Tvastar | |
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The Heavenly Builder The Maker of Divine Implements Lord of the Womb |
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Affiliation | Deva |
Planet | Sun |
Texts | Purusha Sukta |
Personal Information | |
Children |
Saranyu Trisiras |
Parents | Shukra |
Greek equivalent | Hephaestus |
Roman equivalent | Vulcan |
In the historical Vedic religion, Tvaṣṭṛ is the artisan god or fashioner. The Purusha Sukta refers to the Purusha as Tvastr, who is the visible form of creativity emerged from the navel of the invisible Vishvakarman. In the Yajurveda, Purusha Sukta and the tenth mandala of the Rigveda, his character and attributes are merged with the concept of Hiranyagharbha/Prajapathy or Brahma. The term, also transliterated as Tvaṣṭr, nominative Tvaṣṭā, is the heavenly builder, the maker of divine implements, especially Indra's Vajra and the guardian of Soma. Tvaṣṭṛ is mentioned 65 times in the Ṛgveda and is the former of the bodies of men and animals,' and invoked when desiring offspring, called garbha-pati or the lord of the womb. d As per the Ṛgveda, Tvaṣṭr belongs to clan of the Bhṛgus. Similarly, as mentioned in the epic Mahābhārata, Tvaṣṭr is Śukra's son. Tvaṣṭṛ is sometimes associated or identified with similar deities, such as Savitṛ, Prajāpatī, Vishvakarman and Puṣan. He is the father of Saranyu, who twice bears twins to Surya (RV 10.17.1),Yama and Yami. He is also the father of Viśvarūpa or Triśiras who was killed by Indra, and in revenge Tvaṣṭṛ created Vrtra a fearsome dragon. Surprisingly he is also referred to as Indra's father.