Ashwini and Rebant¹⁷

Surya, the sun god, and his wife, Sangya, had twin sons. Their names were Ashwini and Rebant, but everyone called them by one name — Ashwinikumar. They were extremely beautiful and looked very much alike. They became great physicians and were known as heavenly physicians. They could cure incurable diseases. Some people said they were not actually human beings, but were really Indra and Varuna. Others said that one was earth and the other Heaven. They were also called day and night, and the sun and the moon.

Three times a day they would leave Heaven and go to earth to watch what was happening there. They would shower earth with their love, concern and compassion. All this they would do secretly in their glowing white chariots.

In many cases the human physicians on earth would not be able to cure their patients. Medical science often fails. The two brothers would hear the crying families and secretly descend to earth to save the sick person. The doctors would sometimes be pronouncing the patients dead when the brothers would save them. No one could understand what had happened, but the families would dance with joy that a miracle had taken place to save their loved ones.