The Rig Veda Blog
Journeys into Vedic Thought
Long-form, researched essays on the deities, language, ritual and history of the Rig Veda. All free to read.
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How to Kill a Dragon: Vṛtra and a Sentence Older Than Sanskrit
Three Vedic words, áhann áhim, encode a sentence that survives in Hittite, Greek, and Norse. The Vṛtra myth is not just Indra's story; it is the oldest plot the Indo-Europeans carried with them.
Indra Slays Vritra (Rig Veda 1.32): The Cosmogonic Myth at the Heart of the Veda
Vṛtra-han, 'slayer of Vṛtra,' is Indra's central epithet. A close reading of RV 1.32 — Hiraṇyastūpa's celebrated hymn — and the wider cosmogonic significance of the dragon-slaying narrative.