Manyu () is a war god in Vedic Hinduism. He is a deity referenced in the Rigveda, with hymns dedicated to him in the eponymous

Manyu Sukta Manyu Sukta is hymn 10.83 and 10.84 from the Rig veda. It contains 14 verses and is dedicated to Manyu. Manyu in Vedic sanskrit stands for temper, anger or passion. Devatas such as Varuna, Indra and Rudra (Shiva) are mentioned in this sukta. Renow ...

Literature

Vedas

The hymns of the Rigveda extol Manyu as the "slayer of foes", "self-existent", "wielder of the thunder", and "much-invoked". Manyu is identified with deities such as

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

, Varuna, and Agni. These hymns urge Manyu to grant treasure and wealth, strength in battles, and overwhelm the enemy with terror. The

Atharvaveda The Atharva Veda (, ' from ' and ''veda'', meaning "knowledge") is the "knowledge storehouse of ''atharvāṇas'', the procedures for everyday life".Laurie Patton (2004), Veda and Upanishad, in ''The Hindu World'' (Editors: Sushil Mittal and G ...

also mentions the deity in a hymn dedicated to Kama.

Brahma Purana

The Brahma Purana describes the origin of Manyu. It states that a terrible war was once waged between the devas and the

asuras Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the word is sometimes translated ...

, in which the former were defeated. The devas are stated to have travelled to the Gautamī river valley, where they performed a penance to propitiate Shiva. The destroyer deity is said to have produced Manyu from his third eye, and presented him to the devas. In the subsequent battle that followed, Manyu's assistance allowed the devas to gain victory.

Bhagavata Purana

Shiva is referred to as Manyu in the

Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in Sa ...

Associations

Manyu is also described to be one of the eleven Rudras. Some philosophers like Madhavacharya have posited that Manyu is merely an epithet of Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu.

References

{{Rigveda Rigvedic deities War gods Thunder gods