| Type: | Hindu |
| Affiliation: | Deva, Pancha Bhuta |
| Abode: | Dyuloka, Sky (Sanskrit: आकाश) |
| Other Names: | Akasha |
| Deity Of: | God of the Sky |
| Consort: | Prithvi |
| Offspring: | Indra, Surya, Ushas, and the other gods |
| Texts: | Rigveda |
| Greek Equivalent: | Ouranos (Functional equivalent) Zeus (mainly etymological)[1] |
| Roman Equivalent: | Caelus (Functional equivalent) Jupiter (mainly etymological) |
| Indo-European Equivalent: | Dyēus |
Dyaus or Dyauspitr (Sanskrit: द्यौष्पितृ,) is the Rigvedic sky deity. His consort is Prthvi, the earth goddess, and together they are the archetypal parents in the Rigveda.[2]
stems from Proto-Indo-Iranian
The noun (when used without the 'father') refers to the daylight sky, and occurs frequently in the Rigveda, as an entity. The sky in Vedic writing was described as rising in three tiers,,, and or .[3]
Dyáuṣ Pitṛ́ appears in hymns with Prithvi Mata 'Mother Earth' in the ancient Vedic scriptures of Hinduism.[4]
In the Ṛg·veda, Dyáuṣ Pitṛ́ appears in verses 1.89.4, 1.90.7, 1.164.33, 1.191.6, 4.1.10. and 4.17.4[5] He is also referred to under different theonyms: Dyavaprithvi, for example, is a dvandva compound combining 'heaven' and 'earth' as Dyauṣ and Prithvi.
Dyauṣ's most defining trait is his paternal role.[6] His daughter, Uṣas, personifies dawn.[7] The gods, especially Sūrya, are stated to be the children of Dyauṣ and Prithvi. Dyauṣ's other sons include Agni, Parjanya, the Ādityas, the Maruts, and the Angirases. The Ashvins are called "divó nápāt", meaning offspring/progeny/grandsons of Dyauṣ.[8] Dyauṣ is often visualized as a roaring animal, often a bull, who fertilizes the earth. Dyauṣ is also known for the rape of his own daughter, which, according to Jamison and Brereton (2014), is vaguely but vividly mentioned in the Rigveda.[9]
Dyauṣ is also stated to be like a black stallion studded with pearls in a simile with the night sky.
Indra's separation of Dyauṣ and Prithvi is celebrated in the Rigveda as an important creation myth.