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| Translations of Deva | |
|---|---|
| English | Heavenly, divine, shiny, exalted, anything of excellence, donor of knowledge or resources. |
| Sanskrit | देव (IAST:deva) |
| Assamese | দেৱতা (dewatā) |
| Balinese | ᬤᬾᬯ (déwa) |
| Bengali | দেবতা (debota) |
| Hindi | देवता (devatā) |
| Javanese | ꦢꦺꦮ (déwa) |
| Kannada | ದೇವ (deva) |
| Malayalam | ദേവൻ (devan) |
| Marathi | देव (dev) |
| Nepali | देवता (devatā) |
| Odia | ଦେବତା (debôta) |
| Punjabi | ਦੇਵ (Dēva) |
| Tamil | தேவர்கள் (tevarkal̤) |
| Telugu | దేవుడు (dēvuḍu) |
| Glossary of Hinduism terms | |
Deva (Sanskrit:देव,Sanskrit pronunciation:[de:vɐ]) means 'shiny', 'exalted', 'heavenly being', 'divine being', 'anything of excellence',[1] and is also one of the Sanskrit terms used to indicate adeity inHinduism.[2]Deva is a masculine term; the feminine equivalent isDevi. The word is a cognate with Latindeus ('god') and GreekZeus.
In the earliestVedic literature, allsupernatural beings are calledDevas[3][4][5] andAsuras.[6][7] The concepts and legends evolved inancient Indian literature, and by the lateVedic period, benevolent supernatural beings are referred to asDeva-Asuras. In post-VedicHindu texts, such as thePuranas and theItihasas of Hinduism, theDevas represent the good, and theAsuras the bad.[8][9] In somemedieval works of Indian literature,Devas are also referred to asSuras and contrasted with their equally powerful but malevolenthalf-brothers, referred to as theAsuras.[10]
Devas, along withAsuras,Yakshas (nature spirits), andRakshasas (ghoulish ogres/demons), are part of Indian mythology, andDevas feature in many cosmological theories in Hinduism.[11][12]
Deva is aSanskrit word found in Vedic literature of 2nd millennium BCE.Sir Monier Monier-Williams translates it as "heavenly, divine, terrestrial things of high excellence, exalted, shining ones".[2][13] The concept also is used to refer to deity.[2]
The Sanskritdeva- derives fromIndo-Iranian*daiv- which in turn descends from theProto-Indo-European word,*deiwo-, originally an adjective meaning "celestial" or "shining", which is a (not synchronic Sanskrit)vrddhi derivative from*diw, zero-grade of the root*dyew- meaning "to shine", especially as the day-lit sky.[14] The feminine form of*deiwos is*deiwih2, which descends into Indic languages asdevi, in that context meaning "female deity". Also deriving from*deiwos, and thus cognates ofdeva, are "Zeys/Ζεύς" - "Dias/Δίας", the Greek father of the gods, LithuanianDievas (LatvianDievs, PrussianDeiwas), GermanicTiwaz (seen in English "Tuesday") and the related Old Norse Tivar (gods), and LatinDeus "god" anddivus "divine", from which the English words "divine" and "deity" are derived. It is related to*Dyeus which while from the same root, may originally have referred to the "heavenly shining father", and hence to "Father Sky", the chief God of the Indo-European pantheon, continued in SanskritDyaus. The abode of the Devas isDyuloka.[15]
According to Douglas Harper, the etymological roots ofDeva mean "a shining one," from *div- "to shine," and it is cognate with Greek dios "divine" andZeus, and Latin deus "god" (Old Latin deivos).[16] The word "Deva" shares similarities with PersianDaeva.[17][18][19]
Deva is masculine; the related feminine equivalent isdevi.[20] Etymologically,Devi is cognate with Latindea.[21] When capitalized,Devi orMata refers to a divine mother goddess in Hinduism.[22]Deva is also referred to asDevatā,[13] andDevi asDevika.[20]
The wordDeva is also a proper name or part of a name in Indian culture, where it refers to "one who wishes to excel, overcome" or the "seeker of, master of or a best among".[2]
Another interpretation of the word is derived from the word "dibbati", which means to play or to sport. This denotes their playful nature and that they enjoy themselves with the five sensual pleasures.[23]
TheSamhitas, which are the oldest layer of text inVedas enumerate 33 devas,[note 1] either 11 each for the three worlds, or as 12 Adityas, 11 Rudras, 8 Vasus and 2 Asvins in theBrahmanas layer of Vedic texts.[2][5] The Rigveda states in hymn 1.139.11,
येदेवासो दिव्येकादश स्थ पृथिव्यामध्येकादश स्थ ।
अप्सुक्षितो महिनैकादश स्थ ते देवासो यज्ञमिमं जुषध्वम् ॥११॥[29]
O ye eleven deities whose home is heaven, O ye eleven who make earth your dwelling,
Ye who with might, eleven, live in waters, accept this sacrifice, O deities, with pleasure.
– Translated byRalph T. H. Griffith[30]
Deities who are eleven in heaven; who are eleven on earth;
and who are eleven dwelling with glory in mid-air; may ye be pleased with this our sacrifice.
– Translated by HH Wilson[31]
— Rigveda 1.139.11
Some devas represent the forces of nature and some represent moral values (such as theAdityas,Varuna, andMitra), each symbolizing the epitome of a specialized knowledge, creative energy, exalted and magical powers (Siddhis).[32][33] The most referred to Devas in theRig Veda areIndra,Agni (fire) andSoma, with "fire deity" called the friend of all humanity, it and Soma being the two celebrated in ayajna fire ritual that marks major Hindu ceremonies.Savitr,Vishnu,Rudra, andPrajapati (laterBrahma) are gods and hence Devas.Parvati (power and love) andDurga (victory) are someDevis or goddesses. Many of the deities taken together are worshiped as theVishvedevas.[citation needed]
In Vedic literature,Deva is not a monotheistic God; rather a "supernatural, divine" concept manifesting in various ideas and knowledge, in a form that combines excellence in some aspects, wrestling with weakness and questions in other aspects, heroic in their outlook and actions, yet tied up with emotions and desires.[33][34]
Max Muller states that the Vedic hymns are remarkable in calling every one of the different devas as "the only one, the supreme, the greatest".[13] Muller concluded that the Vedic ideas aboutdevas are best understood neither aspolytheism nor asmonotheism, but ashenotheism where gods are equivalent, different perspectives, different aspects of reverence and spirituality, unified by principles ofṚta andDharma.[13][35]
Ananda Coomaraswamy states that Devas and Asuras in the Vedic lore are similar to theOlympian gods andTitans of Greek mythology. Both are powerful but have different orientations and inclinations, with the Devas representing the powers of Light and the Asuras representing the powers of Darkness in Hindu mythology.[36][37] According to Coomaraswamy's interpretation of Devas and Asuras, both these natures exist in each human being, both the tyrant and the angel. The best and the worst within each person struggles before choices and one's own nature, and the Hindu formulation of Devas and Asuras is an eternal dance between these within each person.[38][39]
The Devas and Asuras, Angels and Titans, powers of Light and powers of Darkness in Rigveda, although distinct and opposite in operation, are in essence consubstantial, their distinction being a matter not of essence but of orientation, revolution or transformation. In this case, the Titan is potentially an Angel, the Angel still by nature a Titan; the Darkness inactu is Light, the Light inpotentia Darkness; whence the designations Asura and Deva may be applied to one and the same Person according to the mode of operation, as in Rigveda 1.163.3, "Trita art thou (Agni) by interior operation".
— Ananda Coomaraswamy, Journal of the American Oriental Society[40]
All-powerful beings, good or evil, are called Devas[2][5] and Asuras in the oldest layer of Vedic texts. A much-studied hymn of the Rigveda statesDevav asura (Asuras who have become Devas), and contrasts it withAsura adevah (Asuras who are not Devas).[41][42] They are born from the same father, Prajapati, the primordial progenitor; his sons are envisioned as the Asuras and Devas.[43] They all share the same residence (Loka), eat together the same food and drinks (Soma), and have innate potential, knowledge and special powers in Hindu mythology; the only thing that distinguishes "Asuras who become Devas" from "Asuras who remain Asuras" is intent, action and choices they make in their mythic lives.[39][44]
The oldest Upanishads mentionDevas, and their struggle with theAsuras. TheKaushitaki Upanishad, for example, in Book 4 states that "Indra was weaker than the Asuras when he did not know his ownAtman (soul, self).[48] Once Indra had self-knowledge, he became independent, sovereign and victorious over the Asuras"; similarly, states Kaushitaki Upanishad, "the man who knows his inner self gains independence, sovereignty and is unaffected by all evil".[48]
Chandogya Upanishad, in chapter 1.2, describes the battle between Devas and Asuras on various sensory powers.[49] This battle between good and evil fails to produce a victor and simply manifests itself in the perceived universe, as good or evil sights witnessed by beings, as good or evil words shared between people, as good or evil smells of nature, as good or evil feelings experienced, as good or evil thoughts within each person. Finally, the Deva-Asura battle targets the soul, where Asuras fail and Devas succeed, because soul-force is serene and inherently good, asserts Chandogya Upanishad.[49]
Mantra 5.2.1 of theBrihadaranyaka Upanishad describes Devas, Men, and Asuras as sons of Prajapati, the primordial father.[50] Each asks for a lesson on ethics. Prajapati tells the Devas to observe the virtue of temperance (self-restraint,Dama), the Men to observe the virtue of charity (Dana), and Asuras to observe the virtue of compassion (Daya). At the end of the Brāhmanam, the Upanishad declares that these are three cardinal virtues that should always be observed by all Devas, Men and Asuras.[50]
Medieval era Indian scholars, in theirBhasya (review and commentaries) on the Upanishads, stated that the discussion of Devas and Asuras in the Upanishads is symbolic, and it represents the good and evil that resides and struggles within each human being.Adi Shankara, for example, in his commentary onBrihadaranyaka Upanishad asserted that Devas represent the human seeking for the sacred and spiritual, while the Asuras represent the human seeking for the worldly excesses.[51] Edelmann and other modern era scholars also state that the Devas versus Asuras discussion in Upanishads is a form of symbolism.[52][53]
In the later primaryUpanishadic texts, Devas and Asuras discuss and act to seek knowledge, for different purposes. In one case, for example, they go to Prajāpati, their father, to understand what is Self (Atman, soul) and how to realize it. The first answer that Prajāpati gives is simplistic, which the Asuras accept and leave with, but the Devas led by Indra do not accept and question because Indra finds that he hasn't grasped its full significance and the given answer has inconsistencies.[54] Edelmann states that this symbolism embedded in the Upanishads is a reminder that one must struggle with presented ideas, learning is a process, and Deva nature emerges with effort.[54]
In thePuranas and theItihasas with the embedded Bhagavad Gita, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad.[8][9] According to theBhagavad Gita (16.6-16.7), all beings in the universe have both the divine qualities (daivi sampad) and the demonic qualities (asuri sampad) within each.[9][55] The sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita states that pure god-like saints are rare and pure demon-like evil are rare among human beings, and the bulk of humanity is multi-charactered with a few or many faults.[9] According to Jeaneane Fowler, the Gita states that desires, aversions, greed, needs, emotions in various forms "are facets of ordinary lives", and it is only when they turn to lust, hate, cravings, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, hypocrisy, violence, cruelty and such negativity- and destruction-inclined that natural human inclinations metamorphose into something demonic (Asura).[9][55]
Everyone starts as an Asura in Hindu mythology, born of the same father. "Asuras who remain Asura" share the character of powerful beings obsessed with their craving for more power, more wealth, ego, anger, unprincipled nature, force and violence.[56][57] The "Asuras who become Devas" in contrast are driven by an inner voice, seek understanding and meaning, prefer moderation, principled behavior, morals, knowledge, and harmony.[56][57] The hostility between the two is the source of extensive legends and tales in the Puranic and the Epic literature of Hinduism; however, many texts discuss their hostility in neutral terms and without explicit condemnation.[44] Some of these tales are the basis for myths behind major Hindu festivals, such as the story of Asura Ravana and Deva Rama in theRamayana and the legend of AsuraHiranyakashipu and Deva Vishnu asNarasimha,[44] the latter celebrated with the Hindu spring festival ofHolika andHoli.[58]
InBhagavata Purana,Brahma had ten sons:Marichi,Atri,Angira,Pulastya,Pulaha,Kratu,Vasistha,Daksa,Narada.[59] Marici had a son calledKasyapa.[60] Kasyapa had thirteen wives:Aditi,Diti,Danu,Kadru etc.[61] The sons of Aditi are calledAdityas,[62] the sons of Diti are calledDaityas,[63] and the sons of Danu are calledDanavas.[64]Bṛhaspati (Jupiter, son of Angiras) is aguru of devas (vedic gods).Shukracharya (Venus, son ofBhrigu) is a guru ofasuras (vedicdemons) or/andDanavas.
Edelmann states that the dichotomies present in thePuranas literature of Hinduism are symbolism for spiritual concepts. For example, god Indra (a Deva) and the antigod Virocana (an Asura) question a sage for insights into the knowledge of the self.[54] Virocana leaves with the first given answer, believing now he can use the knowledge as a weapon. In contrast, Indra keeps pressing the sage, churning the ideas, and learning about means to inner happiness and power. Edelmann suggests that the Deva-Asura dichotomies in Hindu mythology may be seen as "narrative depictions of tendencies within our selves".[54]
The god (Deva) and antigod (Asura), states Edelmann, are also symbolically the contradictory forces that motivate each individual and people, and thus Deva-Asura dichotomy is a spiritual concept rather than mere genealogical category or species of being.[65] In the Bhāgavata Purana, saints and gods are born in families of Asuras, such asMahabali andPrahlada, conveying the symbolism that motivations, beliefs, and actions rather than one's birth and family circumstances define whether one is Deva-like or Asura-like.[65] l
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In Hinduism, Devas are celestial beings associated with various aspects of the cosmos. The DevasBrahma,Vishnu, andShiva, form theHindu trinity known as the Trimurthi and preside over the functioning of the cosmos and the evolution of creation. Lesser devas may control the forces of nature, such asVayu, the Lord of the wind,Varuna the Lord of water, andAgni, the Lord of fire. Hinduism also has many other lesser celestial beings, such as the marriedGandharvas (male celestial musicians) andApsaras (female celestial dancers).
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TamilSangam literature (300BC-300CE) describes the offerings for devas. InSilapathikaram, one of the five epics ofTamil byIlango Adigal, is desccribed the offering for Four kind of devas.[66]
The Hindudeva is notGod—at the mostdeva could be loosely translated as a "divine being." Etymologically it means "god", "shiny," "exalted"; and thus we find that the termdeva covers everything that has to do with the supernatural: all figures, forms, processes and emotions, melodies, books, and verse meters—whatever needs the explanation of a transcendent origin or status—are calleddevas ordevatā. The functions of different parts of the body, symbols, and syllabes are explained asdeva. InVedic religion we find the term used in a relatively restricted way; but even there we are not entitled to equate it withgod, but rather withsupernatural powers in general.
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