Deva (Hinduism)
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Deva means 'shiny', 'exalted', 'heavenly being', 'divine being', 'anything of excellence', and is also one of the Sanskrit terms used to indicate a deity in Hinduism. Deva is a masculine term; the fem
In the earliest Vedic literature, Devas are benevolent supernatural beings; above, a gilt-copper statue of Indra, "Chief of the Gods", from 16th-century Nepal.
Shiva/Rudra has been a major Deva in Hinduism since the Vedic times. Above is a meditating statue of him in the Himalayas with Hindus offering prayers.
The 12 Devas protecting Buddha, by Tani Bunchō. The Hindu Devas were adopted by Japanese Buddhists in the first millennium as Jūni-ten
Vishnu (above) is one of the Vedic Devas. The third Valli of the Katha Upanishad discusses ethical duties of man through the parable of the chariot as a means to realize the state of Vishnu, one with Self-knowledge.
Prajapati
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Prajapati is an important deity in ancient Vedic religion, who is identified with Brahma, the creator god in Hinduism.
Prajapati with the same iconographical features of Brahma, a statue from Tamil Nadu
A Statue of Brahma as Prajapati at Daksha Prajapati Temple, Banapura, Odisha
"An attempt to depict the creative activities of Prajapati", a steel engraving from the 1850s.