Vedic influence on the Sun-worship in the Puranas
by Goswami Mitali | 2018 | 68,171 words
This page relates ‘Vishnu as the Creator’ 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 22 - Viṣṇu as the Creator
Viṣṇu is mentioned as the generative force in the Vedas. He is regarded as the protector of the embryos[1] and jointly invoked with other deities to promote conception.[2] In the Khilasūktas, once he is worshipped for the placement of a male child in the mother’s womb and in another, it is prayed for a male child with Viṣṇuʹs most beautiful form.[3] He is cited as the producer of Sūrya, Uṣas and Agni in the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā.[4]
Viṣṇu is connected with the cosmogonic boar in the Veads. The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa mentions the boar having the name Emūṣa, who raised up the earth from the water.[5] The Taittirīyasaṃhitā and the Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa hold that the boar is prajāpati here.[6]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
[4]:
[5]:
Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, 14.1.2.11
[6]:
cf., āpo vā idamagre salilamāsīttasminprajāpatirvāyurbhūtvāʹcaratsa imāmapaśyattāṃ varāho bhūtvāʹharattāṃ viśvakarmā bhūtvā… iti soʹbravīt/ Taittirīyasaṃhitā, 7.1.5.1
… yasminnidamadhitiṣṭhatīti/ sa varāho rūpaṃ kṛtvopa nyamajjat/ Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa, 1.1.3.6