A Vedic God, Ahi Budhnya finds mention in the Rig Veda. He
is the snake of the deep world. Some scholars suggest he is the serpent of the
atmospheric ocean. He is invoked to gain blessings and not to be harmful to the
people. It looks like Ahirbudhnya deity was symbolic representation of water snake or
some reptile in the water that might have harmed the people.
Vishnu Purana mentions that He was the son of Vishwakarma,
the divine architect.
In the Mahabharata, Ahi Budhnya is one of the eleven Rudras
and is also one of the eleven Maruts. Thus by the Mahabharata period the deity
is related to Rudra or Shiva.
In the Rig Veda, the name is only mentioned in the hymns
dedicated to Visvedevas.
Only in three verses in the Rig Veda Ahi Budhnya is invoked
alone. He is associated five times with Aja Ekapad, three times with Apam
Napat, three times with Samudra and two times with Savitr.