The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c15.48

v1.c15.48

We must doubtless also see signs of tribal and family differences in the multiplication of forms of the same deity; the sun, for instance, might be revered in one place as Sūrya, in another Pūṣan might be held in special honour, in yet another Savitṛ; Vāyu and Vāta represent in diverse ways the wind, while the Maruts are especially the storm winds; Viṣṇu we may suspect of having been the aspect of the sun especially adored by one clan. Unfortunately it is difficult to proceed beyond such general speculations in view of the available material, in which local and tribal distinctions have been largely removed by syncretism. The process has clearly gone far even in the Rigveda; if we reckon in the Atharvaveda and the other Saṁhitās, we can discern clearly further syncretisms in progress, which give us such forms as those of Rudra and Viṣṇu in the rank of great gods, and show us new aspects of the natures of such deities as Yama, the Maruts, and the Gandharvas. In cases such as these we need not see efforts of the priests of the Rigveda to elevate crude conceptions or transform deities of the underworld to celestial rank,⁸ for it is easier and more plausible to accept the view that we have contamination, sometimes of divergent Aryan views, sometimes of Aryan and un-Aryan conceptions.