Rigvedic deities

There are 1028 hymns in the Rigveda, most of them dedicated to specific names or attributes of the One God.

Names of God by prominence

List of Rigvedic names of God by number of dedicated hymns, after Griffith (1888). Some dedications are to twin-names, such as Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuna, Soma-Rudra, here counted doubly.

• Indra 289
• Agni 218
• Soma 123 (most of them in the Soma Mandala)
• Vishvadevas 70
• the Asvins 56
• Varuna 46
• the Maruts 38
• Mitra 28
• Ushas 21
• Vayu (Wind) 12
• Savitr 11
• the Rbhus 11
• Pushan 10
• the Apris 9
• Brhaspati 8
• Surya (Sun) 8
• Dyaus and Prithivi (Heaven and Earth) 6, plus 5.84 dedicated to Earth alone
• Apas (Waters) 6
• Adityas 6
• Vishnu 6
• Brahmanaspati 6
• Rudra 5
• Dadhikras 4
• the Sarasvati River / Sarasvati 3
• Yama
• Parjanya (Rain) 3
• Vac (Speech) 2 (mentioned 130 times, deified e.g. in 10.125)
• Vastospati 2
• Vishvakarman 2
• Manyu 2
• Kapinjala (the Heathcock, a form of Indra) 2

Minor deities (one single or no dedicated hymn)

• Manas (Thought), prominent concept, deified in 10.58
• Dakshina (Reward), prominent concept, deified in 10.107
• Jnanam (Knowledge), prominent concept, deified in 10.71
• Purusha ("Cosmic Man" of the Purusha sukta 10.90)
• Aditi
• Bhaga
• Vasukra
• Atri
• Apam Napat
• Ksetrapati
• Ghrta
• Nirrti
• Asamati
• Urvasi
• Pururavas
• Vena
• Aranyani
• Mayabheda
• Tarksya
• Tvastar
• Saranyu

References

Ralph T.H. Griffith, Hymns of the Rigveda (1888).

See also

• historical Vedic religion