Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,9.2
॥
Devanāgarī
सः ह उवाच महिमानः एव एषाम् एते त्रयस्त्रिंशत् तु एव देवाः इति कतमे ते त्रयस्त्रिंशत् इति अष्टौ वसवः एकादश रुद्राः द्वादश आदित्याः ते एकत्रिंशत् ऐन्द्रः च एव प्रजापतिः च त्रयस्त्रिंशौ इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ ha uvāca mahimānaḥ eva eṣām ete trayastriṃśat tu eva devāḥ iti katame te trayastriṃśat iti aṣṭau vasavaḥ ekādaśa rudrāḥ dvādaśa ādityāḥ te ekatriṃśat aindraḥ ca eva prajāpatiḥ ca trayastriṃśau iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
महिमानःmahimānaḥthe greatnesses (mahiman, pl.); the glories; of greatness
एवevaindeed; only
एषाम्eṣāmof these; of them
एतेetethese; the following
त्रयस्त्रिंशत्trayastriṃśatthirty-three; the thirty-three gods
तुtusurely; but
एवevaindeed; only
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
इतिitithus; how
कतमेkatamewhich; those who
तेtethose; these
त्रयस्त्रिंशत्trayastriṃśatthirty-three; the thirty-three gods
इतिitithus; how
अष्टौaṣṭaueight; the set of eight
वसवःvasavaḥthe Vasus (vasu, pl.); Vasu; Vasu
एकादशekādaśaeleven; the eleven
रुद्राःrudrāḥthe Rudras (rudra, pl.); the Rudras; the Rudras
द्वादशdvādaśatwelve; the twelve
आदित्याःādityāḥthe Ādityas (āditya, pl.); of Āditya; of Āditya
तेtethose; these
एकत्रिंशत्ekatriṃśatthirty-one; thirty-one
ऐन्द्रःaindraḥIndra; belonging to Indra
चcaand; as well as
एवevaindeed; only
प्रजापतिःprajāpatiḥPrajāpati (prajāpati); Prajāpati; Prajāpati
चcaand; as well as
त्रयस्त्रिंशौtrayastriṃśauthirty-three; they make thirty-three
इतिitithus; how
Translation
He said: "Those are only their glories; the gods are thirty-three." — "Which are the thirty-three?" — "Eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Ādityas — that is thirty-one; Indra and Prajāpati make thirty-three."
Version
5cb27794aaca · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:05:26 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The key to the ladder: mahimāna evaiṣām — "those are only their glories": 3306 is not a census of gods but the radiances of thirty-three; the sacred numbers of the hymns are praise, not a head-count. The distinction between a glory and its owner is the very instrument with which the coverings were opened all through the tournament.
The canonical roster of the thirty-three: eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Ādityas, Indra and Prajāpati. But Śākalya will not let go — and he is right not to: each of these names is now to be taken apart into its natural constituents, and "mythology" turns before our eyes into the structure of the world.