33 Gods

Trayastrimsas
The Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods

The Heaven of the 33 Gods (S. Trayastrimsas) is the heaven that rules over the secular world we live in. It is the realm of the gods that watches over the affairs of humanity. Its lord is Sakra Devendra, wielder of the thunderbolt (vajra) who personifies the will and power of heaven and mastery over the self. As lord of the secular world, he resides in his palace in the City of Beautiful Vision (Sudarsana) atop Mt. Sumeru, the highest point as well as the center of the world. His name means Almighty (Sakra) Divine (Deva) Conqueror (Indra). The name probably originated from the leader of the Aryans who led them in conquering the peoples of southerm Asia in the period prior to the appearance of the Vedas (c. 1000 BCE).

There are 32 Gods who report to him on the good & evil done in the world. These 32 Gods are the rulers of our higher natures as gods of this world. These 32 are divided into:

1. An agent of creation - Prajapati

2. Agents of preservation and stability - the Twelve Adityas, or Sovereign Principles

3. Agents of destruction and transformation - the Eleven Rudras, the Wailers or Screamers

4. The spheres of their activity - the Eight Vasus, or elements

1. Prajapati is the lord & master of creation, the creator and producer of all things; He is divine providence; In nature, he is the the one who brings all things into existence in this world. In man, he personifies the boundless creativity of the human spirit.

2. The Twelve Adityas: The Twelve Sovereign Principles that lead to stability and order in the world

#	Sanskrit	Principle	Realm	Importance
1	Mitra	Friendship; The social contract, the sacred bond between people	Of This World	Major Principles
2	Aryaman	Honor; Nobility, honesty, trust, good faith, truth to principles
3	Bhaga	One's share; The giving, doing & accepting of one’s fair share
4	Varuna	Fate; The relation between god & man, the favor of the gods	Beyond This World
5	Daksa	Ritual efficacy; The proper rules of ritual skill, of making sacrifices
6	Amsa	The share of the gods; That which is sacrificed
7	Tvastri	The shaper; Industry, craftsmanship, workmanship	Of This World	Minor Principles
8	Pusan	The nourisher; Agriculture, abundance, that which offers inner security
9	Visvavat	The righteous; Morality, justice, the laws of man
10	Savitra	The Vitalizer; The power of words as magic weapons	Beyond This World
11	Sakra	The Potent; Courage, heroism, valor, that which offers outer security
12	Vishnu	The Pervader; Knowledge, wisdom, perception of reality

3. The Eleven Rudras: The agents of destruction, transformation and change.

             A. #1 - #5 represent the manifestation of speech from the mind.
             B. #6 - #10 represent the rulers of space
             C. #11 represents the soul

A. The Manifestation of speech from the mind:

#	Sanskrit	Meaning	Descrption	Personificaton
1	Ananda	Bliss	The calm, silenced mind beyond thought; The motionless ocean of bliss	The Conqueror of Death (Mrityum Jaya) who is beyond desire.
2	Vijnana	Knowledge	Beginning of an idea, the power of intellect, the inner vision the mind tries to express; the first blurring of the waters	The Southern Image (Daksina Murti); The south being the manifestation & the north being the source
3	Manas	Thought	Reduction of idea into word form, into code for the five senses	The Lord of Lust-Sensory Desire (Kamesvara); Growth and development of the seed of thought
4	Prana	Breath	The word brought forth by vital breath, becoming alive & reined to the five senses and manifested	The Herdsman (Pasupati), who reins and guides the flock of the five senses
5	Vac	Voice	Food (Anna) is the fodder of the body & speech (Vac) is the fodder of the mind.	The Lord of the Elements (Bhutesvara) Food is the substance of vital energy & speech is outward projection of the mind

B. The rulers of space, the controllers of destiny.

#	Sanskrit	English	Meaning	Sense	Organs	Element	Other
6	Isana	The Ruler	Enjoyer of nature, the learner	Touch	Hands	Wind	Clarity Upwards
7	Tat-Purusa	Supreme Person	Nature, that which is enjoyed and learned	Smell	Oral & Anal	Earth	Yellow East
8	Aghara	Fearless	Intellect, granting benefits & removing fear	Hearing	Organs of Speech	Ether	Blue South
9	Vama-Deva	The Left Handed God	Self-consciousness, the ego	Sight	The Feet, led by the Eyes	Fire	Red West
10	Satyojata	Suddenly Born	Soma, the sacrificial elixir	Taste	The Organs of Sex	Water	White North

C. The Soul; the higher self

#	Sanskrit	English	Meaning
11	Atma	The Soul	The higher self, the conscience with its aspect of free will

4. The Eight Vasus: The Realms of the Gods

#	Sanskrit	English	Meaning	Element
1	Prithivi	Mother Earth	The body and the food of life & source of abundance, in which dwells:	Earth
2	Agni	Fire	The mouth of the gods, which consumes & digests the earth	Fire
3	Antariksa	The Atmosphere & Oceans	The waters; Sphere between heaven & earth, in which dwells:	Water
4	Vayu	The Wind & the Currents	The breath of the gods, the powerful & often destructive flows of energy & life	Wind
5	Dyaus	The Sky	Father of sun, moon & stars, fertilizing mother earth with rain, in which dwells:	The Day	The Ether Space
6	Surya	The Sun	Source of warmth, light, and life	The Day
7	Naksatra	The Stars & the Planets	Realm beyond humanity where universe was born, in which dwells:	The Night
8	Soma	The Moon	Vessel of soma elixir, ruling over tides, plants, animals & sexual energy	The Night

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