The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c8.12

c8.12

The universal Indo-European word for "god" was *deivos*, gone over into archaic Latin as *deivos* (*deus*), Celtic *devos* in the Gallic proper name *Devognata*, Old Scandinavian *tivar*, "gods," Lithuanian *dëvas*, and Sanskrit *devas*. The irreproachable etymology which connects this word with the verb *div*, *dyu*, "shine," shows that the word came from the luminous manifestations of nature by day and night, and determines authoritatively the source from which the Indo-Europeans derived their first and most pervasive conception of divine power. On more limited Indo-European territory appears another general term, Slavic *bogŭ*, Old Persian *baga* Avestan *bagha* "god," Sanskrit *bhaga* "god of fortune."¹ The word is again of clear origin: it means "spender of goods, or blessings." It contains the abstract conception of a good god, embodying an eternal and never slumbering wish of mankind. The same eastern region of the Indo-European territory has in common another sacred word, used as an attribute of divinity, namely, Avestan (Persian) *spenta*, Lithuanian *szventas*, Old Slavic *svętŭ* "pure" or "holy." This secures for prehistoric religion an important spiritual concept. Two important conceptions expressing sentiment towards the gods, that of reverence (Sanskrit *yaj*, Avestan *yaz*, Greek ἁγ in ἅζομαι, "revere"), and that of belief (Sanskrit *çraddhā*, Latin *credo*, Celtic *cretim*, "believe") come from old times, though they need not necessarily have been in vogue in every part of the territory occupied by the Indo-Europeans prior to historic times.