Then Vidagdha Sakalya questioned him. ' How many gods are there, Yajfiavalkya? ' He answered in accord with the following Nivid (invoca- tionary formula): ' As many as are mentioned in the Nimd of the Hymn to All the Gods, namely, three hundred and three, and three thousand and three [=3,306].' ( Yes/ said he, ' but just how many gods are there, Yajna- valkya? ' 'Thuty-three/ valkya? ' valkya? ' ' Yes,' said he, ' but just how many gods are there, Yajna- valkya? ' valkya? ' valkya? 3 and those three thousand and three? ' a. He [i.e. Yajnavalkya] said: ' Those are only their powers (ma/nman). There are just thirty- three gods/ ' Which are those thirty-three? ' ' Eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas. Those are thirty-one. Indra and Prajapati make thirty-three/

Greater than these there is nothing else besides.'

'Whatever they thought was altogether unknown, they knew was some combination of those three beings (devatâ). 'Now learn from me, my friend, how...

The Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, and Sādhyas; the Viśwas, Aświns, Maruts, and Ushmapās; and the hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, and Siddhas— all...

'There is this verse, "He who sees this, does not see death, nor illness, nor pain; he who sees this, sees everything, and obtains everything...

He said: 'One god--who is he?--swallowed the four great ones , he, the guardian of the world. O Kâpeya, mortals see him not, O Abhipratârin, though...

He who knows this, knows the full measure of the sacrifice, yea, he knows it.

He brooded over these three deities, and from them thus brooded on he squeezed out the essences, the Rik verses from Agni, the Yagus verses from...

From him the many Devas too are begotten, the Sâdhyas (genii), men, cattle, birds, the up and down breathings, rice and corn (for sacrifices),...

There were also ten thousand Brahma-devas including Mahadeva Sikhin, coming from the four quarters to hear about the Dharma. There were as well...