“condition or state of a deva, divinity; divine being, deity, fairy. The term comprises all beings which are otherwise styled devas, & a list of them given at Cnd.308 & based on the principle that any being who is worshipped (or to whom an offering is made or a gift given: de-vatā = yesaṃ deti, as is expressed in the conclusion “ye yesaṃ dakkhiṇeyyā te tesaṃ devatā”) is a devatā, comprises 5 groups of 5 kinds each, viz. 1 ascetics; 2 domestic animals (elephants, horses, cows, cocks, crows); 3 physical forces & elements (fire, stone etc.); 4 lower gods (: bhumma devā) (nāgā, suvaṇṇā, yakkhā, asurā gandhabbā); 5 higher gods (: inhabitants of the devaloka proper) Mahārājā, Canda, Suriya, Inda, Brahmā) to which are added the 2 aspects of the sky-god as devadevatā & disā-devatā)
■ Another definition at Vv-a.21 simply states: devatā ti devaputto pi Brahmā pi devadhītā pi vuccati
■ Among the var. deities the foll. are frequently mentioned: rukkha˚; tree-gods or dryads MN.i.306; Ja.i.221; Pv-a.5; vatthu˚; earth gods (the four kings) Pv.4#2; Pv-a.17; vana˚; wood-nymphs MN.i.306; samudda˚; water-sprites Ja.ii.112 etc. etc. DN.i.180 (mahiddhikā, pl.), DN.i.192; DN.ii.8, DN.ii.87, DN.ii.139, DN.ii.158; SN i. sq.; SN.iv.302; MN.i.245; MN.ii.37; AN.i.64, AN.i.210, AN.i.211; AN.ii.70 (sapubba˚); AN.iii.77 (bali-paṭiggāhikā), AN.iii.287 (saddhāya samannāgatā); AN.iii.309; AN.iv.302 sq., AN.iv.390 (vippaṭisāriniyo), AN.v.331; Snp.45, Snp.316, Snp.458, Snp.995, Snp.1043; Dhp.99; Ja.i.59, Ja.i.72 Ja.i.223, Ja.i.256; Ja.iv.17, Ja.iv.474; Vv.16#3; Pv.ii.1#10; Kp-a.113, Kp-a.117; Pv-a.44.

• -ānubhāva divine power or majesty Ja.i.168;
• -ānussati “remembrance of the gods,” one of the 6 ânussatiṭṭhānāni, or subjects to be kept in mind DN.iii.250, DN.iii.280 cp. AN.i.211; Vism.197.
• -uposatha a day of devotion to the gods AN.i.211;
• -paribhoga fit to be enjoyed by gods Ja.ii.104;
• -bali an offering to the gods AN.ii.68
• -bhāva at Pv-a.110 read as devattabhāva (opp. petattabhāva).

deva + tā, qualitative-abstr. suffix, like Lat. juventa, senecta, Goth. hauhipa, Ohg. fullida cp. Sk pūrṇatā, bandhutā etc.