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THE DOCTRINE OF LIBERATION IN INDIAN RELIGIONS
again into three thousand three hundred and thirty-nine gods, as we are told in the Rgveda (III 9.9). 2
The sun god has been presented as the great bestower of long life, health, wealth, prosperity and energy. The Vedic brāhmanas prayed to this god in the following words : 'We meditate upon the glorious effulgence of that Savit;, may He direct our intellects towards Him.'3 A. B. Keith states that:
“The chief feat of Sarya is his shinning for the world, for gods, and men : he smites away the darkness and triumphs over the powers of darkness and witches, he prolongs the lives of men and drives away sickness, disease and evil dreams."
According to the Rgveda, Indra is the great aerial god having supreme valour, great size and strength. All the other gods of his region yield to his power and strength. He pervades the air, rain and thunder. He can assume many forms and He is the warrior-king among gods.
Varuņa represents the sky and is the god of the laws of nature. Several scholars have compared the nature of Varuņa with that of Uranos. He has fixed the laws of physical universe which no one can upset. The heaven and the earth are held apart by the order (rta) of Varuņa. Through his orders the sun and moon shine, the stars move regularly and the rivers flow into the ocean without over filling it. He is described as omniscient and is often associated with Mitra. Both of them send rains from sky. He is the maker of universal order and moral governor and gives good to the wise and punishment to the wicked. So the Vedic gods are friendly, to the good men and hostile to the wicked and evil minded people.
The god Agni is second only to Indra. He is the personification of the sacrificial fire. He is the priest of gods and the best bestower of gifts. The worship of Agni was a very important feature of the life of Vedic people as they always desired health, wealth, sons and even immortality through offerings of ghee, wood, etc., to Agni. It has been suggested that Agni has three forms : "terrestrial as fire, atmospheric as lightening, and celestial as the sun."
The Vedic gods are majestic, powerful and kind towards worshippers. The Vedic people offered sacrifices to all these gods to seek
2. 3. 4.
The Cultural Heritage of India, vol. I, p. 188. Rgveda, III. 62.10; The Cultural Heritage of India, vol. I, p. 190. A B. Keith, The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda, pp. 104-5.
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