Deva

The word deva literally means “shining
one,” although the most common (and
often most appropriate) translation is
“god.” This word is an epithet for any
superhuman being, although it can also
be used figuratively for any person of
high status, such as a king or a brahmin
(priest). The notion of “gods” in
Hinduism must be understood in
light of the generally assumed context
of reincarnation (samsara), which
assumes that a person can be reborn in
many different realms of reality. Some of
these are realms of punishment where
people atone for the effects of their bad
karma, while others are realms of pleasure (the heavens) where people enjoy
the results of their good karma. The
devas are the inhabitants of these heavens, and are thus “gods,” since gods, by
definition, live in heaven.
Yet all these gods are still subject to
the vicissitudes of reincarnation—even
Indra, the ruler of heaven. Birth in
heaven is based on one’s good karma,
which is inevitably diminished by enjoying the rewards of life in heaven, just as
a savings account is depleted by continuing withdrawals. When their good
karma has been exhausted, even the
gods are subject to rebirth in other
realms. So even though these gods are
superhuman, they are still subject to the
law of reincarnation. There is thus a
qualitative difference between these
gods (the devas) and the so-called Great
gods, such as Vishnu, Shiva, and the
Goddess. These latter deities are seen by
their devotees (bhakta) as totally outside the realm of space, time, and the
causes and effects of karma, and thus
correspond more directly to the JudeoChristian notion of “God,” as the ultimate power in the universe.