Adityas generally considered as 12 in number are sons of Aditi and Kashyapa Prajapati.

In the Vedic corpus, Aditi is equated to Moola Prakriti, the primordial nature from which the whole universe evolved.

Being her sons, the Adityas stand for the primordial forces of nature.

As their father, the role of Kashyapa was to bring the Adityas into existence out of Aditi.

What do the Adityas stand for?

1. Indra - administrative power, courage, and valor.
2. Dhata - creative power.
3. Parjanya - water distribution through evaporation of sea water and rains.
4. Pusha - the nourisher, makes food through photosynthesis.
5. Tvashta - controls hereditary characteristics.
6. Aryama - Causes evolution and development, governs honor and nobility.
7. Bhaga - confers prosperity and abundance, governs inheritance.
8. Vivasvan - energy in fire, governs dharma and morality.
9. Amshu - energy in the moonlight, connected to reproduction and growth of plants, he ensures the share of Devas in yajnas.
10. Vishnu - maintenance of order.
11. Varuna - energy in water, governs divine order, punisher of the evil.
12. Mitra - Emotions of compassion and friendliness, governs all interpersonal relationships.

There are different versions about the number and names of Adityas across Vedas, Puranas, and other scriptures.

They should be looked upon as complementing each other.

In some cases, several functions are kept together under one name.

In some cases, synonyms have been used.

Knowledge Bank

Agrasandhani

Agrasandhani (अग्रसन्धानी) is the book in which the good and bad deeds of everyone are recorded. This book is in Yamaloka. Chitragupta is in charge of this book.

Ravana sacrifices nine heads

Vaishravana (Kubera), after performing intense penance, received the position of one of the Lokapalas and the Pushpaka Vimana. Following his father Vishrava's instructions, he resided in Lanka. Seeing Kubera's grandeur, Kaikasi, the second wife of Vishrava, encouraged her son Ravana to achieve similar greatness. Inspired by his mother, Ravana, along with his brothers Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana, went to Gokarna to perform severe penance. Ravana performed this intense penance for 10,000 years. At the end of every thousand years, he would offer one of his heads into the fire as a sacrifice. He did this for nine thousand years, sacrificing his nine heads.In the tenth thousand year, as he was about to offer his last head, Brahma appeared, pleased with Ravana's penance. Brahma granted him a boon making him invincible to gods, demons, and other celestial beings, and restored his nine sacrificed heads, thus giving him ten heads.