Introduction
Amsha, also spelled Amsa, is one of the Adityas, a Vedic god whose name means "share", "portion" or "part". He is one of the least prominent of the Adityas, and is mentioned mostly in lists.
The Adityas are the sons of Aditi. The Rigveda names six (Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Varuna, Daksha and Amsha in hymn 2.27), and later texts list eight or twelve. In the Puranas, the twelve Adityas correspond to the twelve months of the year, and each rides in the sun's chariot in its month. The lists vary.
Family
- Father: Kashyapa
- Mother: Aditi
- Siblings: Vishnu, Surya, Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Dhata, Pushan, Tvashtri, Savitri (aspect of Surya), Garuda, Aruna
In the Rigveda
Amsha appears in the list of six Adityas in hymn 2.27 (Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Varuna, Daksha and Amsha). Like Bhaga, he represents the allocation of goods and a person's portion of life. In the Rigveda, the god of the share appears alongside the gods of contracts and marriage.
In the Puranas
In the Puranic lists of the twelve Adityas, Amsha is the son of Kashyapa and Aditi. The name Amshuman, "having rays", is used for the sun in the Puranas, and for a king of the Solar dynasty.
Meaning
Amsha and Bhaga together express the idea that each person has an allotted portion, an idea related to the Indian concept of destiny.