The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c21.s2.4

v1.c21.s2.4

Of the other groups of gods the Maruts are the most important: they also in the Rigveda bear the name of Rudras. This group is, however, distinguished from the Maruts in the later texts, and its number is placed at 11, though 33, which is the traditional number of all the gods, is given in the Taittirīya Saṁhitā.² The Ādityas, who are seven or eight in the Rigveda, become 12 in the Brāhmaṇas, and are often mentioned especially in contrast with the Aṅgirases, who are rather a priestly family than actual deities.³ With the Ādityas and Rudras the Vasus are invoked in the Rigveda:⁴ it is clear that there they are connected with Indra. But in the later texts they are connected with Agni, not Indra, and their number, not defined in the Rigveda, is fixed at 8, though the Taittirīya Saṁhitā,⁵ by a freak gives 333. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad⁶ we find five groups, Indra with the Rudras, Agni with the Vasus, Varuṇa with the Ādityas, Soma with the Maruts, and Brahman with the Sādhyas. The last group is a set of gods of whom practically nothing can be said: they are mentioned occasionally from the Rigveda⁷ onwards, occurring in the usual way even in the Sūtras, but except that they are ancient, nothing more is to be learned of their nature.⁸