Rigveda Devatas (ऋग्वेदे देवताविचारः)

Devata (Samskrit: देवता) or Deva (देवः) refers to a supernatural entity having the capability to grant desired boons to other beings, such as humans. They are all-powerful superior beings who are invoked and praised with stutis. The concept of Devas has been present since the earliest times. However, since the earliest texts, namely Rigveda to the Upanishads, Puranas and Itihasas, their characteristics, importance and legends have undergone various changes.

In the present context, we discuss the features and nature of deities with reference to 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

1. 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.
2. 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. 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 extolled in mantras, the deities, in turn, helped their worshippers with their sustenance, wealth, offspring, prosperity, long life, victory, cattle, so on and so forth.
3. 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, into which the nature and universe, their individual attributes are absorbed and dissolved.

Devata of a Mantra

With respect to devatas, Rigveda has a some unique perspectives. Each richa or mantra in the Rigveda has a devata who is the subject of that mantra.

Mantras devatas are determined by four characteristics, viz., name, relationship, activity, and physical appearance. For example, in the mantras where Indra, Agni etc are mentioned by their name, physical appearance or referenced by their relationship with other deities, or praised for their activities, those deities are determined to be the devata for that particular mantra. However, in certain mantras, none of the four characteristics are used to describe a devata. In such cases the devata for that mantra is determined by the Yajna mentioned. Yaska clarifies

यद्देवतः स यज्ञो वा यज्ञाङ्गं वा, तद्देवता भवति। तद् येऽनादिष्टदेवता मन्त्रास्तेषु देवतोपपरीक्षा (Nirukta 7.1.4)

The yajna-devata becomes the devata for those mantras where the devata is not indicated (अनादिष्ट-देवताक मन्त्र). For example, in Agnistoma Yajna, Agni is the primary deity. The deity for the अनादिष्ट-देवताक मन्त्र used in this yajna is determined as Agni. Based on the context the deity is determined.

प्रकरणाद्धि संदिग्धदेवतेषु देवता नियमः (Explanation of Nirukta 7.1.4)

Based on the timing (kala namely pratah, madhyana, sayam) of the yajna (Yajna-anga) the deity is said to be Agni, Indra and Aditya respectively. In some scholarly opinions the deity for the अनादिष्ट-देवताक मन्त्र is Prajapati as per प्राजापत्या इति याज्ञिका: (Nirukta 7.1.4). Some others opine that it is Vishnu or Agni based on the reference यज्ञो वै विष्णुः। Agni is said to represent all devatas, all devas reside in him. Yaska further mentions, अपि वा सा कामदेवता स्यात्। as an other option, where the deity can be decided as per the wish of the yajmana.

Characteristics of Devata in Rigveda

The characteristic quality of each deva/devi depends on his/her innate nature. Some deities are human-like (manava-vat) in their activities, example, Indra, Varuna, Marut etc. Their physical description is also given in many texts, more distinctly in the Agamas at a later stage. Yaska mentions that some devatas are similar to humans and they are worshipped as though they are animate beings. Some other deities are not similar to the humans, such as Agni, Vayu, Surya, Chandra, Prthvi etc. Their worship includes an inanimate aspect.

पुरुषविधाः स्युः, इत्येकम् । चेतनावद् हि स्तुतयो भवन्ति । अपुरुषविधाः स्युः, इत्यपरम् । (Nirukta. 7.6 and 7)

They are described as having a certain special abode in the various regions of this universe. They play a significant role in yajnas, being specially invited and as recipients of havishya, they help in fulfilling the yajamana's wishes.

Classification of Rigvedic Deities

Yaska, the author of Nirukta, classified Indra, Agni and other devatas based on four aspects as follows

1. आध्यात्मिक
2. आधिदैविक
3. आधिभौतिक
4. अधियज्ञ

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

1. Prthvi-sthana devatas i.e. terrestrial deities
2. Antariksha-sthana-devatas i.e. atmospheric deities
3. Dyu-sthana-devatas i.e. celestial deities

Sthana	Prthvi	Antariksha	Dyu
Place	Terrestrial	Atmospheric	Celestial
Predominant Devata	Agni	Indra or Vayu	Surya
Devatas	Agni, Ap, Prithvi, and Soma	Indra, Vayu, Rudra, Marut, and Parjanya	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.