Understanding Devas The Divine Beings in Indian Mythology

Deva Gardening

What is Deva Inspired Gardening?

What are Devas in Mythology?

Devas are part of the ancient Vedic mythology encompassing a wide range of deities, rituals, and philosophical concepts.

Deva (pronounced deh-va) is the sanskrit word translating to The Shining One, or Light. The word is archetypal in its meaning which means all can relate to this on an unconscious level. Such is the word Nature or what is natural. Everyone can relate to this. The Deva is a word to describe a very ancient energy which encompasses all of the elements separately and combined: earth, fire, water and air and to include the elementals they delegate tasks to.

What are elementals?

They are what we have interpreted and know as the energies of gnomes for earthwork, sylphs for air work, undines for water work and salamanders for fire work. Each has its unique roles, forms and functions. 

Devas are not Tinkerbell Disney renditions of Fairies, not that there is anything wrong with that personification but it is simply not true. They are huge over-lighting archetypal energies who similar to architects and civil engineers give land its unique form and function, one which is best not to be interfered with. For example, one of the golden rules of Landscaping is to never, ever interfere with a natural water course. One works with these energies in harmony, not against them and in dominion versus domination. 

How do Devas inspire us?

First by understanding what they are and how they function. In recognizing them they give us an over-lighting perspective of the whole with all of its complexity. In so doing we attempt to do the same with our focus on designing landscapes which do the same, all the while paying attention to the combination of local climate and terrain while bringing clients their unique desires. It’s a complex undertaking when we always attempt to integrate - combining one thing to another - so they become a whole versus separated and disassociated. Or, to put it into a popular expression: Going with the flow!

Connection to Source:

Now that the world is becoming smaller in the sense of its often-overwhelming global information about its unique separateness, all can relate to the principle which connects us at the source. At the same time, we all still need to be aware of working in harmony with our micro climates and its trends including the extreme changes as they occur globally; from drought to floods, from cold to hot, from the natural to the un-natural and unexpected. We need to be more aware and responsible for any possible negative impact as we sprawl from urban to suburban to the wild lands back and forth. We need new, innovative governmental rules and regulations to oversee developments and land use. No small feat but possible! If only the same could apply to our global relationships.

For example, the old methods of the indigenous people engaging natural fire to cleanse the land no longer works in our over populated areas today even if the same principle about its natural ability is known. Instead, fire has become a destructive threat to be controlled even when uncontrollable. We are more and more living with weather extremes threatening everything and everyone. Becoming aware of this is the first step. The second step is to become responsible.

How? By respecting the Deva principle of interconnectedness along with the light of their being. That’s what inspires us and why we call ourselves Deva Inspired Gardening!