The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c21.s2.1

v1.c21.s2.1

It is a characteristic trait of the Rigveda that some forty hymns are devoted to the group of gods called All-gods, Viçve Devās, and the impression given by the Rigveda is borne out by the ritual in which the All-gods receive frequent attention.² The fact must be carefully borne in mind in framing any theory as to the feeling of the poets as to the rank of the several gods: they must have known of these joint invocations, in which as many gods as possible are propitiated, and the same tendency to be catholic in the reverence paid to the gods is to be noted in the Sūtras where offerings are prescribed to all the gods, including even unknown gods. The Rigveda already shows the tendency to set up individual gods as outside the number of All-gods: in the Sūtras there is perfectly obvious the distinction between all the gods and the older All-gods.¹ The religious conception which lies at the back of it is one which can be paralleled from many religions. By inventing a comprehensive group no deity at any rate could justly complain that it had been passed over altogether.