In the Hindouisme, the Âditya are the wire of the goddess Aditî, eternity. In the Chândogya Upanishad (III, 16,4) , they are named the sovereign principles or divinities of the sky.

In the Rig Veda (II, 27,1) , they are six: Varuna, Mitra, Âryaman, Bhaga, Daksha and Amsha. They are then eight in the majority of the Brâhmana , then twelve, often classified in four groups: