We don't know if the idea of God existed in the cities of the Indus Valley over 5,000 years ago. The seals with their images and symbols do suggest an awareness of the idea of the sacred. Symbols found such as the bull, the elephant, the tiger and the tree continue to be used to indicate divinity in Hinduism today.

The Vedic hymns that reached final form 3,000 years ago, refer to many gods (deva) who inhabit the earth, the sky and the atmosphere in between. They also speak of one great god, a father (Prajapati), or mother (Aditi), or maybe an idea, such as language, or consciousness, that binds all gods and the entire world together. They also express doubt, 'Who knows? Even the gods came later!'