377

They brought on a car to the youthful Vimada a bride named Kamadyū, who seems to have been the beautiful wife of Purumitra, i. 112, 19 (yabhiḥ patnir Vimadāya nyuhathuḥ | here wives are mentioned in the plural); i. 116, 1 (yā arbhagāya Vimadāya jāyām senājuvā nyūhatuḥ); x. 65, 12 (Kamadyuvam Vimadāya ūhathuḥ); i. 117, 20 (yuvam sachibhir Vimādāya jāyām̃ ni ūhathuḥ Purumitrasya yoshām); x. 39, 7 (yuvam rathena Vimadaya sundhyuvam ni uhathuḥ Puramitrasa yoshanām). Sāyaṇa, on i. 117, 20, makes yoshām = kumārim, by which he appears to intend the daughter of Purumitra, who he says was a king. But yoshā seems more frequently to denote a wife.

They restored Vishṇāpū, like a lost animal, to the sight of Viśvaka, son of Krishna, their worshipper, who, according to the commentator, was his father, i. 116, 23 (avasyate stuvate krishniyāya ṛijūyate nāsatyā sachibhiḥ | paśum na nashṭam iva darśanāya Vishṇāpvam dadathur Viśvakāya); i. 117, 7; x. 65, 12.

The names both of Viśvaka and Vishṇāpū occur in R.V. viii. 75, 1-3, a hymn addressed to the Aśvins; and the commentator (as one explanation of the passage) connects the reference there made to the former with the legend before us (on which, however, the hymn itself throws no light).

Another act recorded of the Asvins is their intervention in favour of Bhujyu, the son of Tugra, which is obscurely described in the following verses in R.V. i. 116, 3 ff. (Tugro ha Bhujyum Aśvinā udameghe rayim na kaśchit mamṛivān avāhāḥ | tam ūhathur naubhir ātmanvatībhir antarikshaprudbhir apodakābhiḥ | 4. Tisraḥ kshapas trir ahā ativrajadbhir nāsatyā Bhujyum ūhathuḥ patangaiḥ | samudrasya dhanvann ārdrasya pāre tribhiḥ rathaiḥ śatapadbhiḥ shalaśvaiḥ | 5. Anārambhane tad avirayethām anāsthāne agrabhane samudre | yad aśvinā ūhuthur Bhujyum astam śatāritrām nāvam ātasthivāmsam | "Tugra abandoned Bhujyu in the water-cloud, as any dead man leaves his property. Ye, Aśvins, bore him in animated water-tight ships, which traversed the air. 4. Three nights and three days did ye convey him in three flying cars, with a hundred feet and six horses, which crossed over to the dry land beyond the liquid ocean. 5. Ye put forth your vigour in the ocean, which offers no stay, or standing-place, or support, when ye

377 A rishi of this name is mentioned, R.V. viii. 9, 15; x. 20, 10; x. 23, 7; and a family of Vimadas in x. 23, 6.

bore Bhujyu to his home, standing on a ship propelled by a hundred oars." R. V. i. 117, 14 f. (yuvam Bhujyum arnaso niḥ samudrād vibhir uhathur rijrebkir aśvaiḥ | 15. Ajohavid aśvinā Taugryo vām prolhaḥ samudram avyathir jaganvān | nish tam ūhathuḥ suyujā rathena manojavasā vṛishanā svasti | "Ye conveyed Bhujyu out of the liquid ocean with your headlong flying horses. 15. The son of Tugra invoked you, Aśvins. Borne forward, he moved without distress over the sea. Ye brought him out with your well-yoked chariot swift as thought." Again in i. 182, 5 ff. it is said: yuvam etam chakrathuḥ sindhushu plavam ātmanvantam pakshinam Taugryāya kam | 6. Avaviddham Taugryam apsu antar anārambhane tamasi praviddham | chatasro nāvo jaṭhalasya jushṭaḥ ud aśvibhgām ishitaḥ pārayanti | 7. Kaḥ svid vriksho nishthito madhye arnaso yam Taugryo nadhitaḥ paryashvajat | parnā mrigasya pataror ivarabhe ud aśvinā ūhathuḥ śromatāya kam | "Ye (Aśvins) made this animated, winged, boat for the son of Tugra among the waters.... 6. Four ships,378 eagerly desired, impelled by the Asvins, convey to the shore Tugra, who had been plunged in the waters, and sunk in bottomless darkness. 7. What was that log, placed in the midst of the waves, which, in his straits, the son of Tugra embraced, as the wings of a flying creature, for support?" In vii. 68, 7, Bhujyu is said to have been abandoned by his his malevolent companions in the middle of the sea (uta tyam Bhujyum Aśvinā sakhayo madhye jahur durevāsaḥ samudre). The story is also alluded to in i. 112, 6, 20; i. 118, 6; i. 119, 4; i. 158, 3; vi. 62, 6; vii. 69, 7; viii. 5, 22; x. 39, 4; x. 40, 7; x. 65, 12; x. 143, 5.

Again, when Vispala's leg had been cut off in battle, like the wing of a bird, the Asvins are said to have given her an iron one instead, R.V. i. 112, 10; i. 116, 15 (charitram hi ver ivāchhedi parnam ājā Khelasya paritakmyāyām | sadyo janghām āyasīṁ Viśpalāyai dhane hite sartave praty adhattam); i. 117, 11; i. 118, 8; x. 39, 8.379

They restored sight to Rijrāśva, who had been made blind by his cruel father, for slaughtering one hundred and one sheep, and giving them to a she-wolf to eat, the she-wolf having supplicated the Aśvins on behalf of her blind benefactor, i. 116, 16; i. 117, 17 f. (śatam meshān vṛikye māmahānaṁ tamaḥ pranītam aśivena pitrā | ā akshi

378 The sense of jaṭhala is not clear.

379 Compare the word viśpalāvasū in R.V. i. 182, 1,

ṛijrāśve aśvināv adhattam jyotir andhāya chakrathur vichakshe | 18. S'unam andhaya bharam ahvayat sā vṛikīr aśvinā “vṛishanā narā” iti | jāraḥ kanīnaḥ iva chakshadānaḥ Ṛijrāśvaḥ śatam ekam̃ cha meshān). A person called Rijrāśva is mentioned with others in i. 100, 17, as praising Indra.

They restored Paravṛij (or an outcast), who was blind and lame, to sight and the power of walking, i. 112, 8 (yābhiḥ śachībhir vṛishanā Parāvṛijam pra andham śronam chakshase etave kṛithaḥ). Parāvṛij is connected with Indra in ii. 13, 12, and ii. 15, 7.

The rishi Rebha has been hidden by the malignant, bound, overwhelmed in the waters (a well, according to the commentator,) for ten nights and nine days, and abandoned till he was nearly, if not entirely, dead. The Asvins drew him up as soma-juice is raised with a ladle, i. 112, 5 (yabhiḥ Rebham nivṛitam sitam adbhyaḥ ud Vandanam airayatam svar driśe); i. 116, 24 (daśa rātrīr aśivena nava dyūn avanaddham śnathitam apsu antaḥ | viprutam Rebham udani pravṛiktam un ninyathuḥ somam iva sruvena | Compare i. 117, 12); i. 117, 4 (aśvam na gulham Aśvinā durevair ṛishim narā vṛishanā Rebham apsu | tam sam rinitho viprutam damsobhiḥ); i. 118, 6; i. 119, 6; x. 39, 9 (yuvam ha Rebham vṛishaṇā guhā hitam ud airayatam mamṛivām̃sam Aśvinā).

390

Vandana also was delivered by them from some calamity, the nature of which does not very clearly appear from most of the texts, and restored to the light of the sun, i. 112, 5; i. 116, 11; i. 117, 5; i. 118, 6. In x. 39, 8, they are said to have raised him out of a pit (yuvam Vandanam ṛiśyadad ud upathuḥ). According to i. 119, 6, 7, however, he would appear to have been restored from decrepitude, as a chariot is repaired by an artizan (pra dirghena Vandanas tāri āyushā | 7. Yuvam Vandanam nirṛitam jaranyayā ratham na dasrā karanā saminvathah).

So, too, the Asvins bestowed wisdom on their worshipper Kakshivat, of the family of Pajra; and performed the notable miracle of causing a hundred jars of wine and honied liquor to flow forth from the hoof of their horse as from a sieve, i. 116, 7 (Yuvam narā stuvate Pajriyāya kakshivate aradatam purandhim | kārotarāt saphād aśvasya vṛishnaḥ

380 The word risyada is explained by Messrs Böhtlingk and Roth, s.v., as a pit for snaring deer.

śatam kumbhān asinchatam surāyāḥ); i. 117, 6 (tad vām̃ narā śām̃syam Pajriyena kakshivatā nāsatyā parijman | śaphād aśvasya vājino janāya satam kumbhān asinchatam madhūnām).

When invoked by the popular sage Atri Saptavadhri, who, with his companions, had been plunged by the malice and arts of evil spirits into a gloomy and burning abyss,381 they speedily came to his assistance, mitigated the heat with cold, and supplied him with nutriment so that his situation became tolerable, if not agreeable, till they eventually extricated him from his perilous position, i. 112, 7; i. 116, 8 (himenägnim ghramsam avārayethām pitumatīm ūrjam asmai adattam | ribise Atrim aśvinā 'vanītam unninyathuḥ sarvaganam svasti); i. 117, 3 (rishim narāv amhasaḥ pānchajanyam ṛibīsad atrim munchatho ganena | minanta dasyor aśivasya māyāḥ); i. 118, 7; i. 119, 6; v. 78, 4-6 (Atrir yad vām avarohann ṛibīsam ajohavīd nādhamāneva yoshā | syenasya chij javasā nūtanena āgachhatam aśvinā śantamena); vii. 71, 5; viii. 62, 3, 7–9; x. 39, 9 (yuvam ṛibisam uta taptam Atraye omanvantam chakrathuḥ Saptavadhraye). In x. 80, 3, the deliverance of Atri is ascribed to Agni (Agnir Atrim gharme urushyad antaḥ).

They listened to the invocation of the wise Vadhrimatī, and gave her a son called Hiranyahasta, i. 116, 13; i. 117, 24 (Hiranyahastam Aśvinā rarānā putram narā Vadhrimatyai adattam); vi. 62, 7; x. 39, 7.

They gave a husband to Ghosha when she was growing old in her father's house, i. 117, 7 (Ghoshāyai chit pitṛishade durone patim juryantyai aśvināv adattam); x. 39, 3, 6; x. 40, 5; and, according to the commentator on i. 117, 7, cured her of the leprosy with which she had been afflicted.

They caused the cow of Sayu, which had left off bearing, to yield milk, i. 116, 22; i. 117, 20 (adhenum dasrā staryam vishaktām apinvatam sayave Aśvinā gam); i. 118, 8; i. 119, 6; x. 39, 13.

They gave to Pedu a strong, swift, white horse, animated by Indra, and of incomparable Indra-like prowess, which overcame all his enemies, and conquered for him unbounded spoils, i. 116, 6; i. 117, 9 (puru varpāmsi Aśvina dadhānā ni Pedave ühathur aśum aśvam | sahasrasām vājinam apratītam ahihanam śravasyam tarutram); i. 118,

381 See Professor Roth's explanation of the words ribīsa and gharma, s.vv., and his illustrations of Nirukta, vi. 36.

9 (yuvam svetam Pedave Indrajūtam ahihanam Aśvinā 'dattam aśvam); i. 119, 10 (Indram iva charshanīsaham); vii. 71, 5; x. 39, 10.

Finally, to say nothing of the succours rendered to numerous other persons (i. 112, 116, 117, 118, 119,) the Aśvins did not confine their benevolence to human beings, but are also celebrated as having rescued from the jaws of a wolf a quail by which they were invoked (i. 116, 14; i. 117, 16; i. 118, 8; x. 39, 13 (vṛikasya chid vārtikām antar āsyād yuvam sachibhir grasitām amunchatam).

The deliverances of Rebha, Vandana, Paravṛij, Bhujyu, Chyavāna, and others are explained by Professor Benfey (following Dr. Kuhn and Professor Müller), in the notes to his translations of the hymns in which they are mentioned, as referring to certain physical phenomena with which the Asvins are supposed by these scholars to be connected. But this allegorical method of interpretation seems unlikely to be correct, as it is difficult to suppose that the phenomena in question should have been alluded to under such a variety of names and circumstances. It appears, therefore, to be more probable that the rishis merely refer to certain legends which were popularly current of interventions of the Aśvins in behalf of the persons whose names are mentioned. The word Parāvṛij (in i. 112, 8), which is taken by the commentator for a proper name, and is explained by Professors Müller 382 and Benfey as the returning, or the setting, sun, is interpreted by Professor Roth in his Lexicon, s.v., as an outcast.

(3) Connection of the Asvins with other deities.

In viii. 26, 8, the Asvins are invoked along with Indra (Indranāsatyā), with whom they are also connected in x. 73, 4, and on whose car they are in one place said to ride, while at other times they accompany Vayu, or the Adityas, or the Ribhus, or participate in the strides of Vishnu, viii. 9, 12 (yad Indrena saratham yātho Aśvinā yad vā Vāyunā bhavathaḥ samokasā | yad Ādityebhir Ṛibhubhir yad vā Vishnor vikramaneshu tishṭhathaḥ). In i. 182, 2, they are said to possess strongly the qualities of Indra (Indratamā) and of the Maruts

382 Lectures on Language, second series, p. 512.