Editing Demigod (section)

==Hinduism==
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In [[Hinduism]], the term demigod is used to refer to deities who were once human and later became ''[[Deva (Hinduism)|deva]]s'' (gods). There are two notable demigods in [[Vedas|Vedic Scriptures]]:

[[Nandi (bull)|Nandi]] (the [[Vahana|divine vehicle]] of [[Shiva]]), and [[Garuda]] (the divine vehicle of [[Vishnu]]).<ref name=williams21>{{cite book|author=George M. Williams|title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC |year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-533261-2|pages=21, 24, 63, 138}}, Quote: "His vehicle was Garuda, the sun bird" (p. 21); "(...) Garuda, the great sun eagle, (...)" (p. 74)</ref> Examples of demigods worshiped in [[South India]] are [[Madurai Veeran (Hinduism)|Madurai Veeran]] and [[Karuppu Sami]].

The heroes of the Hindu epic [[Mahabharata]], the five [[Pandava]] brothers and their half brother [[Karna]], fit the Western definition of demigods though they are generally not referred to as such. Queen [[Kunti]], the wife of King [[Pandu]], was given a mantra that, when recited, meant that one of the gods would give her his child. When her husband was cursed to die if he ever engaged in sexual relations, Kunti used this mantra to provide her husband with children fathered by various deities. These children were [[Yudhishthira]] (child of [[Yama (Hinduism)|Dharmaraj]]), [[Bhima]] (child of [[Vayu]]) and [[Arjuna]] (child of [[Indra]]). She taught this mantra to [[Madri]], King Pandu's other wife, and she immaculately conceived twin boys named [[Nakula]] and [[Sahadeva]] (children of the [[Ashvins]]). Queen Kunti had previously conceived another son, [[Karna]], when she had tested the mantra out. Despite her protests, [[Surya]] the sun god was compelled by the mantra to impregnate her. [[Bhishma]] is another figures who fits the western definition of demigod, as he was the son of King [[Shantanu]] and Goddess [[Ganga in Hinduism|Ganga]].

The Vaishnavites (who often translate deva as "demigod") cite various verses that speak of the devas' subordinate status. For example, the Rig Veda (1.22.20) reads, "''oṃ tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ''", which translates to, "All the suras [i.e., the devas] look always toward the feet of Lord Vishnu". Similarly, in the Vishnu Sahasranama, the concluding verses, read, "The Rishis [great sages], the ancestors, the devas, the great elements, in fact, all things moving and unmoving constituting this universe, have originated from Narayana," (i.e., Vishnu). Thus the Devas are stated to be subordinate to Vishnu, or God.

[[A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]], the founder of the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]] (ISKCON) translates the Sanskrit word "deva" as "demigod" in his literature when the term referred to a God other than the [[Svayam Bhagavan|Supreme Lord]]. This is because the [[Vaishnava]] tradition teaches that there is only one Supreme Lord and that all others are but His servants. In an effort to emphasize their subservience, Prabhupada uses the word "demigod" as a translation of ''deva''. However, there are at least three occurrences in the eleventh chapter of Bhagavad-Gita where the word ''deva,'' used in reference to Lord [[Krishna]], is translated as "Lord". The word ''deva'' can be used to refer to the Supreme Lord, celestial beings, and saintly souls depending on the context. This is similar to the word ''[[Bhagavan]]'', which is translated according to different contexts.