Demon Vala

 

Vala (valá-), meaning "enclosure" in Vedic Sanskrit, is a demon of the Rigveda and the Atharvaveda, the brother of Vrtra

Vala associate with the other Dasyus, the demonic forces. Vala is dark force and also causes darkness for the entire humanity. He holds substance of light in himself and denies its conscious manifestation (spread of knowledge). He has to be broken into fragments in order that the hidden luster may be liberated.

The Cave of Vala

The Cave of Vala, which plays a central role in Lord Indra's exploits with Vala, is described in the Rg Veda. Vala had concealed some cows in the mountain cave, along with Surya and the Ushas (the Sun and the Dawn), and Indra forcefully shook the cave to release them.

The demon named 'Vala' whom Indra had killed. Indra was able to kill this dreaded demon only because he had attained divine powers by practicing self- restraint. The internal meaning of this is that by yogic practices, connecting with nature, the Indra the mind will destroy all the demons in deeper meditation and release the heavenly riches to the Yogi.

The Legend of Vala

According to scriptures, many of the gemstones and precious materials that we love today came from the body parts of demon known as Vala…

Indra ruled the universe from a throne high in the heavens until he was overthrown by a power hungry Asura (a demon-god) called Vala.  Unlike Indra, Vala was very unpopular and as a result he had to hold the throne by force, subduing all of the demi-gods and lesser beings.

Rites and sacrifices were a part of life in Vedic times but often the rite itself was enough such that the full sacrifice wasn’t always necessary.  So when the demigods came to Vala and asked him to pay the part of the sacrificial animal in a mock-ritual he agreed – but once they had him tied down, the demigods knew that Vala was under their control and they murdered him viciously, chopping up his body into many bloody parts.  Then they rejoiced and called him ‘demon’, reinstalling Indra as the Lord of Heaven.

Although Vala was may have been a tyrant, he had allowed himself to be killed in a sacrificial setting and this gave his remains a good power of their own sort.  When the demigods dismembered his dead body the various parts transformed into the seeds of many different precious gems and fell to earth where they scattered and grew.  Some of them fell into oceans and rivers, becoming water-gems; others fell into mountains, caves and forests, becoming land gems.  As a result of their divine origins, all of these precious gems have their own intrinsic strength and potency:

• Toenails: wherever they scattered, Vala’s divine toenails turned into tiny red garnet seeds.
• Droplets of Vala’s blood became precious rubies.
• When Vala’s teeth fell in the oceans they landed in oysters and because the seeds of beautiful pearls.
• Vala’s skin fragmented and fell to earth, becoming precious yellow sapphires.
• Vala’s bile scattered and became emerald-seeds wherever it landed.
• Vala’s fingernails transformed into the rare hessonite gems.
• Vala’s bones fragmented and fell in different areas in different shapes and kinds, becoming diamonds in various hues.
• As he was killed, Vala let out a terrible war cry that shook the heavens and then it rained on the oceans where it agitated the waters so much that huge waves formed to carry the cry to the shores where they were planted as the seeds of the cats eye stone.
• The demon god Vala’s eyes were blue and shaped like the lotus-flower before they scattered to earth and became the sparkling sapphires.
• Vasuki was one of the kings of the snake-gods and he took Vala’s intestines and put them in the oceans around the world, where they germinated and grew into coral.
• Vala’s fatty cells fell particularly in the East of the world, where they grew into the famous jade mines of Asia.
• When his body was destroyed, Vala’s semen was let loose and hardened where it scattered as clear crystal quartz.
• Bizarrely, even Vala’s complexion was powerful enough in its own right to geminate on earth as the seeds of the bloodstone.

Vala myth

RV 6.017.04-06
These gladdening drops (of Soma), O Indra, Self-sustainer, quaffed shall augment thee in thy mighty splendour.
Yea, let the cheering drops delight thee greatly, great, perfect, strong, powerful, all-subduing.

Gladdened whereby, bursting the firm enclosures, thou gavest splendour to the Sun and Morning.
The mighty rock that compassed in the cattle, ne’er moved, thou shookest from its seat, O Indra.

Thou with thy wisdom, power, and works of wonder, hast stored the ripe milk in the raw cows’ udders
Unbarred the firm doors for the kine of Morning, and, with the Angirases, set free the cattle.

In this account, Indra after having consumed a few drops of Soma, burst the enclosures of the cave and shook it by its very foundation – a feat no human or God could have performed. The Sun and Ushas (Morning or Dawn) were released and thus, through his grace, that they obtained their splendour. The last verse contains some very interesting information – notice the mention of Angirasas. The Angirases are one of the primeval family of seers  and appear to have helped Indra in this endeavour.

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So, what is it with the cows? Were they trapped in the cave as well? Not so. The cows here are symbolic, signifying the rays of light that undoubtedly spread with the release of (or rising of) the Sun. Poetic licence if you will.

The antiquity of the event, if it all occurred, and the involvement of the Angirases is further reinforced in Hymn 18, Verse 5 – “Be this our ancient bond of friendship with you and with Angirases here who speak of Vala“.

RV 6.039.03-04
This Indu lighted darksome nights, O Indra, throughout the years, at morning and at evening.
Him have they stablished as the days’ bright ensign. He made the Mornings to be born in splendour.

He shone and caused to shine the worlds that shone not. By Law he lighted up the host of Mornings.
He moves with Steeds yoked by eternal Order, contenting men with nave that finds the sunlight.

Indu (another name for the deity Soma) lighted darksome nights. The night lasted even during the day – through the morning and the evening. The nights lasted throughout the years. It is a time and place where the “world shone not”.

RV 6.032.02
Amid the sages, with the Sun he brightened the Parents: glorified, he burst the mountain;
And, roaring with the holy-thoughted singers, he loosed the bond that held the beams of Morning.

RV 6.039.02
Craving the kine (usra -> also means ray of light), rushing (pary, actually paryapatat) against the mountain (adri) led on by Law, with holyminded comrades,

He broke the never-broken ridge of Vala. With words of might Indra subdued the Panis.

Indra and the Angirases (variously referred to as sages, holy-thoughted singers, holy-minded comrades), craving for sunlight, probably tired of living in regions with long, dark winters, broke through the mountain ranges as they moved southwards into regions with plentiful of sunshine.

RV 6.17.5-6:

• Thou with thy wisdom, power, and works of wonder, hast stored the ripe milk in the raw cows' udders
  Unbarred the firm doors for the kine of Morning, and, with the Angirases, set free the cattle.
  

RV 6.39.2:

• Craving the kine, rushing against the mountain led on by Law, with holyminded comrades,
  He broke the never-broken ridge of Vala. With words of might Indra subdued the Panis.