topics: |  india | ancient | vedic | myth |

new light on the vedic god, savitr^

[the discussion above] will clearly indicate how the explanations regarding
the true nature of savitr proposed by OLDENBERG, HILLEBRANDT, MACDONELL,
THOMAS, ROTH, and BERGAIGNE are either one-sided and incomplete or
definitely beside the mark.  a critical consideration of the views of these
scholars has, however, led us so far to the following main conclusions:

1.  Savitr is not merely an abstraction divinity of the type of Dhatr, Netr
    etc.  It is, therefore, not necessary to assume that Savitr belongs to
    a later phase of the Vedic religious thought and that, therefore, the
    conception underlying that god cannot be taken back beyond the Vedic
    mythology.

2.  The view that savitr was originaliy conceived of as being identical
with Surya is a misconception, which has originated on account of the
fact that the main function of Savitr, namely, 'stlmulation', is seen
to have been attributed, to a restricted extent, also to the sun god.
    as a matter of fact, however, the vedic poets have clearly
    dtfferentiated between these two gods.

3.  The word savitr is not always an epithet of a general character, so
    that it can be applied to any god in his capacity of 'enlivener'. More
    commonly, there is a specific divine personality possessing its own
    essential nature which is presupposed by the name Savitr.

what then is the essential nature of savitr? in order to understand it
correctly, we have to analyse the eleven entire hymns addressed to that god
and the 170 references made to him in the rv in such a way that only those
characteristics of his personality are brought together which clearly
distinguish him from other vedic gods.  it is an indisputable fact that the vedic
poets are often in the habit of using stock phrases with reference to any and
every god.  this their propensity has given rise to the innumerable repetitions
in the veda pointed out by BLOOMFIELD.  these common poetic formulas do not
usually help us in estimating the cbatacter of a partlcular vedic god.

we have, therefore, to base our views regarding the true and intrinsic
nature of any god on the study of the nivids or the exclusive
charactenshcs mentioned in connection with that god.  a very prominent
feature of the nature of savitr is that the concept of the world order-
rta - is often predominantly associated with his personality.  
savitr is the god who supports and sustains the whole world -
yathA vishvam bhuvanaM dhArayiShyati (IV 54 4).  he 1s said to be mainly
responsible for maintaining the world order and the ethtcal laws, so much
so that he is regarded as setting the standard in that connection
tripa~nchAshaH krILati vrAta eShAM deva iva savitA satyadharmA (X 34 S), or
deva iva savitA satyadharmendro na tasthau samare dhanAnAm (X 139 3).

waters are subject to the ordinance of savitr
Apash chid asya vrata A nimR^igrA(II 38 2), 
that achievement of savitr is, indeed, inestimable (III.38.8), 
the wind stops in his movement in obedience to savitr's 
 ayaM chid vAto ramate parijman (II 38 2), savitr has fixed the
erstwhile flying mountains (IV 54 5), all great gods have to act up
according to his law
na yasyendro varuNo na mitro vratam aryamA na minanti rudraH (II 38 9),
savitr assigns to indra and other gods their abodes in mountains (IV 54 5),
other gods foilow savitr's lead, no god dare resist his ordinance (II 38
7,9, V 82 2). various gods carry out their distinctive functions only under
the stimutalation given by savitr (V 81 ; X 139 1) whatever savitr, the god
of beautiful hands, orders cannot be contravened or transgessed, his law
stands as eternal truth.

Sha Moghaddam : The Sun in the Vedas and Avesta

from [shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/]

सूर्य (Sūrya) and सवितृ (savitr^) are two names by which the sun is commonly
addressed in the Vedic hymns. Sometimes one name occurs exclusively, some
times they are used interchangeably and sometimes they are used as though
they represent quite distinct object. It is supposed that savitr^ is
referred to the sun when it is invisible; whilst Sūrya refers to him when
he is visible to the worshippers. [Wilkins]

3. Differences of सूर्य (Sūrya) and सवितृ ( Savitr^) in the R^gveda

सूर्य is the eye of mitra-varuNa ( i. 115.1; vi. 51.1; vii.61.1) or
the eye of the gods (vii.77.3), while सवितृ (savitr^) is him self described
as sūrya- raśmi, shining with the rays of the sun, yellow–haired‟.  सूर्य
is the spy of the world ( iv.13.3) ; his chariot drawn by 
seven steeds (v.45.9) as against the two radiant steeds of सवितृ (savitr^) 
(i.35.2).  the path of सूर्य (sūrya) is prepared for him by  (varuNa)
(i.24.8; vii.87.1) or by ādityas, mitra, varuNa and
aryaman (vii. 60.4 ) while सवितृ (savitr^) himself makes path for all 
(ii. 38. 7and 9). sūrya's father is द्यौः (dyauh or dyaus) (x.37.1) and
he is said to be god born (x.37.1) ; the mention is often made of sūrya
being produced and placed in heaven by several gods...

this is a feature which clearly distinguishes सूर्य (sūrya) from सवितृ
(savitr^) , for it is savitr^ who is said to have produced and set
in motion other natural powers (ii.38.7 and 9) .

सूर्य (sūrya) is further described as bird (x.177.1) , or a bull (x.189.1 )
or a steed (vii.77.3) , while in many other passages he is spoken of even
as inanimate object (vii. 63. 4 ; v.63.4; v.62.2 ) ; this is again a
feature, which can never be thought of with reference to सवितृ (savitr^),
who is the stimulator of all objects , animate as well as inanimate .

dandekar . r.n , new light of the vedic god-सवितृ (savitr^), annals of the
bhandarkar oriental research institute , vol. xx, p.302 , 303

from obituary by Madhav M. Deshpande

in dandekar's own recent words (1997: 39):

(1) the r^gvedic mythology cannot be said to have assumed a finite and
	finished form at any given moment. it would, therefore, be wrong to
	study that mythology as if it was a static phenomenon. the r^gvedic
	mythology had been throughout reacting and responding to the various
	vicissitudes in the cultural history of the r^gvedic age.

(2) a particular vedic god is seen to have been dominant in a particular
	period, because the personality and character of that god adequately
	reflected the ethos of that period.

(3) even after a r^gvedic god had been once conceived, his character did not
	remain unchanged. his personality, as it were, 'grew' - it often
	assumed a heterogeneous character on account of the different
	elements which came to be assimilated into it in conformity with the
	mythological ideology which had been undergoing constant
	modification.

(4) the relationships among the various r^gvedic gods were governed by
	certain culture-historical compulsions.

in many of his writings, particularly in his some aspects of the history of
hinduism (1967), dandekar weaves a master narrative of indo-european and
indo-aryan migrations and developments in vedic religion consisting of
various steps and stages within this master narrative. for example, dandekar
(1997: 41) says:

	the dominant religious cult of the proto-aryan period was the
	varuNa-cult. the last years of the proto-aryan period witnessed the
	migration of the proto-aryans towards iran on the one hand and
	towards saptasindhu or the land of seven rivers on the other.  the
	migration towards saptasindhu meant for these people, whom we may
	now call vedic aryans, a drastic change in their way of life and
	thought, particularly after their fairly long sojourn in the region
	of balkh.  it was now a life of fateful confrontation with vr^tras -
	human foes and environmental impediments - and of consequent warlike
	adventures.  this new life of conquest and colonization called for a
	new religion and a new god. the cosmic religion of the
	world-sovereign asura varuNa could no longer adequately meet the
	exigencies of the new age.  the vedic aryans naturally craved for a
	heroic god who could bless and promote their onward march towards
	saptasindhu and beyond. so was vr^trahA indra 'born' in the vedic
	pantheon.

through such master narratives created by synthesizing available
research and by using his "constructive imagination," dandekar tried to
account for all developments in vedic and post-vedic religion in such a way
that the emergence of various gods, ideas, and philosophies seemed to flow
"naturally." it is obvious that many of the details of such a reconstruction
will not stand scrutiny in light of new research and emerging paradigms for
reconstructing history. his evolutionary history sometimes appears to be
rather too linear, and the cause-effect sequences for the developments rather
built on circular arguments. his historicizing impulse led him to propose
"the mythological deification of the human hero indra" (1997: 41) for which
there is hardly any evidence to be found. however, one cannot deny that
dandekar's powerful reconstruction of indian religious history was an
influential chapter in the history of modern indology.

Dandekar, who had spent a lifetime researching the Vedic literature was at
the same time aware of the historical limitations of the religion
represented in and by the Vedas. He says (1967: 32): "Another claim which is
sometimes made for the Veda is that the Veda is the fountainhead of all
Indian knowledge - that is, indeed, the mainspring of the entire Indian
culture. So far as the history of Hinduism is concerned, suffice it to say
that the proto-historical Hinduism obviously did not owe anything to the
Veda, while historical Hinduism was affiliated to the Veda only in a formal
and fortuitous manner." This one single statement sets him apart from the
Hindu nationalists of current times on one hand, and the Sanskrit
traditionalists of ancient times on the other.

in an extensive review of bhandarkar's contributions to the history of
vaiSNavism and saivism, dandekar (1976: 25) does not let his respect for
bhandarkar deter him from pointing out flaws in his arguments: "when RGB
says that vaiSNavism first appeared as a religious reform, he seems to
suggest that it was orthodox in origin and that it represented an
extension of vedic thought in a particular direction. ... the tendency to
trace all religious ideologies - indeed, the entire indian culture - back
to the veda, in some way or another, which characterised early indology,
is evident here."

Contents

new light on the vedic god, savitr^		l-27
asura varuNa					28-67
visnu in the veda				68-90
pusan, the pastoral god of the veda		91-117
yama in the veda				118-140
vr^trahA indra					141-198
rudra in the veda				199-277
some aspects of agni-mythology in the veda	278-311
a vedic god and a vedic seer
    I: vedic god: varuNa			312-131
a vedic god and a vedic seer,
   II: vedic seer : vasishTha			332-350
appendix : indo-europeanism
	and vedic mythology			351-365

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