Unpacking a popular wellness trend
Agni is the Hindu god of fire. Agni exists on Earth as fire, in the atmosphere as lightning, and in the sky as the sun.
Vayu is the divine messenger of the gods, and the god of air, wind, and breath in Hinduism. In the Upanishads texts, he is praised as prana, or the "life breath of the world."
Chandra is the god of the moon, night, and vegetation. Chandra is also known as Soma in Sanskrit, which means "shining, bright or glittering."
Varuna is the god associated with water and oceans, and the guardian of the western direction. He is mentioned as an Aditya as well as being a Vasus in the Vedic texts.
The god of stars is Nakshatra, which literally means "constellation." In Vedic texts the creation of the nakshatras is credited to Daksha, one of the personified deities of creation.
Surya is the solar deity in Hinduism. He appears under many different names in Indian literature, including: Aditya, Arka, Bhanu, Savitr, Pushan, Ravi, Martanda, Mitra, Bhaskara, Prabhakara, Kathiravan, and Vivasvan.
Prithvi is the Sanskrit name for Earth. Prithvi is a devi (goddess) in Hinduism, the consort of Dyaus, and associated with the cow.
Dyaus is the god of the sky, which in Vedic writing is described as rising in three tiers. He is comparable with the Greek god Zeus or the planet Jupiter.
The Vasus are a group of deities associated with the eight elements in the Vedic texts. There are eight Vasus, but some have names that differ depending on the text.
Adityas refer to the offspring of the goddess Aditi, who represents infinity. This class of deities are seen as upholding the dharma (behaviors that are in harmony with the sustaining of life). There are 12 Adityas.
Aryaman is the god of customs, and said to be the protector of the Milky Way. His name signifies "life partner" or "close friend," and he rules over the customs that the various tribes of Vedic people are ruled by.
Vishnu is a supreme being, the god of preservation and the god of time, who bestows karma. He creates, protects, and transforms the universe. His name means "one who is everything and inside everything."
Vivasvat is the sun god Surya, who is also considered the ruler of planets. He is depicted in a chariot pulled by seven horsemen, representing the days of the week and the seven colors of visible light.
Indra is associated with the sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, and war. He is king of the Devas (gods), and has powers similar to the Norse Odin or Thor.
In the earliest Vedas, Varuna (who appears again on this list) is the guardian of moral law who has a close relationship to the rivers and oceans. He has similarities with the Greek Poseidon, the Roman Neptune, or Njörðr in Norse myth.
Savitra represents the sun's rays, the vivifying force that gives the sun life. He appears in book three of the Rigveda (an ancient collection of Vedic hymns), also known as the Gayatri mantra.
The god of meeting, Pushan is a solar deity responsible for journeys, roads, marriages, and cattle feeding. He protects travelers from attack, and can be associated with the Greek Pan (Hermes) or Roman Mercury.
In the early Vedas, Mitra is associated with Varuna's attributes of truth and order. However, in later texts he is linked with the rising morning sun. He becomes the god of friendship in post-Vedic texts.
The Vedic god of wealth, Bhaga was responsible for making sure people got a share of the goods in life. He is asked to bestow cattle, horses, and riches on his followers.
Amsha is another solar deity and the son of Kashyapa (one of the seven ancient sages) and Aditi (the goddess of consciousness, who personifies the vast cosmos).
Tvashtr is a Vedic artisan god, known as the Heavenly Builder. He is a skilled craftsman and a creator of all forms, the guardian of Soma, and considered a universal father.
Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the god of destruction, and part of the Hindu trinity with Vishnu and Brahma. He creates, protects, and transforms the universe, and is the patron of yoga, meditation and the arts.
The Vamana Purana describes the Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi. Their names can differ depending on the text. Brahma allotted the Rudras the 11 positions of the heart and the five sensory organs, the five organs of action, and the mind.
Ekapada is an aspect of Shiva, representing the axis mundi: aka, the cosmic pillar of the universe. He is connected to severe penance.
The Rudras, when taken together with their multifaceted representations across ancient texts, embody elemental forces, cosmic energies, and intricate connections to the divine. Some have less defined roles, that span the crucial aspects of existence.
One translation for Rudra is "the roarer," which is perhaps why he is associated with wind, as well as death, destruction, time, and animals. He eradicates problems from their roots and is associated with Shiva and Vayu in Rigvedic texts.
The Ashvins (aka Asvins, Asvinau, or Asvini Kumaras) make up the last two of the 33 deities. They are twin gods, often depicted as horsemen, who are responsible for medicine, the dawn, and sciences. The Ashvins ride with their father in his golden chariot across the sky each day, as he brings warmth and sunlight to the Earth.
The Ashvins rescue people, bringing them back to life and bringing light. They are similar to the Greek gods Castor and Pollux. They are the sons of Surya, the sun god, and represent cosmic duality.
Sources: (Britannica) (Hindu Temple Talk) (World History Encyclopedia)
Daksha is the god of ritual skill, associated with priestly matters. He appears in texts as the son of creator-god Brahma, and is often depicted as having the body of a man and the head of a goat.
The Thirty-three gods, or Tridasha, is a pantheon of Hindu deities from the Samhitas, which are the oldest layer of text in the Vedas. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the Vedas themselves are the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. The 33 deities are classified as devas (heavenly or divine beings) in the Samhitas, and there is sometimes overlap between the classification and function of the deities themselves.
Intrigued? Click on for an introduction to these fascinating deities.
Who are the 33 Hindu deities of the Vedas?
The gods and goddesses found in Vedic scriptures
LIFESTYLE Hinduism
The Thirty-three gods, or Tridasha, is a pantheon of Hindu deities from the Samhitas, which are the oldest layer of text in the Vedas. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the Vedas themselves are the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. The 33 deities are classified as devas (heavenly or divine beings) in the Samhitas, and there is sometimes overlap between the classification and function of the deities themselves.
Intrigued? Click on for an introduction to these fascinating deities.