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== Number of Devatas ==

== Number of Devatas ==

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.  

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.<ref name=":62" /><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.<ref name=":62" /> <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 devatas'''.<ref name=":62" />

 

 

They are eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas, Dyus and Prthvi (or Indra and Prajapati).

== References ==

== References ==