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Deva (Hinduism)
Male celestial being in Hinduism / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 a deity in Hinduism.[2] Deva is a masculine term; the feminine equivalent is Devi. The word is a cognate with Latin deus ("god") and Greek Zeus.
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Translations of Deva | |
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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 |
In the earliest Vedic literature, all supernatural beings are called Devas[3][4][5] and Asuras.[6][7] The concepts and legends evolved in ancient Indian literature, and by the late Vedic period, benevolent supernatural beings are referred to as Deva-Asuras. In post-Vedic Hindu texts, such as the Puranas and the Itihasas of Hinduism, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad.[8][9] In some medieval works of Indian literature, Devas are also referred to as Suras and contrasted with their equally powerful but malevolent half-brothers, referred to as the Asuras.[10]
Devas, along with Asuras, Yakshas (nature spirits), and Rakshasas (ghoulish ogres/demons), are part of Indian mythology, and Devas feature in many cosmological theories in Hinduism.[11][12]