Path to Siva: A Catechism for Youth

29 Who Are the Devas?§

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Deities & devotees, along with their vahanas, inhabit the intricate towers of the Sri Mariamman temple in Singapore. Craftsmen from India sculpted the figures in plaster and painted them colorfully.§

SHUTTERSTOCK§

Gurudeva wrote: “Religion is the bringing together of the three worlds. This means that the ascended masters, angels, devas, Deities, saints, sages of each of the world’s religions, living without physical bodies in the inner worlds, guide and govern, help and protect, shower forth blessings and inspiration to the members of their religious family.” As a Saivite, you are part of a large and wonderful global family with members in all three worlds. The devas are beings of light, souls living in the higher level of the Second World, Antarloka, who assist God and the Gods. One of their duties is to help answer the prayers of devotees. Another is to receive newcomers to the inner world—those who have died—helping them adjust to their new life without a physical body. Each Hindu has special guardian devas. They are assigned shortly after birth at the name-giving ceremony, or later in life when one enters the great tribe known as the Hindu religion. Some devas are attached to individuals and families for many generations. Each family has numerous guardian devas who bless the home and keep the spiritual vibration strong. Some are drawn from nearby temples, attracted by the pujas performed in the home shrine. Still others are from far-off temples who return with the family after the yearly pilgrimage, to help in many ways. If the family neglect their sadhana and pujas, however, the home loses its spiritual power and the devas begin to slowly drift away. The devas guard us and the home silently and are seldom seen, though their presence in our lives is quite obvious in the form of good happenings and harmony.§

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GURUDEVA: These guardian devas in the heaven world cannot be seen by you with your physical eyes, but they can be seen and are seen by those who know how to use the psychic vision of their third eye. Nevertheless, you can feel their presence in your home. They surround you, they help you and they communicate with the great Gods of our religion to guide you through life.§