Adityas
Devanagari	आदित्य
Sanskrit Transliteration	Ādityas
Affiliation	Devas
Abode	Heaven
Mantra	Aum Adityebhyah Namah
Weapon	Various
Consort	Various
Mount	Horses and many others

In Hinduism, Ādityas (Sanskrit: आदित्य, pronounced [ɑːd̪it̪jɐ]), meaning "of Aditi", refers to the offspring of Aditi. In later Hinduism, Aditya is used in the singular to mean the sun.

Contents 1 Vedas 2 Characterisation 3 Brahmanas 4 Linga Purana 5 Vedanta and Puranic Hinduism 6 Notes 7 Further reading

VedasEdit

In the Rigveda, the Ādityas are the seven celestial deities, sons of Āditi, headed by Varuna, followed by Mitra (Vedic personification of Surya) :

1. Varuna
2. Mitra (Surya)
3. Aryaman
4. Bhaga
5. Anśa or Aṃśa
6. Dhatri
7. Indra

The eighth Āditya (Mārtanda) was rejected by Aditi, leaving seven sons. In the Yajurveda (Taittirīya Samhita), their number is given as eight, and the last one is believed to be Vivasvān. Hymn LXXII of Rig Veda, Book 10, also confirms that there are eight Adityas, the eight one being Mārtanda, who is later revived back as Vivasvān. ^[1]

"So with her Seven Sons Aditi went forth to meet the earlier age. She brought Mārtanda thitherward to spring to life and die again."

As a class of gods, the Rigvedic Ādityas were distinct from other groups such as the Maruts, the Rbhus or the Viśve-devāḥ (although Mitra and Varuna are associated with the latter). ^[2]

CharacterisationEdit

The Adityas have been described in the Rig Veda as bright and pure as streams of water, free from all guile and falsehood, blameless, perfect.

These class of deities have been attributed to as upholding the movables and immovable Dharma. Aditya are the beneficent Gods who act as protectors of all beings, who are provident and guard the world of spirits and protect the world. In the form of Mitra-Varuna, the Adityas are true to the eternal Law and act as the debt exactors.^[3]

In present day usage in Sanskrit, the term Aditya has been made singular in contrast to Vedic Adityas, and are being used synonymously with Surya, the Sun.

BrahmanasEdit

The Vedas do not identify the Ādityas and there is no classification of the thirty-three gods, except for in the Yajurveda (7.19), which says there are eleven gods in heaven (light space), eleven gods in atmosphere (intermediate space), and eleven gods in earth (observer space). In the Satapatha Brahmana, the number of Ādityas is eight in some passages, and in other texts of the same Brahmana, twelve Adityas are mentioned. ^[4] The list of 12 Adityas is as follows:

1. Aṃśa*
2. Aryaman*
3. Bhaga*
4. Dhātṛ*
5. Indra*
6. Mitra*
7. Sūrya or Arka*
8. Varuṇa*
9. Dakṣa
10. Ravi
11. Savitṛ+
12. Yama

Linga PuranaEdit

According to the Linga Purana^[5] the Aditya's are:

1. Vishnu+
2. Indra*
3. Dhata*
4. Bhaga*
5. Twashta+
6. Amshuman* (Amsa?)
7. Varuna*
8. Mitra*
9. Vivaswan*
10. Pusha+
11. Savitr+
12. Aryaman*

Vedanta and Puranic HinduismEdit

Āditya in the (Chāndogya-Upaniṣad) is also a name of Viṣṇu, in his Avatar known as Vāmana, the dwarf. His mother is Aditi.

Another such list, from the Vishnu Purana ^[6] is:

1. Aṃśa*
2. Aryaman*
3. Bhaga*
4. Dhūti*
5. Mitra*
6. Śakra*
7. Varuṇa*
8. Vivasvat*
9. Pūṣan+
10. Savitṛ+
11. Tvaṣṭṛ+
12. Viṣṇu+

NotesEdit

In the later Puranic texts, all Hindu deities were referred to as Adityas. Hence, the number of Adityas increased to 330,000,000.(tettees koti)

Further readingEdit

On the Adityas

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