Aryaman is one of the early Vedic deities (devas

Deva (Hinduism)

' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...

). His name signifies "bosom friend". He is the third son of Aditi

Aditi

Aditi in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. In the Vedas Aditi is mother of the gods from whose cosmic matrix the heavenly bodies were born...

. He is an Aditya, a solar deity

Solar deity

A solar deity is a sky deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms...

. He is supposed to be the chief of the manes and the Milky Way

Milky Way

The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...

 is supposed to be his path.

Aryaman is another name for Surya or the Sun God. It stands for the dutiful nature of Sun in keeping his dharma

Dharma

Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...

of controlling time. Aryama is the culmination of two dhaatus: Aha and Yama. Aha means a unit of time and Yama stands for controller. As the creator of day and night, Aryama (Sun) controls the movement of time. In being duty bound to this activity, Sun provides us an example of being duty bound and being objective. The Hindu marriage oaths are administered with an invocation to Aryama being the witness to the event.