Agni, Indra and the Vedic Gods
The gods of the Rig Veda, including Indra, Agni, Soma, Varuna and Ushas: who they were, how they were worshipped, and what became of them in later Hinduism.
The oldest Hindu scripture, the Rig Veda, is a collection of hymns addressed to a group of deities quite different from the gods most Hindus worship today. Its leading figures are Indra, the warrior king of the gods, Agni, the god of fire, and Soma, the sacred drink. Gods such as Vishnu and Rudra, the forerunner of Shiva, play only minor roles. Understanding the Vedic gods helps to explain how Hinduism developed.
The main Vedic deities
| Deity | Domain | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indra | Storms, rain, war | The most praised god, with about a quarter of the Rig Veda's hymns. He slays the serpent Vritra to release the waters, and wields the thunderbolt (vajra). |
| Agni | Fire | The sacrificial fire, messenger between humans and gods, who carries offerings to heaven. The first hymn of the Rig Veda is addressed to him. |
| Soma | The sacred drink | Both a plant, pressed to make a drink used in rituals, and a god. The whole ninth book of the Rig Veda is devoted to him. The identity of the plant is unknown. |
| Varuna | Cosmic order, waters | Guardian of rita, the moral and cosmic order, who sees all and punishes wrongdoing. |
| Mitra | Contracts, friendship | Often paired with Varuna. |
| Ushas | Dawn | The most important goddess of the Rig Veda, praised in some of its most beautiful hymns. |
| Surya and Savitr | The sun | Savitr is addressed in the Gayatri Mantra. |
| Rudra | Storms, wild places, healing | A fierce and feared god who later develops into Shiva. |
| Vayu | Wind | Later, the father of Hanuman. |
| Yama | Death | The first mortal to die, who became king of the dead. |
| The Ashvins | Healing, rescue | Twin horsemen, physicians of the gods. |
The thirty-three gods
Vedic texts speak of thirty-three gods. A later explanation lists them as eight Vasus (elemental gods), eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas (sons of Aditi), and two more, usually Indra and Prajapati. This number is the basis of the popular phrase “33 koti gods”, sometimes misunderstood as 330 million.
Worship through sacrifice
Vedic religion centred on the fire sacrifice (yajna), in which priests offered milk, ghee, grain, soma and sometimes animals into the sacred fire while chanting hymns. The gods were invited to the sacrifice as guests and, pleased by the offerings, were expected to grant prosperity, cattle, sons, long life and victory. Correct performance of the ritual was essential, and a specialised priesthood developed to perform it.
What happened to the Vedic gods?
As the Upanishads turned towards inner knowledge and devotion grew towards Vishnu, Shiva and the Goddess, the Vedic gods declined in importance. In the epics and Puranas, Indra is still king of heaven, but he is often portrayed as proud and insecure, and subordinate to the great gods. In the story of Govardhan, the young Krishna persuades villagers to stop worshipping Indra, and protects them from his anger.
Yet the Vedic gods have never disappeared. Agni is present in every Hindu wedding, where the couple circle the sacred fire; Vedic hymns are still chanted at rites of passage; and Indra, Varuna, Yama and others serve as guardians of the directions in temple architecture.
Sources and further reading
- Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton (trans.), The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India (Oxford University Press, 2014).
- Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty (trans.), The Rig Veda: An Anthology (Penguin Classics, 1981).
- Michael Witzel, “Vedas and Upanisads”, in Gavin Flood (ed.), The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism (Blackwell, 2003).