66 E. W. Hopkins, 



thus get the prosperity of these divinities. They were originally 

 (these; eight, but a verse (RV. 10. 72. 8) says that their mother 

 Aditi threw away the sun (the eighth). The commentator says that 

 only the principal Adityas are meant, as it is well known that they 

 are twelve in number (S. at 24. 12. 4). And elsewhere the text 

 has this same statement. For the number of gods is reckoned as 

 thirty-three, with Prajapati as the thirty-fourth, 10. 1. 16; 12. 13. 

 24 ; 22. 7. 4-5 ; 24. 4. 3 ; or as thirty-three without including Prajapati, 

 13. 12. 16; cf. 24. 1. 9-13, with a misquotation of RV. 8. 28. 1. 

 Prajapati is the thirty-fourth as when a horse is added to thirty- 

 three cows as a fee, 17. 11. 4. hi this regard, the Great Brahmana 

 lias a very remarkable statement, as compared with other ancient 

 texts. In SB. 4. 5. 7. 2, for example, it is said that there are eight 

 Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adit3^as, and heaven and earth, and 

 as thirty-fourth, Prajapati. Li the same work, 11. 6. 3. 5, Indra and 

 Prajapati make the thirty-second and thirty-third. In TS. 3. 4. 9. 7, 

 (after identifying phases of the moon with metres and the Vasatkara 

 with Dhatar, and Dhatar again with the moon) the author says, 

 " The Vasvis are eight (the Gayatrl metre has eight syllables) ; the 

 Rudras are eleven (the Tristubh has eleven S3'llables) ; the Adityas 

 are twelve (the JagatI has twelve syllables) • the Anv;stubh (having 

 thirty-two syllables represents) Prajapati (as the thirty-second god) ; 

 the Vasatkara ('represents) Dhatar. So all the metres are objects 

 of devotion (as Devikas), and the Vasatkara is all the divinities 

 (Devatas). " In this passage the ceremonial call, vasat, is evidently 

 reckoned as a thirty-third god, representative of Dhatar, who is 

 elsewhere ranged among the thirtj'-three gods. Now according 

 to the PB., although there is a formal admission that the gods do 

 not vary in number, yet they not only have god-children (progeny) 

 like men, ^ but even include as the thirty -third the Vasatkara, so 

 that the identification of TS. (above) has led to the actual sub- 

 stitution of this representative : " Three and thirty verily are the 

 divinities, eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas, and Prajapati 

 and Vasatkara, the thirty-second and third, " 6. 2. 5. 2 



^ " There are just as niany gods now as (when the Father-god created 

 tliem) in tlie beginning,"' 6. 11. 16. On the other hand, '■ the gods were 

 increased, prcyciyanfa, in progeny and in cattle," 22. 14. 5. But '• cattle 

 are not propagated in heaven," 20. 16. 7. 



- The same inclusion is Puranic. It is as if Amen should represent 

 a divinity and then become the divinity. In 8. 1. 2, Vasatkara is (Indra's 

 bolt) a " god-arrow,"' an expression used in MS. 1. 4. 13. of oblations. In 



