Ribhus

The Ribhus ( Sanskrit ऋभु ṛbhu m.) Are a group of three divine artists in the Vedic religion. In later Hinduism they no longer play a significant role. One of the special works of art that they made was the Ashvins' chariot .

myth

The names of the three Ribhus are Ribhu ( ऋभु ) or Ribhukshin ( ऋभुक्षिन् ṛbhukṣin ), Vaja ( वाज ) and Vibhvan ( विभ्वन् ). According to the Rig Veda , they are originally people and sons of Sudhanvan , the son of Angiras , one of the seven Saptarishi . Because of their extraordinary craftsmanship, they received immortality from Savitri and were accepted among the gods. They are also mentioned among the helpers of Indra , whose chariots and horses they made.

The Ribhus were also in competition with Tvashtri , the divine craftsman, and quadrupled the sacrificial cup made by the gods. They are also told that they made their old parents young again.

literature

• Hans Wilhelm Haussig (Ed.): Gods and Myths of the Indian Subcontinent (= Dictionary of Mythology . Department 1: The ancient civilized peoples. Volume 5). Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-12-909850-X , p. 153 f.
• Ribhu . In: John Dowson : A classical dictionary of Hindu mythology and religion, geography, history, and literature. Trübner & co., London 1879, pp. 266-267 ( Text Archive - Internet Archive ).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ṛbhu . In: Monier Monier-Williams : Sanskrit-English Dictionary . Clarendon Press, Oxford 1899, p. 226, col. 2 .