Table des matières

deva

deva

substantif (masculin) : dieu (“celui qui brille”)

Pali-English Dictionary, TW Rhys Davids, William Stede

deva [Ved.deva,Idg.*deịā to shine (see dibba & diva),orig.adj.*deiǔos belonging to the sky,cp.Av.daēvō (demon.),Lat.deus,Lith.dë̃vas; Ohg.&slashedZ;īo; Ags.Tīg,Gen.Tīwes (=Tuesday); Oir.dia (god).The popular etymology refers it to the root div in the sense of playing,sporting or amusing oneself:dibbanti ti devā,pañcahi kāmaguṇehi kīḷanti attano vā siriyā jotantī ti attho KhA 123] a god,a divine being; usually in pl.devā the gods.As title attributed to any superhuman being or beings regarded to be in certain respects above the human level.Thus primarily (see 1a) used of the first of the next-world devas,Sakka,then also of subordinate deities,demons & spirits (devaññatarā some kind of deity; snake-demons:nāgas,tree-gods:rukkhadevatā etc.).Also title of the king (3).Always implying splendour (cp.above etym.) & mobility,beauty,goodness & light,& as such opposed to the dark powers of mischief & destruction (asurā:Titans; petā:miserable ghosts; nerayikā sattā:beings in Niraya).A double position (dark & light) is occupied by Yama,the god of the Dead (see Yama & below 1 c).Always implying also a kinship and continuity of life with humanity and other beings; all devas have been man and may again become men (cp.D.I,17 sq.; S.III,85),hence “gods” is not a coincident term.All devas are themselves in saṁsāra,needing salvation.Many are found worshipping saints (Th.I,627–9; Th.II,365).– The collective appellations differ; there are var.groups of divine beings,which in their totality (cp.tāvatiṁsa) include some or most of the well-known Vedic deities.Thus some collect.designations are devā sa-indakā (the gods,including Indra or with their ruler at their head:D.II,208; S.III,90,A.V,325),sa-pajāpatikā (S.III,90),sa-mārakā (see deva-manussaloka),sa-brahmakā (S.III,90).See below 1 b.Lists of popular gods are to be found,e.g.at D.II,253; III,194.– A current distinction dating from the latest books in the canon is that into 3 classes,viz.sammuti-devā (conventional gods,gods in the public opinion,i.e.kings & princes J.I,132; DA.I,174),visuddhi° (beings divine by purity,i.e.of great religious merit or attainment like Arahants & Buddhas),& upapatti° (being born divine,i.e.in a heavenly state as one of the gatis,like bhumma-devā etc.).This division in detail at Nd2 307; Vbh.422; KhA 123; VvA.18.Under the 3rd category (upapatti°) seven groups are enumerated in the foll.order:Cātummahārājikā devā,Tāvatiṁsā d.(with Sakka as chief),Yāmā d.,Tusitā d.,Nimmānaratī d.,Paranimmita-vasavattī d.,Bṛahmakāyikā d.Thus at D.I,216 sq.; A.I,210,332 sq.; Nd2 307; cp.S.I,133 & J.I,48.See also devatā.
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Dictionnaire Héritage du Sanscrit, Inria, Gérard Huet (dir.)

deva [agt. div] a. m. n. f. devī brillant | divin — m. dieu [«être de lumière»] | phil. personnification d'une manifestation de la puissance divine | pl. devās myth. les dieux; la tradition en donne une liste conventionnelle de 33 [trayastriṃśa] | roi, sa majesté — f. devī déesse; reine | phil. np. de Devī, la Déesse — v. [11] pr. (devayati) adorer, prier, faire ses dévotions || lat. divus; fr. divin; avestique daeva.