AṢṬAVASU (S).
1)
Origin. Gaṇadevatās are called Aṣṭavasus. They
were born to Dharmadeva of his wife Vasu, daughter of
Dakṣa. They are: Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Ahar, Anila,
Anala, Pratyūṣa and Prabhāsa. (Ślokas 17 and 18,
Chapter 66, Ādi Parva, M.B.). There is a version in
certain purāṇas that the Aṣṭavasus are the sons of
Kaśyapa.
Different purāṇas give different names to these Aṣṭa-
vasus. According to Viṣṇu Purāṇa they are: Āpa,
Dhruva, Soma, Dharma, Anila, Anala, Pratyūṣa and
Prabhāsa. (Chapter 15 of Aṃśam 1). In Bhāgavata
they are Droṇa, Prāṇa, Dhruva, Arka, Agni, Doṣa,
Vasu and Vibhāvasu. In Harivaṃśa they are: Akha,
Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Anila, Anala, Pratyūṣa and
Prabhāsa. This only indicates that some of these have
two or more names for them.
2)
Curse of Vasiṣṭha. Once the Aṣṭavasus were enjoy-
ing a picnic with their wives and they happened to go
to the āśrama of Vasiṣṭha. One of the wives got ena-
moured over Nandinī, Vasiṣṭha's beautiful cow and
wanted it. The Vasu to please his wife took the cow by
force and left the place. When the sage found his cow
missing after some time he understood by his divine
powers who stole the cow and so he cursed the Aṣṭa-
vasus saying that all of them would be born on earth as
men. The Aṣṭavasus were greatly worried and approach-
ed the sage apologising and craving for pardon. The sage
relaxed the curse and declared that their life on earth
would be only for a very short time maintaining that
the particular Vasu who committed the theft would live
for a long time as man. It was this Vasu, Āpa (Dyau)
who was born as Bhīṣma.
3)
Rebirth of Aṣṭavasus. The Aṣṭa vasus were pondering
over the curse and were thinking of how to bear it
without hardship when Gaṅgādevī appeared before them
and they then appealed to her: “Devī, if you become
the queen on earth of some noble King we shall be born
as your sons and you must throw us into the river as
soon as we are born”. Gaṅgādevī accepted their request.
Once there was a King called Pratīpa in the Candra
dynasty. One day when this ascetic King was worship-
ping Sūrya on the banks of the river Gaṅgā a beautiful
damsel arose from the waters and sat on the right
thigh of the King. Surprised the King told her thus, “Oh
beautiful maiden, who are you? Do you realise what
unrighteous thing you have done? I am not one who
goes after women and it was a bit daring of you to
have taken me as a beau. Please understand that the
right thigh is intended for a daughter and daughter-in-
law. You can claim this right when you become the
wife of my son.” The beautiful girl was none other than
Gaṅgādevī herself and she disappeared soon on receiving
the rebuke.
Pratīpa got a son named Śantanu and Gaṅgādevī be-
came the wife of Śantanu. (For more details about this
see under Gaṅgā). When Gaṅgādevī became the wife of
Śantanu she made a condition to be his queen.
“Whether good or bad you should not obstruct any
action of mine. You must never give me any opinion of
yours on any matter. You must obey what I order. If at
any time you break any of these promises I will leave
you that instant.”
It was while Gaṅgādevī was living on earth as the wife
of Śantanu that the Aṣṭavasus were born to her. One
after the other she threw into the river seven sons but
when she was about to throw the eighth the King
objected to it and Gaṅgā disappeared immediately. That
son was Bhīṣma, who was none other than Dyau born
on earth by the curse of Vasiṣṭha. All the others, released
from the curse, went to heaven. (More details under
Bhīṣma).
4)
A missile to Bhīṣma. When Bhīṣma had to fight against
his guru, Paraśurāma, the Aṣṭavasus gave him the
missile, Prasvāpā. (See Ambā) (Ślokas 11 to 13, Chapter
183, Udyoga Parva, M.B.).
5)
Sons of Aṣṭavasus. The sons of Āpa, the first of the
Vasus, are: Vaitaṇḍha, Śrama, Śānta and Dhvani. Kāla,
the destroyer of all, is the son of Dhruva. Varcas is the
son of Soma. Dharma got of his wife Manoharī five sons
Draviṇa, Hutahavyavāha, Śiśira, Prāṇa and Varuṇa.
Śivā was Anila's wife and she got two sons, Manojava
and Avijñātagati. Agni's son Kumāra was born at
Śarastamba. Kumāra got three brothers, Śākha, Viśākha
and Naigameya. Kumāra is known as Kārttikeya
because he was born of Kṛttikas. The sage, Devala is
the son of Pratyūṣa. Devala got two sons of great intelli-
gence and forbearance. Varastrī, sister of Bṛhaspati and
a woman of great yogic powers and world-wide travels
became the wife of Prabhāsa. She gave birth to the
famous Viśvakarmaprajāpati. He was the inventor of a
great many handicrafts and ornaments He became the
consulting architect of the devas and ranked first in that
art. The aeroplanes of the devas were designed by him.
Men on earth depend on his art even now. That archi-
tect had four sons: Ajaikapāt, Ahirbudhnya, Tvaṣṭā
and Rudra, the bold. The great ascetics, Viśvarūpa,
Hara, Bahurūpa, Tryambaka, Aparājita, Vṛṣākapi,
Śambhu, Kapardi, Raivata, Mṛgavyādha, Śarva and
Kapāli were the sons of Tvaṣṭā. These are known as the
twelve Rudras. Purāṇas say that there are a hundred
Rudras like this. (Chapter 15, Aṃśa 1, Viṣṇu Purāṇa).