Vala ('), meaning "enclosure" in

Vedic Sanskrit Vedic Sanskrit, also simply referred as the Vedic language, is the most ancient known precursor to Sanskrit, a language in the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. It is atteste ...

, is a demon mentioned in the Vedas, including the

Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...

and the

Atharvaveda The Atharvaveda or Atharva Veda (, , from ''wikt:अथर्वन्, अथर्वन्'', "priest" and ''wikt:वेद, वेद'', "knowledge") or is the "knowledge storehouse of ''wikt:अथर्वन्, atharvans'', the proced ...

. Vala is attributed to be the son of

Tvashtr Tvashtr (, ) or Tvashta (, ) is a Vedic Hindu artisan god or fashioner. He is mentioned as an Aditya (sons of goddess Aditi) in later Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and ''Puranas'', though his significance gets reduced. Tvashtr is som ...

and therefore the brother of

Vrtra Vritra (, , ) is a danava in Hinduism. He serves as the personification of drought, and is an adversary of the king of the devas, Indra. As a danava, he belongs to the race of the asuras. Vritra is also known in the Vedas as Ahi ( ). He appea ...

. Historically, it has the same origin as the Vrtra story, being derived from the same root, and from the same root also as

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 ...

, ''*val-/var-'' (PIE ''*wel-'') "to cover, to enclose" (perhaps cognate to ''

veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the human head, head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has be ...

''). Parallel to Vrtra "the blocker", a stone serpent slain by

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 ...

to liberate the rivers, Vala is a stone cave, split by Indra (intoxicated and strengthened by Soma, identified with Brhaspati in 4.50 and 10.68 or Trita in 1.52, aided by the Angirasas in 2.11), to liberate the cows and Ushas, hidden there by the Panis. Already in 2.24, the story is given a mystical interpretation, with warlike Indra replaced by Brahmanaspati, the lord of prayer, who split Vala with prayer (''

brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...

'') rather than with the thunderbolt. Vala is mentioned 23 times in the Rigveda, Vala appears in hymns RV 1.11, 52, 62, RV 2.11, 12, 14, 15, 24, RV 3.30, 34, RV 4, 50, RV 6.18, 39, RV 8.14, 24, RV 10.67, 68, 138. Central verses of the story (trans. Griffith): :2.12.3 ''Who slew the

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

, freed the Seven Rivers, and drove the kine forth from the cave of Vala, '' :'' Begat the fire between two stones, the spoiler in warriors' battle, He, O men, is Indra.'' :2.15.8 ''Praised by the Angirases he slaughtered Vala, and burst apart the bulwarks of the mountain.'' :''He tore away their deftly-built defences. These things did Indra in the Soma's rapture.'' :8.14.7 ''In Soma's ecstasy Indra spread the firmament and realms of light, when he cleft Vala limb from limb.'' (compare to this description the

Purusha sukta Purusha Sukta (, ) is a hymn in the Rigveda, dedicated to the Purusha, the "Cosmic Being". It is considered to have been a relatively late addition to the scripture — probably, to accord theological sanction to an increasingly unequal Kuru po ...

) :10.68.6 ''Brhaspati, when he with fiery lightnings cleft through the weapon of reviling Vala,'' :''Consumed him as tongues eat what teeth have compassed: he threw the prisons of the red cows open.'' :1.11.5 '' Lord of the thunder, thou didst burst the cave of Vala rich in cows.'' :''The Gods came pressing to thy side, and free from terror aided thee,'' :1.62.4 ''Mid shout, loud shout, and roar, with the Navagvas, seven singers, hast thou, heavenly, rent the mountain;'' :''Thou hast, with speeders, with Dasagvas, Indra, Shakra, with thunder rent obstructive Vala.''

References

*Janda, M., ''Eleusis, das indogermanische Erbe der Mysterien'' (1998). {{Rigveda Rigvedic deities Asura

See also

References