27/12/2025
Mention of Hound in Rigveda
The Rigveda (10.108) references Sarama, a messenger of Indra, who travelled to the land of the Asuras and crossed the Rasa River. This sukta serves as a dialogue between Sarama and the Panis.
किमिच्छन्ती सरमा प्रेदमानड्दूरे ह्यध्वा जगुरिः पराचैः ।
कास्मेहितिः का परितक्म्यासीत्कथं रसाया अतरः पयांसि ॥१॥
इन्द्रस्य दूतीरिषिता चरामि मह इच्छन्ती पणयो निधीन्वः ।
अतिष्कदो भियसा तन्न आवत्तथा रसाया अतरं पयांसि ॥२॥
कीदृङ्ङिन्द्रः सरमे का दृशीका यस्येदं दूतीरसरः पराकात् ।
आ च गच्छान्मित्रमेना दधामाथा गवां गोपतिर्नो भवाति ॥३॥
नाहं तं वेद दभ्यं दभत्स यस्येदं दूतीरसरं पराकात् ।
न तं गूहन्ति स्रवतो गभीरा हता इन्द्रेण पणयः शयध्वे ॥४॥
Sayana further elaborates:
ऐन्द्रपुरोहितस्य बृहस्पतेर्गोषु वलनाम्नोऽसुरस्य भटैःपणिनामकैरसुरैरपहृत्य गुहायां निहितासु सतीषु बृहस्पतिप्रेरितेनेन्द्रेणगवामन्वेषणाय सरमा नाम देवशुनी प्रेषिता । सा च महतीं नदीमुत्तीर्यवलपुरं प्राप्य गुप्तस्थाने नीतास्ता गा ददर्श ।
When the cows of Brihaspati, the priest of Indra, had been seized by the warriors of the asura named Vala—those asuras known as the Paṇis—and hidden in a cave, Indra, urged by Brihaspati, sent the divine hound named Saramā to search for the cows. She crossed a great river (Rasa River), reached the city of Vala(Valapura), and there saw those cows that had been taken and concealed in a secret place.
The Asura Vala mentioned in Vedic corpus was indeed Belus (in Greek), Baal (in Syria, Canaan) and Bel (in Akkad and Sumer). His city Valapura was in the South Caucasus, close to the Aras River (Rasa River). Sarama crossed the Aras River and reached the city of Belus. According to ancient Armenian history, King Hayk Nahapet killed Bel and founded his Kingdom in Armenia.
credits - Vedveer Arya