Changes

# '''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.

# '''Group of devatas (plural)''': We find that the seers eulogized a number of groups of devatas who formed a set and are mentioned only in plural. They are the Maruts (group of 49 devatas), Adityas (12), Rudras (11) Visvedevas (13). Here a set of thirteen devatas are collectively called as Vishvedevas.  

# '''Group of devatas (plural)''': We find that the seers eulogized a number of groups of devatas who formed a set and are mentioned only in plural. They are the Maruts (group of 49 devatas), Adityas (12), Rudras (11) Visvedevas (13). Thus, a group of thirteen devatas are collectively called as Vishvedevas.

#  

#  

#  

#  

== Classification of Rigvedic Deities ==

== Classification of Rigvedic Deities ==

Yaska, the author of Nirukta, classified Indra, Agni and other devatas based on four aspects as follows<ref name=":62" />

Yaska, the author of Nirukta, classified Indra, Agni and other devatas based on four aspects as below<ref name=":62" />

# आध्यात्मिक

# आध्यात्मिक - proceeding from bodily and mental causes within one's self (carnal agencies)

# आधिदैविक

# आधिदैविक - proceeding from the influence of the atmosphere or planets (supernatural agencies)

# आधिभौतिक

# आधिभौतिक - derived or produced from the elements (bhutas), and  environment (natural agencies)

# अधियज्ञ

# अधियज्ञ - produced by the agency of yajna

 

Yaska has further classified all devatas or deities based on their abode. He classified their residence in three regions, namely<blockquote>

Yaska has further classified all devatas or deities based on their abode. He classified their residence in three regions, namely

#Prthvi-sthana devatas i.e. terrestrial deities

#Prthvi-sthana devatas i.e. terrestrial deities

#Antariksha-sthana-devatas i.e. atmospheric deities

#Antariksha-sthana-devatas i.e. atmospheric deities

|Indra, Vayu, [https://dharmawiki.org/index.php/Rudra_(%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%83) Rudra], [https://dharmawiki.org/index.php/Marut_Ganas_(%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%83) Marut], and Parjanya

|Indra, Vayu, [https://dharmawiki.org/index.php/Rudra_(%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%83) Rudra], [https://dharmawiki.org/index.php/Marut_Ganas_(%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%83) Marut], and Parjanya

|Surya, Mitra, Varuna, Dyuh, Pusan, Savita, Aditya, Ashvins, Usas and Ratri

|Surya, Mitra, Varuna, Dyuh, Pusan, Savita, Aditya, Ashvins, Usas and Ratri

|}Only one devata is predominant among all devatas of each and every region while the rest are personifications of that devata. Each devata has a number of activities and each name has a reference to one such activity.

|}Only one devata is predominant among all devatas of each and every region while the rest are personifications of that devata. Each devata has a number of activities and each name has a reference to one such activity. Yaskha uses additional interpretation criteria such as

 

 

 

In the Vedas, the number of devatas is said to range from one to six thousand. In Rigveda, the famous mantra emphasizes the '''unity of devatas''', different forms of the same all-powerful Ishvara manifesting as Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni etc.<blockquote>इन्द्रं॑ मि॒त्रं वरु॑णम॒ग्निमा॑हु॒रथो॑ दि॒व्यः स सु॑प॒र्णो ग॒रुत्मा॑न् । एकं॒ सद् विप्रा॑ बहु॒धा व॑दन्त्य॒ग्निं य॒मं मा॑त॒रिश्वा॑नमाहुः ॥४॥६॥ (Rig. Veda. 1.164.46)</blockquote>The same aspect is explained in Nirukta and Brhaddevata. <blockquote>तासामियं विभूतिर्हि नामानि यदनेकशः । आहुस्तासां तु मन्त्रेषु कवयोऽन्योन्ययोनिताम् ।। ७१ ।। (Brhd. Deva. 1.171)</blockquote>In the Rigveda, we find a mention of three devatas as prominent devatas; Agni in the terrestrial region, Indra or Vayu in the atmospheric region and Surya in the celestial region. <blockquote>सूर्यो नो दिवस्पातु वातो अन्तरिक्षाद् अग्निर्नः पार्थिवेभ्यः। (Rig. Veda. 10.15.1)</blockquote>Yaska based his classification based on the Rigvedic mantra.<blockquote>तिस्र एव देवता इति नैरुक्ताः । (Nirukta. 7.5)</blockquote>Elsewhere in Rigveda we find a mention of thirty-three important devatas.  

== References ==

== References ==