Mātariśvan in Rigveda

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Mātariśvan

Mātariśvan is a Vedic figure closely associated with Agni, especially as the celestial or lightning form of fire and as the bringer of hidden fire from heaven to earth. In the Ṛgveda he is not the deity of any complete hymn; the name occurs about twenty-seven times—predominantly in the later parts of the collection—with the oldest occurrences in Books 3 and 6. In these early passages he is either identified with Agni or described as the producer of fire.

Names, roles, and occurrences in the Ṛgveda

  • As Agni himself. Mātariśvan functions as a name or epithet of Agni in a few places[1][2], and even appears vocatively at the close of an Agni hymn[3]. In a programmatic verse, Agni is said to take different names at different phases: “One being the wise call variously—Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan”[5].
  • Formation in the “mother.” A key passage explains that “when, as Mātariśvan, he was fashioned in his mother, he became the swift flight of wind,” linking the name with Agni’s aerial/lightning aspect[4].
  • Distinct from (yet allied to) Agni. Other verses keep Mātariśvan distinct: Agni “appeared to Mātariśvan” in the highest heaven[7], “first appeared to Mātariśvan and Vivasvat”[8], and Mātariśvan kindled the previously concealed oblation-bearer[9].
  • Bringer and kindler of fire. He “brought as a gift” the glorious offering to the Bhṛgu[10], “brought one (Agni) from the sky while the eagle wrenched Soma from the rock”[11], “brought Agni the adorable priest”[12], and (together with the gods) “fashioned Agni” for humans[13][14]. He also “brought from afar the hidden Agni” and “produced (him) by friction,” after which Agni was installed in human abodes[16][17][18][19].
  • Messenger and helper. Mātariśvan is explicitly the messenger of Vivasvat who brings Agni Vaiśvānara “from afar”[15]; elsewhere Indra is said to deliver cattle-stalls to Dadhyañc and Mātariśvan[20].
  • Later allusions. In late and sometimes obscure verses he appears connected with Soma (purifying or enjoying it)[21][22], is a model of skilled craft against whom Indra is compared[23], is invoked in the wedding hymn to join two hearts[24], and is called “boundless” and “wandering”[25].

Nature and later interpretation

The RV evidence makes Mātariśvan a personification of a celestial form of Agni—best explained by lightning—and, at the same time, the figure who brings the hidden heavenly fire down to men (a Vedic “Prometheus”). This accords with his role as Vivasvat’s messenger[15]. In later Vedic literature (especially the Atharvaveda and ritual texts), Mātariśvan becomes a designation of the wind, a shift plausibly encouraged by the RV verse equating “Mātariśvan formed in his mother” with swift wind[4], and by comparisons of Agni’s motion with rushing wind[26].

Etymology

The compound mātariśvan is likely purely Indo-Aryan. The RV poet glosses it as “he who is formed in his mother,” probably “growing in his mother” (with √śū “swell”), the “mother” being either the lower fire-stick (araṇī) or, more probably given his descent from heaven, the thundercloud. Yāska analyzes it as mātari (“in the mid-air”) + śvan (“breathing”), i.e., “the wind that breathes in the air,” reflecting the later shift to Vāyu.

References

  1. RV 3.26.2 — Agni styled Mātariśvan.
  2. RV 1.96.4 — Agni styled Mātariśvan.
  3. RV 9.88.19 — Vocative occurrence of Mātariśvan in an Agni hymn.
  4. RV 3.29.11 — “When, as Mātariśvan, he was fashioned in his mother, he became the swift flight of wind.”
  5. RV 1.164.46 — “Ekam sat viprā bahudhā vadanti…” listing Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan.
  6. RV 1.190.2 — Bṛhaspati “appeared at the rite as Mātariśvan.”
  7. RV 1.143.2 — Agni born in the highest heaven “appeared to Mātariśvan.”
  8. RV 1.131.3 — Agni first appeared to Mātariśvan and Vivasvat.
  9. RV 3.5.10 — Mātariśvan kindled the concealed oblation-bearer.
  10. RV 1.60.1 — Mātariśvan brought as a gift to Bhṛgu the glorious offerer.
  11. RV 1.93.6 — Mātariśvan brought one (Agni) from the sky; the eagle seized Soma.
  12. RV 3.21.3 — Mātariśvan brought Agni, the adorable priest and heaven-dweller.
  13. RV 10.46.9 — Mātariśvan (with the gods) fashioned Agni for men (as cited).
  14. RV 1.128.2 — “Him the god Mātariśvan has brought from afar for man.”
  15. RV 6.8.4 — As Vivasvat’s messenger, Mātariśvan brought Agni Vaiśvānara.
  16. RV 3.9.5 — Mātariśvan brought from afar the hidden Agni from the gods.
  17. RV 1.141.3 — Mātariśvan produced by friction the hidden Agni.
  18. RV 1.71.4 — Agni produced by Mātariśvan’s friction and set in human abodes.
  19. RV 1.148.1 — Installation of Agni in human dwellings (paired with 1.71.4).
  20. RV 10.48.2 — Indra delivered cow-stalls to Dadhyañc and Mātariśvan.
  21. RV 9.67.31 — Mātariśvan associated with purifying Soma.
  22. RV 10.114.1 — Mātariśvan associated with enjoying Soma.
  23. RV 10.105.6 — Indra compared with Mātariśvan as a skilful artificer.
  24. RV 10.85.47 — Wedding hymn invoking Mātariśvan to join two hearts.
  25. RV 10.109.1 — Mātariśvan described as “boundless” and “wandering.”
  26. RV 1.79.1 — Agni in the air compared with the rushing wind.

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