Tvashtr
| Tvashtr | |
|---|---|
The Heavenly Builder The Maker of Divine Implements Lord of the Womb | |
| Affiliation | Deva |
| Weapon | Metal Axe |
| Texts | Purusha Sukta |
| Personal information | |
| Parents | Kasyapa and Aditi |
| Consort | Virochanā |
| Children | Children including Saranyu, Visvarupa and Vritra |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek equivalent | Hephaistos |
| Norse equivalent | Völund |
| Slavic equivalent | Svarog |
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| Hinduism |
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Tvashtr (Sanskrit: त्वष्टृ, romanized: Tvaṣṭṛ) is a Vedic artisan god or fashioner. He is also mentioned in later literature of Hinduism like the Harivamsa. Sometimes, Tvashtr is identified with another deity named Vishvakarma.[1]
Tvashtr is stated to be a skillful craftsman who created many implements, including Indra's bolt, the axe of Brahmanaspati, and a cup for divine food and drink. He is stated to be the creator of forms, and is often stated to be the crafter of living beings and wombs. He is also considered a universal father, and an ancestor of humans through his daughter Saranyu.[2][3] He is the father of Bṛhaspati, and likely Indra's father as well.[2][4][3] He wields a metal axe,[5][2] and rides a chariot pulled by two fallow bay mares.[2][6]
He is the guardian of Soma, and his son Vishvarupa, is the guardian of cows. Indra has a conflict with his likely father Tvashtr, with him stealing Tvashtr's soma and trying to possess Vishvarupas cattle. Indra is consistently victorious in the conflict, and Tvashtr is stated to fear Indra. In the Taittiriya Samhita and Brahmanas, Vishvarupa is killed by Indra, and so Tvashtr does not allow Indra to attend his Soma sacrifice. Indra however, steals and drinks the soma through his strength.[2][4] In order to have revenge for the murder of his son Vishvarupa, Tvashtr creates a demon called Vritra. However when wishing him into existence, Tvashtr makes a mispronunciation in his incantation, which allows Indra to defeat Vritra.[7]
Tvashtr is associated with many other deities, including the wives of the gods, Pushan, Savitr, Dhatr, Prajapati, and Vishvakarman, due to his role as a fashioner.[2]
See also[]
- Tuisto
Citations[]
- ^ Dalal, Roshen (2014-04-15). The Vedas: An Introduction to Hinduism’s Sacred Texts. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-81-8475-763-7.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Macdonell, Arthur Anthony (1897). "Abstract Gods". In Bühler, G. (ed.). Vedic Mythology. Encyclopedia of Indo-Aryan Research. Oxford University Press. pp. 116–118.
- ^ Jump up to: a b De Witt Griswold, Harvey; Farquhar, J. N. (1923). The Religion of the Rigveda. Oxford University Press. p. 276.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Stephanie Jamison (2015). The Rigveda –– Earliest Religious Poetry of India. Oxford University Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0190633394.
- ^ Jamison & Brereton 2014, p. 1090.
- ^ Jamison & Brereton 2014, p. 837.
- ^ Jamison, S. W.; Witzel, M. (1992). "Vedic Hinduism" (PDF).
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