Editing Vayu (section)

{{Short description|Hindu god of the wind}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Hindu
| image = Vayu Deva.jpg
| caption = Vayu (dikpala), on his mount, [[gazelle]]
| name = Vāyu
| other_names = [[Anila]] (अनिल)<br>Pávana (पवन)<br>[[Vyāna]] (व्यान)<br>Vāta (वात)<br>Tanūna (तनून)<br>Mukhyaprāṇa (मुख्यप्राण)<br>[[Bhima|Bhīma]] (भीम)<br>[[Maruts|Maruta]] (मारुत)
| Devanagari = वायु
| Sanskrit_transliteration = ''Vāyu''
| affiliation = [[Deva (Hinduism)|Deva]]
| god_of = God of [[Air]], [[Wind]], and [[Breath]]
| member_of = the [[Pancha Bhuta]] and [[Dikpala]]
| abode = Vayu Loka, [[Brahmaloka|Satya Loka]]
| mantra = Om Vayave Namaha
| siblings = 
| parents = * [[Vishvarupa|Vishvapurusha]] <small>(according to the [[Rigveda]])<ref name="Mani">{{Cite book |last=Mani |first=Vettam |url=https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/849/mode/1up?view=theater |title=Puranic encyclopaedia : a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature |date=1975 |publisher=Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass |others=Robarts - University of Toronto |isbn=978-0-8426-0822-0}}</ref></small>
* [[Vishnu]] and [[Lakshmi]] <small>(according to [[Madvacharya|Madhva sect]])</small><ref>{{cite book|title=Texts in Context: Traditional Hermeneutics in South Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ryswPhIBcZkC|page=113|author=Jeffrey R. Timm|publisher=SUNY Press|date=1 January 1992|isbn=9780791407967}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Dynamics of Faith: Comparative Religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UW1AAAAAIAAJ|page=209|author=Khagendranath Mitra|publisher=University of Calcutta|year=1952|quote=Brahmā and Vāyu are the sons of Vishnu and Lakshmi.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Hinduism, Religion and Way of Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lloqAAAAYAAJ|page=124|author=Satyavrata Ramdas Patel|publisher=Associated Publishing House|year=1980| isbn=9780686997788 |quote=The Supreme Being, Vishnu or Nārāyana, is the personal first cause. He is the Intelligent Governor of the world and lives in Vaikuntha along with Lakshmi, His consort. He and His consort Lakshmi are real. Brahma and Vāyu are His two sons.}}</ref>
| children = Mudā [[Apsaras]] (daughters)<ref name="Mani" /><br>
[[Hanuman]] (son) <br> [[Bhima]] (son)
| weapon = *[[Gada (weapon)|Mace]] (weapon of Mukhyaprana Vayu)
*[[Goad]] (weapon of Dikpala Vayu)
*[[Vayavyastra]] (Vayu's [[astra (weapon)|astra]])
| consort = * A daughter of [[Tvashta]] {{small|(according to the ''[[Rigveda]]'')}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Muir |first=J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SYRzEAAAQBAJ&dq=V%C4%81yu+wife&pg=PA229 |title=Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of The People of India: Volume Fifth |date=2022-06-06 |publisher=BoD – Books on Demand |isbn=978-3-375-04617-0 |language=en}}</ref>
* Svasti {{small|(according to the ''[[Devi Bhagavata Purana]]'')}}<ref name = "Mani" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2013-05-15 |title=On the description of Prakṛti [Chapter 1] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/devi-bhagavata-purana/d/doc57314.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>
* Bharati <small>(according to [[Madvacharya|Madhva sect]])</small><ref>{{cite book|title=Studies in Indology and Medieval History: Prof. G. H. Khare Felicitation Volume|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T8EtAQAAIAAJ|author1=Gaṇeśa Harī Khare|author2=Madhukar Shripad Mate|author3=G. T. Kulkarni|publisher=Joshi & Lokhande Prakashan|year=1974|page=244|quote=In Vayu and other Puranas, Vayudeva (different from Astadikpala Vayu), next to Brahma in grade, is also said to have five heads like Siva and Brahma and his consort is Bharatidevi.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Purandara and the Haridasa Movement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MK5WAAAAMAAJ|page=200|author=M. V. Krishna Rao|publisher=Karnatak University|year=1966}}</ref>
| mount = Chariot drawn by [[Horses]], [[Gazelle]]
| Indo-european_equivalent = H₂weh₁yú
}}
{{Hinduism |deities}}

'''Vayu''' ({{Langx|sa|[[wikt:वायु#Sanskrit|वायु]]|translit=Vāyu|lit=Wind/Air}}; {{IPA|sa|ʋaːju}}), also known as '''Vata''' ({{Langx|sa|[[wikt:वात#Sanskrit|वात]]|translit=Vāta|lit=Wind/Air}}) and '''Pavana''' ({{Langx|sa|[[wikt:पवन#Sanskrit|पवन]]|translit=Pávana|lit=Purifier}}),<ref name="jansen1993">{{Citation | title=The book of Hindu imagery: The Gods and their Symbols |author1=Eva Rudy Jansen |author2=Tony Langham | year=1993 | publisher=Binkey Kok Publications | isbn=978-90-74597-07-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1iASyoae8cMC | quote=God of the wind ... also known as Vata or Pavan ... exceptional beauty ... moves on noisily in his shining coach ... white banner ...}}</ref> is the [[Hindu deities|Hindu god]] of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''[[Vedic scriptures]]'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with [[Indra]], the king of gods. He is mentioned to be born from the breath of Supreme Being [[Vishvarupa|Vishvapurusha]] and also the first one to drink [[Soma (drink)|Soma]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jamison |first1=Stephanie W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1-PRAwAAQBAJ&dq=v%C4%81yu&pg=PA631 |title=The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India |last2=Brereton |first2=Joel P. |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-937018-4 |language=en}}</ref> The ''[[Upanishads]]'' praise him as ''Prana'' or 'life breath of the world'. In the later Hindu scriptures, he is described as a [[dikpala]] (one of the guardians of the direction), who looks over the north-west direction.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&q=Vayu | title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology | isbn=978-0-19-533261-2 | last1=Williams | first1=George M. | date=27 March 2008 | publisher=Oup USA }}</ref><ref name="Chandra">{{Cite book |last=Chandra |first=Suresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mfTE6kpz6XEC&q=Vayu |title=Encyclopaedia of Hindu Gods and Goddesses |date=1998 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |isbn=978-81-7625-039-9 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Hindu epics]] describe him as the father of the god [[Hanuman]] and [[Bhima]].<ref name = "D">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1HMXN9h6WX0C&q=Vayu&pg=RA1-PA260 | title=The Myths and Gods of India: The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism from the Princeton Bollingen Series | isbn=9780892813544 | last1=Daniélou | first1=Alain | date=December 1991 | publisher=Inner Traditions / Bear & Co }}</ref>
 
The followers of the 13th-century saint [[Madhva]] believe their guru as an [[avatar|incarnation]] of Vāyu.<ref name = "DH" >{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkkFCwAAQBAJ|page=187|author=Jeffery D. Long|publisher=Scarecrow Press|date=9 September 2011| isbn=9780810879607 |quote=Born near Udipi in Karnataka, where he spent most of his life, Madhva is believed by his devotees to be the third incarnation or avatāra of Vāyu, the Vedic god of the wind (the first two incarnations being Hanuman and Bhīma).}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Religious Debates in Indian Philosophy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V0hZEAAAQBAJ|page=176|author=Ravi Prakash|publisher=K.K. Publications|date=15 January 2022|quote=According to tradition, Madhvacarya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Gayatri: The Profound Prayer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-3blDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA90|page=90|author=R. K. Madhukar|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|date=1 January 2014|isbn=978-8178-22467-1|quote=Vayu is accorded the status of a deva, an important God in the ancient literature. Lord Hanuman, who is considered to be one of the avatars of Vayudeva, is described as Mukhyaprana.}}</ref> They worship the wind deity as '''Mukhyaprana''' ({{Langx|sa|मुख्यप्राण|translit=Mukhyaprāṇa|lit=Chief [[Prana]]}}) and consider him as the son of the god [[Vishnu]].