90 The Religion of the Veda

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It would seem possible m present the Vedic gnds in the order of their importancm but many are equally, 0r nearly equally,‘ important. WK: find nearly a dozen 0f them engaged in agitating the world, and rather mum than a. dozen augagml in pm» Clucng the sun, placing it (.111 the salty, (“Jr pmpnring a path for it ; under thus-2c: circmnfitzmcug it is nut filmy to rank tlmxn.‘ The: grads; have r1631: all of tlmm came into existence at: the sauna timer. Seamus: balong to IndowEuropcan times; anthers to Indmlmnizm times. Of the rest same came fmm an anrlicr‘, some from a. later perimd of the Veda. If we: had all the dates we might try a chrmmlcagical armagm ment pure: and simpla, but we do not have all the dates.

A celebrated ancient Hindu glossogmpher and etymologer of the name of Yfiska reports threat: lists, respectively of 32, 36, and 3t gcds, 0r semiwdivfne: beings.“ The last of these seems to begin m tell us in what succasslon the: Vedic gods appaar on the stage day by day, especially in the morning.” He: he» gins well with the Agvins, or “ Horsemen ” (the Vadic Dioscuri),‘ Ushas, the Goddess Dawn, and Sfiryfi,

‘ See Macdonell, Vedic Myt/ialogy, p. 1:55. ’ Nighantu 5. 4-43.

3 Cf; Nimkta 12. I. Brhaddevaté’i 2. 7i". ‘See below, p. 112.

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