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'''Deva''' (देव in ] script, ] as "dévə") is the ] word for "god, ]". It can be variously interpreted as a ], demi-god, ], ], ] or any supernatural being of high excellence. In ], the devas are opposed to the demonic ]s. '''Deva''' (देव in ] script, ] as "dévə") is the ] word for "god, ]". It can be variously interpreted as a ], demi-god, ], ], ] or any supernatural being of high excellence. In Hindu traditio n, the devas are opposed to the demonic ]s.


==Etymology== ==Etymology==

Revision as of 00:19, 2 August 2006

For other uses of "Deva", see Deva.

Template:IndicTextRight Deva (देव in Devanagari script, pronounced as "dévə") is the Sanskrit word for "god, deity". It can be variously interpreted as a spirit, demi-god, celestial being, angel, deity or any supernatural being of high excellence. In Hindu traditio n, the devas are opposed to the demonic Asuras.

Etymology

The word is from Proto-Indo-European *deiwos, originally an adjective meaning "celestial" or "shining", a PIE (not synchronic Sanskrit) vrddhi derivative from a root *diw "to shine", especially of the daylit sky. The feminine is Devi "goddess" (PIE *deiwih2). It may also have some relation to the root *diiv meaning to play.

The cognate word in Avestan is daēva. In Zoroastrianism and the Avesta, the ahuras are supreme, while the daevas are demonic. This has been forwarded as an argument of a religious split between early Indo-Aryans and Iranians. In early Vedic religion, however, some Asuras are still worshipped. It seems more likely that the Indo-Iranians, and probably already the Proto-Indo-Europeans (the Germanic Aesir are cognate to the Asuras) worshipped two classes of gods, without any moral dichotomy.

Also cognate to deva are the Lithuanian Dievas (Latvian Dievs, Prussian Deiwas), Germanic Tiwaz (seen in English "Tuesday") and Latin deus "god" and divus "divine", from which the English words "divine", "deity", and French "dieu",and Italian "dio" are derived.

Related but distinct is the PIE proper name *Dyeus which while from the same root, may originally have referred to the sky, and hence to "Father Sky", the chief god of the Indo-European pantheon, continued in Sanskrit Dyaus.

Today, Hindus also refer to Devas as Devatā. The Romani word for God, del or devel, is directly descended from devatā (to which the word "devil" is wholly unrelated).

Devas in the Vedas

The pantheon in the Śrauta tradition consists of various gods and goddesses. However these entities may not hold the traditional meaning of gods and goddesses in English. Instead the devas (which is the sanskrit word used to represent these entities) represent certain forces. For instance, the deva Agni has one aspect as the flame. but this flame symbolises the psychological power associated with Agni namely the power of will. Agni can be called God-will. Similarly Indra is the God-mind; Sarasvati is the Power of Inspiration, not merely of learning.

The main devas are (vide 6th anuvaka of Chamakam):

The main devis (goddesses) are:

Vedic religion

The Vedas, the earliest comprehensive literature of the Indo-European people, contain mantras for pleasing the devas to obtain blessings. The Rig Veda, the earliest of the four, enumerates 33 devas, which in later Hinduism became exaggerated to 330 million, likely because the same Sanskrit word means "ten million" and "class, group", i.e. "33 types of divine manifestations".

Some devas represent the forces of nature and some represent moral values. The main deva addressed in the Rig Veda is Indra. Agni (fire) and Soma represent modes of fire-sacrifice, called yagna, but personified are also seen as devas. All gods taken together are worshipped as the Vishvedevas. Varuna, identified by some to have become the Supreme God of Zoroastrianism Ahura Mazda, has the dual title of deva and asura. There are also other devas like Savitŗ, Vishnu, Rudra (later given the exclusive epithet of Shiva), Prajapati (later identified with Brahmā), and devis (goddesses) like Ushas, Prithvi and Sarasvati.

Mitra and Varuna are asuras, not devas.

Classical Hinduism

Nature devas are responsible for 'things' such as fire, air, rain and trees - most of them assumed a minor role in the later religion. Certain other deities rose into prominence. These higher devas control much more intricate tasks governing the functioning of the cosmos and the evolution of creation. Mahadevas, such as Lord Ganesha, have such tremenduous tasks under their diligence that they are sometimes called themselves gods under the Supreme One God. The Trimurti is composed of Brahmā, Vishnu and Shiva. (Note: Mahadeva genrally refers to Shiva)

The devas are functionally equivalent of angels who serve God in Judaeo-Christian tradition. There are also many other lesser celestial beings in Hinduism such as Gandharvas or celestial musicians.

Vayu or the Lord of the wind is an example of an important deva. Also, Death is personified as the deva Yama.

Devas, in Hinduism, are celestial beings that control forces of nature such as fire, air, wind, etc. They are not to be confused with the One and the Supreme God or His personal form, Saguna Brahman which can be visualized as Vishnu or Shiva. God (see Ishvara) or Brahman (the Supreme Spirit) is the ultimate controller. A famous verse from the Katha Upanishad states: “From fear (here, power) of Him the wind blows; from fear of Him the sun rises; from fear of Him Agni and Indra and Death, the fifth, run." In actuality, Brahman is the only Ultimate Reality, and all devas are simply mundane manifestations of Him. Smarta Hinduism allows God to be worshipped in any anthromorphic form for the sake of devotion. See Bhakti.

According to Vaishnavites, another verse that confers the Devas' subordinate status comes from the Vishnu sahasranama, whose concluding verses state: "The Rishis (great sages), ancestors, the Devas, the great elements, in fact, all things moving and unmoving constituting this universe, have originated from Narayana." (i.e.,Vishnu), expressing that in Vaishnavism, the Devas are subordinate to Vishnu or God. the Vaishnavites especially translate deva as demi-god. Vaishnavites further believe that Krishna himself stated that worship of deities other than Supreme Lord, Vishnu, are incorrect as such worship would only lead to temporal benefits, rather than mukti, which Vaishnavites believe that only Vishnu can grant. For example, Krishna said: "Whatever deity or form a devotee worships, I make his faith steady. However, their wishes are only granted by Me." (Gita: 7:21-22) Another quote in the Gita states: "O Arjuna, even those devotees who worship other lesser deities (e.g., Devas, for example) with faith, they also worship Me, but in an improper way because I am the Supreme Being. I alone am the enjoyer of all sacrificial services (Seva, Yajna) and Lord of the universe." (Gita: 9:23)

Furthermore, Swaminarayan, founder of the Hindu Swaminarayan sect, a Vaishnavite sect, according to this site,, said in verse 115 of their scripture, Shikshapatri said, "Shree Krishna Bhagwan and Shree Krishna Bhagwan's incarnations alone are worthy of meditation. Similarly, Shree Krishna Bhagwan's images are worthy. And men or devas, even if they are devotees of Shree Krishna Bhagwan or brahmavettaa (knower of divinity), they are still not worthy of meditation - and thus one should not meditate upon them."

See also

External links

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