The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c7.s1.19

c7.s1.19

There are yet other possibilities which need not be mentioned, because we shall not follow their lead. Our own course, doubtless open to some objection, will be eclectic. We shall call up the more important Vedic gods under such various points of view as will bring out some one salient quality—which does not say that they may not have other qualities of great interest. Thus the chronological element must remain immensely important. The chronology of the gods must influence to some extent our judgment of this ancient religion of the Veda. The old prehistoric gods that have been imported by the Aryas into India, no matter how much they have been Hinduised, will necessarily have characteristics of their own.