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Rigveda Devatas (ऋग्वेदे देवताविचारः) (view source)
Revision as of 17:38, 17 January 2022
, 17:38, 17 January 2022→इन्द्रः ॥ Indra: adding content of devatas
[[Tretagni (त्रेताग्निः)|Tretagni]] or the three Agnis - Garhapatya, Ahavaniya and Dakshinagni are of prime importance in the Vedas. Apart from these, other forms of Agni include - Kravyaada (used in [[Antyesti (अन्त्येष्टिः)|Antyesti]] samskar etc), Akravyaada (used on Yajnas and other auspicious times), Sankasuka (used as a joining force) and Vikasuka (used as breaking force) forms.<ref name=":62" />
[[Tretagni (त्रेताग्निः)|Tretagni]] or the three Agnis - Garhapatya, Ahavaniya and Dakshinagni are of prime importance in the Vedas. Apart from these, other forms of Agni include - Kravyaada (used in [[Antyesti (अन्त्येष्टिः)|Antyesti]] samskar etc), Akravyaada (used on Yajnas and other auspicious times), Sankasuka (used as a joining force) and Vikasuka (used as breaking force) forms.<ref name=":62" />
In a human form Agni is described as Ghrtapusta (one who is nourished with ghrta or ghee), Ghrtamukha (one having ghee in his mouth), Ghrtakesha (one having ghee as strands of hair), Haritakesha etc. He is also represented as an Vrshabh (ox), Ashva (horse), Vatsa (a calf), and a divine bird. His food is said to be wood and ghee. He is said to have seven faces and seven tongues as per [[Atharvaveda (अथर्ववेदः)|Atharvaveda]] and Mundakopanishad. According to Shri. Aravind Ghosh, Agni in the modern parlance refers to the sankalpa shakti (Divine will) and viveka (wisdom) in a person. It is only to rake and inspire the Sankalpa shakti that the Jnana-Agni is lighted in us.<ref name=":62" /> According to Dr. R. L. Kashyap, the more a person exposes himself or herself to the power of Agni, the perfect becomes his work.<ref>Kashyap, R. L. (2005 First Edition) ''Essentials of Rigveda (With the test, translation and explanation of 62 Mantras).'' Benguluru: Sri Aurobindo Kapali Sastry Institute of Vedic Culture</ref>
In a human form Agni is described as Ghrtapusta (one who is nourished with ghrta or ghee), Ghrtamukha (one having ghee in his mouth), Ghrtakesha (one having ghee as strands of hair), Haritakesha etc. He is also represented as an Vrshabh (ox), Ashva (horse), Vatsa (a calf), and a divine bird. His food is said to be wood and ghee. He is said to have seven faces and seven tongues as per [[Atharvaveda (अथर्ववेदः)|Atharvaveda]] and Mundakopanishad. According to Shri. Aravind Ghosh, Agni in the modern parlance refers to the sankalpa shakti (Divine will) and viveka (wisdom) in a person. It is only to rake and inspire the Sankalpa shakti that the Jnana-Agni is lighted in us.<ref name=":62" /> According to Dr. R. L. Kashyap, the more a person exposes himself or herself to the power of Agni, the perfect becomes his work.<ref name=":1">Kashyap, R. L. (2005 First Edition) ''Essentials of Rigveda (With the test, translation and explanation of 62 Mantras).'' Benguluru: Sri Aurobindo Kapali Sastry Institute of Vedic Culture</ref>
=== इन्द्रः ॥ Indra ===
=== इन्द्रः ॥ Indra ===
{{Main|Indra (इन्द्रः)}}
{{Main|Indra (इन्द्रः)}}
In the Vedas, Indra is described as the most powerful of the devatas. He is described as devata for wars as well as for clouds by others. Some opine that he is Surya and others attribute him to a strong mind. In the Vedas, we see Indra as one who brings light, as a protector from rakshasas such as Vrtrasura, as one who brings rains, a yoddha (warrior), a great ruler, one who enjoys Somarasa, uplifts the dharmik people (righteous people) and is much revered as the presiding deity in Yajnas.<ref name=":62" />
In the Vedas, Indra is described as the most powerful of the devatas. He is described as devata for wars as well as for clouds by others. Some opine that he is Surya and others attribute him to a strong mind. Indra in the Vedas is different from the Indra portrayed in Puranas and Itihasas. In the Vedas, we see Indra as one who brings light, as a protector from rakshasas such as Vrtrasura, as one who brings rains, as a yoddha (warrior), a great ruler, one who enjoys Somarasa, uplifts the dharmik people (righteous people) and is much revered as the presiding deity in Yajnas.<ref name=":62" />
According to Yaska, Indra has three important characteristics:
According to Yaska, Indra has three important characteristics:
# रसानुप्रदानम् - Rasa here means rains. Indra is one who showers the rains on earth.
# रसानुप्रदानम् - Rasa here means rains. Indra is one who showers the rains on earth.
# वृत्रवधः - Slaying of [[Vrtrasura (वृत्रासुरः)|Vrtrasura]]
# वृत्रवधः - Slaying of [[Vrtrasura (वृत्रासुरः)|Vrtrasura]]
# बलकृतिः - Performing activities involving strength and courage
# बलकृतिः - Performing activities requiring strength and courage
Vrtrasura is Indra's main enemy as he stopped the rains and flow of rivers. <blockquote>अह॒न्नहिं॒ पर्व॑ते शिश्रिया॒णं त्वष्टा॑स्मै॒ वज्रं॑ स्व॒र्यं॑ ततक्ष ।
वा॒श्रा इ॑व धे॒नव॒: स्यन्द॑माना॒ अञ्ज॑: समु॒द्रमव॑ जग्मु॒राप॑: ॥२॥ (Riv. Veda. 1.32.2)</blockquote>In this way, Indra became the devata for rains and is known as Vrtraha (one who killed Vrtrasura). Apart from Vrtrasura, he killed other asuras such as Bala, Shambara and destroyed ninety-nine towns of their residence. Thus he got the names Purandara or Purabhit. He is described as Shatakratu because he can do many activities of the purusharthas.<ref name=":62" /> According to Prof. R. L. Kashyap, Indra is controls the Divine Mind, helps human beings develop the abilities for mental formation and associated actions. He is the deity who gives appropriate knowledge to human beings so that they can perform all their actions. Actions that are not just limited to the physical plane i.e., actions done with physical organs, the legs hands etc, but also those pertaining to the inner level, such as the inner vital and mental energies.<ref name=":1" />
Indra's actions are directed towards the well-being of all individuals in the universe, thus he is called Narya. He protects the Aryas from Dasyus and Anaryas. He kills these forces to protect the Aryas.<ref name=":62" /> He is known as the protector of people from hostile forces. These are forces of falsehood which conceal Truth, or divide the Truth into mutually opposite chunks, or which tend to stop the flow of consciousness. At the ground level as well as the inner consciousness level, Indra fights against the demonic forces such as Vrtra, who operates at both the physical cosmic as well as the inner level of an individual.<ref name=":1" />
Indra's favourite drink is the Somarasa, hence he is called Somapatama. He is also a good ruler, protecting dharmic people is his main role. His chief weapon is the Vajra, prepared from the bones of Dadichi. He is the chief of all the devaganas, hence called as Ganapati. His chief subordinates are the Marut devaganas, who proceed in front of him. In the "Dasarajna yuddha" he helped Sudas to attain victory. In spiritual sense, Indra represents the Jivatma according to Dr. Kapildev Dviwedi. The negative thoughts are Vrtra, which stop the flow of light from a pure Atma. Vrtravadha is the destruction of such negative thoughts and bad actions. This is symbolic to the Devasura sangrama. The good-hearted dharmic devatas are always at odds with the asuras who are driven by asuric qualities of bad behaviour. Victory of the devata qualities is the victory of Indra.<ref name=":62" />
=== विष्णुः ॥ Vishnu ===
{{Main|Vishnu (विष्णुः)}}Vishnu is an important deity mentioned in Rigveda, Yajurveda and Atharvavedas. He is called Vishnu as he all-pervading in the Universe - वेवेष्टि व्याप्नोति इति विष्णुः। In the Rigveda, Vishnu is famous for his role in measuring the universe in three steps. <blockquote>य इ॒दं दी॒र्घं प्रय॑तं स॒धस्थ॒मेको॑ विम॒मे त्रि॒भिरित् प॒देभि॑: ॥३॥ (Rig. Veda. 1.154.3)</blockquote>According to Dr. Kapildev Dviwedi, the Universe is considered to be enclosed in a vast triangle, and Vishnu is said to be pervading in all the three angles of the triangle. The three angles represent the prthvi, the antariksha and the dyulokas. Hence he is called as Trivikrama, Urukrama, Urugaya, Trishadha, Tripada etc. Surya as the attracting force maintains the place of these lokas.<ref name=":62" />
== References ==
== References ==