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m Undid by Special:Contributions/Chancemill) if you keep Savitar (not Savitṛ) you must put Sarasvant
m With scientific meaning of most entities... 1 billion Hindus should figure out the rest, brains required... should be a good start for dimmies~!
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The names of Indra, Mitra, Varuna and the Nasatyas are also attested in a [[Mitanni]] treaty, suggesting that the some of the religion of the Mitannis was very close to that of the Rigveda.
The names of Indra, Mitra, Varuna and the Nasatyas are also attested in a [[Mitanni]] treaty, suggesting that the some of the religion of the Mitannis was very close to that of the Rigveda.


==Deities by prominence==
==List of Deities==
List of Rigvedic deities by number of dedicated hymns, after Griffith (1888). Some dedications are to paired deities, such as Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuna, Soma-Rudra, here counted doubly.
List of Rigvedic deities by number of dedicated hymns. Some dedications are to paired deities, such as Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuna, Soma-Rudra, here counted twice. The list along with scientific meaning of what the entities like represent in the process of [[cosmogenesis]]:


*[[Indra]] 289 - electromagnetic or electric repulsion force which breaks apart the universe at its edges
*[[Indra]] 289
*[[Agni]] 218
*[[Agni]] 218 - energy
*[[Soma]] 123 (most of them in the [[Soma Mandala]])
*[[Soma]] 123 (in [[Soma Mandala]]) - electric charge
*[[Vishvadevas]] 70
*[[Vishvadevas]] 70 - forces of nature
*the [[Asvins]] 56
*[[Asvins]] 56 - magnetic poles
*[[Varuna]] 46
*[[Varuna]] 46 - electron
*the [[Maruts]] 38
*[[Maruts]] 38 - radiation pressure in 7D universe = 7^2 = 49
*[[Mitra (Vedic)|Mitra]] 28
*[[Mitra (Vedic)|Mitra]] 28 - proton
*[[Ushas]] 21 - dawn of cosmic creation of manifest from the unmanifested
*[[Ushas]] 21
*[[Vayu]] 12 - field, a form of energy in intermediate space
*[[Vayu]] (Wind) 12
*[[Savitr]] 11 - creation-annihilation energy which gives birth to particles in intermediate space
*[[Savitr]] 11
*the [[Rbhus]] 11
*[[Rbhus]] 11
*[[Pushan]] 10
*[[Pushan]] 10 - set of quantum particles
*the [[Apris]] 9
*[[Apris]] 9
*[[Brhaspati]] 8
*[[Brhaspati]] 8 - master of expansion of the universe
*[[Surya]] 8 - high-energy photons as electro-magnetic waves in light space
*[[Surya]] (Sun) 8
*[[Dyaus]] and [[Prithivi]] (Heaven and Earth) 6, plus 5.84 dedicated to Earth alone
*[[Dyaus]] and [[Prithivi]] 6, plus 5.84 - light space & observer space
*[[Ap (water)|Aapah]] 6 - the primordial waters of matter-antimatter particle soup pervading the universe, dark matter
*[[Ap (water)|Apas]] (Waters) 6
*[[Adityas]] 6
*[[Adityas]] 6 - primary forces of nature
*[[Vishnu]] 6 - life-principle of universe which pervades entire universe from beyond
*[[Vishnu]] 6
*[[Brahmanaspati]] 6
*[[Brahmanaspati]] 6 - lord of expansion of the universe
*[[Rudra]] 5 - radiation and remnants of radiation from annihilation of particles, 11 types
*[[Rudra]] 5
*[[Dadhikra]]s 4
*[[Dadhikra]]s 4
*the [[Sarasvati River]] / [[Sarasvati]] 3
*[[Sarasvati]] 3 - flow of matter and energy
*[[Yama]]
*[[Yama]] - first matter particle
*[[Parjanya]] (Rain) 3
*[[Parjanya]] 3
*[[Vac]] (Speech) 2 (mentioned 130 times, deified e.g. in 10.125)
*[[Vac]] 2 (mentioned 130 times, 10.125) - total mass-energy of universe
*[[Vastospati]] 2
*[[Vastospati]] 2
*[[Vishvakarman]] 2
*[[Vishvakarman]] 2
*[[Manyu]] 2
*[[Manyu]] 2
*[[Kapinjala]] (the Heathcock, a form of Indra) 2
*[[Kapinjala]] 2


Minor deities (one single or no dedicated hymn)
Minor deities (one single or no dedicated hymn)
*[[Manas]] (Thought), prominent concept, deified in 10.58
*[[Manas]] (thought), prominent concept, deified in 10.58
*[[Dakshina]] (Reward for priests and poets), prominent concept, deified in 10.107
*[[Dakshina]] (reward for priests and poets), prominent concept, deified in 10.107
*[[Jnana]]m (Knowledge), prominent concept, deified in 10.71
*[[Jnana]]m (knowledge), prominent concept, deified in 10.71
*[[Purusha]] ("Cosmic Man" of the [[Purusha sukta]] 10.90)
*[[Purusha]] ("Cosmic Man" of the [[Purusha Sukta]] 10.90) - one who pervades the entire cosmic city, becomes the creation
*[[Aditi]] - the indivisible, creativity of the all-creating
*[[Aditi]]
*[[Bhaga]]
*[[Bhaga]]
*[[Vasukra]]
*[[Vasukra]]
*[[Atri]]
*[[Atri]]
*[[Apam Napat]]
*[[Apam Napat]]
*[[Ksetrapati]]
*[[Ksetrapati]]
*[[Ghrta]] - lustre, strength, nourishment of particles
*[[Ghrta]]
*[[Nirrti]]
*[[Nirrti]]
*[[Asamati]]
*[[Asamati]]
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*[[Mayabheda]]
*[[Mayabheda]]
*[[Tarksya]]
*[[Tarksya]]
*[[Tvastar]] - fundamental radiation (energy waves) generated in Aapah due to Vajrapata
*[[Tvastar]]
*[[Saranyu]] - light space in eary dividing universe, which then disappears
*[[Saranyu]]


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 09:38, 30 September 2008

There are 1028 hymns in the Rigveda, most of them dedicated to specific deities.

Indra, a heroic god, slayer of Vrtra and destroyer of the Vala, liberator of the cows and the rivers; Agni the sacrificial fire and messenger of the gods; and Soma the ritual drink dedicated to Indra are the most prominent deities.

Invoked in groups are the Vishvedevas (the "all-gods"), the Maruts, violent storm gods in Indra's train and the Ashvins, the twin horsemen.

There are two major groups of gods, the Devas and the Asuras. Unlike in later Vedic texts and in Hinduism, the Asuras are not yet demonized, Mitra and Varuna being their most prominent members. Aditi is the mother both of Agni and of the Adityas or Asuras, led by Mitra and Varuna, with Aryaman, Bhaga, Ansa and Daksha.

Surya is the personification of the Sun, but Savitar, Vivasvant, the Ashvins and the Rbhus, semi-divine craftsmen, also have aspects of solar deities. Other natural phenomena deified include Vayu, (the wind), Dyaus and Prithivi (Heaven and Earth), Dyaus continuing Dyeus, the chief god of the Proto-Indo-European religion, and Ushas (the dawn), the most prominent goddess of the Rigveda, and Apas (the waters).

Rivers play an important role, deified as goddesses, most prominently the Sapta Sindhu and the Sarasvati River.

Yama is the first ancestor, also worshipped as a deity, and the god of the underworld and death.

Vishnu and Rudra, the prominent deities of later Hinduism (Rudra being an early form of Shiva) are present as marginal gods.

The names of Indra, Mitra, Varuna and the Nasatyas are also attested in a Mitanni treaty, suggesting that the some of the religion of the Mitannis was very close to that of the Rigveda.

List of Deities

List of Rigvedic deities by number of dedicated hymns. Some dedications are to paired deities, such as Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuna, Soma-Rudra, here counted twice. The list along with scientific meaning of what the entities like represent in the process of cosmogenesis:

  • Indra 289 - electromagnetic or electric repulsion force which breaks apart the universe at its edges
  • Agni 218 - energy
  • Soma 123 (in Soma Mandala) - electric charge
  • Vishvadevas 70 - forces of nature
  • Asvins 56 - magnetic poles
  • Varuna 46 - electron
  • Maruts 38 - radiation pressure in 7D universe = 7^2 = 49
  • Mitra 28 - proton
  • Ushas 21 - dawn of cosmic creation of manifest from the unmanifested
  • Vayu 12 - field, a form of energy in intermediate space
  • Savitr 11 - creation-annihilation energy which gives birth to particles in intermediate space
  • Rbhus 11
  • Pushan 10 - set of quantum particles
  • Apris 9
  • Brhaspati 8 - master of expansion of the universe
  • Surya 8 - high-energy photons as electro-magnetic waves in light space
  • Dyaus and Prithivi 6, plus 5.84 - light space & observer space
  • Aapah 6 - the primordial waters of matter-antimatter particle soup pervading the universe, dark matter
  • Adityas 6 - primary forces of nature
  • Vishnu 6 - life-principle of universe which pervades entire universe from beyond
  • Brahmanaspati 6 - lord of expansion of the universe
  • Rudra 5 - radiation and remnants of radiation from annihilation of particles, 11 types
  • Dadhikras 4
  • Sarasvati 3 - flow of matter and energy
  • Yama - first matter particle
  • Parjanya 3
  • Vac 2 (mentioned 130 times, 10.125) - total mass-energy of universe
  • Vastospati 2
  • Vishvakarman 2
  • Manyu 2
  • Kapinjala 2

Minor deities (one single or no dedicated hymn)

References

Ralph T.H. Griffith, Hymns of the Rigveda (1888).

See also

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