Ribhus
The Ribhus are deities of ancient India whose referent has evolved over time. In early layers of the Vedic literature, it referred to a sun deity, then a wind deity, and thereafter to three male artisans whose abilities and austerities make them into divinities in later Vedic texts. They are famous for their creative abilities and innovation, designing chariots, the magic cow of plenty, channels for rivers, and tools for Indra and other gods.
↻ synthesized from 2 sources
When
- First attested
- 1500 BCE
- Attested period
- -1500 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Referenced in Vedic literature and later Hindu mythology.
Relationships
- serves
- Indra, Ashvins, Brihaspati, Deva
- co occurs with
- Yajneshwara, Varuna, Śiva, Daksha, Ganesha, Vīrabhadra, Parvati, Kārtikeya, Bhadrakali, Satis
- enemy of
- Ganas
- served by
- Indra
Mentioned by
- Varuna
- Śiva
- Daksha
- Ganesha
- Vīrabhadra
- Parvati
- Kārtikeya
- Bhadrakali
- Satis
- Agni
- Rbhuksan
- Tvashtar
- Saranyu
- Sudhanvan
- Indra
- Indrani
and 3 more
Sources
Source passages
“According to Bal Gangadhar Tilak referring to RV 1.161.13 the twelve days, when the Ribhus rested at the house of Agohya, took place "at the end of the year". He describes them as the holiest days of the year of which the ancestors of today's Indians believed, that the devas then would leave heaven to visit”
#17087 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Bhrigu, the chief priest of the Yajna, invoked the Ribhus to fight the Ganas, but the former was tied to a pillar and his beard was forcibly plucked off.”
#40445 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001