Editing Hindu deities (section)

==Devas and devis==
{{main|Deva (Hinduism)|Devi}}
[[File:জি. ডি. ব্লক সল্টলেক দুর্গা পুজো ২০১৮.jpg|left|thumb|Goddess [[Durga]] and a pantheon of other gods and goddesses being worshipped during [[Durga Puja]] Festival in Kolkata.]]
Deities in Hinduism are referred to as [[Deva (Hinduism)|Deva]] (masculine) and [[Devi]] (feminine).<ref name="monierdevi">Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary" Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, p. 496</ref><ref>John Stratton Hawley and Donna Marie Wulff (1998), Devi: Goddesses of India, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814912}}, p. 2</ref><ref>William K Mahony (1997), The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-0791435809}}, p. 18</ref> The root of these terms means "heavenly, divine, anything of excellence".<ref name="monier">Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary" Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, p. 492</ref>

In the earliest Vedic literature, all [[supernatural being]]s are called [[Asura (Hinduism)|Asura]]s.<ref>Wash Edward Hale (1999), Ásura in Early Vedic Religion, Motilal Barnarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120800618}}, pp. 5-11, 22, 99-102</ref><ref>Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary" Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, p. 121</ref> By the late Vedic period (c. 500 BCE), benevolent supernatural beings are referred to as ''Deva-Asuras''. In post-Vedic texts, such as the [[Puranas]] and the [[Itihasas]] of Hinduism, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad.<ref name=nickgier/><ref name=fowlergita/> In some medieval Indian literature, ''Devas'' are also referred to as Suras and contrasted with their equally powerful, but malevolent counterparts referred to as the Asuras.<ref name=ang>[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/40167/asura/40167rellinks/Related-Links Encyclopædia Britannica]</ref>

Hindu deities are part of [[Hindu mythology]], both Devas and Devis feature in one of many cosmological theories in Hinduism.<ref>Don Handelman (2013), One God, Two Goddesses, Three Studies of South Indian Cosmology, Brill Academic, {{ISBN|978-9004256156}}, pp. 23-29</ref><ref>Wendy Doniger (1988), Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism, Manchester University Press, {{ISBN|978-0719018664}}, p. 67</ref>

===Characteristics of Vedic-era deities===
In Vedic literature, Devas and Devis represent the forces of nature and some represent moral values (such as the [[Ādityas|Aditya]]s, [[Varuna]], and [[Mitra (Hindu god)|Mitra]]), each symbolizing the epitome of specialized knowledge, creative energy, exalted and magical powers (''[[Siddhi]]s'').<ref>George Williams (2008), A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0195332612}}, pp. 24-33</ref><ref name=binagupta>Bina Gupta (2011), An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0415800037}}, pp. 21-25</ref>

{{multiple image
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| footer            = Vedic era deities evolved. Rudra (left) is represented in Vedic literature, is shown as Shiva-Rudra 2nd-century sculpture (middle), and as Shiva (meaning kind) in 13th-century artwork (right). The iconography evolved, retaining some symbolic elements such as trident, axe, or antelope.<ref>Stella Kramrisch (1994), The Presence of Siva, Princeton University Press, {{ISBN|978-0691019307}}, pp. 338-339</ref><ref>M Chakravarti (1995), The concept of Rudraa-Śiva through the ages, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120800533}}, pp. 59-65</ref>
| image1            = Rudra.gif
| image2            = ThreeHeadedShivaGandhara2ndCentury.jpg
| image3            = Indian - Festival Image of Shiva - Walters 543084.jpg
}}

The most referred to Devas in the [[Rigveda]] are [[Indra]], [[Agni]] (fire) and [[Soma (deity)|Soma]], with "fire deity" called the friend of all humanity. Indra and Soma are two celebrated in a [[yajna]] fire ritual that marks major Hindu ceremonies. [[Savitr]], [[Vishnu]], [[Rudra]] (later given the exclusive epithet of [[Shiva]]), and [[Prajapati]] (later [[Brahma]]) are gods and hence Devas.<ref name=hajime26>Hajime Nakamura (1998), A Comparative History of Ideas, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120810044}}, pp. 26-33</ref>

The [[Vedas]] describes a number of significant Devis such as [[Ushas]] (dawn), [[Prithvi]] (earth), [[Aditi]] (cosmic moral order), [[Saraswati]] (river, knowledge), [[Vāc]] (sound), [[Nirṛti (goddess)|Nirṛti]] (destruction), [[Ratri]] (night), [[Aranyani]] (forest), and bounty goddesses such as Dinsana, Raka, Puramdhi, Parendi, Bharati, Mahi, among others, mentioned in the ''[[Rigveda]]''.<ref name=kinsley717>David Kinsley (2005), Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions, University of California Press, {{ISBN|978-8120803947}}, pp. 6-17, 55-64</ref> Sri, also called Lakshmi, appears in late Vedic texts dated to be pre-Buddhist, but verses dedicated to her do not suggest that her characteristics were fully developed in the Vedic era.<ref name=kinsley18>David Kinsley (2005), Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions, University of California Press, {{ISBN|978-8120803947}}, pp. 18, 19</ref> All gods and goddesses are distinguished in the Vedic times, but in the post-Vedic texts (c. 500 BCE to 200 CE), and particularly in the early medieval era literature, they are ultimately seen as aspects or manifestations of one [[Brahman]], the Supreme power.<ref name=kinsley18/><ref>Christopher John Fuller (2004), The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India, Princeton University Press, {{ISBN|978-0691120485}}, p. 41</ref>

Ananda Coomaraswamy states that Devas and Asuras in the Vedic lore are similar to [[Twelve Olympians|Angels-Theoi-Gods]] and [[Titan (mythology)|Titans]] of Greek mythology, both are powerful but have different orientations and inclinations, the Devas representing the powers of Light and the Asuras representing the powers of Darkness in Hindu mythology.<ref>Wash Edward Hale (1999), Ásura in Early Vedic Religion, Motilal Barnarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120800618}}, p. 20</ref><ref name=":0"/> According to Coomaraswamy's interpretation of Devas and Asuras, both these natures exist in each human being, the tyrant and the angel is within each being, the best and the worst within each person struggles before choices and one's nature, and the Hindu formulation of Devas and Asuras is an eternal dance between these within each person.<ref>Ananda Coomaraswamy (1935), "Angel and Titan: An Essay in Vedic Ontology", ''Journal of the American Oriental Society'', volume 55, pp. 373–418</ref><ref name=Gier>Nicholas Gier (1995), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1399510 Hindu Titanism], Philosophy East and West, Volume 45, Number 1, p. 76, see also 73-96</ref>

{{Blockquote|
The Devas and Asuras, Angels and Titans, powers of Light and powers of Darkness in Rigveda, although distinct and opposite in operation, are in essence consubstantial, their distinction being a matter not of essence but of orientation, revolution, or transformation. In this case, the Titan is potentially an Angel, the Angel still by nature a Titan; the Darkness in ''actu'' is Light, the Light in ''potentia'' Darkness; whence the designations Asura and Deva may be applied to one and the same Person according to the mode of operation, as in Rigveda 1.163.3, "Trita art thou (Agni) by interior operation".
|Ananda Coomaraswamy|'' Journal of the American Oriental Society''<ref name=":0">Ananda Coomaraswamy (1935), "Angel and Titan: An Essay in Vedic Ontology", ''Journal of the American Oriental Society'', volume 55, pp. 373–374, {{JSTOR|594758}}.</ref>}}

===Characteristics of medieval-era deities===
In the [[Puranas]] and the [[Itihasas]] with the embedded Bhagavad Gita, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad.<ref name="nickgier"/><ref name=fowlergita/> According to the [[Bhagavad Gita]] (16.6–16.7), all beings in the universe have both the divine qualities (''daivi sampad'') and the demonic qualities (''asuri sampad'') within them.<ref name=fowlergita/><ref name=chrischapple/> The sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita states that pure god-like saints are rare, as are pure demon-like evil individuals among human beings. Instead, the majority of humanity is multi-charactered with a few or many faults.<ref name=fowlergita/> According to Jeaneane Fowler, the Gita states that desires, aversions, greed, needs, emotions in various forms "are facets of ordinary lives". It is only when they turn to lust, hate, cravings, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, hypocrisy, violence, cruelty and such negativity- and destruction-inclined tendencies that natural human inclinations metamorphose into something demonic (Asura).<ref name="fowlergita"/><ref name=chrischapple>Christopher K Chapple (2010), The Bhagavad Gita: Twenty-fifth–Anniversary Edition, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-1438428420}}, pp. 610-629</ref>

[[File:Seal Surin.png|thumb|[[Indra]] is a Vedic era deity, found in south and southeast Asia. Above Indra is part of the seal of a [[Thailand]] state.]]
The Epics and medieval era texts, particularly the [[Puranas]], developed extensive and richly varying mythologies associated with Hindu deities, including their [[Genealogies of Genesis|genealogies.]]<ref name=ludorocher/><ref name=oliverleaman437>Greg Bailey (2001), Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy (Editor: Oliver Leaman), Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0415172813}}, pp. 437-439</ref><ref name=gregorybailey>Gregory Bailey (2003), The Study of Hinduism (Editor: Arvind Sharma), The University of South Carolina Press, {{ISBN|978-1570034497}}, p. 139</ref> Several of the Purana texts are named after major Hindu deities such as Vishnu, Shiva and Devi.<ref name=ludorocher>Ludo Rocher (1986), The Puranas, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3447025225}}, pp. 1-5, 12-21</ref> Other texts and commentators such as [[Adi Shankara]] explain that Hindu deities live or rule over the cosmic body as well as in the temple of the human body.<ref name=holmbowker76/><ref name=danielou57/> They remark that the Sun deity is the eyes, the [[Vayu|Vāyu]] the nose, the [[Prajapati]] the sexual organs, the [[Lokapala]]s the ears, [[Chandra]] the mind, Mitra the inward breath, [[Varuna]] the outward breath, [[Indra]] the arms, Bṛhaspati the speech, Vishnu, whose stride is great, is the feet, and Māyā is the smile.<ref name=danielou57>[[Alain Daniélou]] (1991), The Myths and Gods of India, Princeton/Bollingen Paperbacks, {{ISBN|978-0892813544}}, pp. 57-60</ref>

===Symbolism===
Edelmann states that gods and anti-gods of Hinduism are symbolism for spiritual concepts. For example, god Indra (a Deva) and the antigod Virocana (an Asura) question a sage for insights into the knowledge of the self.<ref name=edelmann14/> Virocana leaves with the first given answer, believing now he can use the knowledge as a weapon. In contrast, Indra keeps pressing the sage, churning the ideas, and learning about means to inner happiness and power. Edelmann suggests that the Deva-Asura dichotomies in Hindu mythology may be seen as "narrative depictions of tendencies within our selves".<ref name=edelmann14>Jonathan Edelmann (2013), Hindu Theology as Churning the Latent, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Volume 81, Issue 2, pp. 439-441</ref> Hindu deities in Vedic era, states Mahoney, are those artists with "powerfully inward transformative, effective and creative mental powers".<ref>William K Mahony (1997), The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-0791435809}}, pp. 17, 27, 32</ref>

In Hindu mythology, everyone starts as an Asura, born of the same father. "Asuras who remain Asura" share the character of powerful beings craving for more power, more wealth, ego, anger, unprincipled nature, force and violence.<ref name=gierasurach/><ref name=stellaray/> The "Asuras who become Devas" in contrast are driven by an inner voice, seek understanding and meaning, prefer moderation, principled behavior, aligned with ''[[Ṛta]]'' and ''[[Dharma]]'', knowledge and harmony.<ref name=gierasurach>Nicholas Gier (1995), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1399510 Hindu Titanism], Philosophy East and West, Volume 45, Number 1, pp. 76-80</ref><ref name=stellaray>Stella Kramrisch and Raymond Burnier (1986), The Hindu Temple, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120802230}}, pp. 75-78</ref><ref>William K Mahony (1997), The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-0791435809}}, pp. 50, 72-73</ref>

The god (Deva) and antigod (Asura), states Edelmann, are also symbolically the contradictory forces that motivate each individual and people, and thus Deva-Asura dichotomy is a spiritual concept rather than mere genealogical category or species of being.<ref name=edelmann13/> In the Bhāgavata Purana, saints and gods are born in families of Asuras, such as [[Mahabali]] and [[Prahlada]], conveying the symbolism that motivations, beliefs and actions rather than one's birth and family circumstances define whether one is Deva-like or Asura-like.<ref name=edelmann13>Jonathan Edelmann (2013), Hindu Theology as Churning the Latent, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Volume 81, Issue 2, pp. 440-442</ref>