According to the Vedas, Brahman manifested a part of Him during creation and diversified Himself into Isvara, Hiranyagarbha and Viraj. He created the earth, the mid-region, the heaven. He created gods and celestial beings, demons and humans as God and celestial beings reside in the heaven and the mid-regions respectively. Humans and other mortal beings inhabit the earth or our world.
The demons reside in the nether regions below the earth. In the mortal world, He manifested as Death (or Kala) and became its ruler. He created hunger and thirst and subjected the beings, including the gods in the heaven to the same. To satisfy them He created food of several kinds. The gods have immense powers, but they do not have the ability to make food for themselves. Human beings have the ability to make food for themselves and others, but do not have the supernatural powers of the gods.
Brahman created this distinction to ensure that both gods and humans live
in harmony, depending upon each others, and participate in creation by doing
their dutiful duties. Thus it is the duty (dharma) of gods to help humans and
it is the duty (dharma) of humans to live helplessly and help gods and other
beings with nourishment by performing sacrifices.
