Devas Dictionary

devonic: Of or relating to the devas or their world. See: deva.

(See also: Devonic , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Jati (Sanskrit) (from the verbal root jan to be born, come forth from intrinsic inner vital power)

Birth, production, the form of existence fixed by birth; also rank, family, race. In Buddhism, one of the twelve nidanas (causes of existence).

"The cause and the effect in the mode of birth taking place according the 'Chatur Yoni,' when in each case a being, whether man or animal, is placed in one of the six (esoteric seven) gati or paths of sentient existence, which esoterically, counting downward, are:

(1)  the highest Dhyani (Anupadaka);

(2)  Devas;

(3)  Men;

(4)  Elementals or Nature Spirits;

(5)  Animals;

(6)  lower Elementals;

(7)  organic Germs.

These are in the popular or exoteric nomenclature, Devas, Men, Asuras, Beings in Hells, Pretas (hungry demons), and Animals" (TG 103).

(See also: Jati , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

hierarchy: A group of beings arranged in order of rank or class; as a hierarchy of God, Gods and devas.

(See also: Hierarchy , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Nirmanakaya (Sanskrit). Something entirely different in esoteric philosophy from the popular meaning attached to it, and from the fancies of the Orientalists.

Some call the Nirmanakaya body "Nirvana with remains" (Schlagintweit, etc.) on the supposition, probably, that it is a kind of Nirvanic condition during which consciousness and form are retained. Others say that it is one of the Trikaya (three bodies), with the "power of assuming any form of appearance in order to propagate Buddhism" (Eitel’s idea); again, that "it is the incarnate avatara of a deity" (ibid.), and so on.

Occultism, on the other hand, says:that Nirmanakaya, although meaning literally a transformed "body", is a state. The form is that of the adept or yogi who enters, or chooses, that post mortem condition in preference to the Dharmakaya or absolute Nirvanic state. He does this because the latter kaya separates him for ever from the world of form, conferring upon him a state of selfish bliss, in which no other living being can participate, the adept being thus precluded from the possibility of helping humanity, or even devas.

As a Nirmanakaya, however, the man leaves behind him only his physical body, and retains every other "principle" save the Kamic - for he has crushed this out for ever from his nature, during life, and it can never resurrect in his post mortem state. Thus, instead of going into selfish bliss, he chooses a life of self-sacrifice, an existence which ends only with the life-cycle, in order to be enabled to help mankind in an invisible yet most effective manner. (See The Voice of the Silence, third treatise, "The Seven Portals".) Thus a Nirmanakaya is not, as popularly believed, the body "in which a Buddha or a Bodhisattva appears on earth", but verily one, who whether a Chutuktu or a Khubilkhan, an adept or a yogi during life, has since become a member of that invisible Host which ever protects and watches over Humanity within Karmic limits.

 Mistaken often for a "Spirit", a Deva, God himself, &c., a Nirmanakaya is ever a protecting, compassionate, verily a guardian angel, to him who becomes worthy of his help. Whatever objection may be brought forward against this doctrine; however much it is denied, because, forsooth, it has never been hitherto made public in Europe and therefore since it is unknown to Orientalists, it must needs be "a myth of modern invention" - no one will be bold enough to say that this idea of helping suffering mankind at the price of one’s own almost interminable self-sacrifice, is not one of the grandest and noblest that was ever evolved from human brain.

(See also: Nirmanakaya , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

lekhaprartha havana: (Sanskrit) "Written-prayer-burning rite."

A coined term for the ancient practice of sending written prayers to the Gods by burning them in a sanctified fire in a temple or shrine. Alternately this rite can be performed at other appropriate sites, with four persons sitting around a fire and chanting to create a temporary temple. Prayers can be written in any language, but should be clearly legible, in black ink on white paper. The devas have provided a special script, called Tyaf, especially for this purpose.

(See also: Lekhaprartha havana , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

deva: (Sanskrit) "Shining one."

A being living in the higher astral plane, in a subtle, nonphysical body. Deva is also used in scripture to mean "God or Deity."

See: Mahadeva.

(See also: Deva , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Daeva (Avestan) Dev (Pahlavi) Div (Persian) In the Avesta, beings of malicious intent popularly regarded as fiends or demons under the sway of Angra Mainyu. It is a generalizing name for the class of spiritual, quasi-spiritual, and ethereal beings recognized in the mystical literatures of other countries as daimones, devas, spirits, etc. They range thus from self-conscious beings of relatively high evolutionary grade through intermediate stages down to what in theosophy are called elementals.

"In the Vendidad the Daevas are called 'evil-doing,' and shown to rush away 'into the depths of the world of hell,' or matter. . . . This is an allegory showing the Devas compelled to incarnate, once that they have separated themselves from their parent essence, or, in other words, after the unit had become a multiple, after differentiation and manifestation" (SD 2:516).

In another sense, Blavatsky interprets the daevas as referring to the Atlantean giants (SD 2:772).

In Persian, the divs are wicked, powerful beings who oppose the rule of just kings of Iran.

(See also: Daeva , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Hindu: (Sanskrit) A follower of, or relating to, Hinduism.

Generally, one is understood to be a Hindu by being born into a Hindu family and practicing the faith, or by declaring oneself a Hindu. Acceptance into the fold is recognized through the name-giving sacrament, a temple ceremony called namakarana samskara, given to born Hindus shortly after birth, and to self-declared Hindus who have proven their sincerity and been accepted by a Hindu community. Full conversion is completed through disavowal of previous religious affiliations and legal change of name.

While traditions vary greatly, all Hindus rely on the Vedas as scriptural authority and generally attest to the following nine principles:

1)    There exists a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both creator and unmanifest Reality.

2)    The universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

3)    All souls are evolving toward God and will ultimately find moksha: spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.

4)    Karma is the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

5)    The soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved.

6)    Divine beings exist in unseen worlds, and temple worship, rituals, sacraments, as well as personal devotionals, create a communion with these devas and Gods.

7)    A spiritually awakened master or satguru is essential to know the transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, self-inquiry and meditation.

8)    All life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore one should practice ahimsa, nonviolence.

9)    No particular religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others. Rather, all genuine religious paths are facets of God's pure love and light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

See: Hinduism.

(See also: Hindu , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

purushartha: (Sanskrit) "Human wealth or purpose."

The four pursuits in which humans may legitimately engage, also called chaturvarga, "four-fold good" - a basic principle of Hindu ethics.

-       dharma: "Righteous living." The fulfillment of virtue, good works, duties and responsibilities, restraints and observances - performing one's part in the service and upliftment of society. This includes pursuit of truth under a guru of a particular parampara and sampradaya. Dharma is of four primary forms. It is the steady guide for artha and kama.

-       See: dharma.

-       artha: "Wealth." Material welfare and abundance, money, property, possessions. Artha is the pursuit of wealth, guided by dharma. It includes the basic needs - food, money, clothing and shelter - and extends to the wealth required to maintain a comfortable home, raise a family, fulfill a successful career and perform religious duties. The broadest concept of wealth embraces financial independence, freedom from debt, worthy children, good friends, leisure time, faithful servants, trustworthy employees, and the joys of giving, including tithing (dashamamsha), feeding the poor, supporting religious mendicants, worshiping devoutly, protecting all creatures, upholding the family and offering hospitality to guests. Artha measures not only riches but quality of life, providing the personal and social security needed to pursue kama, dharma and moksha. It allows for the fulfillment of the householder's five daily sacrifices, pancha mahayajna: to God, ancestors, devas, creatures and men.

-       See: yajna.

-       kama: "Pleasure, love; enjoyment." Earthly love, aesthetic and cultural fulfillment, pleasures of the world (including sexual), the joys of family, intellectual satisfaction. Enjoyment of happiness, security, creativity, usefulness and inspiration.

-       See: Kama Sutras.

-       moksha: "Liberation." Freedom from rebirth through the ultimate attainment, realization of the Self God, Parasiva. The spiritual attainments and superconscious joys, attending renunciation and yoga leading to Self Realization. Moksha comes through the fulfillment of dharma, artha and kama (known in Tamil as aram, porul and inbam, and explained by Tiruvalluvar in Tirukural) in the current or past lives, so that one is no longer attached to worldly joys or sorrows. It is the supreme goal of life, called paramartha.

See: liberation, moksha.

(See also: Purushartha , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Ahura Mazda (Zend). The personified deity, the Principle of Universal Divine Light of the Parsis. From Ahura or Asura, breath, "spiritual, divine" in the oldest Rig Veda, degraded by the orthodox Brahmans into A -sura, "no gods", just as the Mazdeans have degraded the Hindu Devas (Gods) into Deva (Devils).

(See also: Ahura Mazda , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Devatas - same as devas.

(See also: Devatas , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Indra:

Indra (Indhra). Lord of the devas (celestials).

(See also: Indra , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Gnana-Devas, Gnan-Devas. See JNANA-DEVAS

(See also: Gnana, Gnana, Gnanam , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

danava:

danava (dhaanava). Class of demons, daityas, or asuras; enemies of the Gods (devas). Children of Dhanu and Kasyapa.

(See also: danava , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Architecture (from Latin architectura from Greek architekton master-builder)

Signifies not building in itself, but the science or art of building in accordance with certain principles or rules which endure through the ages, because rooted in cosmic order and beauty. Architecture is reckoned as one of the five great arts, and the monuments of antiquity in whatever land show clearly that those who designed them had, besides a knowledge of materials and the technique of using them, some knowledge at least of the great cosmic laws of harmony and beauty, and their derivative, proportion.

Primeval self-conscious humanity -- not savage by any means, however much it may have needed spiritual guidance -- was watched over and protected by divine instructors, and among the arts taught by these great beings, architecture had a prominent place: "No man descended from a Palaeolithic cave-dweller could ever evolve such a science unaided, even in millenniums of thought and intellectual evolution.

It is the pupils of those incarnated Rishis and Devas of the third root race, who handed their knowledge from one generation to another, to Egypt and Greece with its now lost canon of proportion. . . . It is Vitruvius who gave to posterity the rules of construction of the Grecian temples erected to the immortal gods; and the ten books of Marcus Vitruvius Pollio on Architecture, of one, in short, who was an initiate, can only be studied esoterically.

The Druidical circles, the Dolmens, the Temples of India, Egypt and Greece, the Towers and the 127 towns in Europe which were found 'Cyclopean in origin' by the French Institute, are all the work of initiated Priest-Architects, the descendants of those primarily taught by the 'Sons of God,' justly called 'The Builders' " (SD 1:208-9n).

(See also: Architecture , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Abhutarajasas (Sanskrit). A class of gods or Devas, during the period of the fifth Manvantara.

(See also: Abhutarajasas , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Bhutasarga (Sanskrit) (from bhuta has beens + sarga creation, production)

Elemental creation; the second of the seven creations or emanations, popularly given in the Hindu Puranas as mahat-tattva, bhutasarga, indriya or aindriyaka, mukhya, tairyagyonya or tiryaksrota, urdhvasrotas, and arvakstrotas. Bhutasarga cosmically is the first differentiation of universal indiscrete substance, or primordial akasa, the first stage of the differentiation of the pre-cosmic elements; the word bhutasarga itself suggests that this differentiation is according to seeds or germs (bhutas) reappearing anew from the preceding cosmic manvantara. "In astronomical and Cosmogonical language this Creation relates to the first stage of cosmic-life, the Fire-Mist Period after its Chaotic stage, when atoms issue from Laya" (SD 1:453).

The second hierarchy of the manus, the dhyani-chohans or fully self-conscious devas, who are the original producers of form (rupas), appear at this stage of cosmic emanational evolution. In the Vishnu-Purana these beings are called chitrasikandinas (bright-crested), the seven rishis who are the informing souls of the seven principal stars of the Great Bear. These seven rishis represent hierarchies of spiritual beings who preside over and guide the septenary stages of the evolution of the cosmos.

(See also: Bhutasarga , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Taapas:

Taapas: sufferings or afflictions of three  kinds, to which mortals are subject, viz., (1) those caused by one's  own body (Adhyatmika), (2) those caused by beings around him (Adhibhautika),  and (3) those caused by Devas (Adhidaivika).

(See also: Taapas , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

yantra: (Sanskrit) "Restrainer," "limiter."

A mystic diagram composed of geometric and alphabetic figures - usually etched on small plates of gold, silver or copper. Sometimes rendered in three dimensions in stone or metal.

The purpose of a yantra is to focus spiritual and mental energies according to computer-like yantric pattern, be it for health, wealth, childbearing or the invoking of one God or another. It is usually installed near or under the temple Deity. Psychically seen, the temple yantra is a magnificent three-dimensional edifice of light and sound in which the devas work. On the astral plane, it is much larger than the temple itself.

Sri Chakra: The most well known yantra and a central image in Shakta worship. Consisting of nine interlocking triangles, it is the design of Siva-Shakti's multidimensional manifestations. Yantras are also used for meditation and sadhana, especially in the Shakta tradition. Installing them beneath Deities is a fairly modern practice, while the Agamas prescribe the placement of precious gems. For Saivites the Tiru-ambala chakra, representing Lord Nataraja, is most sacred.

See: murti.

(See also: Yantra , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

samskaras of childhood: From naming to education.

-       namakarana: "Name-giving" and formal entry into one or another sect of Hinduism, performed 11 to 41 days after birth. The name is chosen according to astrology, preferably the name of a God or Goddess. At this time, guardian devas are assigned to see the child through life. One who converts to or adopts Hinduism later in life would receive this same sacrament.

-       annaprashana: (Sanskrit) "Feeding." The ceremony marking the first taking of solid food, held at about six months. (Breastfeeding generally continues).

-       karnavedha: "Earpiercing." The piercing of both ears, for boys and girls, and the inserting of gold earrings, held during the first, third or fifth year.

-       See: earrings.

-       chudakarana: (Sanskrit) "Head-shaving." The shaving of the head, for boys and girls, between the 31st day and the fourth year.

-       vidyarambha: (Sanskrit) Marks the beginning of formal education. The boy or girl ceremoniously writes his/her first letter of the alphabet in a tray of uncooked rice.

-       upanayana: Given to boys at about 12 years of age, marks the beginning of the period of brahmacharya and formal study of scripture and sacred lore, usually with an acharya or guru.

-       samavartana: Marks the end of formal religious study.

See: samskara, samskaras.

(See also: Samskaras of childhood , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Deva-Brahman or Deva-Brahma (Sanskrit) A name given to Narada, considered to be like a Brahma among the devas.

(See also: Deva-Brahman, Deva-Brahma , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)