Devata For Sale: The Profaning Of Hindu Culture On Ebay

Several merchants n the popular auction site Ebay recently decided that Hindu deities would be the next Djinn and many followed suit. This is unfortunate, because just like the Ebay Djinn (which turned thousands of years of Islamic culture on it's head), the faux Devatas are now turning thousands of years of sacred Hindu cultural and religious beliefs on it's head. Devatas are a very complex and multifaceted group of beings that are prevalent in Sanatana Dharma where they are objects of worship and devotion. For anyone to claim that they have bound the spirit of a Devata to a piece of jewelry or any other item is to profane an entire culture and spiritual tradition.

In Sanatana Dharma, the Devata represents the higher aspects of consciousness inherent in both man and God. In yoga, the Devata is also a symbol which represents human consciousness and the steps it takes to unite with the Divine. Devatas are traditionally depicted with many heads, arms, and weapons. These instruments are usually allegories for the human souls journey toward the One consciousness, or union with the Divine Self. Devatas are not wish granting genies who will rush at your beck and call. Devatas are seen as aspects of God and represent the various ways of imagining or "seeing" God. Devatas also are often ascribed to everything in the physical universe as well, from mountains and flowers to animals and rivers. On the surface, they may be seen as the equivalent of guardian angels, but their symbolism is much more complex. Devatas are FORMS of God and act as a doorway to the infinite Brahman (God). For example, Surya is the Devata of the sun. Since the sun is also an aspect of God, Surya is Brahman in sun FORM. It should go without saying that Surya, Shiva, or any other Devata or Deity is not going to embed themselves in a crystal for you to buy on Ebay. People all over the world worship in temples and petition Devatas at their home puja altars. They are objects of worship and devotion and they represent higher spiritual concepts and states of God consciousness. Even a great satguru would not so disgrace their own culture by claiming to bind the spirit of God into a ring.

The concept of the Devata in Hindu culture is very complex, and you must dive deeper to understand their cultural and religious significance. If you are serious about transcending the limits of your ego and your identification with the temporal body, and you have a passion for seeing the Divine in everything, then you may wish to explore the concept of Devatas through Sanatana Dharma. Through meditation, understanding, prayer, and devotion, you can access the realm of the Devatas. However, they will not grant you wishes or make you win the lottery. As with any form of worship, you may petition the Gods and Goddesses to work on your behalf (prayer) and invite them to work their power in your life, but you cannot buy, sell, or own them. There must be RESPECT when approaching any deity, and when that respect is not there, the response will always be minimal. Just as you cannot buy the spirit of Jesus Christ in a necklace on Ebay and expect to have your life change, you cannot buy a Devata in a ring on Ebay. If you want to know Christ, you must pray sincerely, study, and be passionate about knowing who he is. It is the same with any Ishta Devata (God form of choice). Start studying Vedic texts if you want to come to know the Devata realms, don't disrrespect their energies by thinking you can by them from someone who has no idea what they even are.

If you look at the listings offering Devata for sale, you can see that the seller merely took a literal translation of Devata and ran with it, making up their own embellishments as they went along. They then added the keyphrases like "wish granting" and "extreme wealth" in order to lure innocent minds. It infuriates me that these people count on their own ignorance and the ignorance of others in order to make a living. This is cultural appropriation at its worst.