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As far as I can tell, in the Rig Veda, Indra,Rudra Agni Soma have been extolled as the mightiest, separately (what westerners call henotheism). It is not even clear if Vishnu in the rig veda is depicted anthropomorphically. This question is specific to Rig Veda.

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  • No one has cited anything analogous to what is said about Rudra: HYMN XXXIII. Rudra. 3 Chief of all born art thou in glory, Rudra, armed with the thunder, mightiest of the mighty. Also, is anything sia din the Rig Veda that acsribes human qualities to Vishnu (or is he only an abstract principle, like a manifestaion of the sun?).
    – S K
    Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 14:02

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Yes, Lord Vishnu is also said supreme God in Rig veda

Who verily alone upholds the threefold, the earth, the heaven, and all living creatures.(Rig veda book 1 hymn 154)

In this hymn he has said alone to uphold creatures and the earth and heaven.

We laud this manly power of him the Mighty One, preserver, inoffensive, bounteous and benign;(Rig veda hymn 155 mantra 4)

Here in this verse Lord Vishnu is said to be Mighty,one preserver inoffensive.

5 With offerings I propitiate the branches of this swift-moving God, the bounteous Viṣṇu.
Hence Rudra gained his Rudra-strength:(Rig Veda book 7 hymn 40 verse 5)

Here Lord Rudra is said to gain strength from Lord Vishnu. In Rig Veda many deities are praised as Supreme as Vedas praises 1 God(Brahman) with different names and forms.

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    "Vedas praises 1 God(Brahman)with different names and forms." It may be true that it praises one god, people say there are different devatas for each and every mantra. So, they are different and distinct when it comes to Vedas. Each devata gets the share of their havis. So, they are different when receiving the havis.
    – Sarvabhouma
    Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 4:44
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    I disagree. Vishnu in Rigveda was just a sidekick of Indra. 1/3 of the hymns are addressed to Indra, Agni, and Soma.
    – user12262
    Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 7:28
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    @shanu Rudra is said to be father of maruts and maruts have more hymns them Rudra then does it mean maruts are more superior then Rudra their mighty father??Vishnu is mention with Indra as he helped Indra killing vritra and destroying 99 shambara forts
    – Karmanya Nanda
    Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 7:34
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    @shanu vishnu s third step is praised in Rig Veda and his place is praised as the highest heaven.katha upanishad says one who has attained moksha recives the third step of vishnu,The concept of vaikuntha or spiritual wolrd of Vishnu is already present in Rig Veda and he has said to create surya,agni,Dawn in Rig Veda 7.99
    – Karmanya Nanda
    Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 7:36
  • Yes, that's true, Maruts are mighter because they are companions of Indra. Maruts were also addressed as Rudra in many hymns. Most of major rigvedic deities has some natural phenomena associated with them. Maruts signify thunderstorm.
    – user12262
    Commented Nov 24, 2017 at 7:42

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