Saṃhitā (1): Divine steed in the Ṛgveda

1. Dadhikrā:

The Vedic Saṃhitās and the Brāhmaṇas are mentioning the divine steed which is symbolically connected with Lord Viṣṇu, the Sun god. In the passages of the Ṛgveda, horse is related with the sun and the most striking example of this is the steed Dadhikrā is celebrated in the later hymns of the Ṛgveda.^[1] Dadhikrā is mentioned in the Ṛgveda twelve times and often as Dadhikrāvan during least ten times. Characteristically Dadhikrā as a steed, appearing in the Naighaṇṭuka,^[2] is a synonym of horse. He is swift^[3] , who speeds like the wind.^[4] In one passage he is describe as the swan or haṃsa dwelling in the light.^[5] This description of the symbolic nature of Dadhikrā may suggest the great swiftness of the steed. The steed Dadhikrā is praised when agni is kindled at the dawning of uṣas.^[6] Thus he is called Dadhikrā represented in the form of a steed, the circling ball of the sun which supports that Dadhikrā is closely connected with uṣas.^[7] Dadhikrā is often related with agni including his solar and lightening forms which indicate that divine steed is connected with the sun. He is conceived as winged and his wing is like a bird and of a speeding eagle.^[8]

2. Tārkṣya:

Tārkṣya is nearly related to Dadhikrā mentioned twice in the Ṛgveda.^[9] In the identical word applied to Dadhikrā^[10] , he is primarily conceived as a steed shown by his epithet ariṣṭhanemi, ^[11] ‘whose fellies are intact’, which appears as an independent name beside Tārkṣya and Garuḍa in Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā.^[12] In the Naighaṇṭuka kāṇḍa of Nirukta the word Tārkṣya is used as a synonym of horse.^[13] However, in another place Tārkṣya refers to a bird.^[14] In the epic and later literature it is identical to Viṣṇu’s vehicle, the swift bird Garuḍa. This may be the source of its origin and later association with Viṣṇu. Macdonell states that Tārkṣya originally represented the sun in the form of a divine steed.^[15] These passages may be the source of origin and inspiration of the later association between Viṣṇu and the divine bird Garutmān. The mythical bird Garutmān finds its origin in the idea of Tārkṣya. The sun also sometimes is conceived as a bird by the name of Garutmat at least twice in the Ṛgveda. ^[16] The Ṛgveda affirms that: “God is one. The sages call him by many names like Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Divya, Garutmat, the celestial universal sunbird. They speak of Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan.”^[17]

3. Paidva:

One more divine steed of the Ṛgveda is Paidva which was brought to Pedu^[18] by the Aśvins and so it is called Paidva.^[19] Paidva is described as white in colour, conqueror, invincible in battle and seeking heaven.^[20] This evidence again appears to favour the interpretation of the steed Pedu as symbolising the sun.

The word Etāśa occurs sometimes as adjective, meaning swift, more frequently signifying steed in the Ṛgveda^[21] and also designating the horses of the sun.^[22] In one passage it is indicated that the dawn is said to lead a white steed^[23] and in another passage the sacrificial steed appears to be created by the gods out of the sun^[24] .

According to Macdonell’s interpretation, all these references are of the divine steed which is associated with the sun. Other references of the Ṛgveda recommend the horse as a symbol of the sun. Apart from the indirect connection of horses with Viṣṇu as a solar deity, these references do not provide us an explicit beginning of the full winged horse-headed form of Viṣṇu at this stage in the Ṛgveda.

An interesting matter mentioned in the Vedic Saṃhitā is that the beheading motif is related with the knowledge of emancipation. After searching these informative references of the horse in the Ṛgveda we would try to analyse the references therein related to Dadhyañc Ātharvan who appears in the horse-headed form for introducing madhuvidyā to the aśvin brothers. The mythical story of the sage Dadhyañc Ātharvan^[25] was developed in the later Saṃhitā, ^[26] Brāhmaṇa^[27] and Upaniṣad. ^[28]

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

Ṛgveda, 4.38-40; 7,44.

[2]:

Nir, 1,14.

[3]:

“Uta vājinam puruniṣṣidvānaṃ dadhikrāmu dadathurviśvakṛṣṭim/
Ṛjipyaṃ śyenaṃ pruyitaspumāśuṃ cakṛrtyamaryo nṛpatiṃ na śuraṃ//” Ṛgveda, 4.38.2.
“Uta smāsya panayanti janāḥ jūtiṃ kṛṣṭipro abhibhūtimāśoḥ/
Utenamāhu samithe viyantaḥ parā dadhikrā asarat sahasraiḥ//” Ṛgveda, 4.38. 9.
“Āśuṃ dadhikrāṃ tamu nuṣṭavām divaṣpṛthivyā utacarkirām/
Ucchantīrmāmuṣasaḥ sūdayantvati viśvāni duritani parṣan//” Ṛgveda, 4.39.1.
Paḍbhirgṛdhyantaṃ medhayuṃ na śūraṃ rathaturaṃ vātamiva dhrajantam//” Ṛgveda, 4.38.3.

[4]:

“Yaṃ sīmanu pravateva dravantaṃ viśvaḥ pūrurmadati harṣamānaḥ/

[5]:

“Haṃsaḥ śuchiyadzsurantarikṣasaddhvotā vediṣadatithirduroṇasat/ Nṛṣadvarasadṛtasadvyomasadavjā gojā ṛtajā adrijā ṛtam//” Ṛgveda, 4.40.5.

[6]:

“Yo aśvasya dadhikrāvṇo akārītsamiddhe agnā uṣaso vyuṣṭau/ Anāgasaṃ tamaditiḥ kṛṇotu sa mitreṇa varuṇenā sajoṣā//” Ṛgveda, 4.39.3.

[7]:

Macdonell. A.A: Op. cit. p.149.

[8]:

“Satā bhariṣo gaviṣo duanysacchraasyādiṣa uṣasasturaṇyasyat/ Satyodravo dravaraḥ ptangaro dadhikrāveṣamūrjaṃ svarjanat//
Utasmāsya dravatsturaṇyataḥ purṇaṃ na veranu vātipragardhinaḥ/
Śyenasyeva dhrajato angkasaṃ pari dadhikrāvaṇaḥ sahorjā taritrataḥ//” Ṛgveda, 4.40.2-3.

[9]:

“Svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā visvavedā/
Svasti nastarkṣyo ariṣṭnemiḥ svasti no vṛhaspatirdadhātu//” ibid.,1.89.6.
“Tāmū ṣu vājinaṃ devajūtaṃ sahāvānaṃ tarutāraṃ rathānāṃ/
Ariṣṭanemiṃ pṛtanājamāśuṃ svastaye tārkṣyamihā huvema//” ibid.,10.178.1.

[10]:

“Ā dadhikrāḥ śavasā pañca kṛṣṭīḥ sūrya iva jyotiṣāpastatān/
Sahasrasāḥ śatasā vājyrvapṛṇktumadhvā samimā vacāṃsi//” ibid.,4.38.10.

[11]:

“Svasti na indro vṛddhśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvadevā/
Svasti nstārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatirdadhātu//” ibid.,1.89.6.

[12]:

VS, 15.18.

[13]:

Nir, 1.14.

[14]:

Macdonell. A.A: ‘loc. cit.’p.149.

[15]:

Macdonell. A.A: ibid.,p.149.

[16]:

Macdonell. A.A: ibid., p.152.

[17]:

“Indraṃ mitraṃ varuṇamagniṇatvāmāhūratho divāḥ sa suparṇo garutmān/
Ekaṃ sadviprā vahudhā vadantyagniṃ yamaṃ mātariśvānamāhuḥ//” Ṛgveda, 1.164.46.

[18]:

“Yuvaṃ cyavānaṃ jarasohamumuktaṃ ni pedava Ūhathurāśumaśvaṃ/
Niraṃhasastamasaḥ sprtamatriṃ ni jāhuṣaṃ śithire dhātamantaḥ//” ibid.,7.71.5.

[19]:

“Yadaśvinā dadathuḥ śvetamaśvamaghāśvāya śaśvadiṃsvasti/
Tadvāṃ dātraṃ mahi kīrtenyaṃ bhūtpaidvo vājī sadamidvavo aryaḥ//” ibid.,1.116. 6.
“Indra na yo mahā karmāṇi cakirhantā vṛtrāṇāmasi soma pūrbhit/
Paidvo na hi tvamahināmnāṃ hantā viśvasyāsi soma dasyoḥ//” ibid.,9.88. 4.

[20]:

“Yuvaṃ pedave puruvāramaśvinā spṛdhāṃ śvetaṃ tarutāraṃ duvasyatha/
Śairyarabhidyuṃ pṛtanāsu duṣṭaraṃ carkṛtyamindramiva carṣaṇīsahaṃ//” ibid.,1.119.10.

[21]:

A.A. Macdonell: ‘loc. cit.’p.149.

[22]:

“Sa sūrya prati puro na udagā ebhiḥ stomebhiretaśebhirebaiḥ/
Pra no mitrāya varuṇāya vocohanāgaso aryamṇe agnaye ca//” Ṛgveda, 7.62.2.
“Na te adevaḥ pradibau ni vāsate yadetaśebhiḥ patarai ratharyasi/
Prācīnamanyadanu vartate raja udanyena jyotiṣā yāsi sūrya//” ibid.,10.37.3.
“Ahaṃ sūryasya pari yāmyāśuciḥ paitaśebhirvahamāna ojasā/
Yanmā sāvo manuṣa āha nirṇija ṛdhkkṛṣe dāsaṃ kṛtvyṃ hathaiḥ//” ibid.,10.49.7.

[23]:

“Devānāṃ cakṣūḥ subhagā vahantī śvetaṃ nayantī sudṛśīkamaśvaṃ/
Uṣā adarśi raśmibhirṣāktā citrāmaghā viśvamanuprabhūtā//” ibid.,7.77.3.

[24]:

ibid.,1.163.

[25]:

Owing to his horse-head and his very name Dadhyañc Ātharvaṇa being conceptually associated with the steed Dadhikrā or Dadhikrāvan, he is invoked with the dawn and is praised when Agni kindled at the dawning of uṣas. In this way Dadhyañc Ātharvaṇa with the horse head and Dadhikrā, is represented in the form of a steed and get related to the sun. The horse is symbolic to the sun when the uṣas is said to lead the handsome white horse. A.A.Macdonell: Op. cit.,p.148.

[26]:

Taittirīya Saṃhitā, 5.1.4(4); Kaṭhaka Saṃhitā, 19.4.

[27]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 4.1.5;14.1-4.

[28]:

Bṛhadāryaṇaka Upaniṣad, 2.5,16-19.