Of more importance than the addition of new deities is the subdivision of the old.  As one finds in Greece a [Greek:  Zeus katachthonios] beside a [Greek:  Zeus xenios], so in the Yajur Veda and Br[=a]hmanas are found (an extreme instance) hail ‘to K[=a]ya,’ and hail ’to Kasm[=a]i,’ that is, the god Ka is differentiated into two divinities, according as he is declined as a noun or as a pronoun; for this is the god “Who?” as the dull Br[=a]hmanas interpreted that verse of the Rig Veda which asks ‘to whom (which, as) god shall we offer sacrifice?’ (M[=a]it.  S. III. 12. 5.) But ordinarily one divinity like Agni is subdivided, according to his functions, as ‘lord of food,’ ’lord of prayer,’ etc.[9]

In the Br[=a]hmanas different names are given to the chief god, but he is most often called the Father-god (Praj[=a]pati, ’lord of creatures,’ or the Father, pit[=a]).  His earlier Vedic type is Brihaspati, the lord of strength, and, from another point of view, the All-god.[10] The other gods fall into various groups, the most significant being the triad of Fire, Wind, and Sun.[11] Not much weight is to be laid on the theological speculations of the time as indicative of primitive conceptions, although they may occasionally hit true.  For out of the number of inane fancies it is reasonable to suppose that some might coincide with historic facts.  Thus the All-gods of the Rig Veda, by implication, are of later origin than the other gods, and this, very likely, was the case; but it is a mere guess on the part of the priest.  The Catapatha, III. 6. 1. 28, speaks of the All-gods as gods that gained immortality on a certain occasion, i.e., became immortal like other gods.  So the [=A]dityas go to heaven before the Angirasas ([=A][=i]t.  Br.  IV. 17), but this has no such historical importance as some scholars are inclined to think.  The lesser gods are in part carefully grouped and numbered, in a manner somewhat contradictory to what must have been the earlier belief.  Thus the ‘three kinds of gods’ are now Vasus, of earth, Rudras, of air, and [=A]dityas, of sky, and the daily offerings are divided between them; the morning offering belonging only to the Vasus, the mid-day one only to (Indra and) the Rudras, the third to the [=A]dityas with the Vasus and Rudras together.[12] Again, the morning and mid-day pressing belong to the gods alone, and strict rule is observed in distinguishing their portion from that of the Manes (Cat.  Br.  IV. 4. 22).  The difference of sex is quite ignored, so that the ‘universal Agni’ is identified with (mother) earth; as is also, once or twice, P[=u]shan (ib. III. 8. 5. 4; 2. 4. 19; II. 5. 4. 7).  As the ‘progenitor,’ Agni facilitates connubial union, and is called “the head god, the progenitor among gods, the lord of beings” (ib. III. 4. 3. 4; III. 9. 1. 6).  P[=u]shan is interpreted to mean cattle, and Brihaspati is the priestly caste (ib.  III. 9. 1. 10 ff.).  The base