Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c9.66

c9.66

(b) **In Thought.** It will be out of place in this work to deal with the level of philosophical thought and religious attainments registered in the Rigveda. It may suffice only to cite a few references in this connection. The Rigveda¹ presents the worship of thirty-three gods divided into three groups of eleven each and assigned to the three planes of the Universe, the celestial (*dyuloka*), the intermediate (*antariksha*), and the terrestrial (*bhūrloka*). The celestial gods are Dyaus, Varuṇa, Mitra, Sūrya, Savitṛi, Pūshan, the two Aśvins, and the goddesses Ushas and Rātrī. The gods of the intermediary sphere are Indra, Apāṁ napāt (the lightning form of Agni which lurks in the cloud), Rudra, the Maruts, Vāyu, Parjanya, and Āpas. The terrestrial deities are Pṛithivī, Agni, and Soma.