Maruts
The Maruts ( Sanskrit मरुत् marut m.Sg. ) or Marutas , also called Rudras , are Vedic subordinate deities of storms, wind and rain. They are either the sons of Rudra with the cow Prishni or, more rarely, of Vayu and form the retinue of Indra . Within the various Vedic classes of gods, the Maruts belong to the air deities. Her character is aggressive, wild, irrepressible, voracious, stormy and moody. Their number is stated differently; now there is talk of 27 maruts, now of 60 or 180. They are depicted in golden armor with golden helmets and breastplates. They carry thunderbolts and lightning arrows. With their golden axes they cut through the clouds and thus cause rain. That is why the Maruts were sometimes identified with the clouds themselves. They can also cause great damage, for example they burn down entire forests, cut down trees or shake the mountains. In the 66th hymn of VI. In the book of Rigveda , the relationship between the Maruts and their creator Rudra is portrayed in the image of a stormy thunderstorm.
birth
A famous story tells of her birth: the goddess Diti wanted to stay a hundred years pregnant so that her sons would be as powerful as possible. However, the god Indra cut open her huge belly with a thunderbolt so that the sons of Diti - the Maruts - would be born prematurely. From then on, the Maruts were Indra's servants at court and his constant companions in battle. However, they do not actively intervene in the fighting, but support Indra morally through their pure presence and their bard chants.
literature
- Article Maruts, in: Gerhard J. Bellinger , Knaurs Lexikon der Mythologie, Munich (Knaur) 1999.
- Article Maruts, in: Rachel Storm, Enzyklopädie der Eastern Mythologie, Reichelsheim (Edition XXL) 2000. ISBN 3-89736-305-4 .
- The Rig Veda Civilization: Mandala VI
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Article Maruts, in: Rachel Storm, Encyclopedia of Eastern Mythology, Reichelsheim (Edition XXL) 2000. ISBN 3-89736-305-4 .
- ↑ Rigveda 6,66 de sa
- ^ The Rig Veda Civilization: Mandala VI