ॐ Hindu Of Universe ॐ
“God’s light is within you, It never leaves you.”
EIGHT VASUS
The Eight Vasus are – Dhara (earth), Apa (water), Anala (fire), Anila (wind), Dhruva (pole star), Soma (moon) and Prabhasa (light). They are the attendants of Lord Indra. They eventually attained popularity in different areas.
The Eight Vasus of Hindu Mythology
The Rig Vedas and other Hindu texts are rich in symbolism. Subsequently, the true meaning of Hindu myths is often misunderstood. This article attempts to enlighten readers somewhat and explain what the eight vasus of the Rig Veda relate to.
In ancient Sanskrit, the name vasu means dweller. The Rig Vedas mention the Vasus are attendant deities of Indra. In the early myths, Indra was the most important of the Gods. In later texts, the eight vasus are described as demi Gods associated with Vishnu.
Lord Vishnu and Indra before him, represent supreme consciousness. Thus the eight vasus are fragments of consciousness that reside within the energy centres of the human body. This will make more sense later when I explain the myth of the eight Vasus given in the Mahabharata.
Who are the eight Vasus in Hindu mythology?
The eight vasus named in the Rig Veda are given below. Some of their names are changed slightly in the Upanishad Brihadaranyaka and completely in the Mahabharata. Regardless of the change in names, the demi-gods still have the same meanings:
Agni – the primary fire God of the Vedas, Agni is recognised as the principle destructive force in early myth. He was later replaced by the Supreme deity, Lord Shiva who was subsequently promoted to the Trimurti. Agni is both honoured and feared because of his ability to destroy in order to create.
Aha – there is little information about Aha other than he is “pervading.” He is also known as Antariksa in later myths, who is considered to be the “ether” or space God.
Dhruva – means motionless and is the name of the polestar named in ancient Sanskrit literature that is protected by the “Seven Sages” – the chakras.
Dyaus – the Sky God is described as wise energetic and righteous. Together with his consort, Prthivi (Mother Earth) is the Father of other gods and preservers of all creatures on Earth.
Prthivi – Mother Earth, the consort of Dyaus is associated with fertility, reproduction and supporting nature.
Soma – a moon god that provides inspiration to poets and confidence to warriors. He is also a hallucinogenic plant.
Surya – the sun God is known for his vitality and courage. He represents the light of the soul and rides a chariot drawn by seven horses indicating he has ties with the chakras.
Vayu – a destructive wind God that was once a member of the Holy Hindu trinity before being replaced by Shiva. Nevertheless, he is a constant companion of Vishnu and Lakshmi.
The myth of the eight Vasus
The Mahabharata tells the story of how the eight vasus are cursed for stealing the cow of the wise sage, Rishi Vashishta. As punishment they are banished to live on Earth as mortals.
When the eight vasus begged for mercy, the Rishi Vashishta agreed the time on earth for seven of the vasu would be shortened. However, Prabhasa (originally Dyaus), who was persuaded by his wife to steal the cow in the first place would remain on earth to suffer the consequences.
The symbolism within the story of the eight vasus is quite straightforward. The cow represents “divinity” or “wealth” (consciousness in other words), the wife (feminine principle) represents emotional desires and the eight vasus are subsequent energies. The seven energies that return to “paradise” after a short time reflect energy that passes through the chakras whilst Prabhasa is manifesting energy which always remains in Earth.
“He who committed a crime out of desire for his wife will never know the pleasure of a woman. Even without a wife and sons, he will spend his entire life struggling to serve his household. And in the end he will die at the hands of a woman, for his desire for a woman made him turn vasus into criminals.”
The seven chakras
The chakras play a pivotal role in distributing energy in accordance with our thoughts, emotions and actions. How energy is distributed impacts on how we feel, shapes our personalities and manifests as our experience of reality.
Therefore, because the eight vasus betrayed Rishi Vashishtas by stealing his cow, they are condemned for trying to obtain an experience born from desire. And oftentimes the actions we perform out of desire betray us and restrict us from obtaining higher consciousness.
Despite Vashishtas leniency to the seven vasus, the brothers appeal to Ganga – the Mother of all Beings – for help. Ganga promises to give birth to them through her womb and free them of their curse in her waters. Ganga drowned the seven vasus and released them, but when she tried to deliver Prabhasa she was stopped by Vashishta’s curse.
Prabhasa’s devotion to his wife (emotions of desire) became his undoing. He is later considered to be the cause of all suffering and the catalyst for the Kurukshetra war.
Great wars in myth represent the battle you must face with yourself – with the demons of your subconscious mind that lead you to temptation. Desire drives us to commit actions that do not serve us. Sometimes we do not even deserve the objects of our desire.
Consciousness has a divine plan for us. We can only reach our true potential by expanding conscious awareness and communicating with our higher conscious self – the gods of myth.
The subtle energies which are represented by the eight vasus help us to attain higher states of consciousness. Wisdom must be kept pure, hence why the eight vasus are described as assistants to Indra and Vishnu.
Eight Vasus
In Hinduism, the Vasus are attendant deities of Indra, and later Vishnu. They are eight elemental gods representing aspects of nature, representing cosmic natural phenomenon. The name Vasu means ‘Dweller’ or ‘Dwelling’. They are eight among the Thirty-three gods.
Eight Vasus
There are varying lists of the eight Vasus in different texts, sometimes only because particular deities have varying names. The following are names and meanings according to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and according to the Mahabharata as normally equated:
Brihadaranyaka Mahabhar- ata
Name Meaning Name Meaning
Agni “- hot fire” Anala (also called Agni) “living”
Prithvi “earth” Dha- rā “support”
Vāyu “wind” Anila “w- ind”
Antariksha “space” Aha “perva- ding”
Āditya “eternal”, a very common name for the sun Surya Pratyūsha “pre-dawn”, that is morning twilight, but often used to mean simply “light”
Dyaus “sky” Prabhāsa “shi- ning dawn”
Chandramas “moon” Soma “soma- -plant”, and a very common name for the moon
Nakstrani “stars” Dhruva “mot- ionless”, 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.
Ramayana and Mahabharata
The wife of one of the vasus is tempted to steal the wish-bearing cow
In the Ramayana the Vasus are children of the sage Kashyapa by Aditi and so are full siblings to the Adityas. However the Mahabharata makes them sons of Prajāpati son of Manu son of Brahma by various mothers.
The Mahabharata relates how the Vasus, led by “Prithu” (presumably here a male form of Prithvi), were enjoying themselves in the forest, when the wife of Dyaus spotted an excellent cow and persuaded her husband Dyaus to steal it, which Dyaus did with the agreement and aid of Pirthu and his other brothers. Unfortunately for the Vasus, the cow was owned by the sage Vasishta who learned through his ascetic powers that the Vasus had stolen it and immediately cursed them to be born on earth as mortals. Vasishta responded to pleading by the Vasus by promising that seven of them would be free of earthly life within a year of being born and that only Dyaus would pay the full penalty. The Vasus then requested the river-goddess Ganga to be their mother. Ganga incarnated and became the wife of King Shantanu on condition that he never gainsaid her in any way. As seven children were born, one after the other, Ganga drowned them in her own waters, freeing them from their punishment and the king made no opposition. Only when the eighth was born did the king finally oppose his wife, who therefore left him. So the eighth son, Dyaus incarnated, remained alive, imprisoned in mortal form, and later became known in his mortal incarnation as Bhishma.
A later section of the Mahabharata gives an alternate version in which each of the Vasus gives a portion of himself to create a ninth being and so all eight are later drowned leaving only this ninth composite as an incarnation of parts of all the Vasus to live out a very long mortal life as Bhishma.[citation needed]
Ashta Vasus:Eight Elemental Deities in Hindu Mythology
The Ashta Vasus or the “Eight Vasus,” are intriguing deities in Hindu mythology. They are closely associated with both Indra and Vishnu and play a significant role in ancient texts like the Ramayana (Valmiki Ramayana) and the Mahabharata. In the Ramayana, they are described as the offspring of Kashyapa and Aditi, while in the Mahabharata, they are mentioned as the sons of Manu or Brahma Prajapati. The Ashta Vasus represent different aspects of nature and cosmic phenomena, including fundamental elements and celestial bodies such as the Sun, Moon, and stars. The name “Vasu” itself signifies radiance, and they are revered as bestowers of wealth.
Ashta Vasus in Different Scriptures
The identity of the Ashtavasus, the revered Eight Vasus, can be quite the puzzle due to varying lists found in different ancient texts. According to the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, they encompass Prithvi (Earth), Agni (Fire), Vayu (Wind), Varuna (Water), Aditya (Surya or Sun), Dyaus (Sky), Chandra/Chandramas (Moon), and Nakstrani (Stars). The Mahabharata names them as Dhara, Anala, Anila, Apa (Water), Pratusa, Prabhasa (often associated with constellations), Soma (Moon), and Dhruva (representing space). Interestingly, the Vishnu Purana links Prabhasa to the 27 or 28 Nakshatras and Dhruva to the concept of “space,” taking over Aha’s role when Aha is replaced by Apa in the list.
Story of Ashta Vasus in Mahabharata
The Mahabharata relates how the Vasus, led by “Prithu” (presumably here a male form of Prithvi), were enjoying themselves in the forest, when the wife of Prabhasa spotted an excellent cow and persuaded her husband Prabhasa to steal it, which Prabhasa did with the agreement and aid of Prithu and his other brothers. Unfortunately for the Vasus, the cow was owned by the sage Vashishta who learned through his ascetic powers that the Vasus had stolen it and immediately cursed them to be born on earth as mortals. Vashishta responded to pleading by the Vasus by promising that seven of them would be free of earthly life within a year of being born and that only Prabhasa would pay the full penalty.
The Vasus then requested the river-goddess Ganga to be their mother. Ganga incarnated and became the wife of King Shantanu on condition that he never gainsaid her in any way. As seven children were born, one after the other, Ganga drowned them in her own waters, freeing them from their punishment and the king made no opposition. Only when the eighth was born did the king finally oppose his wife, who therefore left him. So the eighth son, Prabhasa incarnated, remained alive, imprisoned in mortal form, and later became known in his mortal incarnation as Bhishma.
Ashta Vasus in Bhagavad Gita
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna mentions the Ashta Vasus in Chapter 10, Verse 29. Here is the verse:
anantashchaasmi naagaanaam varuno yaadasaamaham;
pitrunaamaryamaa chaasmi yamaha samyataamaham.
Synonyms
Anantashchaasmi – I am the Infinite
Naagaanaam – among serpents
Varuno – I am Varuna, the god of water
Yaadasaamaham – among creatures of the sea, I am
Pitrunaam – among ancestors
Aryamaa – I am Aryama, a form of the sun god
Chaasmi – I am
Yamaha – among controllers or rulers
Samyataamaham – the chief controller or the ultimate controller