Sanjna- Hindu GodDeity"Daughter of Vishvakarma"
Also known as: Saranyu, Samjna, Saranyū, सरण्यू, Saṃjñā, संज्ञा, and Sangya
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Description
Unable to endure Surya's blazing radiance, Sanjna shaped a shadow of herself to take her place in the sun god's bed, then fled into the wilderness as a mare — but Surya pursued her, and from their reunion in equine form the twin Ashvins were born.
Mythology & Lore
The Unbearable Radiance
Sanjna was the daughter of Vishvakarma, divine architect of the gods, and she was given in marriage to Surya, the sun god. But Surya's brilliance was literally unbearable. His radiance burned everything near him, and Sanjna could not look at her husband without pain. She endured as long as she could, bearing Surya three children: Vaivasvata Manu, the progenitor of humanity, and the twins Yama and Yami. But the heat was destroying her.
Before leaving, Sanjna performed an extraordinary act. From her own shadow she fashioned a double, Chhaya, and installed her in the household as a perfect replica. Chhaya looked like Sanjna, spoke like Sanjna, and was instructed to care for the children and fulfill all wifely duties. Then Sanjna fled into the deep forests, where she transformed herself into a mare to escape detection.
Chhaya and the Children
For a time the deception held. Chhaya bore Surya additional children, Shani and the river goddess Tapati among them, and the sun god noticed nothing amiss. But Chhaya favored her own children over Sanjna's, and the difference eventually showed. When Yama raised his foot against Chhaya in anger, she cursed him. A true mother would never curse her own son. Yama reported this to Surya, who confronted Chhaya and extracted the truth. She was not Sanjna but her substitute, and the real wife had fled long ago.
The Pursuit
Surya went first to Vishvakarma, who confirmed that Sanjna had come to him but then departed into the wilderness. Tracking her by divine sight, Surya found her living as a mare in the northern grasslands. He approached her in the form of a stallion, and from their reunion in equine shape the Ashvin twins were born, Nasatya and Dasra, the divine horsemen and healers.
The Trimming of the Sun
The fundamental problem remained: Surya was too bright for his wife to endure. Vishvakarma offered the solution. He placed Surya on his lathe and trimmed away the excess radiance, shaving the sun's brilliance down to a level Sanjna could bear. The Markandeya Purana records that from the trimmed solar material Vishvakarma forged Vishnu's discus Sudarshana and Shiva's trident Trishula. Sanjna returned to her husband, now able to look upon him without pain.