Rig Veda · 107 of 1027
Mandala 1: HYMN CVII. Viśvedevas.
1.THE sacrifice obtains the Gods’ acceptance: be graciously inclined to us, Ādityas. Hitherward let your favour be directed, and be our best deliverer from trouble.
2.By praise-songs of Aṅgirases exalted, may the Gods come to us with their protection. May Indra with his powers, Maruts with Maruts, Aditi with Ādityas grant us shelter.
3.This laud of ours may Varuṇa and Indra, Aryaman Agni, Savitar find pleasant. This prayer of ours may Varuṇa grant, and Mitra, and Aditi and Sindhu, Earth and Heaven.
Asked of Guide
Why does this hymn call on groups like the Ādityas, Aṅgirases, and Maruts instead of a single god?
The hymn addresses the community of gods because it treats the sacrifice as a communal event whose efficacy depends on many powers acting together: “May Indra with his powers, Maruts with Maruts, Aditi with Ādityas grant us shelter.” The poets list complementary deities—Varuṇa, Mitra, Agni, Savitar, Sindhu, Earth and Heaven—to gather every source of protection and favour the ritual needs.
This pattern appears across the early hymns where invocation is plural and associative; compare Mandala 1 hymns that summon clusters of gods to share in the gift and to guarantee success. The strategy is practical: plural address widens the net of divine attention so the sacrifice secures “the Gods’ acceptance.”
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