Pronunciation: [dˈa͡ɪa͡ʊz] (IPA) 
The word "dyaus" is derived from ancient Sanskrit and represents the Hindu god of the sky or sky father. It is often spelled as "Dyaus" in English, using the IPA phonetic transcription /ˈdjaʊs/, which represents the pronunciation of the word as "dy-owss". The "d" is pronounced like the English "d", the "y" like "j" in "job", the "a" like "ah" and the "ou" like "ow" in "how". The final "s" is pronounced as an "s" sound.
Dyaus is a term derived from ancient Vedic Sanskrit, a language of ancient India, and refers to the deity associated with the sky or the heavens. In ancient Indian cosmology, Dyaus was considered the father of the gods and the ruler of the celestial realm. This deity was often personified as a masculine figure and was associated with power, divinity, and the vast expanse of the sky.
Dyaus is an essential aspect of the Rigvedic pantheon, the collection of hymns and rituals preserved in the Rigveda, one of the oldest known sacred scriptures of Hinduism. In this religious text, Dyaus is often invoked alongside Prithivi, the goddess representing the Earth, as a complementary divine pair symbolizing the interconnectedness and balance of cosmic forces.
Due to its celestial nature, Dyaus is often mentioned in hymns that express praise and gratitude for the beauty, blessings, and fertility that originate from the sky. These hymns highlight the importance of Dyaus in nurturing life on Earth and sustaining the order of the universe.
In later Hindu traditions, Dyaus is sometimes equated with the deity known as Indra, the king of gods and the god of thunder and rain. This aligns with the evolution and synthesis of divinities in Hindu mythology, where different deities become merged or identified with one another over time.
Overall, Dyaus represents the divine power associated with the sky and its limitless expanse, embodying the cosmic order and providing sustenance and blessings to the Earth and its inhabitants.
The word "dyaus" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *deiwos, which means "god" or "shining one". This root gave rise to various related words in different Indo-European languages. In Sanskrit, it became "Dyaus", referring specifically to the ancient Vedic deity associated with the sky and weather. In other Indo-European languages, the same root evolved into different forms, such as the Greek "Zeus" and the Latin "Deus", both of which also mean "god". This underlying root has been widely used across different Indo-European cultures, reflecting the shared linguistic heritage of these ancient civilizations.
