TheVasus (Sanskrit:वसु,romanized: Vasu) are a group of deities inHinduism associated with fire and light.[1] They are described as the attendant deities ofIndra,[2] and laterVishnu.[3] Generally numbering eight and classified as theAshtavasu,[4] they are described in theRamayana as the children ofKashyapa andAditi, and in theMahabharata as the sons ofManu orDharma and a daughter ofDaksha named Vasu.[5] They are eight among thethirty-three gods featured in theVedas.
TheSanskrit termVasu(s) is translated as the "bright ones".[6]
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 theBrihadaranyaka Upanishad, Manava Purana, and according to theMahabharata, as normally equated:[7]
| Brihadaranyaka | Manava Purana | Mahabharata | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Meaning | Name | Name | Meaning |
| Prithvi | Earth | Bhumi | Dharā | Earth |
| Varuna | Water | Samudra | Āpa | Water |
| Agni | Fire | Agni | Anala/Agni/Pavaka | Fire |
| Vāyu | Wind | Vayu | Anila | Wind |
| Āditya | Sun | Amsuman | Pratyūsha | Sun |
| Dyaus/Akasha | Sky | Akasha | Prabhāsa | Sky/Ether |
| Chandramas | Moon | Varchas | Soma | Moon |
| Naksatrani | Stars | Prabhāsa | Dhruva | Motionless/Polaris |
Though theShatapatha Brahmana uses theBrhad-Aranyaka names, most later texts follow theMahabharata names with the exception thatĀpa 'water' usually appears in place of Aha. TheVishnu Purana equates Prabhāsa with the lights of the 27 Nakshatras (Constellations/Lunar Mansions) and Dhruva with Akasha, that is "space", Dhruva seemingly taking over Aha's role when Aha is replaced by Āpa.
In theRamayana the Vasus are children ofAditi andKashyapa.
TheMahabharata relates how the Vasus, led by "Prithu" (presumably here a male form ofPrithvi), were enjoying themselves in the forest, when the wife of Prabhasa (also referred to as Dyaus) spotteda divine cow and persuaded her husband Prabhasa to steal it,[8] which Prabhasa did with the agreement and aid of Prithu and his other brothers. Unfortunately for the Vasus, the cow was owned by the sageVasishta who learned through his ascetic powers that the Vasus had stolen it.[9] He 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-goddessGanga to be their mother. Ganga incarnated and became the wife of KingShantanu 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 asBhishma.[10][11]
Vasu is also the name of the eighthchakra (group) ofMelakartaragas inCarnatic music. The names ofchakras are based on the numbers associated with each name. In this case, there are 8Vasus and hence the eighthchakra isVasu.[12][13]
