There are many gods and goddesses in Rigveda. However, some are more prominent than others. The main god of the Rigveda is Indra, who is often depicted as a warrior god. The goddess not referred to in the Rigveda is Saraswati, who is later worshipped in Hinduism. The other chief god during the Rig Vedic age was Varuna, who was later replaced by Indra.

What is Rig Veda?

The Rig Veda is the oldest of the four Vedas and is an ancient Hindu scripture. It is a collection of hymns dedicated to various gods and goddesses. The Rig Veda is thought to have been composed between 1500 and 1200 BCE, making it one of the oldest religious texts in the world.

Historical Context on Rig Veda:

The history of Rigveda is traced back to the Vedic period. The Vedic period, also known as the Vedic age, is the time during which the Rig Veda was composed. It is estimated that the Rig Veda was composed between 1500 and 1200 BCE. The Rig Veda is the oldest of the four Vedas, and it is the only one that has survived in its entirety. The other three Vedas are the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Atharva Veda.

Rigveda is composed of hymns called suttas. There are a total of ten mandalas, or books, in the Rig Veda. Mandalas from 2-7 are the core of the Rig Veda and they are known as the family books because they are attributed to specific Rishis or sages. The first and tenth mandalas are known as the supplementary books because they do not belong to any specific sage.

List of Rig Vedic Gods & Goddesses:

There were several Gods & Goddesses during Rigveda.

The list of gods of Rigveda are:

  •  Agni, Indra, Soma, Rudra, Vishnu, Varuna and Mitra.
  • The main god of Rigveda was Indra. He was the chief god during the Rig Vedic age. He was also known as the king of gods & lord of heaven.
  • Agni is the second most important god of Rigveda. He was the god of fire & sacrifice.
  • Soma was the third most important god of Rigveda. He was the god of the soma plant, which was used in religious ceremonies.
  • Rudra was the fourth most important god of Rigveda. He was the god of wind & storm.
  • Vishnu was the fifth most important god of Rigveda. He was the preserver of the universe.
  • Varuna was the sixth most important god of Rigveda. He was the god of water & rain.
  • Mitra was the seventh most important god of Rigveda. He was the god of friendship & alliance.

List of goddesses in Rigveda:

The main goddess of Rigveda is Ushas. She is the goddess of dawn, and her name means “light” or “day”. She is also known as the daughter of Dyaus Peter (the sky god) and Prithvi Mata (the earth goddess). Ushas is often depicted as a beautiful woman, riding in a chariot drawn by horses or cows.

The goddess not referred to in Rigveda is Saraswati. She is the goddess of learning, music, and art. Saraswati is often depicted as a beautiful woman, wearing white clothes and seated on a lotus flower.

Another Rigveda goddess is Apsaras. She is the goddess of beauty, grace, and charm. Apsaras are often depicted as beautiful women with long flowing hair.

Aditi and Aryani are two other Rigvedic goddesses. Aditi is the goddess of space and time, and Aryani is the goddess of love and fertility.

Conclusion:

The Rigvedic period was a time of great change and upheaval. The main god of the Rigveda, Indra, was slowly losing his power and importance. The goddess not referred to in the Rigveda, Saraswati, was gradually gaining prominence. By the end of the Rigvedic period, the chief god was Agni, not Indra. This change in the pantheon reflects the changing social and political landscape of the time. The Rigvedic period was a time of great change and upheaval. The main god of the Rigveda, Indra, was slowly losing his power and importance.