Ushas- Hindu GodDeity"Daughter of Heaven"
Also known as: Usha, Usa, उषस्, and Uṣas
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Symbols
Description
Born anew each morning at the eastern horizon, daughter of the sky-father Dyaus. The Rig Veda compares her to a bride unveiled and a cow yielding milk, dressed in red and gold, driving a chariot drawn by ruddy horses. The same light that woke the ancestors wakes the living.
Mythology & Lore
The Dawn
Each morning Ushas crosses the eastern horizon in a chariot drawn by red cows or ruddy horses, a radiant young woman in garments of red and gold. The Ashvins, the divine twin horsemen, race ahead of her as heralds. Behind her, Surya begins his journey. Birds sing. Cattle rise to graze. The sacrificial fires are kindled, and the priests begin the morning rites.
Twenty hymns of the Rig Veda are devoted to her alone. They describe her as a dancer, a bride smiling as she unveils herself, a cow whose milk is light. She dispels the darkness, which is not mere absence but the domain of hostile forces and demons.
Her sister is Ratri, the goddess of night. They follow each other in endless succession, neither prevailing, each yielding to the other in turn. Ushas is immortal, but those who greet her are not. Generation after generation rises to watch the sky lighten, and generation after generation passes away. The dawn continues.
Relationships
- Family
- Prajapati· Parent⚠ Disputed