What were the The Nature and Classification of Vedic Gods?

The Rigvedic poets were deeply affected by the apparently mysterious working of the awe-inspiring forces of nature. Their hymns reflect a primitive attitude of mind which looked upon all nature as a living presence or an aggregate of animated entities.

The luminaries which follow a fixed course across the sky were regarded as the devas (the shining ones) or gods. Naturally the sense of dependence of human welfare on the powers of nature, the unexplained mysteries of whose working invested them with almost “super-natural” or divine character, finds its expression in various forms of worship.

There is no fixed order of seniority among the Vedic gods in the strict sense of the term. For too many functions, powers and offices are held in common by two or more deities. There is a sort of democracy among them, though it is not thorough going or consistent. The particular deity that the poet happens to be invoking monopolizes, for the time being, all the attributes.

The god is addressed for the moment as if he were the greatest and even the only god. Almost in the same breath, however, (in the next stanza or hymn) this mighty god is described as dependent on others.

In a number of Rigvedic hymns the mutual cooperation, interdependence, and subordination of the various deities in pairs or larger groups is often described and various explanations have been offered to account for this apparently inconsistent evaluation of divine ranks and dignities in the Rigveda; but none of these explanations is very convincing. Therefore, any attempt to fix the rank or gradation of Vedic gods is superfluous.

However, in the Rigveda a triple classification of Vedic gods has been hinted according to which the corresponding three orders are: (i) Terrestrial (Prithvisthan), (ii) Aerial or Intermediate (Antarikshasthana or Madhyasthan), and (iii) Celestial (dyusthana).

Prithvi, Agni, Soma, Brihaspati and the rivers belong to the first order; Indra, Apamnapat, Vishnu, Aditya, Rudra, Ahi Budhanya, Vayuvata, Parajanya, Apah, Matarisvan, etc. to second, and Dyaus, Varuna, Mitra, Surya, Savitri, Pushan, Vishnu, the Adityas, Ushas and the Asvins to the third. This classification is founded on the natural basis which the deities represent and is thus more practical and least open to objection.

But at certain places this classification is over­lapping and not very clear-cut, such as Tvastri and Prithvi are assigned to all the three spheres, Agni and Ushas to the terrestrial as well as aerial spheres, and Varuna, Yama and Savitri to the aerial as well as the celestial ones. But the difficulties of determining relative greatness are almost insuperable and only a few tentative conclusions are possible.

For example, Indra, the mighty warrior and Varuna, the supreme moral ruler, stand out pre­eminent above the rest. Agni and Soma, the two ritual deities should come next, but Indra, Agni and Soma are the three most popular deities, judging by the frequency of the hymns addressed to them.

The gods are usually stated to be thirty-three in number, divided into three groups corresponding to the three divisions of the universe. The gods are described as born though not all simultaneously and yet they are immortal. In appearance they are human, the parts of their bodies being identified poetically with the phenomena of nature, such as rays or flames.

On the whole, the gods are benevolent the only one with malevolent traits being Rudra. The gods subdue the forces of evil and regulate the order of nature, which they themselves follow and enforce on mortals. They reward the righteous and punish the sinful.

Important Vedic Gods

From the names of the Vedic deities, their original status or position is known. Some epithets of natural beings, in course of time, became names of gods, for instance, Savitri – ‘the life giver’ – the God of light. In this manner besides Surya (Sun God) many other Sun gods appear in the Rigveda.

Some of the Vedic deities were of abstract nature such as Vtsvakarman, Prajapati, Sraddha, Manyu, etc. Of the major Vedic deities, Indra, Varuna and Agni occupy the highest position.

Indra:

Among the aerial or atmospheric gods Indra has the highest number of hymns, i.e. 250, attributed to him. His physical proportions and powers are stupendous. He is an efficient car- warrior (rathestha), a winner (jitendra), and a Soma drinker (somapa).

His father is Dyaus (heaven). He killed the demon Vritra (Vritrahan) and destroyed the forts (pura) of his enemies, and therefore, is called Purandara. He is the Aryan War Lord, who fulfilled the dual function of war god and weather god.

Indra was associated with storm and thunder, and his hand bore the thunderbolt (Vajra), with which he destroyed the enemies. Indra is a powerful god, known as Shatakratu (possessing a hundred powers) Vritraham, (slayer of Vritra) and Maghavan (bounteous). His wife is Indrani or Sachi (Energy).

Agni:

The second position is held by Agni. About 200 hymns in the Rig-Veda are addressed to the fire god (Agni). He was an intermediary between gods and men, for he consumed the sacrificial offerings and carried them to the gods. He dwelt in the waters of heaven in the form of lightning, and on the earth in many forms.

Varuna:

The third position is occupied by Varuna. He is the king, the universal monarch and lives in a golden palace in the heaven. The palace has a thousand pillars and a thousand doors.

He sends his spies (spas) everywhere and controls many natural phenomena. He regulates the Sun and the Dawn. He supports heaven, earth and air. He is the bestower of rain and regulates seasons (ritu). All gods obey him. None can defy his orders.

Varuna is the god of waters, clouds, oceans and rivers. He determines the path for all stars in heaven. He is the moral governor of all deities and ties the sinners with his pasha (noose). Varuna has been invoked in the most fervent manner and these stanzas are considered the most exalted poetry in the Rigveda. In every hymn to Varuna, there is an appeal for forgiveness. He is the upholder of the natural or cosmic and the ethical-moral order (rita).

Varuna is an ancient god, probably Indo- Iranian. The Ahura Mazdah (Wise Spirit) of the Avesta agrees with Varuna in character. Varuna is the ‘All-Enveloper’ and the ‘All-Encompasser’. He controls the day and the night. The ritu (seasons) is like a wheel which keeps the universe in its place and Varuna is its controller. All the water in heaven, in the air and on the earth flows at his command.

Sun:

Several gods were associated with the Sun. Surya (the common word for Sun) drove across the sky in a flaming chariot, like the Greek god Helios. Savitri, the Stimulator or god of light, was another solar god. The famous Gayatri mantra is addressed to him. Pusan too, was in some measure a solar god, driving daily across the sky, but his main function was that of guarding of roads, herdsmen and straying cattle.

Rudra:

He was associated with storm and was also invoked to ward off his arrows of epidemics and disaster. He had, however, a beneficent aspect, for he was the guardian of healing herbs.

Yama:

Lord of the dead, was a sort of Adam. The first man to die, he became guardian of the world of the blessed dead.

Soma:

The Soma was the most popular elixir of the Vedic Aryans, extracted from a creeper found in the Muja want Mountains. The Soma juice has been called Amrita (divine drink) and Shuddha (pure). It was mixed with milk, curd or barley and taken three times a day. The Soma sacrifice was also held which was the centre of the Vedic rituals.

Prithvi:

Has been invoked only once and is the synonym for earth. Certain rivers like Sindhu, Vipasa, Shutudri are also lauded, the most important among them being Saraswati.

Miscellaneous Gods:

There were many other important Vedic Gods, such as Vayu (the god of wind), Tvastri (the Vedic Vulcan), Aryamah (guardian of compacts), Vishnu (personification of the activities of the Sun – a god with three steps), Dyaus (god of heaven and father of Surya), Aditi (mother of Surya), Savitri (the god of light; the famous Gayatri hymn is attributed to him), Pushan (the god of marriage), etc.

There were also demi­gods of various kinds, among them are Vishvedevas, a vague group of indeterminate deities, the Maruts, or storm-spirits, Gandharvas, divine musicians (servants of Indra), etc.

Female Divinities:

Vedic religion had predominantly male gods; the female divinities were very few. The most important female divinity was Ushas, the goddess of dawn. Other important female divinities were: Prithvi, a personification of the earth; Aditi, the great mother of gods; Ratri, the spirit of the night; Aranyani, the Lady of the Forest; Dishana, the goddess of vegetation; Ila, the goddess of offerings; Puramadhi, the spirit of fecundity, etc. The Apsaras are water nymphs, wives of the Gandharvas and later associated with the tree cult. The best-known Vedic Apsara was Urvashi.