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== Important Aspects of Devatas in Rigveda ==

== Important Aspects of Devatas in Rigveda ==

The phenomenon of nature were the objects of worship for the human being in the earliest times. Some characteristics about Rigvedic deities include

The phenomenon of nature were the objects of worship for the human being in the earliest times. Some characteristics about Rigvedic deities include<ref name=":0">Deka, Barnali. (2015) Ph.D Thesis Title: ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/115225 A socio cultural study of the Rgvedasamhita]''. Gauhati University. (Chapter 4 : The Religious Aspect of the Rgvedasamhita)</ref>

# '''Personification of Nature''': Natural phenomena, the Sun, Moon, Rain etc., inspired sense of reverence in man giving rise to the concept of "presiding deities" in them. Nature stood as a never ending perplexity to them due to its power and sublimity. Various aspects of nature stimulated their aesthetic consciousness and gave rise to personification of the powers of nature into devatas.  With sense of awe and wonder they worshiped the hostile forces of nature. Hence, all the phenomena of nature were the objects of reverence and became devas and devis.

# '''Personification of Nature''': Natural phenomena, the Sun, Moon, Rain etc., inspired sense of reverence in man giving rise to the concept of "presiding deities" in them. Nature stood as a never ending perplexity to them due to its power and sublimity. Various aspects of nature stimulated their aesthetic consciousness and gave rise to personification of the powers of nature into devatas.  With sense of awe and wonder they worshiped the hostile forces of nature. Hence, all the phenomena of nature were the objects of reverence and became devas and devis.

# '''Presence of supernatural Powers''': The seers identified that different powers had exceptional capacity to grant specific wishes. The Rigveda deals with a number of nature gods of varying importance based on their supernatural powers, such as, Agni, Indra, Surya, Rudra, Visnu, Pusan, the Asvins, the Maruts, Savitr, Varuna, Usas, Parjanya etc. Praised for their mighty deeds, their greatness and beneficence extoled in mantras, the deities, in turn, helped their worshippers with their sustenance, wealth, offspring, prosperity, long life, victory, cattle, so on and so forth.

# '''Presence of supernatural Powers''': The seers identified that different powers had exceptional capacity to grant specific wishes. The Rigveda deals with a number of nature gods of varying importance based on their supernatural powers, such as, Agni, Indra, Surya, Rudra, Visnu, Pusan, the Asvins, the Maruts, Savitr, Varuna, Usas, Parjanya etc. Praised for their mighty deeds, their greatness and beneficence extoled in mantras, the deities, in turn, helped their worshippers with their sustenance, wealth, offspring, prosperity, long life, victory, cattle, so on and so forth.

# '''Number of devatas''': A belief in '''many devatas (Bahudevatavada or polytheism)''' was very common. We find many devatas having supernatural powers being amply praised. Next we find the concept of worshipping '''one devata (Ekadevatavada or monotheism)'''. According to them there is only one devata, Agni whose abode is on the earth, Vayu or Indra whose place is in the air and Surya, whose place is in the sky. And the many devatas mentioned are different manifestations or descriptions of one Supreme. They emphasized that all natural phenomena were the various facets of one all-pervading Supreme being. Hiranyagarbha, the primordial "golden" germ or Prajapati, the creator is an example of such Supreme being from where the whole creation sprang forth. Gradually, the seers realized the underlying all-pervading divine principle, The Infinite, from which arose and into which the nature and universe, their individual attributes are absorbed and dissolved.

# '''Number of devatas''': A belief in '''many devatas (Bahudevatavada or polytheism)''' was very common. We find many devatas having supernatural powers being amply praised. Next we find the concept of worshipping '''one devata (Ekadevatavada or monotheism)'''. According to them there is only one devata, Agni whose abode is on the earth, Vayu or Indra whose place is in the air and Surya, whose place is in the sky. एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति। (Rig. Veda. 1.1.64.46)  which And the many devatas mentioned are different manifestations or descriptions of one Supreme. They emphasized that all natural phenomena were the various facets of one all-pervading Supreme being. Hiranyagarbha, the primordial "golden" germ or Prajapati, the creator is an example of such Supreme being from where the whole creation sprang forth. Gradually, the seers realized the underlying all-pervading divine principle, The Infinite, from which arose and into which the nature and universe, their individual attributes are absorbed and dissolved.

# '''Every Devata is Supreme''': The important characteristic of worship is that every devata was regarded as the Supreme. Mantras in a particular extol the greatness of that particular deity as if that deity was the greatest of all devatas.  

# '''Every Devata is Supreme''': The important characteristic of worship is that every devata was regarded as the Supreme. Mantras in a particular extol the greatness of that particular deity as if that deity was the greatest of all devatas.  

# '''Identification of devatas''': One devata is identified with another as well as with all other devatas in the Veda. The first sukta of the second mandala gives the identification of Agni with all gods, viz. Dyaus, Indra, Visnu, Brahma, Brahmanaspati, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, Rudra, Bhaga, Tvastr, and so on and so forth. Yaska also supports this view.

# '''Identification of devatas''': One devata is identified with another as well as with all other devatas in the Veda. The first sukta of the second mandala gives the identification of Agni with all gods, viz. Dyaus, Indra, Visnu, Brahma, Brahmanaspati, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, Rudra, Bhaga, Tvastr, and so on and so forth. Yaska also supports this view.

# '''Dual devatas''': Some particular deities, who shared certain functions in common, were joined in the form of a special kind of dual compound typically seen in the Rigveda. The most important of these paired devatas are - Asvini devatas, Dyava-prithvi, Agnisoma, Indravayu, Indragni, Indrapusana, Indrabrhaspati, Indra-varuna, Indravisnu, Indrasoma, Somarudra, Rodasi etc. Some of them Indramarutah, Agniparjanya are praised in a small number of mantras. Due to close similarity, sometimes one of the two names with a dual termination became indicative of the two. Thus, it is seen that Varuna indicates Mitravaruna.

# '''Dual devatas''': Some particular deities, who shared certain functions in common, were joined in the form of a special kind of dual compound typically seen in the Rigveda. The most important of these paired devatas are - Asvini devatas, Dyava-prithvi, Agnisoma, Indravayu, Indragni, Indrapusana, Indrabrhaspati, Indra-varuna, Indravisnu, Indrasoma, Somarudra, Rodasi etc. Some of them Indramarutah, Agniparjanya are praised in a small number of mantras. Due to close similarity, sometimes one of the two names with a dual termination became indicative of the two. Thus, it is seen that Varuna indicates Mitravaruna.

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