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Tattvārthasūtra
CHAPTER-4
THE CELESTIAL BEINGS
The word 'deva'- celestial beings - has appeared several times earlier, viz., 'Clairvoyance based on birth – bhavapratyaya avadhijñāna – is possessed by the celestial and the infernal beings.' (see sūtra 1-21). Who are celestial beings and of how many kinds? This is explained now.
cargasúichel: 118 11
देव चार समूह वाले हैं, अर्थात् देवों के चार निकाय हैं - भवनवासी, व्यन्तर, ज्योतिषी और वैमानिक।
The celestial beings – deva – are of four classes (nikāya).
The celestial beings (deva) get this status on the rise of the namekarma (nāmakarma) - devagati – leading to the celestial state; they roam freely and derive pleasure in several parts of the terrestrial world, the mountains and the oceans surrounding them. They are endowed with magnificence, splendour and extraordinary powers. It is contended that the word 'deva’ should have been used in the singular rather than in the plural; 'the celestial being is fourfold' should have been used since a collective noun denoting a class implies the plural. But the use of the plural is intended to indicate that there are different ranks within a particular class of deva', such as the lord (indra) and the equals (sāmānika). There are other differences also, based on duration of life, and so on. On the common basis of the rise of karmas leading to the celestial state, the celestial beings are grouped in classes (nikāya), in spite of individual differences. Thus there are
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