1920.] Hindu Astronomical Deities. 59 
refers to the course of the sun. In one not very clear passage 
(RV i,155') he appears to be connected with the four quarters 
of the year, each of which consists of 90 days. In modern 
times his purely theistic ice eee hide any possible solar 
relationship.' He has few physical traits pe practically the 
seme one being his anthro niall Selene three stride 
. Other quasi-astronomical deities are the twin Agvins and 
Dioskouroi. Asvini is the name of the nakshatra usually 
identified with 6 and y Ariet 
Soma is, in the Rig Tela: hardly connected with the moon 
at all*; but erhaps in the later books,’ and certainly in the 
Atharva Veda,® Soma is a name of the moon. In later works 
the moon as a separate divinity is rarely mentioned and in 
modern times shares the subordinate position of the Pes 
Considering the importance of the original Soma and 
the large part the moon plays in regulating religious Pia ee 
in India, it is surprising to find that a moon-god proper has 
no place of Fag apg in the Hindu pantheon. 
is some diversity of opinion regarding the 
celbticnalty of these deities with astronomical bodies. We 
ave, for example, Oldenberg’s suggestion connecting the 
Adityas with the planets,’ and Hillebr Bnet, s theory that the 
whole Rik is centred round a lunar cult. But these hypo- 
theses really relate to the serie origins of the Vedic deities and 
have but little direct pgs on the characteristics of these 
deities as conceived b ishis. From our point of view is 
seen the importance ei: the fact that in the Rig Veda none 
pring pat Se deems that every ane of solar character is lacking in 
Vishnu (Macponent Ved. Mythol. 39) ; ee n the Puranas at least, 
pe relationship, is indicated, e.g. ** iin as ge is the internal 
SAA Macooxts, Ved. Myth. 53. gtintert to S lcs: them with 
the sun and moon have been made. 
8 i rly all the references to Surya rear her with the ASvins, as 
moun tise the ir car, and she appears to be t int wife. Once she is 
connected on Piashan (RV vi, 584), and ie once ‘with Bo moon (x, 85). 
wever, the reference hg Hillebra: ve ’s view in the next 
par ag ok beg. RV x, 852-5 €-Wii: i813: xi, 67. 
T Oldenberg suggests that Mitra, Varuna 9 the Adi ityas are the sun, 
moon and planets, and that these ha nm borrowed from the Semites 
or Sumerians, or had received their astronomical character as them. 
Die Religion des Veda, 185. . RE ii 
8 Vedische Mythologie (Band i. Soma und recente Gietect). See 
also A. A. Macponeti Vedic Mythology, p. 113. 
