MadhvaVidya

Tāratamya: A Tabular Summary

—

by

MadhvaVidya
in

Version: 0.9
Release Date: Śrāvaṇa-Śuddha-Ekādaśī, Krodhi, Kali-gatābda 5125 (August 16, 2024 CE)

NOTE: The table below provides a summary of Tāratamya, the hierarchy according to the Tattvavāda tradition. Numbers in column 1 refer to the kakṣyās (the level/band). The corresponding devatās are mentioned in column 2, and all those mentioned in one kakṣyā are roughly equal to each other. Numbers in column 3 refer to the proportion by which the devatās in a given kakṣyā are inferior to those in the previous kakṣyā.

Kakṣyā Devatā/s Gap
1 Viṣṇu NA
2 Lakṣmī ∞ guṇas
3 Brahman, Vāyu[1] 1,00,00,000
4 Sarasvatī, Bhāratī 100
5 Garuḍa, Śeṣa, Śiva 100
6 The six consorts of Kṛṣṇa (namely, Jāmbavatī[2], Nīlā, Bhadrā, Mitravindā, Kālindī and Lakṣaṇā) 5
7 Suparnī, Vāruṇī and Pārvatī 2
8 Indra and Kāmā 10
9 Ahaṅkārika Prāṇa 10
10 Aniruddha, Rati, Svāyambhuva Manu, Bṛhaspati, Dakṣa, and Śacī 10
11 Pravaha Vāyu 5
12 Yama, Śatarūpā, Candra and Sūrya 2
13 Varuṇa
14 Nārada
15 Bhṛgu, Vahni and Prasūti
16 Viśvāmitra, the seven sons of Brahman[3], and Vaivasvata Manu
17 Mitra, Tārā, Nirṛti and Prāvahī
18 Viṣvaksena, the two Aśvinīs, Gaṇapati, Kubera and eighty-six śeṣa-śatastha-devatās viz., seven Vasus[4], ten Rudras[5], six Ādityas[6], forty seven Maruts[7], ten Viśvedevas[8], three Pitṛs, Ṛbhu-devatās, deity of Dyu and deity of Bhūmi.[9]
19 Pāvaka, Ucathya, Cyavana, eleven Manus[10], seven Pitṛs, Karmaja Devatas, one hundred Rājaṛsis[11], seven future Indras[12], eight Gandharvas etc.
20 Gaṅgā, Parjanya, Sañjñā, Rohiṇī, Śyāmalā and Uṣā (aka, Virāṭ, the consort of Aniruddha)
21 Unknown devatās
22 Svāhā (the consort of Vahni)
23 Budha
24 Uṣas (the consort of Aśvinīs)
25 Śani
26 Puṣkara (the deity of deeds)
27 Unnamed Ājāna-devatās, 16100 Agniputras, 100 Gandharvas, 100 Apsarasas, 99,99,99,900 Ṛsis etc.
28 Cirapitṛs
29 Devagandharvas except the 108 counted earlier
30 Manuṣya-gandharvas
31 Cakravartins
32 Manuṣyottamas

  1. Vāyu becomes Brahman in the next kalpa. ↩︎

  2. The Lord’s affection for Jāmbavatī surpasses that for His other consorts, owing to a greater presense of Lakṣmī in her. ↩︎

  3. They are the early Saptarṣis – namely, Marīci, Atri, Aṅgīras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasiṣṭha. ↩︎

  4. There are eight Vasus in total – Droṇa, Prāṇa, Dhruva, Arka, Vahni, Doṣa, Vastu and Vibhāvasu (aka Dyu). Among them, Vahni is at level 15. The remaining seven belong to this group. ↩︎

  5. There are eleven Rudras in total – Raivata, Aja, Bhava (aka Śiva), Bhīma, Vāma, Ugra, Vṛṣākapi, Ajaikapāt, Ahirbudhni, Virūpākṣa and Mahān. Among them, Bhava is at level 5. The remaining ten belong to this group. ↩︎

  6. There are twelve Ādityas in total – Vivasvat, Aryaman, Pūṣā, Tvaṣṭṛ, Savitṛ, Bhaga, Dhātṛ, Parjanya, Varuṇa, Mitra, Śakra (aka Indra) and Urukrama (aka Nārāyaṇa). Among them, Vivasvat is at level 12, Śakra at 8, Varuṇa at 14, Mitra at 17, Parjanya at 20, and Urukrama at 1. The remaining six belong to this group. ↩︎

  7. There are forty nine Maruts in total – Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Udāna, Samāna, Nāga, Kūrma, Kṛkala, Devadatta, Dhanañjaya, Pravaha, Vivaha, Śaṃyu, Saṃvaha, Parāvaha, Udvaha, Āvaha, Śaṅku, Kala, Śvāsa, Anala, Anila, Pratibha, Kumuda, Kānta, Śuci, Śveta, Ajita, Guru, Sañjña, Saṃvartaka, Kāla, Jita (or Dakṣa or Datta), Saumya, Kapi, Jaḍa, Maṇḍūka, Santata, Siddha, Rakta, Kṛṣṇa, Pika, Śuka, Yati, Bhīma, Hanu, Piñga, Ahamprāṇa and Kampana. Among them, Ahamprāṇa is at level 9, and Pravaha is at level 11. The remaining forty seven belong to this group. ↩︎

  8. The ten Viśvedevas are Kratu, Dakṣa, Vasu, Satya, Kāma, Kāla, Dhuri, Locana, Purūravas and Ārdrava. ↩︎

  9. The other fourteen devatās who are part of śatastha-devatā community are Mukhyaprāṇa, Bṛhaspati, two Aśvinīs, Vahni, Śiva, Viṣṇu, Indra, Sūrya, Varuṇa, Mitra, Parjanya, Ahamprāṇa and Pravaha. Some commentators do not count Mukhyaprāṇa and Urukrama among śatastha-devatās and instead count Ṛbhu as three. Some others include Bṛhaspati, but exclude Mukhyaprāṇa. ↩︎

  10. There are fourtheen Manus in total in that order – (1) Svāyambhuva, (2) Svārociṣa, (3) Uttama, (4) Tāpasa, (5) Raivata, (6) Cākṣuṣa, (7) Vaivasvata, (8) Sāvarṇi, (9) Dakṣasāvarṇi, (10) Brahmasāvarṇi, (11) Dharmasāvarṇi, (12) Rudrasāvarṇi, (13) Devasāvarṇi and (14) Indrasāvarṇi. Among them, Svāyambhuva is at level 10, Tāpasa is at level 1 and Vaivasvata is at level 16. Hence, the remaining eleven Manus are counted here. ↩︎

  11. These include Kārtavīrya Arjuna, Pṛthu, Śaśabindu, Priyavrata, Bharata, Kakutstha, Gaya, Bharata, Māndhātṛ among others. ↩︎

  12. The seven future Indras in that order are – Bali, Adbhuta, Śambhu, Vidhṛta, Ṛtadhāman, Divaspati and Śuci. ↩︎