A cold whisper hissed to Devadatta's ears, chilling and clear, "You think you can challenge me?" He spun around, but there was nobody there. But where is he? Suddenly, he realized he was standing alone in the middle of a festival ground, a place tha...
In Rigved, The three points in the sun's course are mentioned. Between the light and the dark, there is dawn and dusk. It's called twilight. Sanjna, also known as Saranyu is the Goddess of Clouds and Twilight. She is the first wife of Surya. Chhaya was born from the shadow of Sanjna.
Saranyu is described to be the daughter of the deity Tvashtr and the twin sister of Trisiras, also referred to as Vishvarupa, who was the three-headed son of Tvashtr.
Tvashtr or Savitr was immensely more powerful than Surya.
After Saranyu grows into a beautiful maiden, he arranges his daughter's Svayamvara, a custom in which a lady chooses her husband from the group of eligible suitors. Sanjna marries Surya (alias Vivasvan), the sun god.
Sanjna, a goddess of divine lineage, found herself deeply troubled in her marriage to Surya, the sun god. According to the narratives in the Markandeya Purana, the intense brilliance and searing heat of Surya proved too much for Sanjna to endure. Over time, her discomfort grew, affecting her behavior and demeanor. This change did not sit well with Surya, who, feeling provoked by her altered state, ended up cursing the children that Sanjna would bear next.
In her distress, and perhaps in a moment of desperation, Sanjna crafted a unique solution. She was the daughter of Tvashtr, who got the title of Vishwakarma, revered for his masterful craftsmanship—a skill that Sanjna herself possessed. Utilizing her inherited talents, Sanjna created a woman named Chhaya, whose name means "Shadow." Chhaya was an exact replica of Sanjna, made to take her place beside Surya and care for their children.
Note that Vishwakarma and Tvashtr are different people. In Puranas, Vishwakarma became a title to many skillful craftsmen.
With Chhaya in place to assume her responsibilities and roles, Sanjna took the drastic step of leaving Surya.
The complex celestial drama continued as Surya, unaware of the true identity of Chhaya, believed her to be his wife Sanjna. From their union, Manu was born, who bore a striking resemblance to Surya. Because of this likeness, he was named Savarni Manu. Chhaya, who was also referred to as Parthvi ("earthly") Sanjna, showed clear favoritism towards her own son, neglecting the children Sanjna had left behind.
This partiality did not sit well with Yama, the god of death and one of Sanjna's true children. In a moment of anger, Yama threatened Chhaya by raising his foot against her. Reacting to Yama's hostility, Chhaya cursed him, proclaiming that his legs would decay and fall off. However, Surya intervened, modifying the curse so that only parts of Yama's legs would suffer this fate, being afflicted by worms on Earth.
The situation escalated until the true nature of Chhaya's identity was forcibly revealed. Under the threat from Surya, Chhaya confessed the whole story of her creation. Shocked by the revelation and the deceit, Surya embarked on a quest to find Sanjna.
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Previously, when Sanjna reached her father's home seeking refuge, her father advised her to return to her husband. However, feeling helpless and unable to cope, she transformed herself into a mare and hid in the forest of Kuru.
Meanwhile, Surya, unable to find his wife anywhere, visited Tvashtr for help.
He requested Tvashtr to diminish his radiant brilliance so that Sanjna could withstand his presence. Utilizing the splendor of Surya, Tvashtr crafted three divine objects: the aerial vehicle Pushpaka Vimana, the powerful Trishula of Shiva, and the mighty Sudarshana Chakra of Vishnu. After completing these artifacts, Tvashtr revealed to Surya that Sanjna was hiding as a mare in the Kuru forest.
Determined to find her, Surya transformed himself into a stallion and ventured into the forest. Upon discovering Sanjna, Surya, in his equine guise, mated with her. From this union, the twins Ashvins were born, emerging through their mother's nostrils, embodying the unique dual nature of being half human and half horse.
Revealing his true form, now more bearable thanks to Tvashtr's craftsmanship, Surya was a sight of diminished brilliance that Sanjna could now withstand. Pleased and reassured by his considerate transformation, Sanjna agreed to return with Surya to their celestial abode, along with their new-born twins, the Ashvins, who were destined to become physicians to the gods, renowned for their healing prowess and association with health and medicine.
