If you’ve been active in Hindu spiritual circles on social media, you’ve likely encountered a heated debate that refuses to die down: Does Hinduism have 33 types of deities (33 koti) or 33 crore deities (330 million)? WhatsApp forwards, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels have turned this into one of the most confusing topics in modern Hindu discourse.
The viral message that circulates claims definitively: “There are NOT 33 crore deities, but 33 TYPES of deities as mentioned in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.” But is this the complete truth? Or is this another case of incomplete knowledge being spread without proper scriptural verification?
Today, we’re diving deep into the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas to settle this confusion once and for all.
The popular message that has spread across social media platforms states that, according to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Hindu deities are categorised into 33 types:
When you add these up, you get exactly 33 categories. The message concludes triumphantly: “See! It’s 33 types, not 33 crore!” This has been shared millions of times, with many people confidently correcting others based on this “knowledge.”
Before we accept this explanation, let’s pause and think critically. If we’re limiting ourselves to just these 33 categories, where do we place:
The list goes on. When you start counting even from memory, you can easily name 50-60 deities that don’t neatly fit into these 33 categories. This immediately tells us that the viral message is painting an incomplete picture.
Let’s go to the source – the Vedas themselves. In the Yajurveda, Chapter 33, Verse 7, it clearly states:
“Anyad dwindringūdachhaddevānavachāsparyanṇa trīṇiśhatā (300) trī sahasrāṇi (3000) triṇśakcha (30) navacha (9) devā”
Translation: 3,339 deities in total (3000 + 300 + 30 + 9 = 3,339)
Notice something important? The Vedas don’t mention 33 at all. There’s no confusion between “type” (koti) and “crore” here because the actual number given is far beyond 33.
In Vishnu Purana, Part 2, Chapter 12, Verse 7, it states:
“Tritisa hajār tritisa sau tritisa devagaṇa chandramrit ka pān karte hain”
This mentions that 33,333 divine beings (30,000 + 3,000 + 300 + 33) drink the nectar of immortality with Chandra (the Moon god).
Two crucial points here:
This is where we get our definitive answer. In Skanda Purana, Maheshwar Khand, Chapter 6, Verse 7, it is explicitly written:
“How 33 crore deities appeared from the rays of Lord Shambhu’s (Shiva’s) flames”
The Skanda Purana leaves no room for ambiguity. It clearly uses the term “crore” (10 million), stating 33 crore (330 million) deities.
Further evidence from the Skanda Purana, Kashi Khand, Chapter 62, Verse 99, breaks down the numbers:
The Shrimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana), Canto 6, Chapter 6, Verse 17 mentions that millions of Rudras were born, of which 11 are the principal ones – these are the 11 Rudras mentioned in that viral message about 33 types.
So the 33 categories represent the principal deities, not the total count.
Just as humans have families, so do deities. If we count humans, we don’t just count “types” of humans – we count individuals. Similarly:
Travel across India, and you’ll find:
Ancient temples established by great Acharyas like Ramanujacharya and Madhvacharya often depict hundreds or thousands of deities. The Jagannath Puri temple has images of 120 deities inside who receive the Mahaprasad.
Consider the vastness of cosmic administration:
14 Planetary Systems (Lokas):
Below all these are the various realms of Naraka (hell), managed by Yamaraja and his staff, including Chitragupta and countless assistants.
Add to this:
Our entire Earth is like a speck in this vast universe. To manage such an enormous cosmic system, 33 crore deities is not excessive – it might even be conservative!
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad does indeed contain a fascinating conversation between sage Vidagdha and sage Yajnavalkya. When asked “How many gods are there?”, Yajnavalkya answers in stages:
This is a philosophical teaching methodology – starting from multiplicity and gradually leading the student to understand the underlying unity. Someone took one shloka from this entire pedagogical conversation, stripped it of context, put it on WhatsApp, and created mass confusion.
This controversy illustrates a crucial problem in the age of social media: scriptural knowledge taken out of context and presented as complete truth.
Many well-meaning people, even respected spiritual personalities, have accepted and spread the “33 types, not crore” message without verifying it against the original scriptures. We must:
Even renowned scholars and spiritual leaders confirm: “In our Vedic tradition, there are 33 crore deities – including Devas, Gandharvas, Apsaras, and countless other divine beings.”
Here’s the nuanced truth:
The beauty of Sanatana Dharma lies in its recognition of the divine in countless forms and manifestations. Whether we speak of 33 types, 3,339, 33,333, or 33 crore, we’re describing different levels of understanding the same cosmic reality.
The next time someone confidently declares, “It’s not 33 crore, it’s 33 types!” – you can now share this complete picture backed by scriptural evidence from the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas.
Jayanth Dev is an author writing on Hindu scriptures, Sanatana Dharma, and mythological narratives through books, long-form articles, and explanatory talks.
His work focuses on examining scriptural ideas in context—drawing from the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas to clarify commonly misunderstood concepts and traditions. Across both fiction and non-fiction, he approaches Sanatana thought as a living framework rather than a static belief system.
Jayanth is the author of I Met Parashurama, Escaping the Unknown, and the Dhantasura series.
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