Deva-kanyā
Deva-kanyā · deva-kanyā, “the daughter of a deva”
Grammar: feminine noun, a compound of deva and kanyā (daughter, maiden); the plural is deva-kanyās.
Meaning: a daughter of the devas. The text names her with the nāga-kanyās, muni-kanyās and rāja-kanyās, the daughters of nāgas, munis and kings. She is not one named group but a company of maidens who come as guests and attend the rites.
In the scriptures: In the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, at the wedding of Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī in the house of Himavān, daughters of ṛshis, of devas, of nāgas, of gandharvas, of mountains and of kings came, and with them all the apsarās, Rambhā and the others (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 44). When Parameśvara sat with Pārvatī on a jewelled seat, the sixteen pativratās served the couple, and with them were deva-kanyās, nāga-kanyās and muni-kanyās, women beyond counting (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 45).
At the upanayana of Śrī Kṛshṇa in the house of Vasudeva, which Nārāyaṇa tells to Nārada, deva-kanyās, nāga-kanyās, all the rāja-kanyās, the vidyādharīs, the gandharvas and the drum-players came to the auspicious rite (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 99). Devakī had the rāja-kanyās, deva-kanyās, nāga-kanyās, muni-kanyās and the daughters of her kin honoured (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 100). The deva-kanyās, nāga-kanyās and rāja-kanyās, with the pativratās and the women of the kin, gave bhikshā smiling, with loving glances (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 101).
Related terms: Kanyā · Nāga-kanyā · Muni-kanyā · Rāja-kanyā · Pativratā
Sources
- Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛshṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapters 44–45, 99–101