The Mystery of the Hidden Rulers

 In Hinduism, Ādityas (Sanskrit: आदित्य, pronounced [ɑːd̪it̪jɐ]), meaning "of Aditi", refers to the offspring of Aditi.[1] The name, Aditya,is used in the singular to mean the Sun God, Surya.

The Bhagavata Purana lists a total of twelve Adityas as Sun-gods. In each month of the year a different Aditya is said to shine. Each of these Adityas is a different expression of Lord Vishnu in the form of the Sun-God

Vedas
In the Rigveda, the Ādityas are the seven celestial deities, sons of Āditi,
Varuna
Mitra
Aryaman
Bhaga
Anśa or Aṃśa
Dhatri
Indra
Vayu (Mārtanda)
The eighth Āditya (Mārtanda) was rejected by Aditi, thus leaving only seven sons. In the Yajurveda (Taittirīya Samhita), their number is given as eight, and the last one is believed to be Vivasvān. Hymn LXXII of the Rig Veda, Book 10, also confirms that there are nine Adityas, the eighth one being Mārtanda, who is later revived as Vivasvān. [4]

"So with her eight Sons Aditi went forth to meet the earlier age. She brought Mārtanda thitherward to spring to life and die again."

The Ādityas of the Rig Veda are "devas", a distinct class of gods and are different from other groups such as the Maruts, the Rbhus or the Viśve-devāḥ (although Mitra and Varuna are also associated with the latter).

Bhagavata Purana
In the Bhagavata Purana, the names of 12 Adityas (Sun-Gods) are given as:
Varuna
Mitra
Aryama
Bhaga
Amshuman
Dhata
Indra
Parjanya (Savitr?)
Tvashtha
Vishnu (The head of all the Adityas)
Pushya
Vivasvan

In each month of the year, it is a different Aditya (Sun-God) who shines.[2] As Indra, Surya destroys the enemies of the gods. As Dhata, he creates living beings. As Parjanya, he showers down rain. As Tvashta, he lives in the trees and herbs. As Pusha, he makes foodgrains grow. As Aryama, he is in the wind. As Bhaga, he is in the body of all living beings. As Vivasvana, he is in fire and helps to cook food. As Vishnu, he destroys the enemies of the gods. As Amshumana, he is again in the wind. As Varuna, Surya is in the waters and As Mitra, he is in the moon and in the oceans.

Characterisation
The Adityas have been described in the Rig Veda as bright and pure as streams of water, free from all guile and falsehood, blameless, perfect.

This class of deities has been seen as upholding the movables and immovable Dharma. Adityas are beneficent gods who act as protectors of all beings, who are provident and guard the world of spirits and protect the world.In the form of Mitra-Varuna, the Adityas are true to the eternal Law and act as the exactors of debt.

In present day usage in Sanskrit, the term Aditya has been made singular in contrast to Vedic Adityas, and are being used synonymously with Surya, the Sun.

Linga Purana
According to the Linga Purana, the Adityas are:
Varuṇa
Mitra
Aryaman
Bhaga
Amshuman
Dhata
Indra
Savitṛ
Tvaṣṭṛ
Vishnu, head of the Adityas)
Pūṣan
Vivasvat
Vedanta and Puranic Hinduism
In the Chandogya Upanishad, Āditya is also a name of Viṣṇu, in his avatar as Vāmana. His mother is Aditi.

The Ādityas in the Vishnu Purana are:
Varuṇa
Mitra
Aryaman
Bhaga
Aṃśa
Dhūti
Śakra
Savitṛ
Tvaṣṭṛ
Vishnu (This Sun-God is the head of all the Adityas and is different from Lord Vishnu)
Pūṣan
Vivasvat

Brahmanas
The Vedas do not identify the Ādityas and there is no classification of the thirty-three gods, except for in the Yajurveda (7.19), which says there are eleven gods in heaven (light space), eleven gods in atmosphere (intermediate space), and eleven gods in earth (observer space). In the Satapatha Brahmana, the number of Ādityas is eight in some passages, and in other texts of the same Brahmana, twelve Adityas are mentioned.
The list of 12 Adityas is as follows:
Varuṇa
Mitra
Aryaman
Bhaga
Aṃśa
Dhātṛ
Indra
Savitṛ
Yama
Sūrya or Arka
Dakṣa
Ravi

Ahura-Mazda and Aditya
Vedas and Zoroastrian Avesta also have common name Ahura-Mazda, which may refer to some Vedic God (sometimes on Rigveda some demigods, devatas are worshipped by name "asura", which in Zoroastrianism is Ahura-Mazda. See also: Vishnu sahasranama (Aditya: 39 aadityah, 563 aadityah - Son of Aditi)

Source: Wikipedia

The Lost Mother

In the Vedas, Aditi (Sanskrit: अदिति "limitless") is mother of the gods (devamatar) and all twelve zodiacal spirits from whose cosmic matrix the heavenly bodies were born. As celestial mother of every existing form and being, the synthesis of all things, she is associated with space (akasa) and with mystic speech (Vāc). She may be seen as a feminized form of Brahma and associated with the primal substance (mulaprakriti) in Vedanta. She is mentioned nearly 80 times in the Rigveda: the verse "Daksha sprang from Aditi and Aditi from Daksha" is seen by Theosophists as a reference to "the eternal cyclic re-birth of the same divine Essence" and divine wisdom. In contrast, the Puranas, such as the Shiva Purana and the Bhagavata Purana, suggest that Aditi is wife of sage Kashyap and gave birth to the Adityas such as Indra, Surya, and also Vamana.

Origin
The name is mentioned in Vedas as mother of Surya (Sun) and other celestial bodies or gods Adityas (meaning sons of Aditi).

The first mention of goddess Aditi is found in Rigveda, which is estimated to have been composed roughly during 1700-1100 BC.

Attributes
Motherhood
Aditi is said to be the mother of the great god Indra, the mother of kings (Mandala 2.27) and the mother of gods (Mandala 1.113.19). In the Vedas, Aditi is Devmatar (mother of the celestial gods) as from and in her cosmic matrix all the heavenly bodies were born. She is preeminently the mother of 12 Adityas whose names include Vivasvān, Aryamā, Pūṣā, Tvaṣṭā, Savitā, Bhaga, Dhātā, Vidhātā, Varuṇa, Mitra, Śakra, and Urukrama (Vishnu was born as Urukrama, the son of Nabhi and Meru.) She is also is the mother of the Vamana avatar of Vishnu. Accordingly, Vishnu was born as the son of Aditi in the month of Shravana (fifth month of the Hindu Calendar, also called Avani) under the star Shravana. Many auspicious signs appeared in the heavens, foretelling the good fortune of this child.

In the Rigveda, Adhithe is one of most important figures of all. As a mothering presence, Aditi is often asked to guard the one who petitions her (Mandala 1.106.7; Mandala 8.18.6) or to provide him or her with wealth, safety, and abundance (Mandala 10.100; 1.94.15).

Creativity
Aditi is usually mentioned in the Rigveda along with other gods and goddesses. There is no one hymn addressed exclusively to her, unlike other Vedic gods. She is perhaps not related to a particular natural phenomenon like other gods. Compared to Usha and Prithvi, Aditi can be defined as the cosmic creatrix, the creativity of the all-creating.

Freedom
The name Aditi includes the root "da" (to bind or fetter) and suggests another attribute of her character. As A-diti, she is un-bound, free one, and it is evident in the hymns to her that she is often called to free the petitioner from different hindrances, especially sin and sickness. (Mandala 2.27.14). In one hymn, she is asked to free a petitioner who has been tied up like a thief (Mandala 8.67.14). As one who unbinds, her role is similar to her son Varuna's as guardian of Rta, cosmic moral order. She is called the supporter of creatures (Mandala 1.136). It also means 'one of its kind' or 'unique.'

Might
Aditi challenges the modern idea that the Vedic peoples were patriarchal. Aditi was regarded as both the sky goddess, and earth goddess, which is very rare for a prehistoric civilization. Most prehistoric civilizations venerated a dual principle, Sky Father and Earth Mother, which appears to be borrowed from the concept of Prithivi and Dyaus Pita. Aditi was attributed the status of first deity by the Vedic culture, although she is not the only one attributed this status in the Vedas. She is addressed, in the Rigveda as "Mighty".

Others
Like many other Hindu gods and goddesses, Aditi has a savari (a mount). Aditi flies across the boundless sky on a rooster (cock). The cock symbolizes strength and honour. Her weapons include the famous Trishul and a sword.

Source: Wikipedia