Studies in the Origins of Buddhism c13.78

c13.78

Gods and Men.—The older portions of ṚS constitute the chief source of information for the religion of the first Aryans in India. Our knowledge is consequently fullest about the beliefs of the priestly class.⁶¹ There are traces also of a more popular religion for which, however, we must, in the main, go to the AS. The core of the priestly religion consisted in belief in many gods and a few goddesses who were worshipped, primarily for secular welfare, by means of prayer and food-offerings. Many of these gods represented the phenomena of nature.⁶² The degree of their anthropomorphization varied, and they did not possess, in general, sharply defined individualities. This has misled some scholars to recognize here a monotheism,⁶³ and others to advance the hypothesis of Henotheism or Kathenotheism.⁶⁴ Polytheism, in fact describes the situation correctly; only it has to be remembered that Vedic gods are not exclusive like the Baals,⁶⁵ or defined individuals as in the Olympian pantheon.⁶⁶ There also were Sondergötter,⁶⁷ and later some abstract deities. Pari passu, animistic beliefs held sway, as ever.⁶⁸