deva means “heavenly or divine”, and it is also applied to terrestrial things of high excellence.
deva indicates a Deity or God.
The plural devAs refers to the Gods, as “the heavenly or shining ones”, and particularly the 33 Vishvadevas.
ये देवासो दिव्येकादश स्थ पृथिव्यामध्येकादश स्थ ।
अप्सुक्षितो महिनैकादश स्थ ते देवासो यज्ञमिमं जुषध्वम् ॥
ye devāso divyekādaśa stha pṛthivyāmadhyekādaśa stha |
apsukṣito mahinaikādaśa stha te devāso yajñamimaṁ juṣadhvam ||
[RV I: 139.11]
O ye Eleven Gods whose home is heaven,
O ye Eleven who make earth your dwelling,
Ye who with might, Eleven, live in waters,
Accept this sacrifice, O Gods, with pleasure.
Eleven Rudras penetrating all the Three Worlds gives us 33 Devas in all!
The Rigveda’s 33 categories of shining Aditya, as expressed in the Hindu population of the newly independent Republic of India, was swollen to 33 crore of liberated Jivas in 1947.
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