Kosala Devi

Kosala Devi was Empress consort of the Magadha Empire as the first wife of Emperor Bimbisara (558–491 BC). She was born a princess of Kosala and was the sister of King Prasenajit.

Life

Kosala Devi was born to the King of Kosala, Maha-Kosala. She was the sister of King Prasenajit who succeeded her father as the ruler of Kosala. She was married to King Bimbisara, and brought Kashi as dowry in the marriage. She became his principal queen. Buddhist tradition makes Ajatashatru a son of hers; the Jain tradition make him a son of her husband's second wife, Chellana. Her niece, Princess Vajira, the daughter of Pasenadi was given in marriage to Ajatashatru.

When her husband died at the hands of Ajatashatru, Empress Kosala Devi has said to have died of grief out of her love for her husband. The government revenues of an estate in Kashi had been settled upon by her father as pin money on her marriage. At her death, the payment of course ceased. Ajatashatru then invaded Kashi.

References

Devič

Devič (Serbian Cyrillic: Девич) is a Serbian Orthodox abbey in Kosovo. It was built in 1434 and is dedicated to St. Joanikije of Devič.

Devič was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and it is protected by the Republic of Serbia.

History

The founder of the monastery is thought to be Despot Đurađ Branković, who had it built in memory of his daughter. In the Ottoman census from 1455, the monastery is mentioned as the church of the Theotokos (dedicated to The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple). During Turkish occupation the monastery was pulled down, but the church and the site with the grave of St. Joanikije was reconstructed, and was painted in 1578.

The monastery was destroyed and burnt down during World War II in 1941 by forces of the Albanian Fascist Party, the prior Damaskin Bošković was killed, and Italian troops disassembled the two big bells and took them away in 1942. It was rebuilt in 1947.

Devič was a target of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in 1999. The monastery was vandalized and all food and two cars were stolen. The marble tomb of the patron saint St. Joannicius of Devič was desecrated by local Albanian extremists in June 1999. Since then it has been under the constant protection of French KFOR troops.

Devi

Devī is the Sanskrit word for "goddess"; the masculine form is Deva. Devi – the feminine form, and Deva – the masculine form, mean "heavenly, divine, anything of excellence", and are also gender specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.

The concept and reverence for goddesses appears in the Vedas of Hinduism composed in 2nd millennium BCE, however they do not play a central role in that era. Goddesses such as Saraswati and Usha have continued to be revered into the modern era. The medieval era Puranas witnessed a major expansion in mythology and literature associated with Devi, with texts such as the Devi Mahatmya, wherein she manifests as the ultimate truth and supreme power, and she has inspired the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism.

The divine feminine, has the strongest presence as Devi in Hinduism, among major world religions, from the ancient times to the present. The goddess is viewed as central in Shakti and Saiva Hindu traditions.

Etymology

Devi and Deva are Sanskrit terms found in Vedic literature of 2nd millennium BCE. Deva is masculine, and the related feminine equivalent is devi. Monier Williams translates it as "heavenly, divine, terrestrial things of high excellence, exalted, shining ones". Etymologically, the cognates of Devi are Latin dea and Greek thea. When capitalized, Devi or Mata refers to goddess as divine mother in Hinduism.Deva is also referred to as Devatā, while Devi as Devika.

Dević

Dević (Serbian Cyrillic: Девић) is a common Croatian and Serbian surname. It may refer to:

See also