The first thing that must be said about Vedic mythology (see Vedism) is that it is not an organized corpus of myths moving in a linear path as a “history” of a people. Rather, it is a collection of sometimes confusing and even contradictory fragments in which one deity seems to become another and one action resembles another. The purpose of the brief narratives seems to be more symbolic than historic. Each event suggests many possible interpretations having to do with the centrality of sacrifice and the nature of the Absolute in its multitudinous forms. Still, certain specific figures and events do emerge in fairly clear narrative form from the Vedas (see Vedas), especially the ṛg Veda (see ṛg Veda). There is the creation story in its several forms (see Vedic Cosmogony, Upanisadic Mythology, Puruṣa), and there are the developing gods of later Hinduism. Among these are the Ādityas (see Aditi and the Ādityas), who were perhaps the sun and planets, but who, in the persons of Varuṇa (see Varuṇa), Mitra (see Mitra), and Aryaman (see Aryaman), were also associated with rulership and social order. Varuṇa especially was the guardian of essential truth. But the fact that Varuṇa also contained a dark asura (see Asuras), or demonic aspect, meant that he had to be dethroned and replaced by Indra (see Indra) as king of the Vedic gods. While not technically an Āditya, Indra is often associated with that group of deities. A somewhat erratic thunder-warrior god, he sometimes goes astray (see Parade of Ants). Indra is famous for his defeat—with help—of the monstrous demon Vṛtra (see Vṛtra, Indra and Vṛtra). Other Vedic gods include the Maruts and Vāyu (see Vāyu), the storm and wind gods; Rudra (see Rudra), who will develop later into Śiva (see Śaiva); an early form of Viṣṇu (see Viṣṇu), who, with Śiva and Devī (see Devī) will eventually dominate Hindu mythology (see Hindu Mythology); and the ritually important gods Agni (see Agni) and Soma (see Soma), who, as fire and the ambrosial and hallucinatory soma, are important to the ritual sacrifices. An interesting aspect of Agni mythology is the god's tendency to hide—as fire hides—and the necessity to find him. As fire he is central to the life of any home and also to the death of any individual, who, on the funeral pyre is a sacrifice that will lead to reincarnation. Soma is also the god of the waters, making him a kind of opposite associate of Agni. Among the female deities of the Vedas, there is Uṣas (see Uṣas) who, as Dawn, seduces the creator into materializing the universe by bringing it into the light of day, as it were, through union with her (see Vedic Cosmogony, Prajāpati, Puruṣa). Less individualized forms of this feminine force are Earth, known as Pṛthivi (see Pṛthivi), and Nature in the person of Prakṛti (see Prakṛti). These goddesses, as the materializing vehcles of the creative energy of the male force of the creators, are the forerunners of the later concept of Śakti (see Śakti).
