Kutsa & Uśanā Kāvya in Rigveda

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Kutsa

Kutsa is a warlike hero closely bound to Indra’s myth-cycle and is mentioned nearly forty times in the Ṛgveda. He bears the patronymic Ārjuneya (“son of Arjuna”)[1], and even a son of Kutsa is noted as aided by Indra against a Dāsyu[2]. Kutsa is described as young and brilliant[3] and as a seer who called upon Indra for help when he was plunged into a pit[4].

Companion and “alter” of Indra

Kutsa rides on the same car as Indra[5][6]; Indra wafts or conveys him[7][8], and even takes him as his charioteer[9][10]. Kutsa is said to be like Indra[11], and both are invoked together in the dual compound Indrākutsā[12].

Foe of Śuṣṇa and the “wheel of the sun” motif

The chief foe associated with Kutsa is the demon Śuṣṇa. Indra smote Śuṣṇa for Kutsa[13][14][15], aided him in the struggle[16], and even subjected Śuṣṇa to Kutsa[17]; together (with the gods) he and Kutsa vanquished the fiend[6]. Hymns invoke Indra to fight with Kutsa against Śuṣṇa[18], or to “bring Kutsa as the slayer of Śuṣṇa”[19]; Indra is said to fight for Kutsa even against other gods[20] and even against a Gandharva[21].

These battles connect with solar imagery: the conflict with Śuṣṇa results in the “stealing of the wheel of the sun.” Indra tore off one wheel of the sun for the hard-pressed Kutsa[22] and gave the other to Kutsa to drive on with[23]. This “stopping of the sun” motif is also noted elsewhere[24][25]; in winning the sun, Indra makes broad space for his charioteer Kutsa[10], and he is invoked “to crush the fiends with Kutsa and roll the wheel of the sun”[14]. Beyond Śuṣṇa, Indra is said to have subjected other foes—Tugra, Smadibha, and the Vetasus—to Kutsa[26].

Friend—and sometimes foe—of Indra

Though Indra aided and loved Kutsa[27], some verses depict Indra striking down the heroes of Kutsa, Āyu, and Atithigva[28], delivering them into the hand of the young king Tūrvayāṇa[29], and smiting them to the earth for him[30]. These ambivalences suggest a semi-historical element in the figure of Kutsa.

Traditional attributions and scholarly views

Tradition attributes a number of hymns in the first and ninth books of the Ṛgveda to a seer Kutsa of the Aṅgirases. Some modern scholars (e.g., Bergaigne) regard Kutsa as purely mythical—originally a form of Agni (or Soma), sometimes representing the sun. In the Naighaṇṭuka (2.20), kutsa even appears among synonyms of the thunderbolt (vajra).

Kāvya Uśanā

Uśanā—often styled Kāvya (“descended from/associated with poets or the seer family of Kavi”)—is an ancient seer mentioned eleven times in the Ṛgveda. He is repeatedly characterized by wisdom: Soma uttering wisdom is compared with him[31], and by virtue of this wisdom Soma is even identified with Uśanā in a hymn of the ninth book[32].

Roles in ritual and myth

Kāvya Uśanā is credited with establishing Agni as the hotṛ (invoking priest) of the sacrifice[33], and with “driving hither the cows,” in a verse that also recalls Atharvan’s preparing the path of the sun[34].

Association with Indra

He is a protégé of Indra[35]; Indra rejoices with him[36] and is represented as identifying himself with Uśanā (as also with Kutsa and others)[37]. Uśanā appears alongside Indra when, together with Kutsa, Śuṣṇa is vanquished[38]. He is also the artisan who fashioned for Indra the bolt (vajra) with which Vṛtra was slain[39][40][41].

References

  1. RV 1.112.23 — Kutsa as Ārjuneya.
  2. RV 10.105.11 — Son of Kutsa aided by Indra against a Dāsyu.
  3. RV 1.63.3 — Kutsa described as youthful/bright.
  4. RV 1.106.6 — Kutsa the seer calls upon Indra from a pit.
  5. RV 4.16.11 — Kutsa rides on Indra’s car.
  6. RV 5.29.9 — Indra and Kutsa together; victory over Śuṣṇa.
  7. RV 5.31.8 — Indra “wafts” Kutsa.
  8. RV 8.11.1 — Indra conveys/wafts Kutsa.
  9. RV 2.19.6 — Indra takes Kutsa as charioteer.
  10. RV 6.20.5 — Indra as Kutsa’s charioteer; makes wide space for him.
  11. RV 4.16.10 — Kutsa is “like” Indra.
  12. RV 5.31.9 — Dual invocation Indrākutsā.
  13. RV 1.121.9 — Indra smites Śuṣṇa for Kutsa.
  14. RV 4.16.12 — Indra over Śuṣṇa; “wheel of the sun”.
  15. RV 6.26.3 — Indra smites Śuṣṇa for Kutsa.
  16. RV 1.51.6 — Indra aids Kutsa against Śuṣṇa.
  17. RV 7.19.2 — Śuṣṇa subjected to Kutsa.
  18. RV 6.31.3 — Indra invoked to fight with Kutsa; sun’s wheel motif.
  19. RV 1.175.4 — “Bring Kutsa as the slayer of Śuṣṇa.”
  20. RV 4.30.25 — Indra fights for Kutsa even against the gods.
  21. RV 8.11.11 — Indra fights for Kutsa against a Gandharva.
  22. RV 4.130.4 — Indra tears off the sun’s wheel for Kutsa.
  23. RV 5.29.10 — The other wheel given to Kutsa to drive.
  24. RV 1.121.10 — “Stopping of the sun” motif.
  25. RV 10.138.3 — “Stopping of the sun” motif.
  26. RV 10.49.4 — Tugra, Smadibha, and the Vetasus subjected to Kutsa.
  27. RV 1.33.14 — Indra “aids and loves” Kutsa.
  28. RV 2.14.7 — Indra strikes down the heroes of Kutsa, Āyu, Atithigva.
  29. RV 1.53.10 — Kutsa, Āyu, and Atithigva delivered to Tūrvayāṇa.
  30. RV 6.18.13 — “Smitten to earth” for Tūrvayāṇa.
  31. RV 9.97.7 — Soma uttering wisdom compared with Uśanā.
  32. RV 9.87.3 — Soma identified with Uśanā.
  33. RV 8.23.17 — Kāvya Uśanā establishes Agni as hotṛ.
  34. RV 1.83.5 — Atharvan prepares the path of the sun (with Uśanā “driving the cows”).
  35. RV 6.20.11 — Uśanā as protégé of Indra.
  36. RV 1.51.11 — Indra rejoices with Uśanā.
  37. RV 4.26.1 — Indra identifies himself with Uśanā (and Kutsa).
  38. RV 5.29.9 — Uśanā connected with Indra and Kutsa’s triumph over Śuṣṇa.
  39. RV 1.121.12 — Uśanā fashions the bolt for Indra to slay Vṛtra.
  40. RV 5.34.2 — Uśanā’s role with Indra’s bolt reiterated.
  41. RV 1.51.10 — Cross-reference to Indra’s arming/bolt (cp.).

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