Then Bhārgava Vaidarbhi asked him: Lord, how many gods support this creature? Which of them illuminate it? And who, moreover, is the most excellent among them?

The second praśna begins. Bhārgava Vaidarbhi asks about the “gods” (devāḥ) that support the living being. His question has three parts: how many support? how many illuminate? and who is the greatest?

The word deva derives from the root div — “to shine, to illuminate.” In the Upaniṣadic context, the devas are not anthropomorphic deities, but cosmic principles and vital functions. They are the forces that organize matter (prakṛti) to make life possible.

Vidhārayante — they support, maintain in order. It is the structural function, the one that gives form and coherence.

Prakāśayante — they illuminate, reveal. It is the function of consciousness, the one that makes experience possible.

The third question — who is the variṣṭha? — points toward the supreme principle that coordinates all others. In the practice of yoga, we seek to identify this supreme principle within ourselves.