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Tag: Gods in Hinduism

  • Hinduism Present Gods Not In Vedas Why?

    I have received a perceptive comment on the Gods worshiped in the Vedas.

    This is it.Vedic Gods Abstract ,Hinduism.jpg Vedic Gods Abstract ,Hinduism.

    ‘

    After completing the Shruti texts, I moved onto the Smritis – the Itihaas and the Purans when my daughter, while reading the draft, commented : No portion of the Veds (including the Upanishads) really talk of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Ganesh, Devi etc. How did the transition take place.?

    The Agams do provide a clue but to my mind there are several missing links – especially in the practices as seen from Uttar Pradesh where I come from. Can you throw any light on this?’

    I kept the comment pending lest I forget it.

    The Vedas  as rightly said do not mention the Trinity Brahma , Vishnu And Shiva as much as the other deities as Indra, Varuna , Agni.

    Shiva is not mentioned at all, excepting in Sri Rudram as Sivaaya Ca, Sivadharaya ca.

    No mention of Brahma either.

    But we have references to Vishnu and Narayana.

    Example.Narayna Suktham ,Vishnu Suktham.

    Devis Lakshmi and Durga are mentioned , Sri Suktham and Durga Suktham.

    Vishnu is mentioned six times, in the Rig Veda

    Ganapati Upanishad is found in the Atharva Veda.

    As to how the Trinity and other deities we worship today came into play is the human necessity of having a fixed an object for realization with specific attributes that are identical with human attributes.

    Vedas speak of Para Brahmanas Nirguna, with out Attributes.

    Saguna, Gods with attributes were limited to what we now consider as minor deities, like Indra, Varuna and the others.

    More of karma kanda was followed and Bhakthi Bhavam the Path of Devotion does not find a place in the Vedas as much as in the post Vedic period.

    Vedic karmas were performed as per the Vedic procedure, were more mantra oriented( the deities are bound by the Mantras) and the Deities like Agni were used as conduits in carrying the oblations and these deities were considered to be the benefactor of human needs.

    Howver as the number of these deities were numerous, there was a necessity of establishing  much more powerful deities, who are are in control of these deities.

    Thus were the Gods Brahma and others.

    As for as Shiva is concerned there are references to Siva in the South. Pre Sanatana Dharma period where He is described as Adhi Shiva and a First Siddha.

    I have published a couple of articles on this and more to follow.

    So many of the Gods we worship today were not mentioned in the Vedas.

    That does not necessarily mean they are Illusions or lies.

    As I have mentioned in my earlier Post that Hinduism does not believe in personal God but understands the Human Mind;s necessity og having one.

    So it allows the worship of these deities.

    As Krishna says,in The Bhagavad Gita

    “I shall grant the boons to one who prays  in the Form he worships and in the same manner that Deity would’

    Thereby implies the Nirguna Upasna can be supplemented by Saguna worship.

    Deities mentioned in the Rig Veda.Numbers indicate the number of times the Gods were mentioned.

    • Indra 289
    • Agni 218
    • Soma 123 (most of them in the Soma Mandala)
    • The Asvins 56
    • Varuna 46 [1]
    • the Maruts 38
    • Mitra 28[1]
    • Ushas 21
    • Vayu (Wind) 12
    • Savitr 11
    • the Rbhus 11
    • Pushan 10
    • the Apris 9
    • Brhaspati 8
    • Surya (Sun) 8
    • Dyaus and Prithivi (Heaven and Earth) 6, plus 5.84 dedicated to Earth alone
    • Apas (Waters) 6
    • Adityas 6
    • Vishnu 6
    • Brahmanaspati 6
    • Rudra 5
    • Dadhikras 4
    • the Sarasvati River / Sarasvati 3
    • Yama
    • Parjanya (Rain) 3
    • Vāc (Speech) 2 (mentioned 130 times, deified e.g. in 10.125)
    • Vastospati 2
    • Vishvakarman 2
    • Manyu 2
    • Kapinjala (the Heathcock, a form of Indra) 2

    Minor deities (one single or no dedicated hymn)

    • Manas (Thought), prominent concept, deified in 10.58
    • Dakshina (Reward for priests and poets), prominent concept, deified in 10.107
    • Jnanam (Knowledge), prominent concept, deified in 10.71
    • Purusha (“Cosmic Man” of the Purusha sukta 10.90)
    • Aditi
    • Bhaga
    • Vasukra
    • Atri
    • Apam Napat
    • Ksetrapati
    • Ghrta
    • Nirrti
    • Asamati
    • Urvasi
    • Pururavas
    • Vena
    • Aranyani
    • Mayabheda
    • Tarksya
    • Tvastar

    I have taken as a frame of reference as it is the oldest and regarded as most authentic.

    I belong to Krishna Yajur.

    Citations.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigvedic_deities

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  • Vedic Gods 330 Million Or 33 List

     

     

     

    Lord Shiva of the Trinity of Hinduism
    Lord Shiva
    Gods In Hinduism
    Vedic Gods

     

    The period when the Four Vedas were in very active usage,about 5000 years back,there was a highly developed system of Philosophical thought.

     

    For the date of the Vedas and their Philosophy. please check my posts under

     

    Hinduism,History,Indian Philosophy.Astrophysics.

     

    Broadly speaking the worship was in the following categories.

     

    1.Para Brahman The Reality without Attributes.

     

    2.Personal Gods.Goddesses with attributes.

     

    These personal Goddesses were worshiped under different ways, the style of description on the Gods.

     

    a) Polytheism.

    Worshiping Many Gods.

    b) Henotheism, where one God is praised to the exclusion of everything else.

    c)Monotheism, worship of One God, or Nature in the form of a God.

    I am not going into the Para Brahman, The Reality aspect as it is not within the scope of this essay.

    I am posting a list of Gods and goddesses worshiped during the Vedic period.

    Of this lot, Purusha, the Cosmic Male, Narayana, the Cosmic Prospector,Vishnu, Cosmic Sustainer,Sri, Of Wealth and Durga, of valour occur in the worship as Para Brahman , Saguna, with Attribute.

    in common language they are of a Higher order, though technically this description is incorrect.

     

    The List of Vedic Hindu Gods and Goddesses

     

    Adityas.
    Mitra, the patron god of oaths and of friendship,
    Varuṇa, the patron god of water and the oceans,
    Śakra, also called Indra, the king of gods, and the god of rains
    Dakṣa,
    Aṃśa,
    Aryaman,
    Bhaga, god of wealth
    Vivasvat, also called Ravi or Savitṛ,
    Tvāṣṭṛ, the smith among the gods,
    Pūṣan, patron god of travellers and herdsmen, god of roads,

    ,
    Dhātṛ, god of health and magic, also called Dhūti,
    Yama, god of Dharma (moral ethics), of death and of justice.
    Vasus,
    Assistants of Indra and of Vishnu,
    Agni the “Fire” god, also called Anala or “living”,
    Vāyu the “Wind”, the air god, also called Anila (“wind”)
    Dyauṣ the “Sky” god, also called Dyeus and Prabhāsa or the “shining dawn”
    Pṛthivī the “Earth” god, also called Dharā or “support”
    Sūrya the “Sun” god, also called Pratyūsha, (“break of dawn”, but often used to mean simply “light”), the Saura sectary worshipped Sūrya as their chief deity.
    Soma the “Moon” god, also called Chandra
    Aha (“pervading”) or Āpa (‘water’ or ether), also called Antarikṣa the “Atmosphere” or “Space” god,
    Dhruva (“motionless”) the Polestar, also called Nakṣatra the god of the “Stars”,
    Rudras
    They are the 11 personifications of god Rudra and have various names.
    Ashvins
    The Ashvins (also called the Nāsatyas) were twin gods. Nasatya is also the name of one twin, while the other is called Dasra.

     

     

     

    There is a general perception among other religions that Hindus believe in 330 million Devas and Devis so Hinduism is essentially a pluralistic religion based on Dharma. This is a wrong perception because the 330 million figure refers to “Deities” which are the manifestations of One Supreme Being-Ishwar of Parambrahamn.

     

    In the Vedas, Thirty-three Deities are listed.

     

    Another view contends that 330 million is a figure symbolizing infinity, indicating infinite forms of God.

     

    Shatpatha Brahmana states,
    “Yasya Trayastrinshad Devaa Ange Sarve Samaahitaa, Skamma Tam Bruhi Katamah Swideva Sah”. ~(Atharva Veda 10-7-13)
    With God’s influence, these thirty-three (supporting devta) sustain the world.”

     

    Yajnavalkya  says that there are three hundred and three and three thousand and three gods. When the question is repeated?

     

    He says, thirty three.

     

    When the question is again repeated he says, six. Finally, after several repetitions he says ONE. (Chapter I, hymn 9, verse 1)

     

    Bruhataranyaka Upanishad.
    The number 33 comes from the number of Vedic gods explained by Yajnavalkya in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad – the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the

     

    twelve Adityas, Indra and Prajapati.
    They are: 8-Vasu, 11-Rudra, and 12-Aaditya, 1-Indra and 1-Prajaapati.
    8. Vasus are: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, Moon, Sun, and Star. They are called Vasus, because they are abode of all that lives, moves or exists. (also mentioned in Mahabharat, 1/66/18)
    11. Rudras: The ten Pranas (Praana, Apaana, Vyaana, Samaana, Udaana, Naag, Kurma, Krikal, Devadutta and Dhananjaya) i.e. nervauric forces which

    live in the human body. The eleventh is the human soul. These are called ‘Rudras’ because when they desert the body, it becomes dead and the

    relations of the deceased, consequently, begin to weep. Rudra means one who makes a person to weep. { also mentioned in Harivansha 13/51-52})
    12. Adityaas —the twelve months of a year called Adityaas, they cause the lapse of the term of existence of each object or being. { also mentioned in

    Mahabharat 1/65/15-16})
    1. Indra which is also known as the (all-pervading) electricity, as it is productive of great force.

     

    Citations.

    Vedic Hindu Gods

     

     Hindu Gods

     

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