Revanta

Revanta
The divine master of horses
7th century statue of Revanta from Sarnath, Eastern Uttar Pradesh
AffiliationGuhyakas
AbodeHimalaya
WeaponSword
MountHorse
Genealogy
Parents
SiblingsAshvins, Yamaraja, Yami, Shani, Tapati and Shraddhadeva Manu

Revanta or Raivata (Sanskrit: रेवन्त, lit. "brilliant") is a minor Hindu deity. According to the Rig-Veda, Revanta is the youngest son of the sun-god Surya, and his wife Saranyu.

Revanta is chief of the Guhyakas, supernatural beings – like the Yakshas – who are believed to live as forest dwellers in the Himalayas.[1][2]

Images and sculptures of Revanta often show him as a huntsman on a horse, with a bow and arrow. The worship of Revanta was especially common in medieval Eastern India (Bihar and Bengal) with many archaeological finds indicating the existence of a cult dedicated to him that began in the 6th century A.D.[3]

  1. ^ Monier-Williams Dictionary: Revanta
  2. ^ Monier-Williams Dictionary:Guhyaka
  3. ^ Jash, Pranabananda (1978). "The Cult of Revanta in Eastern India". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 39: 990–999. JSTOR 44139448.