Vedic Devas

Deities and divine classes belonging to the earlier Vedic pantheon of the Rigveda and related texts, largely distinct from the later Puranic gods that came to dominate popular Hindu worship: solar deities such as Ushas the dawn, Savitr and Martanda, the Vedic form of Indra known as Sakra, the moon and sacred drink deity Soma, the earth goddess Prithvi and her later form Bhumi Devi, the pastoral god Pushan, the craftsman god Tvashtri, and collective Vedic divine classes such as the Adityas, the Ashwini Kumaras, the Vasus, the Vishvadevas, the Pitris and the Apas, together with individually named Vedic figures including Aditi, Diti, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Amsha, Dhatri, Vidhatri, Parjanya, Kashyapa, Vishvarupa, Aja Ekapada, Ahir Budhnya and the story figure Tara as wife of Brihaspati, kept distinct from the later tantric goddess Tara of the Mahavidyas.