33 Koti: Number of Gods and Goddesses in Hinduism

Since my childhood we were taught by our parents that there are 33 Koti (crore or 10 million) Gods in Hinduism. 33 koti gods = 8 Vasus + 11 Rudras + 12 Adityas + Indra and Prajapati ( 8+ 11 + 12 + 2 = 33). If we consider koti means prakar {kind} 33 crores is the complete population of devatas. I mean if a human child is called human then child of devata also called devi or devata. And we know that devatas also have their family so I think 33 crore is the full population of devatas they have certain ability to control their population that's why they are called devata. 33 crore is also an indication for India that control your population up to 33 crore in order to get best result from India.

Now come back to the 33 crores of gods in Hindu religion or call it sanātana dharma because our ancient rishis and sages have spiritually proved that there are totally 33 crores of gods in universe. In the universe there are 33 crores of planets like earth where there is life and every planet if you consider at least one master or one god, there are totally 33 crores of gods. One thing is sure that only one animal is there on our earth who also exists in all the33 crores of planets. And that is cow. Therefore it is said that 33 crores of gods stay in her body and therefore she is called as gomata and Krishna has protected her upliftment. She is giving her milk in all the 33 crores of worlds. Eating her flesh is a dire sin whoever he may be

The word koti in 'trayastrimsati koti' does not mean the number '33 crore' or '330 million'. Here koti means 'supreme', pre-eminent, excellent, that is, the 33 'supreme' divinities. The 33 deities are: (Source Wikipedia) https://www.revivaloftrueindia.com/2013/03/330-million-gods.html?m=1

? Eight Vasus (deities of material elements) –1)Dyau? "Sky" 2)P?thivī "Earth" 3)Vāyu "Wind" 4)Agni "Fire" 5)Nak?atra "Stars" 6)Antarik?a "Atmosphere" or "Space" 7)Sūrya "Sun" 8)Chandra "Moon"

? Eleven Rudras, consisting of: ? Five abstractions – 1)ānanda "bliss" 2)Vij?āna "knowledge" 3)Manas "thought" 4)Prā?a "breath" or "life" 5)Vāc "speech", ? Five names of ?iva – 1)ī?āna "revealing grace" 2)Tatpuru?a "concealing grace" 3)Aghora "dissolution/rejuvenation" 4)Vāmadeva "preserving aspect" 5)Sadyojāta "born at once" ? ātmā "self" Other sources include the two A?vins (or Nāsatyas), twin solar deities.

Names of all 33 Vedic deities: 12 Adityas (personified deities) correspond to the 12 Solar months and represent different attributes of social life. The Vedic sages especially venerated the Adityas and Vedas are full of hymns dedicated to Indra, Agni, Surya, Varun and the like.

These are: 1. Indra/Shakra (eldest and the undoubted leader of other Adityas) 2. Ansh (due share), 3. Aryaman (nobility), 4. Bhaag (due inheritance), 5. Dhatri (ritual skill), 6. Tvashtar (skill in crafting), 7. Mitra (friendship), 8. Pushan/Ravi (prosperity), 9. Savitra/Parjanya (power of word), 10. Surya/Vivasvan (social law), 11. Varun (fate), 12. Vaman (cosmic law).

5 names of ?iva – ī?āna (ruler), Tatpuru?a (that person), Aghora (not terrible), Vāmadeva (pleasant god), Sadyojāta (born at once)

· 1 - ātmā (spiritual self)

In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the 11 Rudras are represented by ten vital energies (rudra-prana) in the body and the eleventh one being the ātman (the soul):

katame rudra iti | dasheme purushhe prana AtmaikAdashas te yadA.asm AchchharIrAnmarty Adutkr Amanty atha rodayanti tadyadrodayanti tasmAdrudrA iti || 4 ||

‘Which are the Rudras ?’ ‘The ten organs in the human body, with the prana as the tenth and the atma as the eleventh. When they depart from this mortal body, they make (one’s relatives) weep. Because they then make them weep, therefore they are called Rudras.’

- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad III-ix-4: ‘

Sources:- Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, Yajur Veda, and Part 9 of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad where Sage Yajnavalkya is questioned by Sage Sakalya. Even though the Vedic texts point out towards a naturalistic pantheistic or even polytheistic philosophy - if we go slightly deeper, we can identify the following core values of Sanatana Dharma/Hindu faith:

- There is a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent & transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

- No one path/religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving respect and understanding.

- Karma is the law of cause & effect by which each individual creates his/her own destiny by thoughts, words & actions.

- The Soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha (liberation) from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny.

- ALL life forms are sacred, to be loved & revered, so you have to follow Ahimsa - non-injury.

- Divinity exists in unseen worlds and temple worship, rituals, sacraments & personal devotions can help in connecting with God. Thus God can be worshiped in many forms - as Krishna, Ganesha, Kaali, Durga, Shiva, Surya, Agni or any other form/name.

As the Rigveda Richa (1/164/46) proclaims: God is called Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Divya, Suparna, Garutmaan, Yama and Maatarishvaa etc. but God is one, wise call him by many names. Therefore, in the end of the number of names of the same God do not really matter. What matters is that Truth/God is one - it can be called by various names by various people.

Actually all the God's and goddesses represent different things in nature we need to respect.. or the vehicles they use, so called favorite animals or flowers or fruits are mentioned so that we protect them because now we have a purpose to save them ( to worship). Even while talking about solution to horoscopic faults, they say a particular nakshatra people should worship a particular tree so that groups of people get engaged in saving few group of trees and rivers. So all have their own importance, but in my view, Lord Krishna is best , because he's not just a god, He's a mentor, he motivated a depressed warrior called Arjuna and his brothers too. He is known for his style of planning, doing tit for tat . Read Mahabharata, that's best book I can suggest if you want to know what's right and what's wrong to do.

His life is a teaching, he best suits as a role model to youth today. His teachings in Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta can motivate anyone. That epic is actually included in syllabus to many educational institutions. He's a lover who said' Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'( treat whole world as your family). He's a fighter who knows time is ultimate killer. In my view the best quote is “ life's unfairness doesn't give you the right to go in wrong path.” Because out of depression and frustration many people take this decision.

I found a reference in the Bhagavat Purana to 30 million demigods. Each planet in the universe represents a demigod. So there are many demigods, but only one Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that's Krishna.

vidhaya krtyam hradini-jalapluta

dattvodakam bhartur udara-karmanah

natva divi-sthams tridasams trih paritya

vivesa vahnim dhyayati bhartr-padau

Synonyms: vidhaya -- executing; krtyam -- the regulative function; hradini -- in the water of the river; jala-apluta -- taking bath completely; dattva udakam -- offering oblations of water; bhartuh -- of her husband; udara-karmanah -- who was so liberal; natva -- offering obeisances; divi-sthan -- situated in the sky; tri-dasan -- the thirty million demigods; trih -- three times; paritya -- circumambulating; vivesa -- entered; vahnim -- the fire; dhyayati -- while thinking of; bhartr -- of her husband; padau -- the two lotus feet.

Translation: After this, the Queen executed the necessary funerary functions and offered oblations of water. After bathing in the river, she offered obeisances to various demigods situated in the sky in the different planetary systems. She then circumambulated the fire and, while thinking of the lotus feet of her husband, entered its flames. > Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.23.22

The entrance of a chaste wife into the flames of the pyre of her dead husband is known as aha, which means "dying with the husband" This system of saha-gamana had been practiced in Vedic civilization from time immemorial. Even after the British period in India this practice was rigidly observed, but soon it degraded to the point that even when the wife was not strong enough to enter the fire of her dead husband, the relatives would force her to enter. Thus this practice had to be stopped, but even today there are still some solitary cases where a wife will voluntarily enter the fire and die with her husband. Even after 1940 we personally knew of a chaste wife who died in this way.

Someone asked the same question and Swami Vivekananda gave answer in many forms in speeches and in his books. Each tribe revers their “own”, owned god or goddess or both together. Not at a time all the forms of Gods and Goddess. This is the first step one need to understand before getting on to a conclusion of all are revered at a time. A Vishnu Bhakt revers Vishnu in one form or other form but not all the 1000+ forms. Ok …..even if so………can some one show me a place, to place that many number of idols or portraits.…Trimurthy + Sun( includes dwa Dasha Aditya) + Moon + Tridevi + family deity + Vishwa deva + our lineage grand parents + Guru, this is maximum.

Adi Shankara devised 5 main deity method. This is ultimate. For some tribes Tulja Bhavani is their main deity and for some tribes Goddess Saraswati is main deity. And for me Tulja Bhavani = Goddess Saraswati. A man is a son to his parents and is a brother to his siblings and friend to his like minded and a husband to his wife, father to his children, father in law to his Grandpa to his and so on. The same person has many relationship titles based on the kind of relation. He's the same one person but responds to each call differently, Assume all the family is together at a time, now he can't use his different portraits for each relationship.

He remains same where as others perceive their relationship with him according to their respective lineage. God is one one, he's neither male or female. Neither is of form or formless. Give no odour, taste or can't be seen with naked eyes. He's all over same for all humans in a single formless form. He's inaudible to both ears but audible. The universe is one and he reflects like stars and we get into an illusion that each shining star is self luminating. Sakal Dev Devatabhyo Namo Namah