Ushas is the prominent goddess of dawn in the Vedas. She is depicted as the one who imbues life to all beings, as the "life of all life" and "breath of all breaths", according to Jones and Ryan.
Rigveda Ushas is mentioned in numerous hymns of the
Rigveda. She is thanked for and petitioned for driving away darkness in hymns 7.78, 6.64 and 10.172; bringer of light urged by Surya in hymn 3.61, and the chaser of evil demons in hymn 8.47. and 7.75, and participating in daily restoration of order and fighting chaotic forces that threaten the world in hymn 1.113. Aditya and one who goes about her ways closely with deities Savitri and Surya. In RV 6.64.1-2 (trans.
Jamison), Ushas is invoked as follows:
Vedic: 1.
úd u śriyá uṣáso rócamānā ásthur apā́ṃ nórmáyo rúśantaḥ kr̥ṇóti víśvā supáthā sugā́ny ábhūd u vásvī dákṣiṇā maghónī 2.
bhadrā́ dadr̥kṣa urviyā́ ví bhāsy út te śocír bhānávo dyā́m apaptan āvír vákṣaḥ kr̥ṇuṣe śumbʰámānóṣo devi rócamānā máhobhiḥ English translation: 1. The shining Dawns have arisen for splendor, glistening like the waves of the waters. She makes all pathways, all passages easy to travel. She has appeared— the good priestly gift, the bounteous one. 2. Auspicious, you have become visible; you radiate widely. Your flare, your radiant beams have flown up to heaven. You reveal your breast as you go in beauty, goddess Dawn, shining with all your might. In the "family books" of the
Rig Veda (e.g.
RV 6.64.5), Ushas is the divine daughter—a ''
—of Dyaus Pita'' ("Sky Father"). 5. Convey (it)—you who as the unsurpassable one with your oxen convey the boon at your pleasure, Dawn, you who are a goddess, o Daughter of Heaven. Become worthy to be seen with your munificence at the early invocation! == Contemporary reverence ==