Ushas is the Vedic goddess of the dawn. The night goddess, Ratri, is often called her sister. Some of the most beautiful hymns of the VEDAS are addressed to Ushas. Sometimes she is seen as the mother of the Sun god and sometimes his wife. She travels in a shining chariot drawn by red horses or cows.
She is seen as very beautiful, dressed in orna-ments and fine raiments. She gives life and health to all beings. She is called the “life of all life” and the “breath of all breaths.” She is a great power who revivifies Earth each day and makes all life that we know possible.
Further reading: Alfred Hillebrandt, Vedic Mythology. Translated by Sreeramula Rajeswara Sarma. Vol. 1 (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990); W. J. Wilkins, Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Puranic, 2d ed. (Bombay: Rupa, 1973).
Encyclopedia of Hinduism. A. Jones and James D. Ryan. 2007.