Vayu

Vāyu
Vāyu
God of Air, Wind, and Breath
Member of the Pancha Bhuta and Dikpala
	Vayu (dikpala), on his mount, gazelle
Other names	Anila (अनिल); Pávana (पवन); Vyāna (व्यान); Vāta (वात); Tanūna (तनून); Mukhyaprāṇa (मुख्यप्राण); Bhīma (भीम); Maruta (मारुत)
Devanagari	वायु
Sanskrit transliteration	Vāyu
Affiliation	Deva
Abode	Vayu Loka, Satya Loka
Mantra	Om Vayave Namaha
Weapon	Mace (weapon of Mukhyaprana Vayu); Goad (weapon of Dikpala Vayu); Vayavyastra (Vayu's astra);
Mount	Chariot drawn by Horses, Gazelle
Genealogy
Parents	Vishvapurusha (according to the Rigveda); Vishnu and Lakshmi (according to Madhva sect);
Consort	A daughter of Tvashta (according to the Rigveda); Svasti (according to the Devi Bhagavata Purana); Bharati (according to Madhva sect);
Children	Mudā Apsaras (daughters); Hanuman (son) ; Bhima (son)
Equivalents
Indo-European	H₂weh₁yú

Vayu (Sanskrit: वायु, romanized: Vāyu, lit. 'Wind/Air'; Sanskrit pronunciation: [ʋaːju]), also known as Vata (Sanskrit: वात, romanized: Vāta, lit. 'Wind/Air') and Pavana (Sanskrit: पवन, romanized: Pávana, lit. 'Purifier'),^[9] is the Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the Vedic scriptures, Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king of gods. He is mentioned to be born from the breath of Supreme Being Vishvapurusha and also the first one to drink Soma.^[10] The Upanishads praise him as Prana or 'life breath of the world'. In the later Hindu scriptures, he is described as a dikpala (one of the guardians of the direction), who looks over the north-west direction.^[11]^[12] The Hindu epics describe him as the father of the god Hanuman and Bhima.^[13]

The followers of the 13th-century saint Madhva believe their guru as an incarnation of Vāyu.^[14]^[15]^[16] They worship the wind deity as Mukhyaprana (Sanskrit: मुख्यप्राण, romanized: Mukhyaprāṇa, lit. 'Chief Prana') and consider him as the son of the god Vishnu.

^ ^a ^b ^c Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic encyclopaedia : a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature. Robarts - University of Toronto. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-0-8426-0822-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
^ Jeffrey R. Timm (1 January 1992). Texts in Context: Traditional Hermeneutics in South Asia. SUNY Press. p. 113. ISBN 9780791407967.
^ Khagendranath Mitra (1952). The Dynamics of Faith: Comparative Religion. University of Calcutta. p. 209. Brahmā and Vāyu are the sons of Vishnu and Lakshmi.
^ Satyavrata Ramdas Patel (1980). Hinduism, Religion and Way of Life. Associated Publishing House. p. 124. ISBN 9780686997788. The Supreme Being, Vishnu or Nārāyana, is the personal first cause. He is the Intelligent Governor of the world and lives in Vaikuntha along with Lakshmi, His consort. He and His consort Lakshmi are real. Brahma and Vāyu are His two sons.
^ Muir, J. (6 June 2022). Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of The People of India: Volume Fifth. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-375-04617-0.
^ www.wisdomlib.org (15 May 2013). "On the description of Prakṛti [Chapter 1]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
^ Gaṇeśa Harī Khare; Madhukar Shripad Mate; G. T. Kulkarni (1974). Studies in Indology and Medieval History: Prof. G. H. Khare Felicitation Volume. Joshi & Lokhande Prakashan. p. 244. In Vayu and other Puranas, Vayudeva (different from Astadikpala Vayu), next to Brahma in grade, is also said to have five heads like Siva and Brahma and his consort is Bharatidevi.
^ M. V. Krishna Rao (1966). Purandara and the Haridasa Movement. Karnatak University. p. 200.
^ Eva Rudy Jansen; Tony Langham (1993), The book of Hindu imagery: The Gods and their Symbols, Binkey Kok Publications, ISBN 978-90-74597-07-4, God of the wind ... also known as Vata or Pavan ... exceptional beauty ... moves on noisily in his shining coach ... white banner ...
^ Jamison, Stephanie W.; Brereton, Joel P. (2014). The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-937018-4.
^ Williams, George M. (27 March 2008). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. Oup USA. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.
^ Chandra, Suresh (1998). Encyclopaedia of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Sarup & Sons. ISBN 978-81-7625-039-9.
^ Daniélou, Alain (December 1991). The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism from the Princeton Bollingen Series. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. ISBN 9780892813544.
^ Jeffery D. Long (9 September 2011). Historical Dictionary of Hinduism. Scarecrow Press. p. 187. ISBN 9780810879607. Born near Udipi in Karnataka, where he spent most of his life, Madhva is believed by his devotees to be the third incarnation or avatāra of Vāyu, the Vedic god of the wind (the first two incarnations being Hanuman and Bhīma).
^ Ravi Prakash (15 January 2022). Religious Debates in Indian Philosophy. K.K. Publications. p. 176. According to tradition, Madhvacarya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima.
^ R. K. Madhukar (1 January 2014). Gayatri: The Profound Prayer. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 90. ISBN 978-8178-22467-1. Vayu is accorded the status of a deva, an important God in the ancient literature. Lord Hanuman, who is considered to be one of the avatars of Vayudeva, is described as Mukhyaprana.

[Mani-1] Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic encyclopaedia : a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature. Robarts - University of Toronto. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-0-8426-0822-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)

[2] Jeffrey R. Timm (1 January 1992). Texts in Context: Traditional Hermeneutics in South Asia. SUNY Press. p. 113. ISBN 9780791407967.

[3] Khagendranath Mitra (1952). The Dynamics of Faith: Comparative Religion. University of Calcutta. p. 209. Brahmā and Vāyu are the sons of Vishnu and Lakshmi.

[4] Satyavrata Ramdas Patel (1980). Hinduism, Religion and Way of Life. Associated Publishing House. p. 124. ISBN 9780686997788. The Supreme Being, Vishnu or Nārāyana, is the personal first cause. He is the Intelligent Governor of the world and lives in Vaikuntha along with Lakshmi, His consort. He and His consort Lakshmi are real. Brahma and Vāyu are His two sons.

[5] Muir, J. (6 June 2022). Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of The People of India: Volume Fifth. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-375-04617-0.

[6] www.wisdomlib.org (15 May 2013). "On the description of Prakṛti [Chapter 1]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 28 April 2024.

[7] Gaṇeśa Harī Khare; Madhukar Shripad Mate; G. T. Kulkarni (1974). Studies in Indology and Medieval History: Prof. G. H. Khare Felicitation Volume. Joshi & Lokhande Prakashan. p. 244. In Vayu and other Puranas, Vayudeva (different from Astadikpala Vayu), next to Brahma in grade, is also said to have five heads like Siva and Brahma and his consort is Bharatidevi.

[8] M. V. Krishna Rao (1966). Purandara and the Haridasa Movement. Karnatak University. p. 200.

[jansen1993-9] Eva Rudy Jansen; Tony Langham (1993), The book of Hindu imagery: The Gods and their Symbols, Binkey Kok Publications, ISBN 978-90-74597-07-4, God of the wind ... also known as Vata or Pavan ... exceptional beauty ... moves on noisily in his shining coach ... white banner ...

[10] Jamison, Stephanie W.; Brereton, Joel P. (2014). The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-937018-4.

[11] Williams, George M. (27 March 2008). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. Oup USA. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.

[Chandra-12] Chandra, Suresh (1998). Encyclopaedia of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Sarup & Sons. ISBN 978-81-7625-039-9.

[D-13] Daniélou, Alain (December 1991). The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism from the Princeton Bollingen Series. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. ISBN 9780892813544.

[DH-14] Jeffery D. Long (9 September 2011). Historical Dictionary of Hinduism. Scarecrow Press. p. 187. ISBN 9780810879607. Born near Udipi in Karnataka, where he spent most of his life, Madhva is believed by his devotees to be the third incarnation or avatāra of Vāyu, the Vedic god of the wind (the first two incarnations being Hanuman and Bhīma).

[15] Ravi Prakash (15 January 2022). Religious Debates in Indian Philosophy. K.K. Publications. p. 176. According to tradition, Madhvacarya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima.

[16] R. K. Madhukar (1 January 2014). Gayatri: The Profound Prayer. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 90. ISBN 978-8178-22467-1. Vayu is accorded the status of a deva, an important God in the ancient literature. Lord Hanuman, who is considered to be one of the avatars of Vayudeva, is described as Mukhyaprana.

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