8. Hindu Astronomical Deities.! 
By G. R. Kaye. 
(With Plates VII—X1I). 
logical matters have been purposely excluded, for astrology and 
planetary worship are in India clearly differentiated, and it is 
doubtful whether the Hindu worship even connotes a belief in 
more important part in Hindu life than does the Sahl 
cult, for the latter is always subordinate in its relation with 
other religious observances. In most works on the religions 
of India, indeed, either there is no reference at all to the cult, 
or the barest mention of it t, and the study of planetary icono- 
graphy appears to have been equally neglected. 
Vepic DEITIEs. 
2. In Vedic times there was a group of gods—Surya, 
Savitri, Mitra and the other Adityas—that has, with some 
propriety, been called a sun-god group. In the Rig Veda, 
however, the only one of these that is definitely astronomica i 
is Sirya, who was more closely related with the physical Ss 
than the others, cpanisioalaline indeed, being the actual objec 
itself. He was the source of light, the day-measurer, is 
dispeller of ada etc.; Savitri, the vivifier, represents a 
more abstract notion ; Mitra was, something like the Mithra of 
the west, rather v vaguely a god of light ; while the other Adityas 
were still less definitely astronomica 1. 
Although there is nothing in the Rig Veda that marks 
any one of these gods, except Siirya, as definitely connected 
with an astronomical body or phenomenon, yet they are all 
ey related to Sarya ad even are on some occasions 
efinitely equated with him (and with each other) by name, 
and also, rather indefinitely, by attributes and functions. The 
1 I am greatly indebted to Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Sastri, 
C.I.E., President of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, for advice and help in 
the preparation of this Mag an mob cient in connexion with the history 
of the Magas in India. For the Docs Sn which have been utilised 
I am inde bted i“ Messrs. Johnston & Hoffman, Calcutta, and to the 
Director General of pe ie 
