"How Many Gods are There?"
From: Brhadaranyaka Upanishad III, 9, 1-9, trans. by Max Müller on Sacred Texts:Hinduism
Then Vidagdha Sakalya asked him: "How many Gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"
He replied according to the Nivid, quoting the number mentioned in the
Nivid of the All-Gods:
"Three hundred and three and three thousand and three."
"Yes," he said, "but how many Gods are there really, Yajnavalkya?"
"Thirty-three."
"Yes," he said, "but how many Gods are there really, Yajnavalkya?"
"Six."
"Yes," he said, "but how many Gods are there really, Yajnavalkya?"
"Three."
"Yes," he said, "but how many Gods are there really, Yajnavalkya?"
"Two."
"Yes," he said, "but how many Gods are there really, Yajnavalkya?"
"One and a half."
"Yes," he said, "but how many Gods are there really, Yajnavalkya?"
"One."
"Yes," he said, "but which are those three hundred and
three
and three thousand and three?"
Yajnavalkya replied: "These are but their powers;
there are only thirty-three Gods."
"Which are these thirty-three?"
"The eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, and twelve Adityas make thirty-one; thus with Indra and Prajapati there are thirty-three all told."
"Which are the Vasus?"
"Fire, the earth, wind, space, the sun, the sky, the moon, and the
stars
-- these are the Vasus. In them is stored all treasure;
hence they are called Vasus."
"Which are the Rudras?"
"The ten breaths, and the Atman is the eleventh. When they leave
the mortal body, they cause weeping. Because they cause weeping,
they are Rudras."
"Which are the Adityas?"
"The twelve months of the year, these are the Adityas. They move onward, carrying along all that is; hence they are called Adityas."
"Who is Indra? Who is Prajapati?"
"The thunder is Indra, the Sacrifice is Prajapati."
"What is thunder?"
"Lightning."
"What is sacrifice?"
"The victim."
"Which are the six?"
"Fire, the earth, the wind, space, the sun, and the sky --
these are the six, for these six are all."
"Which are the three Gods?"
"The three Gods are the three worlds, for in them all those Gods exist."
"Which are the two Gods?"
"Food and Life Breath."
"Which is the one and a half?"
"The one who blows the air."
"About this God they say:
"As the one who blows the air is one only,
why speak of one and a half?
Because in that one all this is developed,
hence it is called one and a half."
"Which is the one God?"
"Life Breath is Brahman, which they call 'That'."