Hinduism is the world's oldest and third-largest religion, behind Christianity and Islam. According to Pew Research Center, it has about 1.2 billion followers, among which 95 percent of people reside in India. Although Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, many people still believe that there are 33 crore gods in Hinduism. But it's not true. So, what's the truth? Let's explore!
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The Truth About 33 Gods in Hinduism
The truth is that 33 crore gods is a wrong translation of a Vedic Sanskrit term, "Travastrimsati Koti." According to scriptures in the Atharva Veda, Yajur Veda, and Satapatha-brahmana, the right translation for this term is 33 gods.
The term Koti in Sanskrit can either mean 'type' or 'crore.' Hence, the scholars missed the basic fact in translation and referred to 33 koti devas instead of 33 supreme gods.
33 Devas in Sanatana Dharma and Hinduism are separated in the following pattern: 12+11+8+2, where 12 is the number of Adityas, 11 of Rudra, 8 is the number of Vasus, 1 is Prajapati-Master of Gods, and lastly, 1 of a supreme ruler who is highly powerful.
About 33 Vedic Deities in Sanatana Dharma/Hinduism
The section below explains about 33 Vedic Gods of Vedic times:
12 Adityas
Adityas are "Gods of Law and Protection." They are pure as light and are known for vanishing darkness and spreading light in the universe. Adityas are often known as Dwadasa Adityas. Why? Because they represent 12 solar months and change their positions on the day of Sankranti. According to Bhagavad Purana, the names of these 12 Adityas solar deities are:
- Indra
- Parjanya
- Ivastha
- Pusha
- Aryaman
- Vivasvan
- Vishnu
- Anshuman
- Varuna
- Mitra
8 Vasu
Vasus is the god of elements. They are generally known as the Ashta Vasus or eight Vasus representing the elements of nature. Another 8 Vedic Gods known as Ashta Vasu are Dhara (Earth), Anala (Fire), Anila (Wind), Aga (Water), Dayus (Space), Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), and Dhruva (Star).
Point to Remember: Seven Vasu represents the seven-chakra system, and the eighth Vasu is eternal. This eighth Vasu can be Sun or Surya.
11 Rudra
Among 33 Crore gods in Hinduism Rudra is super powerful and stays in the heart of gods and every being in the universe. They play a critical role in universal work and are considered as 'Lord of the Universe. We pray to Rudra Vedic deities for liberation and moksha.
Key Points to know about 11 Rudra are:
- There are 11 Rudra incarnations that include Mahakal, Tara, Bala Bhuvanesh, Shosash Srividyesh, Bhairava, Chinnamastak, Dhumwan, Baglamukh, Mathang, Kamal, and Hanuman.
- Rud means weep in Sanskrit. There are 11 Rudra in the human body, i.e. five gyanendriya-sense organs, five karmendrivas motor organs, and lastly mind. These 11 Rudra make people weep when they leave a human body.
- The other institution of thought mentioned that 10 are pranas and one is the soul out of all the 11 Rudra.
- There's another school of thought that says 11 rudras have five abstractions—the names of Shiva and the self. These five abstractions are Ananda (bliss), Vijnana (knowledge), Manas (thought), Prana (Life force or breath), and Väg (speech).
1 Prajapati
The word “Praja” in Prajapati means creation or procreative powers and “Pati” signifies lord or master. Hence, the term Prajapati among 33 Crore gods in Hinduism can be defined as lord of creatures or lord of all born beings. Although Prajapati is a form of creator-god Brahma, in many Hindu scriptures the name Prajapati mentions the name of numerous gods. This includes Lord Brahma to Vishvakarma, Agni, Indra, Daksha, and various others.
The Hindu Trinity in Hinduism
The other manifestations of supreme god appeared and were created in the group of deities. The most important ones are Ganesh who is the son of Lord Shiva and goddess Shakti; and Hanuman, the 12th incarnation of lord Shiva. Who are others? Twin sons of Surya and ten incarnations of God Vishnu are called the Dashavatar. Moreover, Buddhist cosmology describes that 33 devas in sanatan dharma have a separate heaven known as Tavatimsa.
The Last Words
The conclusion is that there are no 33 crore gods in Hinduism. It is just a wrong translation of Sanskrit language by foreign scholars in ancient times. Not 33 koti devas but there are 33 vedic gods in Sanatan Dharma.
