Devas and Devatas not Gods and Goddesses : How then do they come into "Existence"?
by
Achintyachintaka
Let us start with the very basics.
Only minimal contemplation will be needed to understand that Devas and Devatas are
expressions of human subjectivity or Consciousness that can evolve in each individual
and also collectively in each culture.
Why go too far? Start with the most familiar saying known to any Hindu.
"Matru Devo Bhava"
Matru = Mother
Devo = Illuminated entity
Bhava= Become
Every civilized individual most likely has deepest love for his/her mother.
Does every individual consider his/her mother to be "God" ( A male divinity) ?
No, here the word "deva" is "generic" and includes deva, devata, and devi.
The word "bhava" may be closer to "let ____(mother) become" or "may ____ (mother) come into existence or evolve into" --- deva.
This saying clearly does not equate mother with God. Neither does it say "Mother is God" and
literally not even does it say "mother is Goddess." There should be clear agreement among those who
know elementary Sanskrit on this.
In grammatically correct Sanskrit attentive to gender it may be argued that it should have been "Matru devi bhava".
None dares amend such widely accepted "shloka" to do violence to the Rishi who may have
composed this line by correcting the grammar of the original composer.
Humbly accepting the fact that mother can potentially become "deva" for each individual will
lead to understanding of the word "deva." It will also immediately illustrate that God and Deva are
not the same, not even equivalents. So the realization that "Devatas" are not "Gods and Goddesses" should be by now the first cognitive milestone in accepting this new paradigm or discovery of the intent of the saying, "matru devo bhava."
How then in human subjectivity or Consciousness (individual and collective) "mother" can "become"
"deva". How does she attain the sacredness, awe, respect, love, deserving worship from the "child"?
Please do not confuse this saying with "Twameva Mata, Pita twameva" addressed to "Mama Deva, Deva." The logic in this instance is reversed compared to that of "Matru devo bhava." (This will be addressed in the future articles).
It is now simple to see the development of the rudimentary consciousness in the infant that is totally dependent on his/her mother and has no independent existence (no resources to survive without the mother).
The infant starts discovering the mother in his/her consciousness and begins to form the image
of the mother and "She" becomes his/her primary object of love. In this state the "Mother" has literally
the full life giving power and infant is instinctively and genetically programmed to know this. Any
separation from the mother is likely to lead potentially to loss of life. An immense gratitude for
the unconditional love of the mother is present in the Unconscious of each human being. Such gratitude
and love becomes repressed in the mother child relationship over the years although the immense love
and respect lingers on throughout for most individuals.
Contemplating on mother over the years of psychological growth and development, and for females
especially by experiencing their own motherhood, leads to a new realization of the sacrifices mother may have made to give every thing one now has and enjoys. This enlightenment is prayed for in
"Matru Devo Bhava." Fortunate are those Hindus who have attained such enlightenment.
Such enlightenment emerging from the human Unconscious is a unique phenomenon of human consciousness. The objects or principles illuminated by such enlightenment attain the status of Devas, Devatas, and Devis.
A great injustice and violence done to the Hindu culture disparaging its unique concepts of sacred relationships with Devas and Devatas was inadvertently the result of an erroneous
translation of these indigenous Sanskrit terms when they were translated by "whosoever" as "Gods"
and "Godesses."
More on this in an elaborate article on this very theme to be published by special request of
"Vijayavani" and its editor Shrimati Sandhya Jain. This article and the previous one by
this author "Achintyachintaka" are prelude to this new paradigm in the science of consciousness.
Let all Hindus get in touch with the richness of their Unconscious which was so very poetically glorified by their Vedic Rishis.
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