Devaduta, Deva-duta, Devadūta: 15 definitions
Devaduta means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
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Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra
Devadūta (देवदूत) refers to the “dwellers of heaven”; it is a Sanskrit technical term defined in the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 12.
Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia
Devadūta (देवदूत).—A messenger of the Devas. When Dharmaputra refused to live in heaven without his brothers like Karṇa it was this Devadūta with whom Indra sent Dharmaputra to Karṇa and others. (Mahābhārata Svargārohaṇa Parva, Chapter 2, Verse 14). This Devadūta is to be meditated upon at dawn and before sun-set everyday. (Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 165, Verse 14).
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)Source: Pali Kanon: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines
'divine messengers', is a symbolic name for old age, disease and death, since these three things remind man of his future and rouse him to earnest striving. In A. III, 35, it is said:
"Did you, o man, never see in the world a man or a woman eighty, ninety or a hundred years old, frail, crooked as a gable-roof, bent down, resting on crutches, with tottering steps, infirm, youth long since fled, with broken teeth, grey and scanty hair, or baldheaded, wrinkled, with blotched limbs? And did it never occur to you that you also are subject to old age, that you also cannot escape it?
"Did you never see in the world a man or a woman, who being sick, afflicted and grievously ill, and wallowing in their own filth, was lifted up by some people, and put down by others? And did it never occur to you that you also are subject to disease, that you also cannot escape it?
"Did you never see in the world the corpse of a man or a woman, one or two or three days after death, swollen up, blue-black in colour, and full of corruption? And did it never occur to you that you also are subject to death, that you also cannot escape it?" - See M. 130.Source: Pali Kanon: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines
Disease is one of the 'divine messengers' (deva-dūta).
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
Devadūta (देवदूत) refers to the “messengers of the gods”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 22, v2).—Accordingly, “[...] Thus one night in his palace, the Bodhisattva Śākyamuni saw that his courtesans were like corpses. The Devas and the Asuras of the ten directions, bearing banners and flowers came to offer them to him and, bearing themselves respectfully on meeting him, escorted him outside. Then Tch’ö-ni (Chandaka), despite the orders he had previously received from king Tsing-fan (Śuddhodana), acceded to the wishes of the Bodhisattva and brought him his horse [Kaṇṭhaka]. The four kings, messengers of the gods (devadūta), held the horse’s hoofs in their hands while it leaped over the ramparts and left he city. [...]”.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionarySource: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary
devadūta : (m.) gods' messenger.Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary
Devadūta refers to: the god’s (i.e. Yama’s see above 1°) messenger A.I, 138, 142; M.II, 75; III, 179; J.I, 138; DhA.I, 85 (tayo d.); Mhbv. 122 (°suttanta);
Note: devadūta is a Pali compound consisting of the words deva and dūta.
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionarySource: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary
dēvadūta (देवदूत).—m (S) A messenger of the gods.Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English
dēvadūta (देवदूत).—m A messenger of the gods.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionarySource: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary
Devadūta (देवदूत).—a divine envoy or messenger, an angel.
Derivable forms: devadūtaḥ (देवदूतः).
Devadūta is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms deva and dūta (दूत).Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary
Devadūta (देवदूत).—[masculine] a messenger of the gods.Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary
Devadūta (देवदूत):—[=deva-dūta] [from deva] m. divine messenger, [Taittirīya-saṃhitā] etc. (also taka, [Mahābhārata])
[Sanskrit to German]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Kannada-English dictionarySource: Alar: Kannada-English corpus
Dēvadūta (ದೇವದೂತ):—[noun] an attendant or messenger of God.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Search found 14 books and stories containing Devaduta, Deva-duta, Devadūta, Deva-dūta, Dēvadūta, Dēva-dūta; (plurals include: Devadutas, dutas, Devadūtas, dūtas, Dēvadūtas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Abhidhamma in Daily Life (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa) (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa)
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 99 - Sage Durvāsa Visits Rāma < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Chapter 271 - Creation of Seven Liṅgas < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
The Great Chronicle of Buddhas (by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw)
Part 3 - Visukamma Deva created an Auspicious Royal Lake for the Prince < [Chapter 2 - The Performance of the Ploughing Ceremony]