Indra was the seventh son of Aditi, the eighth was Vivaswat. But when he was born, he was not recognized as equal to the seven elder brothers, the gods. For the eighth son of Aditi was born ugly - without arms and without legs, smooth on all sides, and his height was equal to his thickness. The older brothers - Mitra, Varuna, Bhaga and others - said: “He is not like us, he is of a different nature - and this is bad. Let's remake it." And they remade it: they cut off everything unnecessary; This is how man arose. Vivasvat and became the progenitor of mortals on earth; Only he himself later became equal to the gods. He became the sun god; and as the sun god he is called Surya. And from the pieces of his body cut off by the gods, an elephant arose.
Tvashtar married his daughter Saranya to Vivasvat. Saranyu did not want to marry a man, but she had to submit to her father's will. She gave birth to Vivasvata twins, a brother and a sister; their names were Yama and Yami. But after that, proud Saranyu could no longer endure life in the house of her unequal husband. She created a woman who was exactly like her in appearance, and left her in her place in the house of Vivasvat, entrusting her children to her, and she herself returned to her father’s house. Tvashtar did not accept his rebellious daughter. “Go back to your husband’s house,” he commanded her; but she disappeared, turning into a mare with a fire-breathing mouth, and in this guise she retired to the northern countries.
At first Vivasvat did not notice the substitution. The imaginary Saranyu bore him a son named Manu, the same Manu from whom all people now living on earth descend. And she also gave birth to a son named Shani, who ascended like a star into the sky, and a daughter, Tapati.
But this wife did not become the true mother of the eldest twins, the children of Saranyu; She did not treat them with the same love as with her own children. And one day Yama, driven out of patience by her constant attacks, threatened her. “How dare you threaten your father’s wife, the woman you should honor!” - the stepmother exclaimed and cursed Yama in irritation. Saddened, he went to his father and told him everything. “Mother doesn’t spoil us with love,” he complained. “She caresses the younger ones, but my sister and I don’t see any good from her. Can a mother curse her own son, even if he has done something wrong to her? But she cursed me with anger, and from now on I don’t consider her a mother. Forgive me, father, for my sin and protect me from her curse!”
Vivasvat answered Yama: “Anger has overcome you, and you, my righteous son, have transgressed the law of justice, the law of dharma. There is no power that can avert a mother's curse. But I will make sure that it is not too difficult for you.” Then he turned to Manya’s mother and asked her: “Why can’t you be impartial to my children, who are all equal to each other? There is no doubt that you are not Saranyu, you are her reflection, and your name is Sanjna, the Reflection. For a mother cannot curse her own son for an offense committed through childish thoughtlessness.” Sanjiya did not answer Viva-matchmaker, and he saw the truth. In fear of his anger, she confessed everything to him.
Then Vivasvat went to the house of his father-in-law, who received him with honor. And, having learned that his true wife had fled, taking the form of a mare, Vivasvat himself turned into a horse and set off to look for her. He overtook her in a distant country, and reconciliation took place between them
In horse form they again became spouses, and two more twins were born to them, two brothers named Nasatya and Dasra, who are called Ashvins, which means Born of a horse.
The Ashvins became the gods of twilight and the morning and evening Star. Just before dawn, when at the end of the night light fights darkness, they are the first of the gods to appear in the morning sky, two mighty knights, forever young and beautiful, on a golden chariot drawn by winged horses. Riding with them on a chariot is their friend, the solar maiden Surya, daughter of Savitar. Once upon a time, her father appointed her to be the wife of Soma, the god of the moon, but many gods coveted the hand of the beautiful maiden, and it was decided that the one who would be the first to reach the sun in a chariot race would receive her. In this competition, the Ashwins were the first to reach the sun, and the bright Surya mounted their chariot and became their companion.
The Ashvins are more supportive of people, their relatives, than other gods, and they save mortals from all sorts of troubles and misfortunes. Ashwins are wise and have healing powers; they help the weak, the sick and the maimed and restore youth to the old. They save those perishing in the abyss of the water - this is how they once rescued Bhujya, the son of Tughra, who was thrown into the sea during a storm by his own comrades. The Ashvins carried him over the sea waves for three days and three nights until they reached the shore. Barely alive, not expecting salvation in the waters, where there was nothing for a leg to rest on and nothing for a hand to grab onto, they carried Tughra’s son to land.
The younger children of Vivasvat were born gods, but the older ones - Yama, Yami and Many - were mortals, for their father was mortal when they were born, and only then became the sun god. Yama, the eldest son of Vivasvat was a man and lived with his sister on earth; and he never again violated the law of dharma. And he was the first person on earth to die. Many, his brother was the only mortal who escaped during the great flood - he became the progenitor of humanity. Yami later became the goddess of the sacred river Yamuna, Shani, who ascended to heaven, became the ruler of the evil planet Shani, Tapati married the king of the Lunar clan, and the great hero Kuru was her son.
Yama was the first of the dead - he opened the path to the afterlife for mortals. By the grace of his father, who softened the curse of his stepmother, from that time to this day he is the ruler of the kingdom of the dead and the guardian of the law of justice. The souls of those who die leave the earth to his abode along the path laid by their ancestors.
Vivasvat, his father, was the first on earth to perform a sacrifice and give fire to people. He sent Matarisvan, the spirit of the wind, for him, and he brought him from heaven to earth. The sages of the Bhrigu family taught mortals how to handle fire.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru