from the world.^[19] He is mentioned in the Vedas as the highest light: idaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ jyotiṣāṃ jyotiḥ.^[20] He is worshipped to bring the light.^[21] His paths in the firmament are said as dustless and easy to traverse.^[22] By two radiant steeds or by two or more brown, white-footed horses, his car is drawn in the sky.^[23] Observing all the creatures, he moves on a downward and upward path and arouses the mortal and immortal.^[24]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 1.35.8; Vājasaneyisaṃhitā, 34.24

[2]:

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 1.22.5; 35.9;Atharvavedasaṃhitā,3.21.8;7.15.2

[3]:

cf., divo dhartā bhuvanasya prajāpatiḥ piśaṅgaṃ drāpiṃ prati muñcate kaviḥ/vicakṣaṇaḥ prathayannapṛṇannurvajījanatsavitā sumnamukthyam// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 4.53.2

[4]:

Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid., 4.53.2

[5]:

Sāyaṇācāry, Ibid., 10.149.4

[6]:

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 4.54.4

[7]:

cf., vyañjate divo anteṣvaktūnviśo na yuktā uṣaso yatante/ saṃ te gāvastama ā vartayanti jyotiryacchati saviteva bāhū// Ibid., 7.79.2

[8]:

cf., hiraṇyapāṇiḥ savitā vicarṣaṇirubhe dyāvāpṛthivī antarīyate/ apāmīvāṃ bādhate veti sūryamabhi kṛṣṇena rajasā dyāmṛṇoti// Ibid., 1.35.9

[9]:

cf., yuvorhi pūrvaṃ savitoṣaso rathmṛtāya citraṃ dhṛtavantamiṣyati// Ibid., 1.34.10

[10]:

Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid.,1.35.9

[11]:

cf., savitā vai devānāṃ prasavitā prasavitā vai kṣattā tasmātsāvitrī bhavatyetadvāʹasyaikāṃratnaṃ

[12]:

cf., tat savitur vareṇyam ityasau vā ādityaḥ savitā sa vā evam pravaraṇīya ātmakāmenetyāhurbrahmavādinoʹtha bhargo devasya dhīmahīti, savitā vai devas tato yoʹsya bhargākhyas tam cintayāmītyāhur brahmavādinoʹtha dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt iti…/ Maitrī. U. 6.7

[13]:

cf., tisro dyāvaḥ saviturdvā upasthāñ ekā yamasya bhuvane virāṣāṭ /āṇiṃ na rathyāmṛtādhi tasthuriha

[14]:

cf., aṣṭau vyakhyatkakubhaḥ pṛthivyāstrī dhanva yojanā sapta sindhūn/ Ibid., 1.35.8

[15]:

Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid.

[16]:

cf., āyurviśvāyuḥ pariṃ pāsati tvā pūṣā tvāṃ pātu prapathe purastāt/ yatrāsate sukṛto yatra te yayūstatra tvā devaḥ savitā dadhātu// Ṛgvedasaṃhitā,10.17.4

[17]:

cf., āprā dyāvāpṛthivī antarikṣaṃ vi sūryo raśmibhiścekitānaḥ// Ibid., 4.14.2 uta yāsi savitastrīṇi rocanota sūryasya raśmibhiḥ samucyasi/ Ibid., 5.81.4

[18]:

Ibid., 10.139.1

[19]:

cf., abhīvṛtaṃ kṛśanairviśvarūpaṃ hiraṇyaśamyaṃ yajato bṛhantam/ āsthādrathaṃ savitā citrabhānuḥ kṛṣṇā rajāṃsi taviṣīṃ dadhānaḥ// Ibid., 1.35.4

[20]:

Ibid., 1.113.1

[21]:

cf., urdhvā yasyāmatirbhā adidyutat savīmani/ hiraṇyapāṇiramimīta sukratuḥ kṛpāt svaḥ// Atharvavedasaṃhitā, 7.14.2; Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, 3.3.2.12

[22]:

cf., ye te panthāḥ savitaḥ pūrvyāso’reṇavaḥ sukṛtā antarikṣe/ Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 1.35.11

[23]:

cf., ā devo yātu savitā suratnoʹntarikṣaprā vahamāno aśvaiḥ/ Ibid., 7.45.1

[24]:

cf., ā kṛṣṇena rajasā vartamāno niveśayannamṛtaṃ martyaṃ ca/hiraṇyayena savitā rathenā devo yāti bhuvanāni paśyan//yāti devaḥ pravatā yātyuvdatā yāti śubhrābhyāṃ yajato haribhyām/ā devo yāti savitā parāvatoʹpa viśvā duritā bādhamānaḥ// Ibid., 1.35.2,3