Savitr

This god is praised in eleven entire hymns as well as numerous detached stanzas. He is primarily a golden deity, as evidenced by the epithets golden-eyed, golden-handed, and golden-tongued. His chariot and pole are both made of gold. Two or more brown, white-footed horses pull it.

He exudes a mighty golden radiance that he disperses, illuminating heaven, earth, and air. He raises his strong golden arms, which extend to the ends of the earth and arouse and bless all beings. He drives his golden car on a downward and upward path, seeing all creatures.

Savitr, yellow-haired and gleaming with the sun's rays, raises his light from the east incessantly. His ancient air paths are dustless and easy to travel, and he protects his worshippers on them; for he transports the departed spirit to where the righteous dwell. He removes evil dreams and cleanses men of sin; he casts out demons and sorcerers. He follows established rules; the waters and the wind are subject to him.

The other gods follow him, and no being can stand in his way. He is besought in one stanza (iii. 62, 10) to stimulate the thoughts of worshippers who want to think of the glory of god Savitr. This is the famous Savitri stanza, which has been used as a morning prayer in India for over three thousand years. Savitr is frequently distinguished from Surya (vii. 63), such as when he is said to shine with the Sun's rays, to impel the Sun, or to declare men sinless to the Sun. In other passages, however, it is difficult to distinguish between the two deities.

Savitr is associated with both the evening and the morning, because at his command, night falls and all beings rest.

The word Savitr is derived from the root su, which means to stimulate, and is almost always used with it in such a way that it forms a perpetual play on the god's name. Nearly half of the time, the name is followed by devá god, which means 'Stimulator god.' As the great stimulator of life and motion in the world, he was originally a solar deity.