The
Ashvins or
Ashwini Kumaras (, , dual ), in
Hindu mythology, are two
Vedic gods,
divine twin horsemen in the
Rigveda, sons of
Saranyu, a goddess of the clouds and wife of
Surya in his form as Vivasvant. They symbolise the shining of sunrise and sunset, appearing in the sky before the dawn in a golden chariot, bringing treasures to men and averting misfortune and sickness. They are the doctors of gods and are
devas of
Ayurvedic medicine. They are represented as humans with head of a horse. In the epic
Mahabharata, King
Pandu's wife
Madri is granted a son by each Ashvin and bears the twins
Nakula and
Sahadeva who, along with the sons of Kunti, are known as the
Pandavas.