Deva (देव in
DevanagariDevanagari , also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together. Devanāgarī is the main script used to...
script, ) is the
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
word for "god,
deityA deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
". It can be variously interpreted as a God,
angelAngels are spiritual beings found in many religious traditions. They are broadly viewed as messengers of God, sent to do God's tasks. Traditions vary as to the precise nature and role of these messages and tasks...
, spirit,
celestial beingCelestial may refer to:*Sky*Heaven*Astronomical objects*Supernatural beings living in heaven, such as divinities and angels*Celestial Kingdom, the highest of three heavens or heavenly kingdoms in Mormon theology....
, deity or any supernatural being of high excellence, and is thus comparable to the Hebrew
ElohimElohim is a Hebrew word which expresses concepts of divinity. It is apparently related to the Hebrew word ēl, though morphologically it consists of the Hebrew word Eloah with a plural suffix...
. They are opposed to the usually demonic
Asura-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asura are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes referred to as demons or sinful. They were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa. The views of Asuras in Hinduism vary due to the many deities who were Asuras then later became known as Devas...
s.
Etymology
Deva derives from
devá-, which in turn derives from Indo-Iranian
*devá-. The Avestan cognate of Vedic
devá- is
daēvaDaeva is the Avestan language term for a particular sort of supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics....
(
daēuua), which has a pejorative connotation. In later
ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster , after whom the religion is named. The term Zoroastrianism is, in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism, i.e...
,
daevas are noxious creatures, but this meaning is not evident in the oldest texts.
Indo-Iranian
*devá- descends from the
Proto-Indo-EuropeanThe Proto-Indo-European language is the unattested, reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans. The existence of such a language has been accepted by linguists for over a century, and there have been many attempts at reconstruction...
(PIE) word,
*deiwos, originally an adjective meaning "celestial" or "shining", which is a PIE (not synchronic Sanskrit)
vrddhiVriddhi is a Sanskrit word meaning "growth" . In Panini's grammar, it is also a technical term for a group of long vowels. In Indo-European linguistics, it has become a term for the lengthened grade of the ablaut vowel gradation peculiar to the Indo-European languages...
derivative from the root
*diw meaning "to shine", especially as the daylit sky. The feminine form of PIE
*deiwos is PIE
*deiwih2, which descends into Indic languages as
deviDevi is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents consciousness or discrimination,...
, in that context meaning "goddess".
Also deriving from PIE
*deiwos, and thus cognates of
deva, are Lithuanian
DievasLithuanian Dievas, Latvian Dievs, Prussian Deywis, Yotvingian Deivas was the supreme god in the Baltic mythology and one of the most important deities together with Perkūnas. Dievas is a direct successor of the Proto-Indo-European supreme god *Dyēus of the root *deiwo-...
(Latvian Dievs, Prussian Deiwas), Germanic Tiwaz (seen in English "
Tuesday") and Latin
deus "god" and
divus "divine", from which the English words "divine", "deity", French "dieu", Spanish "dios" and Italian "dio" are derived.
Related but distinct is the PIE proper name
*Dyeus*Dyēus is the reconstructed chief deity of the Proto-Indo-European pantheon. He was the god of the daylight sky, and his position may have mirrored the position of the patriarch or monarch in society....
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.
Devas in the Vedas
The Upanishads distinguish between the celestial Gods from the Divine forms of God. The
Brihadaranyaka UpanishadThe Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" Upanishads. It is contained within the Shatapatha Brahmana, and its status as an independent Upanishad may be considered a secondary extraction of a portion of the Brahmana text. This makes it one of the old texts of the Upanishad corpus, dating to...
says there are 33 Gods in the celestial world, in terms of performance of Vedic rituals and yajnas. They are eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve
AdityasIn Hinduism, the s are a group of Devas or celestial gods or angels, the sons of Āditi and Kashyapa.-Vedas:In the Rigveda, the Ādityas are the seven celestial lords, sons of Āditi, headed by Varuna, followed byMitra:#Varuna#Mitra#Aryaman#Bhaga...
,
Indra' is the King of the gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology, and also he is the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall....
, and
PrajapatiIn Hinduism, Prajapati is a Hindu deity presiding over procreation, and protector of life. He appears as a creator deity or supreme god above the other Vedic deities in RV 10.121.10 and in Brahmana literature...
. The pantheon in the
Śrauta tradition' traditions are conservative ritualistic traditions of historical Vedic religion in Hinduism, based on the body of Śruti literature. They persist in a few places in India today although constituting a clear minority within Hinduism...
consists of various Gods and Goddesses. The main celestial Gods or Devas are (vide 6th anuvaka of Chamakam):
- Agni
Agni is a Hindu and Vedic deity. The word agni is Sanskrit for "fire" , cognate with Latin ignis , Russian огонь , Polish "ogień," Lithuanian - ugnis - all with the meaning 'fire' -, with the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root being h₁égni-. Agni has three forms: fire, lightning and the sun...
- Indra
' is the King of the gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology, and also he is the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall....
- Savitr
In Vedic religion, Savitr , Savitā is a solar deity and one of the Adityas. His name is in Vedic Sanskrit meanings "impeller, rouser, vivifier"....
- Vayu
Vāyu is a primary Hindu deity, the Lord of the winds, the father of Bhima and the spiritual father of Lord Hanuman...
- Varuna
In Vedic religion, Varuna or Waruna is a god of the sky, of waters and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld. He is one of the most prominent Devas in the Rigveda, and lord of the heavens and the earth...
- Maruts
In Hinduism the Maruts , also known as the Marutgana and the Rudras, are storm deities and sons of Rudra and Diti and attendants of Indra. The number of Maruts varies from two to sixty . They are very violent and aggressive, described as armed with golden weapons i.e...
- Aditya
- Rudra
Rudra is a Rigvedic God of the storm, the wind, and the hunt. The name has been translated as "Roarer", "Howler", "Wild One", and "Terrible".Rudra is thought to be an early form of Shiva...
- Vishnu
Vishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
- Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman. Brahmā's consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning...
- Pusha
- Brihaspati
Brihaspati also known as Brahmanaspati and Deva-guru , is the name of a Vedic deity...
- Ashvins
The Ashvins are divine twin horsemen in the Rigveda, sons of Saranya, a goddess of the clouds and wife of either Surya in his form as Vivasvat. They are Vedic gods symbolising the shining of sunrise and sunset, appearing in the sky before the dawn in a golden chariot, bringing treasures to men...
- Vishvedavas
- Prithvi
Prithvi is the Hindu earth and mother goddess. According to one tradition, she is the personification of the Earth, and to another its Mother, being Prithivi Tattwa, the essence of the element earth. Prithvi is also called Dhra, Dharti, Dhrithri, meaning that which holds everything. As Prithvi...
- Dyaus
- Antariksha
- Dishas
- Moordha
- Prajapati
In Hinduism, Prajapati is a Hindu deity presiding over procreation, and protector of life. He appears as a creator deity or supreme god above the other Vedic deities in RV 10.121.10 and in Brahmana literature...
The main
DeviDevi is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents consciousness or discrimination,...
s (Goddesses) are:
- Vaak or Sarasvati
- Uma or Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is also regarded as a representation of Shakti, albeit the gentle aspect of that goddess because she is a mother goddess. Parvati is considered by some schools of Hinduism as the supreme Divine Mother or Lordess and all other goddesses are referred to as her...
- Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm...
or Shri
Vedic religion
The
VedasThe Vedas are a large body of texts originating in Ancient India. The texts are composed in Vedic Sanskrit and form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature, and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism....
, the earliest comprehensive literature, contain
mantraFor secular and business interpretation, see Motto.A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of "creating transformation"...
s for pleasing the Devas to obtain blessings. The Rig Veda, the earliest of the four, enumerates 33 Devas, which in later
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
became exaggerated to 330 million, likely because the same
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
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 Devas addressed in the Rig Veda are
VarunaIn Vedic religion, Varuna or Waruna is a god of the sky, of waters and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld. He is one of the most prominent Devas in the Rigveda, and lord of the heavens and the earth...
,
Mitra*mitra [Hn-In मित्र ] was an important Indo-Iranian divinity. Following the prehistoric cultural split of Indian and Iranian cultures, names descended from *mitra were used for the following religious entities:* Mitra , a deity who appears frequently in the ancient Indian text of the Rigveda.*...
and
Indra' is the King of the gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology, and also he is the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall....
.
AgniAgni is a Hindu and Vedic deity. The word agni is Sanskrit for "fire" , cognate with Latin ignis , Russian огонь , Polish "ogień," Lithuanian - ugnis - all with the meaning 'fire' -, with the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root being h₁égni-. Agni has three forms: fire, lightning and the sun...
(fire) and
SomaSoma , or Haoma , from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the later Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains many hymns praising its energizing qualities...
represent modes of fire-
sacrificeSacrifice is commonly known as the practice of offering food, objects , or the lives of animals or people to the gods as an act of propitiation or worship...
, called yagna, but personified are also seen as Devas.
Aitareya BrahmanaThe Aitareya Brahmana is a ritualistic Vedic text in Vedic Sanskrit language. This Brahmana is associated with the Rigveda in the Shakala shakha.It is believed to have been composed around 600 BC....
in its opening stanza suggests a
hierarchyA hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another and with only one "neighbor" above and below each level. These classifications are made with regard to rank, importance, seniority, power status or authority...
among Devas.
All Gods taken together are worshiped as the Vishvedevas.
VarunaIn Vedic religion, Varuna or Waruna is a god of the sky, of waters and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld. He is one of the most prominent Devas in the Rigveda, and lord of the heavens and the earth...
has the dual title of Deva and Asura. There are also other Devas like
SavitŗSavitri or Savithri may refer to:*Savitri, with all vowels short, a Roman-phonetic spelling of the Vedic Hindu sun god Savitr*Sāvitrī, a name of the Gayatri Mantra dedicated to Savitr*Savitri , an Indian actress...
,
VishnuVishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
,
RudraRudra is a Rigvedic God of the storm, the wind, and the hunt. The name has been translated as "Roarer", "Howler", "Wild One", and "Terrible".Rudra is thought to be an early form of Shiva...
(later given the exclusive epithet of
ShivaShiva , also known as Rudra is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God...
, "auspicious one"),
PrajapatiIn Hinduism, Prajapati is a Hindu deity presiding over procreation, and protector of life. He appears as a creator deity or supreme god above the other Vedic deities in RV 10.121.10 and in Brahmana literature...
(later identified with
BrahmāBrahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman. Brahmā's consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning...
), and
deviDevi is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents consciousness or discrimination,...
s (Goddesses) like
UshasUshas , Sanskrit for "dawn", is a Vedic deity, and consequently a Hindu deity as well.Ushas is an exalted divinity in the Rig Veda, sometimes spoken of in the plural, "the Dawns." She is portrayed as welcoming birds and warding off evil spirits, and as a beautifully adorned young woman riding in a...
(dawn),
PrithviPrithvi is the Hindu earth and mother goddess. According to one tradition, she is the personification of the Earth, and to another its Mother, being Prithivi Tattwa, the essence of the element earth. Prithvi is also called Dhra, Dharti, Dhrithri, meaning that which holds everything. As Prithvi...
(earth) and Sarasvati (Knowledge).
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.
MahadevaMahadeva may refer to :* Shiva in Hinduism* Gautama Buddha - in Buddhism* Mahadeva - a Buddhist monk and founder of the Mahasanghika school in about 320 BCE....
s, such as Lord
GaneshaGanesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most widely worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
, have such tremenduous tasks under their diligence that they are sometimes called themselves
GodsA deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
under the Supreme One God. The Trimurti is composed of
BrahmāBrahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman. Brahmā's consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning...
,
ViṣṇuVishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
and
ŚivaShiva , also known as Rudra is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God...
. (Note:
Mahadeva generally refers to Śiva)
There are also many other lesser celestial beings in Hinduism such as the Gandharvas (celestial musicians), or their wives, the Apsaras (celestial dancers).
VayuVāyu is a primary Hindu deity, the Lord of the winds, the father of Bhima and the spiritual father of Lord Hanuman...
, the Lord of the wind, is an example of an important Deva. Also, Death is personified as the Deva
YamaYama is the lord of death in Hinduism, first recorded in the Vedas. Yama belongs to an early stratum of Indo-Iranian theology. In Vedic tradition, Yama was considered to have been the first mortal who died and espied the way to the celestial abodes, and in virtue of precedence he became the ruler...
.
Devas, in
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
, 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
GodGod is a deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
or His personal form,
Saguna BrahmanSaguna Brahman came from the Sanskrit "with qualities" and Brahman "The Absolute".-Advaita:...
which can be visualized as
ViṣṇuVishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
or
ŚivaShiva , also known as Rudra is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God...
. God (see
IshvaraIshvara is a philosophical concept in Hinduism, meaning controller or the Supreme controller in a monotheistic sense or as an Ishta-deva of monistic thought....
) or
BrahmanIn the Hindu religion, Brahman is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe. The nature of Brahman is described as transpersonal, personal and impersonal by different...
(the Supreme Spirit) is the ultimate controller.
A famous verse from the
Katha UpanishadThe Katha Upanishad , also entitled "Death as Teacher", is one of the mukhya Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. It is associated with the school of the Black Yajurveda, and is grouped with the Sutra period of Vedic Sanskrit. It propounds a dualistic philosophy. It figures as number 3 in the...
states:
“From fear (here, power) of Him the wind blows; from fear of Him the sun rises; from fear of Him
AgniAgni is a Hindu and Vedic deity. The word agni is Sanskrit for "fire" , cognate with Latin ignis , Russian огонь , Polish "ogień," Lithuanian - ugnis - all with the meaning 'fire' -, with the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root being h₁égni-. Agni has three forms: fire, lightning and the sun...
and
Indra' is the King of the gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology, and also he is the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall....
and Death, the fifth, run."
In actuality,
BrahmanIn the Hindu religion, Brahman is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe. The nature of Brahman is described as transpersonal, personal and impersonal by different...
is the only Ultimate Reality, and all Devas are simply mundane manifestations of Him.
The Vaishnavites (who often translate
deva as "demigod") cite various verses that speak of the devas' subordinate status. For example, the
Rig VedaThe Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. It is counted among the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism known as the Vedas...
(1.22.20) states,
: "All the suras (i.e., the devas) look always toward the feet of Lord Vishnu." Similarly, in the
Vishnu SahasranamaThe Vishnu sahasranāma is a list of 1,000 names for Vishnu, one of the main forms of God in Hinduism and the personal supreme God for Vaishnavas . It is also one of the most sacred and commonly chanted stotras in Hinduism...
the concluding verses state: "The Rishis (great sages), the ancestors, the devas, the great elements, in fact all things moving and unmoving constituting this universe, have originated from
NarayanaNarayana or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...
," (i.e.,
VishnuVishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
). Thus the Devas are stated to be subordinate to
VishnuVishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
, or God.
In the
Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important Hindu scriptures. It is revered as a sacred scripture of Hinduism, and considered as one of the most important philosophical classics of the world. The Bhagavad Gita comprises 700 verses, and is a part of the Mahabharata...
Krishna himself states that worshipers of deities other than the Supreme Lord,
VishnuVishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
, are incorrect (Gita 9.23) as such worship leads only to temporal benefits, rather than to the Lord Himself (Gita 7.23).
KrishnaKrishna is a deity worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives...
also says: "Whatever deity or form a devotee worships, I make his faith steady. However, their wishes are granted only by Me." (Gita: 7:21-22) Elsewhere in the Gita Lord Krishna 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)
Swaminarayan, the founder of the Hindu Swaminarayan sect, a Vaishnavite sect, according to this site,
http://www.swaminarayanwales.org.uk/Shikshapatri/shikshapatridetails.asp?shlockcode=116, said in verse 115 of their scripture,
ShikshapatriThe Shikshapatri is a text of two hundred and twelve verses, written in Sanskrit by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The Shikshapatri is a key scripture to all followers of the Swaminarayan faith and is considered the basis of the faith....
, "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 (knowers of divinity), are still not worthy of meditation - and thus one should not meditate upon them."
See also
- Brahman
In the Hindu religion, Brahman is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe. The nature of Brahman is described as transpersonal, personal and impersonal by different...
- Deva (Buddhism)
A deva in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share the characteristics of being more powerful, longer-lived, and, in general, living more contentedly than the average human being....
- Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power, or its attributes or manifestations in the world...
- Dyeus
*Dyēus is the reconstructed chief deity of the Proto-Indo-European pantheon. He was the god of the daylight sky, and his position may have mirrored the position of the patriarch or monarch in society....
- Hindu deities
Within Hinduism a large number of personalities, or 'forms', are worshipped as murtis. These beings are either aspects of the supreme Brahman, avatars of the supreme being, or significantly powerful entities known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regards to each deity varies between...
- Ishwara
- Mahadeva
Mahadeva may refer to :* Shiva in Hinduism* Gautama Buddha - in Buddhism* Mahadeva - a Buddhist monk and founder of the Mahasanghika school in about 320 BCE....
- Vishvadevas
- Deva Soye
Deva Soye is an Indian calendar period during which the beginning of auspicious works are prohibited. According to Indian philosophy during this period all the gods are sleeping and so they can not bless the beginning of any work. This period generally starts at the end of July and ends by the...
External links