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Vedist Deities

As a whole, the Vedas are addressed to bright, friendly gods. Rudra, who was destined to become the Siva of the Hindus, and the third person, or Destroyer, in their triad, is only the god of Roaring Tempests in the Veda. Vishnu, the second person, or Preserver, in the Hindu triad, is but slightly known as the deity of the Shining Firmament; while Brahma, the first person, or Creator, has no separate existence in these simple hymns. The names of the dreadful Mahadeva, Durga, Kali, and of the gentler Krishna and Rama, are alike unknown in the Rig-Veda. The Aryan settlers lived on excellent terms with their bright Vedic gods. They asked for protection with an assured conviction that it would be granted. The sense of sin, or the idea of spiritual submission, scarcely appears in the Veda.

There are three deities, according to the expounders of the Vedas: Agni, whose place is on the earth ; Vayu or Indra, whose place is the air; and Surya, whose place is in the sky. These deities receive severally many appellations, in consequence of their greatness or of the diversity of their functions. In the Rig-Veda itself this number is increased to thirty-three: "Agni, the wise god, lends an ear to his worshippers. God with the ruddy steeds, who lovest praise, bring hither those three-and-thirty." This is the number commonly mentioned, though it is by no means easy to decide which are the thirty-three intended, as the lists of the gods vary considerably; whilst in another verse it is said, that "three hundred, three thousand, thirty-and-nine gods have worshipped Agni."

These deities are spoken of as immortal, but are not said to be self-existent beings; in fact, their parentage in most cases is given, though the various accounts of their origin do not agree with each other, as found in different parts of the Vedas. Agni and Savitri are said to have conferred immortality upon the gods; whilst it is taught that Indra obtained this boon by sacrifice.

An interesting account is given in the 'Satapatha Brahmana' of the means by which the gods obtained immortality, and superiority over the Asuras or Demons. All the gods were alike mortal, all were equal in power, all were alike sons of Prajapati the Creator. Wishing to be immortal, they offered sacrifices liberally, and practised the severest penance; but not until Prajapati had taught them to offer a particular sacrifice could they become immortal. They followed his advice, and gained the desired boon. Wishing to become greater than the Asuras, they became truthful. Previously they and the Asuras spoke truthfully or falsely as they thought fit ; but gradually they ceased from lying, whilst the Asuras became increasingly false: the result was, that the gods after protracted struggles gained the victory.

Of the gods, originally, all were alike in power, all alike good; but three of them desired to be superior to the rest, viz. Agni, Indra, and Surya. They continued to offer sacrifices for this purpose until it was accomplished.

It will be noticed that each of the gods in turn is regarded by the worshipper as superior to. all the others; and in the Vedas this superlative language is employed, and the identical epithets are given indiscriminately. When these individual gods are invoked, they are not conceived as limited by the power of others, as superior or inferior in rank. Each god, to the mind of the supplicants, is as good as all the gods. He is felt at the time as a real divinity, as supreme and absolute, in spite of the limitations which, to our mind, a plurality of gods must entail on every single god. All the rest disappear for a moment from the vision of the poet, and he only who is to fulfil their desires stands in full light before the eyes of the worshippers.

The general opinion respecting Dyaus (Heaven) and Prithivi (Earth) is that they are among the most ancient of the Aryan deities: hence they are spoken of in the hymns of the Rig-Veda as the parents of the other gods. They are described as "great, wise, and energetic;" those who " promote righteousness, and lavish gifts upon their worshippers." And in another place they are said to have " made all creatures," and through their favour "immortality is conferred upon their offspring." Not only are they the creators, but also the preservers of all creatures; and are beneficent and kind to all. In other passages Heaven and Earth are said to have been formed by Indra, who is declared to transcend them in greatness, whom they follow "as a chariot follows the horse."

Max Muller says:— "If I were asked what I consider the most important discovery which has been made in the Nineteenth Century with respect to the ancient history of mankind, I should answer by the following short equation :—Sanscrit, Dyaus-pitar = Greek, Zeus Pater= Latin, Jupiter = Old Norse, TYR. Think what this formula suggests. It implies not only that our ancestors and the ancestors of Homer and Cicero, in their undivided primitive home, spoke the same language as the people of India—a discovery which, however incredible at first, has long ceased to cause surprise—but it also implies and proves that at one time they all held the same faith and worshipped the same supreme Deity under the same name—a name which meant Heaven Father."

Indra gradually superseded Dyaus in the worship of the Hindus soon after their settlement in India. As the praises of the newer god were sung, the older one was forgotten, and at the present day, whilst Dyaus is almost unknown, Indra is still regarded; but in the Vedas both are called "the god of heaven."