Hari Om
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Namaste ,
Very often I hear of 'all the gods' of Sanatana Dharma - some quote 33,000 some 3,300. That is quite a lot of gods to pray to don't you think?
My orientation is simple - vishvam ekam charat patatri vishunam vi jatam (RK Ved 3.54.8) in simple terms says The All One has become what moves, what flies, all that is manifold. All the worlds are set within the navel of the One without birth - RV 10.114.5 And we know from the Bhagavad Gita that all 'this' stems from One, Krsna. Yet this 3,300 comes up again. Even in Jyotish knowledge , there's 33 devata that are recognized in this body of knowledge.
If you have interest in this, please read on , and please share your their teachings/knowledge on this, please bring this to the forum as you see fit.
Let me outline the thngs I know from my readings… I look to the brillance of the sage Yajnavalkya for insights, Then I will outline the 33 devata found in Jyotish if there is interest.
Yajyavalkya Kanda
If we look in the Sakalya Brahmana ( Part of the Yajyavalkya Kanda) there is a questioning ( more of an interrogation) of Yajnavalkya muni. This was in the court of king Janaka, wishing to find out the most learned brahman of Kuru and Panchala, that he had assembled.
King Janaka says 'he who is throughly proficient in the veda's amoung you may take these cows' - that is the king offered 1,000 cows, each having gold, 1/3 ounce or one pada in those days, carried on their horns. Cows alone in the ved is signifincant as they represent luminosity, fullness of consciousness, let alone gold as purity.
So, without hesitancy the sage Yajnavalkya tells his sisya to herd the cows together and take them home, end of discussion. The other brahmana's took issue with this action, and so begins this kanda of questioning this great sage.
The son of Sakalya (Vidagdha) asks how many god's (deva') are there ? Yajnavalkya answers as many that are mentioned in the nivid of world deva 3,306. There are a set of hymm's called the nivid ( which I have little knowledge of) that states there's 3,306 devas). "Yes",said Sakalya,(father of Vidagdha), concurring the number, and took over the questioning. 'How many gods are there indeed, O Yajnavalkya' . Sage Yajnavalkya responds '33'. This questioning continues in this manner ; 'how many?' , '6' replys Yajnavalkya. Again how many? '3', how many ? '2' how many ? '1 1/2' … 'How many ?' questions Sakalya, and Yajyavalkya says '1'.
The sage boils them all down to Tad Ekam,the others are an expression of the One, as if that questioning was not enough, The brahman Sakala then asks Yajyavalkya, 'Which are these three and three hundred and three and three thousand?' …or who are they? I will let you read the repsonses yourself, yet the 33 devata in number are recognized in Jyotish. They are:
8 Vasu's
11 Rudra's
12 Aditya's
1 Indra
1 Prajapati
33 in total
This is also called out in the Narayana Upanishad ( Sathapatha Brahmana 14.16) and points to Narayana as the fountainhead of all these devata. Lets take a look at these devata:
8 Vasu's
The 8 are a function of Vasudeva that make up this creation.
- Agni - fire, the physical view, yet Divine will, vak and speech are key; key pitta ingredent and Mar's influence; agni's is rooted in ang - strong and luminious movement.
- Prithvi - earth or matter , smell tattva; the material universe ( us too ) Mercury is key graha
- Vayu - air principle, or gas state, yet prana - vatta , Sani or Saturn is key
- Aantariksa - known as intermedite space 'antara' or middle,between - Associated with Aksaha, hense Jupiter
- Aditya - some say sun, yet the 12 rasi's on ones chart, as it is owned by Adtiya and Mother of all as she owns the 12 houses/rasi's
- Dyaus- which is considered the reoccuring dawn yet in the Veda we see this as Ushas. Some say heaven. This is associated with ones lagna ( lug-na) or ascendent. As ushas is a precurser to the dawn ( a symbol for our awakening), Surya is a key influencer and graha.
- Chandrama or moon - the mind, emotions, realtionships.
- Nakshatra - 27 lunar mansions the moon travels during the month
The 11 Rudra's (ekadasa rudra)
It's said there are 11 in one's chart… they are the 8th house from every other house in one's chart less the one that houses Brihaspiti ( Jupiter). They are responsible for holding the life force (prana) within the body of the native.
When this life force leaves, then we pass on, and people weep, and hense we had 'rud' to weep , some say howl.
We also see this in the veda as rudra and associated with red, blood, etc.
Now, the 11th Rudra within one's chart is Maheshvara , and is responsible for seperating the atma from the mana or the mind. This Rudra, this Maheshvara plays a key role. In the Bhagavad gita, Sri Krsna says ' Of all the Rudra's I am Sankara' ( BG 10.23). We know of this Sankara as Lord Siva, ( Om Nama Sivaya!), the asupicious.
The 12 Aditya's (dvadasadityah)
Some say the 12 Sun's - as the 360 degree travel around the zodiac. The Sun travels through the solar signs for each month (masa) of the year (samvatsara). This travel provides time and space. This provides that total life experince we hve on this earth, traced back to the Sun (Aditya).
Indra
Indra rules swar-loka and in the veda is Divine Mind, in us. He's the king of the devata, as the atmakaraka ( see Jyotish posts part 1, 2 and 3 on Atmakaraka) is in one's janma kundali ( birth chart).
Prajapiti
Father of all living beings, Ultimately Brahma, the creator. In one's chart this is the lagna.
Mangalam Bhagawaan Vishnu
Mangalam Garuda Dhwaja
Mangalam Pundari Kaaksha
Mangalaaya Tanno Hari
Pranams, and Happy New Year
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