The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c15.56

v1.c15.56

There is throughout the Rigveda no trace of any consistent subordination of one god to another. The lack of system in this regard is clearly shown by such assertions as those made by both Indra and Varuṇa that they are obeyed by all the gods, and other passages tell us that Varuṇa and Sūrya are subject to Indra, that Varuṇa and the Açvins submit to the power of Viṣṇu, who otherwise is of comparatively little moment among the Vedic gods, and that Indra, Mitra and Varuṇa, Aryaman and Rudra cannot resist the ordinances of Savitṛ, who is not, after all, a very important deity. Nor are we in a position to estimate more precisely even the comparative importance of the great majority of the gods mentioned in the Rigveda, for the collection, being in large measure immediately connected with the Soma sacrifice, gives less than normal room to those deities who do not for whatever reason come into special contact with that sacrifice. Thus, on the numerical figures⁵ of frequency of mention of their names, the gods of the Rigveda can be arranged in five groups as (1) Indra, Agni, Soma; (2) Açvins, Maruts, Varuṇa; (3) Uṣas, Savitṛ, Bṛhaspati, Sūrya, Pūṣan; (4) Vāyu, Dyāvāpṛthivī, Viṣṇu, Rudra; (5) Yama, Parjanya. There can be no doubt of the importance of Agni and Soma to the priests, but we may doubt their popularity in equal degree with the people. The Açvins again were doubtless popular deities, but their prominence numerically is due to their connexion with the morning light and the offering of the sacrifice, while the Maruts are brought into a high place by their association with Indra. It follows, therefore, that any classification of the gods by their relative frequency of mention in the Rigveda would be futile, and the alternative of following the order of the origin of the mythological conception is open to the fatal objection that to determine this order no means are available.