Chapter 3 — Aditi, Diti, the Ādityas, Rudra and the Maruts
Two mothers sit in the north of the Vastu mandala — Aditi (N7), mother of the gods, and Diti (N8), her sister. Modern charts sort the devtas into "Āditya", "Rudra", "Vasu" and "asura" groups. Where those names come from, and what the story actually is, you can read here in the texts' own words. One common mistake is settled here too: the Rudras were not born from Diti's cut embryo — the Maruts were.
A. Aditi and her sons — the Ṛgveda
The oldest source is hymn 10.72 of the Ṛgveda. Here Aditi has eight sons, the eighth being Martanda (the sun).
अष्टौ पुत्रासो अदितेर्ये जातास्तन्वस्परि ।
देवाँ उप प्रैत्सप्तभिः परा मार्ताण्डमास्यत् ॥
Meaning: Eight sons were born of Aditi, born of her body. With seven she went forth to the gods; Martanda she set aside.
हिंदी: अदिति के आठ पुत्र हुए, जो उसके शरीर से जन्मे। सात को लेकर वह देवताओं के पास गई; मार्ताण्ड को उसने दूर रख दिया।
सप्तभिः पुत्रैरदितिरुप प्रैत्पूर्व्यं युगम् ।
प्रजायै मृत्यवे त्वत्पुनर्मार्ताण्डमाभरत् ॥
Meaning: With seven sons Aditi went forth to the earlier age; then, for the birth and the death of creatures, she brought Martanda back again.
हिंदी: सात पुत्रों के साथ अदिति पूर्व युग में गई; फिर प्रजा के जन्म और मृत्यु के लिए उसने मार्ताण्ड को वापस ले लिया।
Sāyaṇa's commentary quotes the eight names from Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 1.13.3: Mitra, Varuṇa, Dhātā, Aryamā, Aṁśa, Bhaga, Vivasvān and Āditya.
B. The twelve Ādityas — Śrīmad Bhāgavata
By the time of the Purāṇas the Ādityas are twelve. This is the list against which the "A" group of modern charts should be checked.
अथातः श्रूयतां वंशो योऽदितेरनुपूर्वशः ।
यत्र नारायणो देवः स्वांशेनावातरद्विभुः ॥
विवस्वानर्यमा पूषा त्वष्टाथ सविता भगः ।
धाता विधाता वरुणो मित्रः शत्रु उरुक्रमः ॥
Meaning: Now hear in order the line of Aditi, in which Lord Narayana himself descended by his own portion. (Her sons are:) Vivasvan, Aryaman, Pusha, Tvashta, Savita, Bhaga, Dhata, Vidhata, Varuna, Mitra, Shatru (Indra) and Urukrama (Vamana).
हिंदी: अब अदिति का वंश क्रम से सुनो, जिसमें स्वयं नारायण अपने अंश से अवतरित हुए। (उसके पुत्र हैं:) विवस्वान, अर्यमा, पूषा, त्वष्टा, सविता, भग, धाता, विधाता, वरुण, मित्र, शत्रु (इन्द्र) और उरुक्रम (वामन/विष्णु)।
C. How Rudra got his name — Śrīmad Bhāgavata
Rudra is born not of Diti but of Brahmā's anger — and the name "Rudra" comes from crying (rud).
धिया निगृह्यमाणोऽपि भ्रुवोर्मध्यात्प्रजापतेः ।
सद्योऽजायत तन्मन्युः कुमारो नीललोहितः ॥
Meaning: Though he tried to hold it back by his intelligence, that anger of the Prajapati at once came forth from between his brows as a boy, blue and red in colour.
हिंदी: बुद्धि से रोकने पर भी प्रजापति (ब्रह्मा) का वह क्रोध भौंहों के बीच से तुरंत एक नील-लोहित (नीले-लाल) कुमार के रूप में प्रकट हुआ।
स वै रुरोद देवानां पूर्वजो भगवान् भवः ।
नामानि कुरु मे धातः स्थानानि च जगद्गुरो ॥
Meaning: He, the lord Bhava, eldest of the gods, began to cry: “O Dhata, O teacher of the world, give me my names and my places.”
हिंदी: देवताओं में ज्येष्ठ वह भगवान भव रोने लगा — “हे धाता, हे जगद्गुरु, मेरे नाम और स्थान निश्चित कीजिए।”
इति तस्य वचः पाद्मो भगवान् परिपालयन् ।
अभ्यधाद्भद्रया वाचा मा रोदीस्तत्करोमि ते ॥
Meaning: The lotus-born lord, granting his word, said in a kindly voice: “Do not cry; I shall do that for you.”
हिंदी: कमल से जन्मे भगवान ब्रह्मा ने उसकी बात मानकर मधुर वाणी में कहा — “रो मत, मैं तेरे लिए वैसा ही करता हूँ।”
यदरोदीः सुरश्रेष्ठ सोद्वेग इव बालकः ।
ततस्त्वामभिधास्यन्ति नाम्ना रुद्र इति प्रजाः ॥
Meaning: “Because you cried, O best of gods, like a troubled child, people shall call you by the name Rudra.”
हिंदी: “हे सुरश्रेष्ठ, तू व्याकुल बालक की तरह रोया (अरोदीः), इसलिए प्रजा तुझे ‘रुद्र’ नाम से पुकारेगी।”
In the verses that follow (3.12.11–13) Brahmā gives him eleven names — these are the eleven Rudras.
D. Diti's embryo and the Maruts — Śrīmad Bhāgavata
Indra cut Diti's embryo to pieces and said "do not cry" — but from them came the 49 Maruts. This is not the story of the Rudras.
लब्ध्वा तदन्तरं शक्रो निद्रापहृतचेतसः ।
दितेः प्रविष्ट उदरं योगेशो योगमायया ॥
Meaning: Finding that opening, while Diti lay unconscious in sleep, Indra, master of yoga, entered her womb by his yogic power.
हिंदी: वह अवसर पाकर, जब दिति नींद में बेसुध थी, योगेश्वर इन्द्र योगमाया से उसके उदर में प्रविष्ट हो गया।
चकर्त सप्तधा गर्भं वज्रेण कनकप्रभम् ।
रुदन्तं सप्तधैकैकं मा रोदीरिति तान् पुनः ॥
Meaning: With his thunderbolt he cut the gold-bright embryo into seven; as they cried he said “do not cry” and cut each of them into seven again.
हिंदी: उसने सोने-सी कान्ति वाले गर्भ के वज्र से सात टुकड़े किए; वे रोने लगे, तो “रो मत” (मा रोदीः) कहकर उसने हर एक के फिर सात-सात टुकड़े किए।
तमूचुः पाट्यमानास्ते सर्वे प्राञ्जलयो नृप ।
किं न इन्द्र जिघांससि भ्रातरो मरुतस्तव ॥
Meaning: O king, as they were being cut they all said with folded hands: “Indra, why do you wish to kill us? We are the Maruts, your brothers.”
हिंदी: हे राजन्, कटते हुए वे सब हाथ जोड़कर बोले — “इन्द्र, हमें क्यों मारना चाहते हो? हम तुम्हारे भाई मरुत हैं।”
न ममार दितेर्गर्भः श्रीनिवासानुकम्पया ।
बहुधा कुलिशक्षुण्णो द्रौण्यस्त्रेण यथा भवान् ॥
Meaning: As you (Parikshit) did not die from the weapon of Drona's son, so Diti's embryo, though cut many times by the thunderbolt, did not die, by the grace of the Lord.
हिंदी: जैसे द्रोणपुत्र के अस्त्र से तुम (परीक्षित) नहीं मरे, वैसे ही वज्र से अनेक टुकड़े होने पर भी श्रीनिवास (भगवान) की कृपा से दिति का गर्भ नहीं मरा।
Seven times seven pieces = 49 Maruts. The Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa (Bāla-kāṇḍa 46–47) tells the same story.
So what does this mean in Vastu
- Aditi (N7) is the boundless mother — "a-diti", she who has no limit. That is why she is read as the power of care and nourishment.
- Diti (N8) is her sister, mother of the Daityas — limit, restraint and contraction. On the mandala the two are not opposite each other but side by side: nourishment and limit go together.
- Rudra is the "controller" on the inner north-west pada (W7–W8) — born of anger and crying, not of Diti.
- The Maruts are not on the mandala. The "do not cry" story is theirs.
Previous: Chapter 2 — the original verses · Next: Chapter 4 — door results
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the 11 Rudras sons of Diti?
No. According to Śrīmad Bhāgavata 3.12.7–10 Rudra was born of Brahmā's anger from between his brows and was named 'Rudra' because he cried. From Diti's cut embryo came the 49 Maruts (Bhāgavata 6.18.61–65).
How many sons does Aditi have — eight or twelve?
Eight in Ṛgveda 10.72.8 (the eighth being Martanda); twelve Ādityas in Śrīmad Bhāgavata 6.6.39. The list grew from the Veda to the Purāṇa.
Where are Aditi and Diti on the Vastu mandala?
In the outer ring of the north — Aditi on N7 and Diti on N8, next to the north-east corner (Bṛhat Saṁhitā 52.45, Matsya Purāṇa 253.27).