(South and Central Asian mythology)
Frequently mentioned in the Rig Veda this Hindu deity acquired a distinctly defined character only in later times. ‘The nourisher’, the supplier of cattle and possessions, Pushan carries an ox-goad, and he is drawn by goats. Because of his toothlessness, worshippers offer gruel and cooked foods of ground materials. One account of this dental disaster relates that Pushan unhappily caught the full force of Shiva's fist in the celestial fracas at the sacrifice of the rishi Daksha.
