Rigveda In the
Rigveda a number of hymns are addressed to these deities, including (according to
Griffith): 1.3, 1.89, 3.54-56, 4.55, 5.41-51, 6.49-52, 7.34-37, 39, 40, 42, 43, 8.27-30, 58, 83 10.31, 35, 36, 56, 57, 61-66, 92, 93, 100, 101, 109, 114, 126, 128, 137, 141, 157, 165, 181.
RV 3.54.17 addresses them as headed by
Indra: :
This is, ye Wise, your great and glorious title, that all ye Deities abide in Indra. (trans. Griffith) The dichotomy between
devas is not evident in these hymns, and the devas are invoked together such as
Mitra and
Varuna. Though many devas are named in the Rigveda, only
33 devas are counted, eleven of them present each in earth, space, and
heaven.
Manusmriti According to
Manu (iii, 90, 121), offerings should be made daily to the visvedevas. These privileges were bestowed on them by
Brahma and the
Pitri as a reward for severe austerities they had performed on the
Himalayas.
Puranas In later
Hinduism, the visvedevas form one of the nine ganadevatas (along with the
adityas,
vasus,
tushitas,
abhasvaras, anilas,
maharajikas,
sadhyas, and
rudras). According to the
Vishnu Purana and
Padma Purana, they were the sons of Vishvā, a daughter of
Daksha, described as follows: •
Vasu • Satya •
Kratu •
Daksha •
Kala • Kama •
Dhrti • Kuru •
Pururavas • Madravas • Rocaka or Locana • Dhvani or Dhuri
Mahabharata The visvedevas are described to have incarnated on earth due to the curse of sage
Vishvamitra, as the five sons of
Draupadi with the
Pandavas - the
Draupadeyas. They are described to have returned to their original forms after being killed by
Ashvatthama at night. ==See also==