The numerous ancient Indian texts – वेद, पुराण, etc refer to देव. In today’s world, the first source a young Indian is exposed to which is the अमर चित्र कथा where one does come across the images of देव who seem like human beings only except that they seem to possess certain supernatural powers. So an obvious question that does come up time and again is – who are these देव?

It does appear that the idea of what देव really constitutes is quite intricate. Some पुराण like गरूड़ पुराण refer to various levels of being and the देव state also represent a certain level of being. Even with a surface reading of some of the Indian texts, it becomes evident that देव are not supernatural humans by any stretch of imagination. They seem more like forces or impulses which drive towards a certain action. देव word is usually translated as “to illumine” and what which enlivens or illuminates is referred to as देव. The paper below traces the narrative in certain texts on this topic and brings together these narratives on what they have stated as देव. My own narrative is being kept to the minimum. Also, I will add that the topic is extremely complex; for example, every अक्षर in the Sanskrit alphabet system has a certain देव attached to the sound force and this paper will not get into those details. The entire concept of देव व्यवस्था requires a trained गुरू or deeper reference material; this paper is being put up mainly to kindle an elementary level of appreciation or interest in the subject.

बृहद् अरण्यक उपनिषद्

One of the earliest and longest उपनिषद् text, the बृहद् अरण्यक उपनिषद् has a small section which specifically has certain verses devoted to understanding what देव actually means. I provide below an extract of commentary by Swami Krishnananda on the subject.

“How many देव are there?” This is what Vidagdha Śākalya wanted to know. The question was put to Yājñavalkya by Śākalya. When the question “How many देव are there?” was put, Yājñavalkya contemplated the list of देव given in a passage, or a Mantra of the वेद called the Nivid, which has reference to a group of देव called Viśvedevas. And in accordance with the statement made in that Mantra, called the Nivid in the वेद, Yājñavalkya says:  “Three hundred and three.” The answer was given. Then he says: “Three thousand and three.”

“All right! Let me see,” was the retort of Śākalya. “Is this the answer that you give me to my question, how many देव are there? Three thousand and three; three hundred and three! Have you no other answer to this question?”

Then Yājñavalkya gives another answer: “There are thirty-three देव.”

“All right!” Again he asks, not being satisfied with this answer. “Tell me again properly; how many देव are there?”

“Six are there.”

“All right!” He was not satisfied; he again asks a question. “How many देव are there? Tell me again. Think properly.”

“Only three देव are there.

Not being satisfied, he asks again: “How many देव are there? Tell again.

“Two देव are there.”

Again he asks a question, not being satisfied. “Tell again; how many देव are there?”

“One and a half देव”.

Then he was very much upset. “What is this you say, one and a half देव? Tell again properly; how many देव are there?”

“One देव is there,” he said finally.

So, a series was recounted by Yājñavalkya in a very humorous manner, all of which has some meaning which will be mentioned in the following passages.

“All these numbers that you have mentioned – three thousand and three, three hundred and three – what are these देव? Give the names of these देव, the deities.”

Then Yājñavalkya said: “All these three thousand and all that I mentioned – they are not really देव. They are only manifestations of the thirty-three. The thirty-three are the principal manifestations, and others are only their glories, radiances, manifestations, mअग्निficences or forces, energies, powers.”

“But what are these thirty-three?”

“The thirty-three देव are eight वसु, eleven रुद्र, twelve आदित्य – they make thirty-one – then इन्द्र

and प्रजापति – these make thirty-three देव.”

Now, these are called देव (often translated as gods) in a very special sense, and there is a meaning behind their being designated as देव. The term ‘देव‘ means a power that causally works inside a form. That which regulates from inside any particular individual, groups of individuals, etc. is the देव of that individual or the देव of that group of individuals. In a broad sense we may say, the cause of anything is the deity of that thing. Now again we have to bring to our mind the meaning of the word ’cause’. The deity does not operate as an external cause. The sun as the cause of the eye is not the sun that is ninety-three million miles away, disconnected from the eye in space. That principle which controls the eye or any other organ has something to do internally also with the structure of the organ. Likewise is the case with every other function. The देव of any particular phenomenon is the invisible presence. So it will be mentioned here in the following passages that every visible object has a presiding deity inside. Even the hands cannot be lifted unless there is a force inside; the eyes cannot wink unless there is a force inside the eyes, likewise with every other function or limb of the individual. What are these वसु, रुद्र and आदित्य? They have to be explained. They are not far away from us. They are immanent within us.

“What are these वसु which are eight in number?” “अग्नि is one deity; earth is one deity; वायु is another; the atmosphere is one deity; the सूर्य is one deity; the heaven is one deity; चन्द्र is one deity; the stars are one deity. These constitute eight groups” “Why do you call them वसु?” What is the meaning of the word वसु? वसु is that in which something resides. In Sanskrit, वसु means, to abide. That which is an abode of something; that in which something abides; that which is the repository or the support of something is the वसु of that thing. Now, these things mentioned here, eight in number, are really the substances, in a subtle form, out of which everything is made, including our own selves. All bodies are constituted of the vibrations of which, ultimately, these principles consist. Agnī, Prthivi, Vāyu, āntariksa, etc. are not solid bodies, though names are given here which are applicable to physical bodies. Even the earth is not a solid body. It is a vibration. It is something difficult to understand for a casual observer. There is no such thing, ultimately, as a ‘solid’ body. Everything is a conglomeration of forces. Force concretises itself. The increased density of a particular force is the reason why we give it a particular name in a particular context, as it becomes visible. Even these distinctions between earth, अग्नि, वायु, etc. are tentative distinctions. One is convertible into the other. So we see that there is an internal connection among the देव. We know that solids can become liquids, and liquids can become gases, and anything can be converted into anything by certain processes to which they are subjected. The solidity of the earth; the fierceness of अग्नि, the fine character of वायु; the glowing nature of the सूर्य, etc., can be attributed to the increased density of the manifestation of the force of which they are all constituted. Distance does not matter here. Even if the सूर्य is so many millions of miles away, it can regulate us, control us. Distance is completely overruled by the existence of invisible powers, cosmic energies that can reach over great distances as immense light does. So, all bodies are constituted of these वसु. Our physical body, our subtle body and the physical bodies and the subtle bodies of everyone and everything everywhere – all these are made out of the energies of certain forces which go to make up these elements – the अग्नि, the earth, etc. What is there in our body except these things? If you dissect the body of any individual and constituents, you will find that these constituents of the bodies of individuals are nothing but the constituents of these eight principles mentioned. They are, therefore, called वसु because everything abides in them.  “Everything is deposited as it were in these constituent principles. Therefore, they are called वसु.”

“Who are the रुद्र?” The रुद्र are inside us. They are not in Mount Kailaśa, as theology would tell you. They are inside us, operating in a particular manner. The powers which constitute the रुद्र are the ten senses and the mind. They are eleven in number. “The ten senses and the mind make eleven. These are the रुद्र” . They make you do whatever they like. They are the controllers of your system. You cannot do anything independent of the senses and the requisites of the mind. What can the body do? What can the individual as a whole do, except in the direction pointed out by the senses and the mind?

Rudu is to cry, in Sanskrit. “When the senses and the mind leave the body, they make one cry in anguish.” One is in a state of grief, and weeps in sorrow due to pain of severance of the senses and the mind from the physical abode. The individual concerned also cries (when they are leaving) and the other people connected with that individual also cry at the time of the departure of what we call the soul in the individual, which is nothing but this total function of the senses and the mind. Inasmuch as these eleven, the senses and the mind, subject the individual to their dictates and make you yield to their demands and clamours, and make you cry in agony if you violate their laws, they are called रुद्र .

“What are the twelve सूर्य, the suns?” They are not twelve सूर्य. “They are twelve forces of the सूर्य,” twelve functions of the सूर्य, twelve ways in which the सूर्य’s energy works. āditya is a Sanskrit word meaning the sun. The forces of the sun, the movements of the sun, the phases of the sun, take away the lives of people. They take you, withdraw you, absorb you. Every day is a passing of life. The movement of the sun is not merely a beautiful phenomenon that we can gaze on with wonder every morning. Every rise of the sun is an indication that so much life has gone. Every bell that rings tells you that your death is nearing. And so, these twelve months of the year may be regarded as the twelve functions of the sun. They are twelve functions in the sense that they are responsible for the twelve ways in which the sun influences the individuals on earth and the entire atmosphere around it. The movement of the planets, and other stellar bodies in connection with the location of the sun, becomes responsible for what we call the twelve months in the passage of time. And inasmuch as there is such movement which is twelve in number, there is a twelvefold influence of the sun on things around, and these twelve influences of the sun are called twelve सूर्य, by way of symbology. And they are called सूर्य because they withdraw the lives of things. They cause transiency in things. They are the cause of the perishability of bodies. Time, actually is meant here, which “takes away the vitality of people.”

Who is इन्द्र? The power that overpowers everybody, that is इन्द्र. The energy that is with you by which you assert yourself and feel a confidence in yourself is इन्द्र . Even if you are a weakling, you feel a confidence sometimes. That confidence comes due to a hidden potentiality in you, a power in you which is beyond your present conceivable capacity. “Who is इन्द्र? Who is प्रजापति?” (Other देव who are mentioned in the list) “The rain cloud can be called इन्द्र. Sacrifice can be called प्रजापति.”  “What do you mean by rain cloud?” “By rain cloud I do not actually mean the cloud, but the lightning which is the embodiment of energy.” इन्द्र, therefore, is the designate of force which overwhelms other forces. It is इन्द्र because it rules. It rules in the sense that nothing can stand in its presence. So, in short, इन्द्र  represents here a deity designating a force present in every individual, yourself and myself included, a force that can give you the confidence of there being nothing impossible for you. That hidden hope and energy which is present even in the smallest creature is देव Himself, revealing Himself in some minute form. A ruler in everybody and the energy that is present in a hidden manner in every individual is what the term इन्द्र conveys in this context.

प्रजापति is the Supreme Being Himself. He is identified with Yajña, or sacrifice. Here, sacrifice does not mean merely oblations in a sacred अग्नि, but a compulsion exerted upon every individual body by this प्रजापति, or the Universal Virāt, or Hiraṇyagarbha, by which it becomes obligatory on the part of every individual to accede to the Law of this Being. Sacrifice is a form of self-surrender. What is sacrifice? It is an offering of what you have and what you are in some measure in the direction of something which you regard as the goal. Now, here the goal is प्रजापति. He is called Yajña, and he is identified with paśava iti. The individual is called the victim of the sacrifice because of the compulsion exerted upon it by the goal of the sacrifice. We are all victims of the sacrifice in the sense that we are obliged, compelled, forced to yield to a law which is transcendent to our own selves. It is not true that we are entirely free, though it looks as if we are like that. Our freedom is conditioned by the necessity of that law which operates within us as the Antāryamin, and which calls for a sacrifice on our part, not in the sense of offering ghee, etc. in अग्नि, but the surrender of our own value to the Eternal Value. Therefore, in that sense, प्रजापति, Yajña – Supreme Sacrifice, includes within Himself everything that is the victim of the sacrifice, which means to say, every individual is included in the universal.

“How many देव are there? You said six देव.” “The six are the same as already mentioned, minus two. The अग्नि principle, the earth principle, the atmospheric principle, the सूर्य and the चन्द्र, the सूर्य and the heavens – these are the six. So they are not new things. I have already mentioned eight. Two I have excluded. By excluding two, I tell you, six देव are there.”

“What are the three देव? The three worlds themselves are the three देव.” We do not have देव outside the universe. They are inside the universe. In traditional theology, sometimes we are told that देव are outside. They are in paradise; they are in heaven. It is not true. They are not outside. The word ‘outside’ is inapplicable to the connection of देव to the bodies over which they preside. I have already mentioned, they are like causes with effects. They are immanently hidden in the bodies, which they preside over, which they control, and which are the effects thereof. So, the universe includes every effect – your body, my body and everybody. All the fourteen realms of beings, called the Lokas, are what we call the worlds. They are constituted of three levels – the higher, the middle and the lower. These three worlds are the entire creation. These three levels may be regarded as the देव in the sense that the threefold conceivable division of the Eternal Reality in respect of these three worlds is the threefold देव. Inasmuch as the देव are inseparable from the worlds, the worlds themselves are called देव, just as your body is pointed out by some other person, saying, “this is the person”. This is not the person! The person is something transcendent to your body, and yet you identify the personality of yours, or the person in you, with the body that is appearing outside. Likewise, the worlds are identified with the देव which preside over them. So, in a way, the three worlds are the three देव. No other देव, or देव, exist. “All the देव are inside the three worlds.” They are not outside. Even the heavens are inside these three worlds only.

Now finally he says: “There are two देव.” “Who are the two देव?” “Energy and matter – these are the two देव. (Annam and प्राण).”The whole universe consists of matter and energy. There is nothing else. Outwardly it is matter, inwardly it is energy. And these may be called the ultimate देव in one sense, matter and energy, called here Anna and प्राण. “Be satisfied Śākalya,” says Yājñavalkya.

In the enumeration of the number of देव, in the conversation which one of the learned men in the assembly had been sage Yājñavalkya, the sage referred to various principles and designated them as देव because of their being causes of the corresponding effects in a special manner; not as extraneous or instrumental causes, but as immanent causes, inseparable from the effects of which they were presiding as superintending deities. And enumerating this number of the देव, he comes to a point where he said, in one context, that the “देव is one and a half” by which he means that the Cosmic Vital Force functions in two ways, cosmically and individually. In its comprehensive transcendent aspect it is one; there is nothing second to it. But, inasmuch as it appears as if it is whole, even in individuals, it makes each individual imagine that he or she or it is complete and not a part thereof. This capacity of the Cosmic प्राण, or Sūtra-ātman, to remain complete in the Cosmic status and yet make the individuals also complete in themselves, is responsible for the designation of this force as one and a half. It is this way and that way, both ways.

“There is one Being which is the Sūtra-ātman, the Supreme वायु Principle; how do you call it one and a half?” For that the answer is given by Yājñavalkya. “Because of the fact, as mentioned, that everything flourishes on account of the function of this Vital Force.” Adhyārdhnot has been translated as ‘flourish’, or that which is responsible for the nourishment of people. It is present in every individual, and yet it remains transcendent, so it is called Tyat. Tyat means remote. To the individuals, this Cosmic Immanent Being appears as a remote Reality, this is why we refer to देव as something other than us, ‘That’. The demonstrative pronoun ‘That’, which is usually used in pointing out or referring to the Universal Reality, is inapplicable, really. You cannot actually call it ‘That’, as if it is there far off in distant space. This Tyat, or Thatness, Bhūtātathata, as usually philosophers call it, is the Tyat mentioned in this passage, because of its transcendent character from the point of the individuals to whom it remains an external Reality and a cause, though it is also immanent in them. It is the Brahman, the Supreme which is, and which in other words is known in Vedānta language as the Hiraṇyagarbha principle.

Readings on देव from the ऋग्वेद

In the recent past, Sri Aurobindo did some pioneering work based on the insight that he gained from the study of the four वेद. He indicated that most of the existing translations of the Vedic corpus were hogwash. He added that even some of the Indian commentators like Sayanacharya (14^th century) made errors in doing their translations where they ascribed sub-optimal meanings to many of the वेद mantras. This line was thought was pursued by Kapali Sastry and RL Kashyap has done detailed work by doing thorough research of the various Mantras within the वेद. This work, as related to our topic at hand, the वेद, is given below.

A deep understanding of spirituality, interpreted in a broad sense, is not possible without a good understanding of the nature and role of देव mentioned in the ऋग्वेद. देव may be understood as different aspects, powers and personalities of Supreme Paramatma. देव are mentioned in texts other than the four वेद like the इतिहास, पुराण, तंत्र texts. Some of these later texts too seek to popularize the subtle truths about our existence but may involve misinterpretations, albeit unintentional. The reason such a misinterpretation may have come about is because the focus of the पुराण is to convey a spiritual truth in a story form, such an intention may force the writer in certain situations to force-fit a narrative and may end up distorting the spiritual idea itself. Therefore, to understand the देव better, it is best to focus on the corpus of the four वेद and attempt to draw out what they seek to convey.

The Vedic sage believed that the manifestation is like a many-tiered hill which can be adequately described by seven planes of existence. The seven planes of existence are lower triple worlds (world of matter, world of प्राण or vital force and world of mind); the higher triple worlds (world of existence, world of knowledge and world of bliss) and finally the world linking the lower three to the higher three, namely the world named supermind or Mahas or Vijnana. The power presiding over each plane is a देव. Thus, a देव is a distinct power and personality of the Supreme. It is worthwhile reiterating that these worlds are not the physical worlds which can be reached by physical means. These worlds are in reality different states of consciousness. A human being who is only conscious of matter is at that time living in the world of matter. When his consciousness is dwelling on desires, feelings, emotions, etc., he is living in the Vital world or प्राण. When he is immersed in thought, then he is in the mental plane or world. अग्नि presides over matter, वायु over प्राण and इन्द्र over the mental world. Most human beings are only conscious of only the three lower levels of existence.

The meanings of देव is not exhausted by their descriptions as rulers of different planes. अग्नि stands for the principle of अग्नि in a physical sense. As per Sri Aurobindo and Kapali Sastry, अग्नि in an esoteric sense stands for the principle of aspiration in man to achieve higher things than his present state. Hence, only if अग्नि is active, he can bring other देव or powers to manifest in man. Thus, at the start of the ऋग्वेद, the sages describe spiritual progress as a journey from one peak of a multi-tiered hill to another. If we are at a peak, we get a much better view of the road to be traversed than if we are near the base of a hill. Many hymns are thus dedicated in ऋग्वेद to अग्नि since aspiration is the most important element in spiritual practice. One must distinguish between path and goal. The goal is consciousness of the Supreme in all its manifestations. The ऋग्वेद itself says that विष्णु is in the highest tier or plane and self-realized sages have their consciousness enveloped in him “like a ray connected to heaven”.

Names of personages occurring in the पुराण also offer clues to the symbolism involved. A famous story in the रामायण states that अहल्य, the wife of sage गौतम, was seduced by इन्द्र and consequently she was cursed by Sage गौतम to become a stone. Later, राम touched her and she became alive to her original form. First of all, a देव is said to be born in man when the corresponding power manifests in him. इन्द्र is a देव in the mental plane consisting of thoughts including those considered immoral. इन्द्र seducing अहल्य may be interpreted as अहल्य allowing the presence of immoral thoughts in her being and even encouraging them. The consequence is that her condition became more and more tamasic. Thus, her condition is symbolized by a stone. The condition can change only when a personality of pure satwic nature like राम can overwhelm her tamasic nature and replace it with sattwa.

Another story in the रामायण is that देव वायु made advances to a princess. On rejecting the advances, she was cursed to become a hunchback. वायु is a symbol of vital energies or प्राण. Every देव makes an advance to every human being, i.e., the देव wants to bestow his powers on man. But if the man disregards the offer, then of course, the देव withdraws. Withdrawal of वायु from a man means withdrawal of the major part of vital energies in him. This naturally makes the person weak and bent, a hunchback.

देव are thus not to be seen as personification of qualities or powers, but incarnations or emanations of conscious forces with whom we can enter into concrete touch and they can help man and show him the way to a divine consciousness and immortal life.

Taking this line of thought, the meanings of various other deities has been elaborated as below:

वायु	Wind: He is the Lord of all the Life-energies, प्राण which represents the passions, feelings, emotions, and abilities
अश्विनी कुमार	The Lords of Bliss and Divine Physicians who render the human body free of disease so that it can accept the divine प्राण, the life-energy
मित्र	The Lord of Love and Harmony
वरुण	The Master of Infinities who cannot tolerate restrictive thinking or actions. Only he can cut the three bonds which restrict the three aspects of every human being – physical, vital and mental.
सरस्वति	The Goddess of Inspiration
इला	The Goddess of revelation
सरमा	The Goddess of intuition
सूर्य	The Supreme Deity of Light and Force
अदिति	Goddess of Infinity

Aitereya Upanishad

The देव are the presiding deities over the senses, as far as the individuals are concerned. We have the देव in the cosmos, and देव in our own physical organism. The cosmical counterpart of the sensory powers in the individual are what are called the देव in the heavens. The macro-cosmos and the micro-cosmos are correlated organically. The powers that are super-mundane, which work as divinities in the heavens, as we hear of, spoken in the scriptures, are the superintending principles over the sense-organs. The देव of the eyes, for example, is the Sun, सूर्य. The सूर्य is the देव of the eyes, and likewise, we have देव or presiding principles, divinities, superior energies, presiding over every sense-organ and activity, including the psychological functions. The presiding deity of the eyes is सूर्य, of the nose are अश्विनी कुमार, of the ears are the दिश: / दिक् देव, of the taste principle is वरुण, of the touch principle is वायु, and there are अग्नि, इन्द्र, विष्णु, प्रजापति, मृत्यु, presiding over the organs of action, the चन्द्र presiding over the mind, Brahma over the intellect, रुद्र over the ego, and विष्णु over the sub-conscious and the subliminal psychological layers. With this background, let us look at the flow of verses in the Aitereya Upanishad. Attempt is being made to articulate how देव get mentioned while other ideas given in the Upanishad are not being discussed here. Just to reiterate, the following verses will sound ridiculous to the uninitiated. These need to be studied either under a Guru or one must take resort to writings of people like Swami Krishnananda or others in recent times who have given commentaries that make these lines understandable. The extract is given from the translation of the Upanishad by Swami Chinmayananda on the Upanishad; the verses have been selected because they refer to how देव came about in the Universe as well as within human beings.

In the beginning, verily, Atman alone was this (the Universe)…. nothing else active whatsoever

He thought I shall indeed create the Lokas

He created all these worlds – Ambah (space), Mareechi(rays),  Maram (death) and Apah (waters). Yonder is the Ambah, above is the heavens. Heaven is its support. Mareechi is the region of the atmosphere. The Marah is the earth and what is underneath is the Apah.

He reflected, “Here now are the Lokas. Let me create the Loka protectors”.

Then he raised the Purusha from the waters and shaped it.

When he had been brooding upon, there burst forth on him (the lump) a cleft in the shape of a mouth, as an egg does; from the mouth proceeded speech and from speech, अग्नि.

Then his nostrils came forth; and from the nostrils, गंध; and from the power of गंध, वायु.

Eyes were separated out; from the eyes, रूप emerged; and from रूप, सूर्य

Ears burst forth; from the ears proceeded hearing; from hearing, the दिश: / दिक् देव

Then the skin was separated out; from the skin proceeded hairs; and from the hairs, the औषधि and वनस्पति.

The heart sprang up; from the heart proceeded the mind; and from the mind, चन्द्र

A navel burst forth; from the navel, the Apana; and from Apana, मृत्यु

The generative organ burst forth; from this organ, the seeds; and from the seeds, the आप: (waters).

These देव so created, fell headlong into the great restless sea (of change and finititude). Then He subjected them to hunger and thirst. They said to Him: “find out for us an abode wherein we may be established and may eat food (may earn our experiences)”.

…..

When he brought the form of a man to them, they cried, “oh! Well done – indeed, man alone is a masterpiece – Verily, man is a thing well done.” He said to them “Enter your respective abodes.”

Then अग्नि, having turned into speech, entered the mouth; वायु having become गंध, entered the nostrils; सूर्य, having become the रूप entered the eyes; दिश: / दिक् देव having become शब्द entered the ears; औषधि and वनस्पति became the hairs and entered the skin; the चन्द्र became the mind and entered the heart; यम became the out-breath and entered the navel; वरुण became the seed and entered the generative organs.

Hunger and thirst also said to Him ‘for both of us also find an abode.’ He told them “I assign to both of you a place along with these देव and make you both share with them.” Therefore, to whatever देव obligation is made, hunger and thirst also become partakers in it.

Later verses get into how the sense objects were created in such a way that each of the देव listed above gets a counterpart in the world. When both of them come into contact with one another, there is satisfaction for some time. One can see from the narrative above that while in the पुरुष, the देव came later (eyes followed by sight followed by देव) while in the human beings, the forces or देव entered first into the Jiva and took their places within the body for seeking the experiences of their choices.

Conclusions

I agree that the narrative given above is too short and too elementary to come up with informed conclusions. Some initial comments can however be made and can at least be used to propel further research:

1. The देव are not super human beings or angels (as used by other non-Indian traditions). They are more like forces or energies that propel us towards a certain action.
2. All feelings/ emotions/ urges within a human can thus be seen as देव acting within us.
3. While the above article above does not get into Asuras, even Asuras represent forces that are opposite to the देव. Human beings are thus driven both by Daivi and Asuric forces.
4. Since all our actions are triggered by one force/ impulse or another, we can actually see our life as being completely driven by the देव.
5. Then who are us if these forces are not us? This valid question will require people to look into the scriptures which go into detailed length to segregate the real “I” from these Daivi forces. The current paper will not therefore answer this question.
6. All stories within our scriptures have multiple layers; one from a physical realm where these stories can give us Gyan from a Dharma perspective; second from a Yagna layer where we can understand their relevance if we want to adopt Yagna orientation to our lives and third called as Adhyatmic orientation where every story is seen from the perspective of the Aatma. We need to therefore understand the interpretation the stories containing the देव in the right context for which the inner meanings of देव must be clearly understood.

To successfully navigate through our scriptures, we therefore need a trained Guru who can help us understand the inner ideas better. Knowledge of Sanskrit may also assist since knowledge of grammar can help us ignore the meanings to words ascribed by a dictionary and functional meanings of the words like the देव is used. Above all, an open mind with a sincere attention is essential. All these put together, we can thus draw a deeper benefit from the knowledge being conveyed by our scriptures and thus benefit us and people around us.

Om Tat Sat

References

1. Commentary on Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad by Swami Krishnananda
2. Semantics of Rigveda by RL Kashyap
3. Veda, Upanishad and Tantra in Modern Context by RL Kashyap
4. Aitereya Upanishad by Swami Chinmayananda