What are Devas?

[rainycity]

Do you think it is accurate to translate deva as a god? In the veda natural powers like parjanya, the rain cloud, are devas. Would it sometimes be more accurate then to describe devas as energies, powers or systems?

[Onkara]

Do you think it is accurate to translate deva as a god? In the veda natural powers like parjanya, the rain cloud, are devas. Would it sometimes be more accurate then to describe devas as energies, powers or systems?

namasté Rainycity
I think it is fine to understand them personally as "energies or powers" if it helps you. I wouldn't translate it differently as it is useful to keep understanding (and vocabulary) uniform across scriptures.

[amra]

Do you think it is accurate to translate deva as a god? In the veda natural powers like parjanya, the rain cloud, are devas.

No this is incorrect. The most accurate translation of Deva would be 'Shining One'. The natural powers are not Devas -- natural powers are only symbols used to describe a function of a Deva, they enable us to grasp or to begin to understand what a Deva is by making analogies between physical phenomena and the psychic phenomena that is the realm of the Deva.

Through words, a psychic phenomena, can only be described by using words that correspond to actual physical phenomena. A word that does not describe a physical phenomenon is meaningless. So a word can begin to build up layers of meaning, but it must be analogous to some physical thing. The word that refers to a physical thing acts as a base from which through analogies, similar events in the psychic world can be grafted onto the word. But this is now a lost and forgotten science.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam RC: In the tradition of Hinduism I follow, Devas are Beings , not really any of the describers you stated. They can be as simple as good people between births, to as evolved as beings such as Ganesha, whom we term a Mahadeva. The term describes a wide range of inner plane helpers, living in bodies of light. Mystical Hindus (and other mystics) use and ask these inner plane helpers (some are termed 'guides') to assist in their own evolution. Some have names. Some are 'assigned' to specific tasks etc. The light bodies they live in vary, just as our gross physical bodies can vary.

Most people these days have little sense of this type of mystic reality, so there is denial from personal lack of experience. Many of the samskaras that are done in our ancient rites are to beseech the devas. They are as real as you or me.

Aum Namasivaya

[NayaSurya]

My biological mother in this realm was brilliant, her mind was the greatest of anyone I ever have met in this lifetime...still to this day it goes unequalled. Her memory, very fine...and her wit...immaculate.

I was in the shower today praying and thinking about Yajvanji's words on guru and how our parents our the first. Perhaps she wasn't on the job for almost all of her lifetime here...but in the last five seconds...my mother gave me the complete view of what lay beyond this gross physical reality. She is the point of belief and knowing that this place around us is not what it may appear. So Guru she became, a boat over the torrent strewn river of doubt.

Deva, the shining Beloved beings who watch over this machine of karma we are entrapped within. I do know they exist...because of this-

My mother was at the end of a twelve year battle with breast cancer. Not on any drugs which would cause hallucination, she sat at her kitchen table and witnessed something I cherish to this day.

She was sitting there drinking coffee and trying to feel better. My two sisters at her home. She becomes very sad and says..."Daughter have I not asked you many times to not invite others over when I am not with my hair(wig) on? Can you please honor this request?"

My oldest sister baffled at this and says..."Mother I have not invited anyone over with me this morning...I am honoring this request."

The Beloved Being moves behind my older sister trying to hide.

My mother looks to her angry. " I can still see you though you now hide behind her...do not pretend to not be here!"

My other sister jumps aside as she knows then what my mother must be seeing. My mother saw a beautiful tall man in a white tunic he had dark eyes and curly black hair...as she described him my older sister also jumped away afraid.

My frightened sister then turns to my mother and says...."Mother exactly what is he doing????"

Her very intelligent mind realizes that her two daughters can not see him and she immediately shuts down and refuses to talk about it anymore.

But, that night in secret she spoke to my littlest sister and said..."Is this my demise? My death?"

For she was begining to see the things which lay behind this veil we are subjected to...and with such a keen mind she was fully able to give this gift of belief to us as well.

She saw silver strands dangling from above each of us as we walked into her room each day. So beautiful and fine, they shined. She would try to touch them but they ran right through her hand.

She saw, as I prayed to God with all my might sending that precious gold energy from Beloved into her, that I had always believed might be there. I had done this for every dying client, thinking it crazy but knowing in my heart that if there was even a slightest chance it could be, that I would take it as they were suffering so greatly. She saw this energy come off of me, surround me and woke from her bed crying that I appeared as an shining angel that I was covered in gold shining sparkles. At first I did not want to tell my two sisters who witnessed this the truth that I was doing this praying thing with energy...as I felt they would think me crazy...for over a decade I had done this secretly...only now for my own Mother to see what only my heart could hope was true.

She saw shadowy things...smaller...that would sneak in during the late hours of morning and ask us to never turn the lights off because seeing them, disturbed her greatly...she was so afraid to die.

She saw that Beloved Deva, watching over her so carefully...with his beautiful face.

A week after her death...this Beloved being came to me and knelt to my side within a dream.

This moment brought about a book, five volumes long of a story which was riddled with scripture...and a night several weeks later with a visit of my own...as my own true family finally found me...perhaps it was that act of using that beautiful Golden energy which I know now is nothing less than Beloved Himself that allowed them to finally find me...I do not know.

Perhaps it was that enough karma had been burned away to leave me more able to understand and accept things.

But, with all my heart I know that these Beloved Beings do exist.

They are not Beloved Shiva, they are nothing less than His Beloved Hand...sent to aid these weary travelers.

I thank Beloved each and every day for their Shining Light within my heart. Om Namah Shivaya<3

[rainycity]

Thanks for sharing your story NayaSurya.

Vannakkam RC: In the tradition of Hinduism I follow, Devas are Beings , not really any of the describers you stated.

Isn't the entire reality imbued with being and consciousness?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srV1bdQ68RM

Shankara also described bodily organs as devas.

[Sahasranama]

Shankara also described bodily organs as devas.

Wasn't that Abhinavagupta? I don't know.

[Eastern Mind]

Isn't the entire reality imbued with being and consciousness?

Vannakkam: Yes, that is my understanding as well. But I see 'being' as different from 'beings'. Certainly consciousness is in and through all form. God is all pervasive in this manner, even in inanimate mass. But a being is a more confined or contracted collection of this same energy. I'll end it by saying this is just what I personally believe, not necessarily in alignment with how other Hindus view it.

One could put it as a rock is alive, but a human or deva is 'more alive'.

Aum Namasivaya

[NayaSurya]

Here is a wonderful link which was very helpful to me.

http://shrifreedom.org/VyasaSJC/lessons%202/lessons2-33devas.htm

Another one which speaks of Devas and the differences between them.

http://ancientindians.net/2009/11/15...s-r-l-kashyap/

[devotee]

Namaste rainycity,

The word Deva has come from the root "div" meaning shining or emitting light. They are special beings who take care of this world performing their assigned tasks. Some of the devas or gods are :

a) Surya/Aditya : The Sun giving life and warmth to all beings
b) Agni : The god of light and heat
c) Vayu : The god of air/wind
d) Varuna : The god of water
e) Indra : The chief of gods who rules over Deva-loka (the world of devas), also the rain god
f) Brahmaa* : The creator of this world
g) Vishnu* : The nourisher/sustainer
h) Shiva/Rudra/Shankar* : The destroyer

Note : Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva though clubbed with the devas above enjoy special status among the devas. Vishnu and Shiva are individually worshipped as God Himself (Father form).

i) Devis e.g. IndraaNi (the wife of Indra), Paarvati (the wife of Shiva), Laxmi (wife of Vishnu), Saraswati (the goddess of learning), Durga, Kaali etc. are also female beings in the loka. Out of those, again, Ma Saraswati, Ma Laxmi, Durga, Kaali enjoy special status and are worshipped as female version of God (Mother form). In some instances, they have been depicted as wielding more powers even as compared to Lord Vishnu and Shiva.

OM