Vāyu | |
---|---|
Member of the Pancha Bhuta and Dikpala | |
![]() Vayu (dikpala), on his mount, gazelle | |
Other names | Anila, Pavana, Vyāna, Vāta, Tanuna, Mukhyaprana, Bhima |
Devanagari | वायु |
Sanskrit transliteration | Vāyu |
Affiliation | Deva |
Abode | Vayu Loka, Satya Loka |
Mantra | Om Vayave Namaha |
Weapon | |
Mount | Chariot drawn by Horses, Gazelle |
Genealogy | |
Parents |
|
Consort |
|
Children | Hanuman (celestial son) Bhima (celestial son) |
Equivalents | |
Indo-European equivalent | H₂weh₁yú |
Vayu (Sanskrit pronunciation: [ʋaːjʊ], Sanskrit: वायु, IAST: Vāyu), also known as Vata and Pavana,[8] 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.[9] 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.[10][11] The Hindu epics describe him as the father of the god Hanuman and Bhima.[12]
The followers of the 13th-century saint Madhva believe their guru as an incarnation of Vayu.[13][14][15] They worship the wind deity as Mukhyaprana and consider him as the son of the god Vishnu.
Brahmā and Vāyu are the sons of Vishnu and Lakshmi.
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.
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.
God of the wind ... also known as Vata or Pavan ... exceptional beauty ... moves on noisily in his shining coach ... white banner ...
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).
According to tradition, Madhvacarya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima.
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.