Two hymns of the tenth book. A seven-headed hymn has been found by the poet's father. Brihaspati, ringed by friends who call like swans, bursts the stone prison, speaks in thunder to the cattle and drives out the bright cows; he finds the dawn, the sun, the cow and the lightning. The second hymn heaps up similes: cows strewn like barley from a winnowing basket, the rock opened like an egg, sweetness seen in the stone like a fish in shallow water and lifted out like a bowl from timber. He finds the cattle's secret name. Vala grieves like winter trees. The deed is called unequalled; by it sun and moon rise in turn. One verse (10.67.6) gives Indra the cleaving of Vala.
In the Gritsamada hymns he is Brahmanaspati, leader of the heavenly troops, riding the car of sacrifice that cleaves the cattle-stall and finds the light, with a truly strung bow. He enters the mountain stored with wealth; firm things give way; he drives out the cows and cleaves Vala by prayer, hides the darkness and shows the light. He opens a stone-mouthed well of honey from which all who see the light drink, and with Indra lets loose the waters. The mountain parts of itself for his glory. He distributes the cows to heaven. RV 4.50 adds his birth from great light, seven mouths and seven rays, and the praise of the king who honours his priest.
What is different here:
The weapon is named as prayer; a honey well and released waters are added; the mountain opens of its own accord; no heap of similes; a lesson for kings is attached (4.50.7-9).
Later memory: Taittiriya Samhita 2.3.14 and Mahabharata
Pan-IndiaAll traditions
The Yajurveda still chants that Brihaspati with his harmonious troop crushed Vala with his cry and drove out the cows. In the Mahabharata the deed has passed to Indra: Brihaspati himself, coaxing Indra out of the lotus stalk, praises him as the one who killed Namuchi, Shambara and Vala, and elsewhere addresses him as slayer of Vala.
What is different here:
No narrative; the credit moves from the priest to the king, and the priest becomes the one who praises.
Sources: Hymns of the Rigveda, tr. R. T. H. Griffith (1896), hymns read for the Vedic layer; The Veda of the Black Yajus School (Taittiriya Sanhita), tr. A. B. Keith (1914); The Mahabharata, tr. K. M. Ganguli (1883-96), sections read for the Vedic layer