The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c15.10

v1.c15.10

The identifications made by the Nairuktas were not unnatural and point to a marked similarity prevailing among the great Vedic gods. They are all, as we have seen,¹ conceived as anthropomorphic, mention is made in connexion with many of them of the head, face, mouth, hair, arms, hands, feet, and other members. They wear garments, that of Dawn being marked out by its brilliance, and the gods often are represented as wearing coats of mail, and bearing weapons such as the bow, the spear, the battle-axe: it is a rare thing when one is so specially marked out as is Indra by his constant association with the thunderbolt. All the gods too have luminous chariots, and only in one or two cases have we mention of any but normal steeds to draw them. Pūṣan is associated with the goat, the Açvins with birds, the Maruts with spotted deer as well as with horses, and Uṣas has cows as well as horses. They live together in the highest heaven, and together they come when invoked to the offering strew in their chariots, or, remaining in the heaven, they receive the oblations which are brought to them by the god Agni, the messenger between men and the gods. Their food is the same, milk, butter, barley, oxen, goats, and sheep, though some gods have special predilections for food; so Indra prefers bulls, which are therefore offered to him in hecatombs, and Pūṣan eats mush and has no teeth. They enjoy together the Soma drink, by which they won immortality. Their relations are those of peace and friendship: Indra alone breaks the harmony of heaven: he shattered the chariot of the Dawn, he even slew his own father, he warred against the gods, and an interesting hymn shows to us a dispute between Indra and the faithful followers, the Maruts, whom he threatens to slay, until his anger is appeased. But, generally speaking, the gods share the same attributes of might, light, goodness, and wisdom.