Aryaman () is one of the early

Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed ...

Hindu deities Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. Deities in Hinduism are as diverse as its traditions, and a Hindu can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, even agnostic, atheistic, or humanist. Julius J. L ...

. His name signifies "Life-Partner", "Close Friend", "Sun", "Play-Fellow" or "Companion".Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary He is the third son of

Kashyapa Kashyapa (, ) is a revered Vedic sage of Hinduism., Quote: "Kasyapa (Rudra),(Vedic Seer)..." He is one of the Saptarishis, the seven ancient sages of the ''Rigveda''. Kashyapa is the most ancient and venerated rishi, along with the other Sa ...

and

Aditi Aditi (Sanskrit: अदिति, lit. 'boundless' or 'limitless' or 'innocence') is an important Vedic goddess in Hinduism. She is the personification of the sprawling infinite and vast cosmos. She is the goddess of motherhood, consciousne ...

, the father and mother of the

adityas In Hinduism, Adityas ( ) refers to a group of major solar deities, who are the offspring of the goddess Aditi. The name ''Aditya'', in the singular, is taken to refer to the sun god Surya. Generally, Adityas are twelve in number and consi ...

, and is depicted as the mid-morning sun disc. He is the deity of the customs that rule the various Vedic tribes and people. In the Rigveda, Aryaman is described as the protector of

mares A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...

and stallions, and the

Milky Way The Milky Way or Milky Way Galaxy is the galaxy that includes the Solar System, with the name describing the #Appearance, galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars in other arms of the galax ...

(aryamṇáḥ pánthāḥ) is said to be his path. Aryaman is commonly invoked together with

Mitra ''Mitra'' (Proto-Indo-Iranian language, Proto-Indo-Iranian: wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Iranian/mitrás, ''*mitrás'') is the name of an Indo-Iranians#Religion, Indo-Iranian divinity that predates the Rigveda, Rigvedic Mitra (Hindu god), Mitrá ...

Varuna Varuna (; , ) is a Hindu god. He is one of the earliest deities in pantheon, whose role underwent a significant transformation from the Vedic to the Puranic periods. In the early Vedic era, Varuna is seen as the god-sovereign, ruling the sky ...

Bhaga Bhaga (), is the Vedic god of wealth, as well as a term for "lord, patron" and "wealth, prosperity". He is an Āditya, a group of societal deities who are the sons of Aditi. Bhaga's responsibility was to make sure that people received a shar ...

Bṛhaspati Brihaspati (, ), is a Hindu god. In the ancient Vedic scriptures, Brihaspati is associated with fire, and the word also refers to a god who counsels the devas and devis (gods and goddesses). In some later texts, the word refers to the large ...

, and other adityas and

asura Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the wor ...

s. According to Griffith, the Rigveda also suggests that Aryaman is a supreme deity alongside Mitra and Varuna.(The Hymns of the Rig Veda)
/ref> According to the Rigveda,

Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes Indra is the m ...

, who is traditionally considered the most important deity in the Rigveda, is asked to obtain boons and gifts from Aryaman.Veda Book 4 Hymn 30)
/ref> Hindu marriage oaths are administered with an invocation to Aryaman being the witness to the event.वैदिक विवाह और विवाहित जीवन (Vedic weddings and married life)
रामशरण वशिष्ठ, ''... १४-२-१३--मेरी इस शुभ नारी को धाता प्रजा दे । इसे अर्यमन, मग, अश्विन, प्रजापति, सब प्रजा वाली करें। इसकी संतान बढ़े। ...''हिन्दी कथा-कोष: प्राचीन हिन्दी साहित्य में व्यवहारता नामों तथा पौराणिक अंतरकथाओं का संदर्भ ग्रन्थ (Hindi Myth Treasury)
धीरेन्द्र वर्मा, हिन्दुस्तानी एकेडमी, 1974, ''... अर्यमन - १. एक वैदिक देवता जो विश्वदेवों में से एक हैं। २. कश्यप तथा अदिति के पुत्र पितृगण में प्रमुख हैं। ३. द्वादह आदित्यों में से एक जो वैशाख मास में उदय होते हैं और जिनकी किरणों की संख्या ३०० मानी जाती है।'' Aryaman also is the deity of the customs of hospitality. Aryaman is sometimes said to be the presiding deity of the Uttara Phalgunī Nakshatra based on Rg Veda. However, based on other texts, such as the nakshatra-focused ''Taittiriya Brahmanam'', Aryaman presides over Purva Phalgunī.

References

Adityas Hindu gods Rigvedic deities Solar gods {{Hindu-myth-stub

See also

References