According to Hindu mythology, even gods and goddesses needed a doctor and out of the 33 major gods in Hinduism, 2 are Ashwini Kumars who are called the physicians of the gods. They used to treat the gods and goddesses, especially during a war. Let's discuss their origin, real names and how they got the head of a horse.
According to the Puranas, Ashwini Kumar is related to the Sun God and his wife Sangya. The divine craftsman Vishwakarma married his daughter Sangya to the Sun God. Sangya gave birth to two sons, Vaivasvat and Yama, and a daughter named Yamuna. However, Sangya could not bear the intense heat of the Sun, due to which she once left her shadow behind and went to meditate.
When Sangya was away, the Sun mistook her shadow for his wife. But then he realized that it was just a deception. After this, the Sun god closed his eyes and in a meditative state saw his wife performing penance in the form of a mare. He reduced his brightness and then assumed the form of a horse to go to her.
Surya in his horse form had a relationship with Sangya which resulted in the birth of twin sons, Nasatya and Dastra. Since they were born from this union involving a horse, they were named Ashwini Kumars. After Surya reduced his brightness, Sangya agreed to go and live with him.
With the blessings of Surya, Yama became the god of justice. Yamuna became a famous river, and Vaivasvat played the role of the seventh Manu. Nasatya, Dastra became the physician of the gods. In the Mahabharata period, two of the five Pandavas, Nakul and Sahadeva, were the sons of these Ashwini Kumars. The mantra that Kunti had received from Durvasa Rishi was given by Kunti to Madri and Madri also got two sons.
