Who amongst the following were the principal deities of the Vedic pantheon?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Agni, Indra, Soma
The principal deities of the Vedic pantheon were Agni, Indra and Soma, who later became marginal figures in the Puranic traditions.
NCERT (2025-26): “1.2 Difference and conflict … All of these somewhat divergent and even disparate beliefs and practices would come to be classified as Hindu over the course of the next millennium. The divergence is perhaps most stark if we compare Vedic and Puranic traditions. The principal deities of the Vedic pantheon, Agni, Indra and Soma, become marginal figures, rarely visible in textual or visual representations. And while we can catch a glimpse of Vishnu, Shiva and the goddess in Vedic mantras, these have little in common with the elaborate Puranic mythologies. However, in spite of these obvious discrepancies, the Vedas continued to be revered as authoritative.…” |