Vasus
Die Vasus waren zuerst Hilfsgottheiten von Indra, die kosmische Aspekte der Natur darstellten, und später Hilfsgottheiten von Vishnu. Zu ihnen zählen Pṛthivī('Erde'), Agni ('Feuer'), Antarikṣa ('Atmosphere, Raum'), Jal ('Wasser'), Vāyu ('Wind'), Dyauṣ ('Himmel), Sūrya ('Sonne'), Nakṣatra('Planeten,Sterne') und Soma ('Mond').
Ihre Namen gehen aus der Brihadaranyaka Upanishad und dem Mahabharata hervor.
Die Ashta Vasus werden im Ramayana als Kinder von Kasyapa und Aditi beschrieben.
Nach der Legende besuchten die 8 Vasus("Ashtavasus" : Hüter, Bewohner) den Ashram von Vashishtain in Begleitung ihrer Frauen.
| Brihadaranyaka | Mahabharata | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Meaning | Name | Meaning |
| Prithvi |  "earth" |
Dharā | "Earth" |
| Agni |  "hot fire" |
Anala (also called Agni) | "Fire" |
| Vāyu |  "wind" |
Anila | "Wind" |
| Varuna | Svadhishthana "water" | Āpa | "Water" |
| Āditya | "eternal", a very common name for the sun Surya | Pratyūsha | "Sun" |
| Dyaus |  "sky" |
Prabhāsa | "Sky or Ether" |
| Chandramas |  "moon" |
Soma | "Moon" |
| Nakstrani |  "stars" |
Dhruva | "Motionless", the name of the Polestar |
Though the Shatapatha Brahmana uses the Brhad-Aranyaka names, most later texts follow the Mahabharata names with the exception that Āpa 'water' usually appears in place of Aha. The Vishnu Purana equates Prabhāsa with the lights of the 27 or 28 Nakshetra (Constellations/Lunar Mansions) and Dhruva with Akash Tatwa, that is "space", Dhruva seemingly taking over Aha's role when Aha is replaced by Āpa.
Weblinks
- Gods of Hinduism : The eight Vasus