Father Sky and Mother Earth

The Rigveda praises Heaven and Earth as the parents of gods and creatures; the Aitareya Brahmana tells how they parted and were married again.

The story, beat by beat

1. A poet praises Heaven and Earth at a festival as the parents whose children are the gods.
2. He calls them Father and Mother who made the living world and keep all creatures safe.
3. They are two bowls with the Sun travelling between them, a bull and a spotted cow.
4. They are footless and motionless, yet they carry offspring that have feet and move.
5. A poet asks which of the two is elder and how they were born; no answer is given.
6. He asks them seven times to protect his people from fearful danger.
7. He asks them to stay near as father and mother and to grant food.

parents sky earth marriage creation