Part 28 - Vena (the solar god)

Due to the solar nature, Vena is regarded as the solar god in the Vedic literature. The first maṇḍala of the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā contains the reference of the deity,^[1] and in the last maṇḍala of the same he is depicted as a full-fledged Sun-god.^[2] In the Taittirīyasaṃhitā^[3] and in the Atharvavedasaṃhitā^[4] also, he is invoked as the Sungod. In the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, he is more concrete than that of the Atharvavedasaṃhitā and the Taittirīyasaṃhitā.

Vena is mentioned as manifested with the eyes of the Sun:

sūryasya cakṣasā tejasā paśyan prakāśamāno venaḥ/^[5]

The solar origin of the deity becomes clear with the words venaścodayatpṛśnigarbhā, jyotirjarāyu, sūryasya śiśuṃ, etc.^[6] The deity is mentioned as staying in the highest heaven.^[7] He is identified with the Sun and mentioned as the strong-winged bird in the sky.^[8]

Vena shines on the summit of the water in the heavens:

samudrādūrmimudiyarti/^[9]

Sāyaṇācārya has stated:

sindhuṃ syandanaśīlaṃ jalasamūham adhi asthuḥ adhitiṣṭhanti/^[10]

Vena produces rain from the water and with it he nourishes the whole universe:

vṛṣṭipradānādinā sarvasya jagataḥ poṣakam/^[11]

His rain-giving aspect is well cited in the Vedic texts.^[12]

Vena is mentioned as the primary cause of the things, the father of the universe and the friend of the cosmic order in the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā.^[13]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

cf., yajñairatharvā prathamaḥ prathstate tataḥ sūryo vratapā vena ājani/ Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 1.83.5

[2]:

Ibid., 10.123

[3]:

Taittirīyasaṃhitā, 4.2.8

[4]:

Atharvavedasaṃhitā, 2.1

[5]:

Sāyaṇācārya on Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 10.123.8

[6]:

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 10.123.1

[7]:

cf., apsarā jāramupasiṣmiyāṇā yoṣā bibharti parame vyoman/ caratpriyasya yoniṣu priyaḥ santsīdatpakṣe hiraṇyaye sa venaḥ// Ibid.,10.123.5

[8]:

cf., nāke suparṇamupa yatpatantaṃ hṛdā venanto abhyacakṣata tvā/ hiraṇyapakṣaṃ varuṇasya dūtaṃ samasya yonau śakunaṃ bhuraṇyum// Ibid.,10.123.6

[9]:

Ibid., 10.123.2

[10]:

Ibid.,10.123.4

[11]:

Ibid., 10.123.6

[12]:

cf., samudrādūrmimudiyarti veno nabhojāḥ pṛṣṭhaṃ haryatasya darśi/ Ibid.,10.123.2 urdhvo gandharvo adhi nāke asthātpratyaṅcitrā bibhradasyāyudhāni/ Ibid., 10.123.7

[13]:

cf., yo naḥ pitā janitā yo vidhātā dhāmani veda bhuvanāni viśvā/ yo devānāṃ nāmadhā eka eva taṃ saṃpraśnaṃ bhuvanā yantyanyā// Ibid., 10.82.3