The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c9.8

c9.8

The three different degrees of divine worship recognised in modern Hinduism—that of the *Ishta-deva*, or the special aspect of the Divine appropriate to the individual, the *Ego*; the *Grihya-deva*, or the guardian deity of the household; and the *Gramya-deva*, the patron deity of the village—represent the threefold religious responsibility of the Hindu—his duty to God, the family, and the state—the village standing for the whole body politic.