The Ashvins (Sanskrit: अश्विन्, IAST: Aśvin), also known as the Ashvini Kumaras or Asvinau, are Vedic twin deities associated with medicine, health, healing, the sciences, and the twilight. The name literally means 'horse possessors'. The two are individually called Nāsatya ('ever true') and Dasra ('enlightened giving').
In the Rigveda, the Ashvins are depicted as youthful divine twin horsemen who travel in a chariot drawn by horses that are never weary. They are portrayed as guardian deities who safeguard and rescue people by aiding them in various situations. Their association with healing and restorative powers is a recurring theme in the Vedic hymns addressed to them.
While the texts give varying accounts of their parentage, the Ashvins are generally mentioned as the sons of the sun god Surya and his wife Sanjna. This solar lineage links them to themes of light, dawn, and the transitional periods of day, in keeping with their identification with the twilight.
In the epic Mahabharata, the Ashvins appear as the divine fathers of the Pandava twins Nakula and Sahadeva, who were born to Madri, one of the wives of King Pandu. Through this connection, the Ashvins are woven into the broader narrative tradition of the Mahabharata, extending their presence from the Vedic hymns into the later epic literature of the Hindu tradition.