The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c15.50

v1.c15.50

Syncretism is shown not merely in the complex form of the combination of different aspects into one deity, but in the union in the ritual of deities between whom there is no natural connexion. Thus we have the rather forced union of Indra and Varuṇa;⁹ the royal consecration appears in our sources either as a Varuṇa rite or the great consecration of Indra, for both gods are kings and claim the devotion of the ruling power. Kātyāyana bids the Kṣatriya perform the establishment of the sacred fire according to the rule of Varuṇa, the Rājanya according to that of Indra. The treatment of the Ṛbhus is possibly significant in this regard;¹ whatever their origin, they had come in considerable degree to be associated with the seasons, Ṛtus. In the ritual we find that the Ṛbhus are given a share in the Vaiçvadeva litany at the third pressing of the Soma sacrifice, while in the Gṛhya ritual² the Ṛtus appear in connexion with the Aṣṭakā offering, and along with the All-gods and the Fathers rank as deities of the Aṣṭakās. In the Çrauta ritual³ we find that there is care taken to avoid connexion between the Ṛtus and the Ṛbhus; where one set appears, the other is omitted, and the Ṛtus are not given full rank as sharers in the oblations; on the contrary, the gods are merely asked to drink with them the so-called Ṛtu cups. It is natural also to see syncretism in the arrangement which turns Indra and Agni⁴ into the deities of the new moon offerings, for to find in Agni here a designation of the moon while Indra denotes the sun, the two being united at ‘new moon’, i. e. when the moon disappears wholly, is a decided *tour de force*. Viṣṇu and Varuṇa again are by no means a natural pair. Similarly we find Pūṣan brought into connexion with Indra, while Viṣṇu is made to share in the defeat of Vṛtra. Pūṣan is also introduced into the legends connecting the Açvins and Sūryā, and Indra is made the guardian of the ordinances of Mitra and Varuṇa.