Vedic Religion, Polity and Society

Vedic Religion, Polity and Society
Rig Vedic Gods
Before we discuss the important deities of the Vedic people, it is important to understand that Aryans were solely theists and their contemplation about life and the world was from the spiritual standpoint The Vedic Aryans believed in the concept of one in many evident from the quote “Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti“, which means that which exists is ONE sages call it by various names
Worship of Nature
Rig-Vedic Aryans worshipped the forces of nature, but at the same time believed in the basic unity of nature They worshipped many gods not in fear of nature but to gain nature’s favour All the natural phenomena such as the sky, thunder, rain, air were believed to be guided by their presiding deities, while natural devastations were taken to be an expression of their wrath The hymns of the Rig- Veda were mainly sung for the glorification of the gods in order to appease them God was regarded as the ruler, ordainer of the period of life, protector of men and giver of happiness
There were no places of worship like temples or objects of worship like Idols Natural phenomena were conceived as the expression of some spiritual different appearances of various gods For the different appearances of the sky different deities were imagined, such as Varuna, Indra, Mitra, Dyus Most of these natural events were personified and it was the birth of first mythology in the world