Deva draft, redirect

Deva 01. Aggasāvaka of Sujāta Buddha. He was a chaplain’s son, and the Buddha’s first sermon was addressed to him and his friend Sudassana (Ja.i.38; Bv­a.168, 170). He is also called Sudeva (Bv.xiii.25).

Deva 02. A Devaputta, son of Virūpakkha and brother of Kāḷakaṇṇi (Ja.iii.261).

Deva 03. A monk, resident in Kappukagāma (v.l. Kambugāma). Vohārikatissa heard him preach and restored for him five buildings (Mhv.xxxvi.29; Dpv.xxii.41).

This may be the Thera whom Saṅghatissa heard preaching the Andhakavindasutta. The king, being very pleased with him, set up an offering of gruel to the monks of the Mahā Vihāra (Dpv.xxii 50).

Deva 04. A Thera of Ceylon at whose request Upasena wrote the Mahā Niddesa Commentary (MNid-a.i.1).

Deva 05. See also Maliyadeva (Malayadeva) and Mahā Deva.

Deva 06. A Thera of Ceylon, who, according to the Gandhavaṁsa (Gv.p.63), wrote the Sumantakūṭavaṇṇanā. This work is, however, generally ascribed to Vedeha (PLC.223f; Svd.1263).

Deva 07. Senāpati of Kittisirimegha. He was stationed at Badalatthalī, and accompanied Ratnāvalī when he took the young Parakkamabāhu to Kittisirimegha. Cv.xxvii.82.

Deva 08. Laṅkādhināyaka. A general of Gajabāhu II. Cv.lxx.104, 324.

Deva 09. A general of Parakkamabāhu I. He took part in the campaigns against Gajabāhu, and later was sent to his rescue in Pulatthipura. Deva was imprisoned there, and Parakkamabāhu sent housebreakers to release him, after which he was despatched with an army to Gaṅgātaṭāka, where he defeated Māṇābharaṇa. At Hedillakhaṇḍagāma he defeated Mahinda. The last we hear of him is that he fell into his enemy’s power at a village called Surulla. Parakkamabāhu went to rescue him, but had to abandon the effort. It is possible that he was ransomed and became Laṅkāpura (see below) Cv.lxx.123, 153-7, 245, 285, 300, 316; lxxii.45, 75, 82, 122, 137f.

Deva 10. A general of Parakkamabāhu I., called Laṅkāpura, probably identical with 9. He fought against Sūkarabhātu, and later took part in the Sinhalese expedition to South India and fought in fierce battles at Tirippāḷuru and Rājinā, capturing the latter place. Cv.lxxv.130; lxxvi.250, 310, 324, 326.

Deva 11. A minister of Āyasmanta. He was sent to erect a vihāra at Valligāma. Cv.lxxx.38.

Deva 12. A seṭṭhi of Vedisagiri. His daughter Devī was married to Asoka, who met her while staying at her father’s house on his way to Ujjenī. Mhv­ṭ.324; Vin-a.i.70.

Deva 13. A minister of Devagāma. He once gave food to a starving dog. He was reborn in the same village, and later entered the Saṅgha at Pupphavāsavihāra. During the Brāhmaṇatiya famine a tree deity looked after him for twelve years. Once men looking for food wished to kill him, but he was saved by his luck. He became an Arahant, and the deity looked after him for twelve years more. Ras.ii.13f.

Devā 01. Deva, Devas. A class of beings. As a title the word Deva is attributed to any being regarded, in certain respects, as being above the human level. Thus it is used for a king. In a late classification (CNid.307; Khp­a.123, etc.) there are three kinds of Devā: sammutidevā (conventional gods – e.g., kings and princes); visuddhidevā (beings who are divine by the purity of their great religious merit – Arahants and Buddhas); and uppattidevā (beings who are born divine). Under the third category various groups are enumerated, the commonest number being seven: Cātummahārājikā, Tāvatiṁsā, Yāmā, Tusitā, Nimmānaratī, Paranimmitavasavattī and Brahmakāyikā (e.g., DN.i.216; AN.i.210, etc.). The longest list is that of the Majjhimanikāya (i.289; iii.100. The Divyāvadāna p.266 contains a list of twenty-two), which contains the names of twenty-five groups. The popular etymology of the word connects it with the root div in the sense of playing, sporting, or amusing oneself, sometimes also of shining: dibbantī ti devā, pañcahi kāmaguṇehi kīlanti, attano vā siriyā jotantī ti attho (Khp­a.123). The word implies possession of splendour and power of moving at will, beauty, goodness and effulgence of body, and, as such, is opposed to the dark powers of mischief and destruction – such as the Asuras, Petas and Nerayikas. The Devas are generally regarded as sharing kinship and continuity of life with humans; all Devas have been men and may again be born among men. They take interest in the doings of men, especially the Cātummahārājikā and the gods of Tāvatiṁsa. They come to earth to worship the Buddha and to show reverence to good men. Sakka (q.v.) is usually spoken of as chief of the gods – devānaṁ indo. All Devas are themselves in Saṁsāra, needing salvation. They are subject to death, their life-spans varying according to the merit of each individual Deva. They are born in the full flower of youth and are free from illness till the moment of their death. Devas die from one of the following causes: exhaustion of life, merit or food; failing, through forgetfulness to eat; and jealousy at the glory of another, which leads to anger (Dhp­a.l.173. For other particulars regarding Devas see the article in the PTSPED). When a Deva is about to die five signs appear on him: his clothes get soiled, flowers worn by him fade, sweat exudes from his armpits, his body loses its colour and he becomes restless on his seat. DN­a.ii.427f; Dhs-a, 33, etc.

Devā 02. Daughter of Udaya I. and wife of Mahinda, son of the Ādipāda Dāṭhāsiva. Cv.xlix.12.

Devā 03. Daughter of Dappula II. and wife of Kittaggabodhi. Cv.xlix.71.

Devā 04. Wife of Kassapa V. and mother of Sakkasenāpati. She built, for the monks living in the wilderness, a vihāra called after herself, and adorned the Buddha-image at Maricavaṭṭi. Cv.lii.52, 61, 64ff.