The Maruts: Storm-Band of the Ṛgveda
The Maruts (also called Rudras, Sons of Rudra, Sons of Pṛiṣni, and Rudriyas) are a band of storm-deities in the Ṛigveda. Conceived as a youthful, fierce, and resplendent troop of warriors who ride the heavens on glittering chariots, they are associated with thunder, lightning, wind, and the life-giving rain. They are invoked both as terrifying shakers of earth and heaven and as bounteous protectors of their worshippers.
Names and Epithets
The Maruts are addressed by a wide range of titles in the Ṛigveda, including "Heroes," "Bulls," "Singers," "Shakers of the earth and heaven," "Bounteous Ones," "Rudras," and "Sons of Pṛiṣni." They are also called "Bulls of Heaven" (RV 1.64.2), "Men of Heaven" (RV 1.64.4), "Giants of the sky" (RV 1.86.1), and "Lords of Amrit" (RV 5.58.1). The mystical refrain Evayamarut accompanies their praise in hymn 5.87.
Variant designations include "Wanderers from the way or speeders on or to the path" (RV 5.52.10) and "Pârâvatas" (RV 5.52.11). They share epithets with other divine classes, being also called Vasus (RV 2.34.9; 5.55.8; 7.56.17), Ṛibhukshans (RV 8.7.9; 8.20.2), and even Âdityas (RV 10.77.8).
Parentage and Birth
The Maruts are the sons of Rudra and the cow-goddess Pṛiṣni:
"Princes, who, when I asked their kin, named Pṛiṣni as their Mother-cow, And the impetuous Rudra they, the Mighty Ones, declared their Sire." (RV 5.52.16)
Pṛiṣni is described as a "Mother-cow" whose udder they milked (RV 2.34.10; 7.56.4) and in whose "radiant lap" Rudra sprang into life for them (RV 2.34.2). She "brought forth, to fight the mighty battle, the glittering army of the restless Maruts" (RV 1.168.9). The famous "Cow, the famous Mother of the wealthy Maruts, pours her milk" (RV 8.94.1).
Their birth is described as vigorous and self-generated: "Strong is their birth: vigour have they to issue from their Mother" (RV 1.37.9); "they were born together, of themselves, the Men of Heaven" (RV 1.64.4); "Yea, your birth, Maruts, was with wild commotion" (RV 7.58.2). Their origin remains mysterious even to sages: "Verily no one knoweth whence they sprang: they, and they only, know each other's birth" (RV 7.56.2).
Number, Form, and Equality
The Maruts form a troop or host of brothers, equal in age and rank:
"Having no eldest and no youngest in their band, no middlemost, preeminent they have waxed in might." (RV 5.59.6)
"None being eldest, none among them youngest, as brothers they have grown to happy fortune." (RV 5.60.5)
Their numbers are sometimes given as "seven times seven" (RV 5.52.17), though elsewhere they are described as "a few in number only, like the heavens with stars" (RV 1.87.1).
They appear as radiant youths (RV 5.53.3; 5.58.1), "bridegrooms of the sky" (RV 5.59.6), and are likened to "young suitors, sons of wealthy houses" (RV 5.60.4). Visible "from afar as 'twere with stars of heaven" (RV 1.166.11), they wear glittering ornaments, gold chains upon their chests, rings (niṣkas) upon their shoulders, anklets, golden helmets or visors, and deer-skins (RV 1.64.4; 1.166.9–10; 2.34.3; 5.54.11; 5.57.5; 7.56.13).
Weapons and Chariots
The Maruts are armed warriors par excellence:
"Armed with your daggers, full of wisdom, armed with spears, armed with your quivers, armed with arrows, with good bows, Good horses and good cars have ye, O Pṛiṣni's Sons." (RV 5.57.2)
They wield spears (lances), swords, daggers, bows, arrows, and—most notably—lightning, which is described as their bolt or shaft (RV 1.37.2; 1.64.10; 1.166.6; 1.168.5; 7.56.9). Their lightning has "gory teeth" that "crunches up the cattle like a well-aimed dart" (RV 1.166.6).
Their chariots are drawn by spotted deer (pṛiṣatîs), often led by a red deer (RV 1.39.6; 1.85.4–5; 2.34.3–4; 5.55.6; 5.58.6; 5.60.2). The chariots are golden-wheeled (RV 1.88.5; 1.64.11), strong-fellied (RV 1.38.12; 8.20.2), and self-moving:
"No team of goats shall draw your car, O Maruts, no horse no charioteer be he who drives it. Halting not, reinless, through the air it travels." (RV 6.66.7)
The goddess Rodasî mounts their chariot as their female companion (RV 5.56.8–9; 6.66.6).
Cosmic Role: Storm, Rain, and Thunder
The principal activity of the Maruts is the production of the thunderstorm. They are the bringers of rain:
"Truly, they the fierce and mighty Sons of Rudra send their windless Rain e'en on the desert places." (RV 1.38.7)
"O Maruts, from the Ocean ye uplift the rain, and fraught with vaporous moisture pour the torrents down." (RV 5.55.5)
They "make the winds, they make the lightnings with their powers" and "drain the udders of the sky" (RV 1.64.5). They "milk the thundering, the neverfailing spring" (RV 1.64.6) and pour forth the rain-flood like a mother-cow nursing her young (RV 1.38.8). Their sweat is the rain (RV 5.58.7).
Their approach causes universal terror:
"They make the mountains rock and reel, they rend the forest-kings apart." (RV 1.39.5)
"Earth shakes and reels in terror at their onward rush, like a full ship which, quivering, lets the water in." (RV 5.59.2)
Mountains, forest-trees, dwellings, and all creatures tremble before them (RV 1.37.7–8, 12; 1.87.3; 5.54.4; 5.57.3; 5.60.2; 8.7.4; 8.20.5).
Voice and Song
The Maruts are loud-voiced singers as well as warriors. They roar, shout, and chant:
"Exceeding wise they roar like lions mightily." (RV 1.64.8)
"Chanting their psalm, singing aloud, like heroes, splendid from birth, invincible, the Maruts." (RV 6.66.10)
Their song is heard from the highest heaven (RV 5.87.3), and the cracking of their whips resounds (RV 1.37.3). They are called the "Singers of the sky" (RV 5.57.5).
Relations with Other Gods
Indra
The Maruts are the close companions of Indra, accompanying him in his battle against Vṛitra:
"When, shouting, they had joined Indra in toil of fight, then only they obtained their sacrificial names." (RV 1.87.5)
"They sundered Vṛitra limb from limb and split the gloomy mountain-clouds, Performing a heroic deed. They reinforced the power and strength of Trita as he fought, and helped Indra in battle with the foe." (RV 8.7.23–24)
They are repeatedly invoked alongside Indra (RV 1.166.11–12; 5.57.1). A reproach is hinted at in RV 8.7.31: "where have ye still a friend since ye left Indra all alone?"
Vishṇu
They are intimately linked with Vishṇu, whose stride they follow:
"To Vishṇu, to the Mighty whom the Maruts follow let your hymns born in song go forth, Evayamarut." (RV 5.87.1)
"When Vishṇu saved the Soma bringing wild delight, the Maruts sate like birds on their dear holy grass." (RV 1.85.7)
Agni, Rudra, and Others
They are connected to Agni in sacrifice (RV 5.56.1; 5.60.1, 8; 8.7.32) and acknowledge Rudra as father (RV 5.60.5). They aided Trita in his struggles (RV 2.34.10; 5.54.2; 8.7.24).
Helping Mankind
Despite their terrifying aspect, the Maruts are benevolent protectors of their worshippers:
"Maruts, the man whom ye have guarded with your help, he verily in strength surpasseth all mankind." (RV 1.64.13)
"With castles hundredfold, O Maruts, guard ye well the man whom ye have loved from ruin and from sin." (RV 1.166.8)
They bestow wealth, cattle, horses, heroic sons, and long life (RV 1.64.14–15; 1.85.12; 5.53.13; 5.54.13–14; 7.56.21). They are healers, possessing "the Maruts' medicine" (RV 8.20.23–26):
"Cast, Maruts, to the ground our sick man's malady: replace the dislocated limb." (RV 8.20.26)
They guard the singer from slander, hatred, and demonic foes (RV 1.39.8–10; 1.86.10; 5.87.6; 7.56.19). They are even said to "rouse even the poor and needy" (RV 7.56.20).
They protected the patriarchs Kaṇva (RV 1.39.7–9), Gotama (RV 1.85.11; 1.88.4–5), Trita, and the Bharatas (RV 5.54.14), and aided "Yadu, Turvaṣa, And Kaṇva who obtained the spoil" (RV 8.7.18).
Worship and Sacrifice
The Maruts are honoured with Soma libations (RV 1.85.10; 1.88.6; 8.94.3–4, 9–12), sacred grass strewn for their seat (RV 1.38.1; 1.85.6; 8.7.20), and hymns of praise composed by ṛishis such as Kaṇva, Nodhas, Gotama, Mândârya son of Mâna, and Ṣyâvâṣva (RV 1.37.14; 1.64.1; 1.88.5; 1.166.15; 5.52.1). Worshippers ask them to "Sit on the grass" and "delight yourselves" in the offerings (RV 1.85.6).
Suppliants beg the Maruts to avert their wrathful shaft:
"Far from us be your blazing dart, O Maruts, when we, through human frailty, sin against you." (RV 7.57.4)
"Far be from us, O Maruts, ye free givers, your impetuous shaft; Far from us be the stone ye hurl." (RV 1.172.2)
Dwelling Place
The Maruts are said to dwell in the "lofty mountains" (RV 5.57.8; 5.58.8; 8.94.12), in the heavens (RV 1.85.2), in mid-air, and along rivers (RV 5.52.7). They move freely through all three regions:
"Whether, O blessed Maruts, ye be dwelling in highest, midmost, or in lowest heaven." (RV 5.60.6)
They are associated geographically with the rivers Paruṣṇî (RV 5.52.9), Yamunâ (RV 5.52.17), Rasâ, Krumu, Anitabhâ, Kubhâ, Sindhu, Sarayû (RV 5.53.9), Asiknî (RV 8.20.25), and the regions of Sushomâ, Ṣaryaṇâvân, and Ârjîka (RV 8.7.29).
Character
The hymns paint the Maruts with a dual character: fierce, wrathful, and earth-shaking on the one hand; bright, youthful, generous, and law-abiding on the other. They are "observers of the Law" (ṛita), pure and sanctifying (RV 7.56.12), "skilled in Law, immortal" (RV 5.58.8), and "blameless" (RV 7.57.5)—yet "terrible like wild beasts in their strength" (RV 2.34.1) and "fierce in wrath, terrific" (RV 7.58.2). In them, the awesomeness and the bounty of the Vedic thunderstorm are personified together.
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