Deva

The Deva (十二神将(デーヴァ), Jūni Shinshou(Dēva); lit. "Twelve Heavenly Generals"; alternatively 十二神(デーヴァ), Jūnishin(Dēva); lit. "Twelve Deities") are a group of twelve Perfect Digimon who serve the Four Holy Beasts.

Overview

The Four Holy Beasts are each served by three of the Deva. Each Deva shares the Attribute of the Holy Beast that they serve. The only potential exception is Andiramon, who exists in both Virus and Data variants, but serves the Data Attribute Qinglongmon (although it is usually the Data variant of Andiramon who is associated with the Deva). Typically in a crisis, the Holy Beasts will first send the Deva to address the situation; if the Deva are unable to handle it, only then will the Holy Beasts themselves get involved. Their personalities and skill set are often influenced by the Holy Beast whom they serve.

The Deva have their own individual specialties and strengths:

• Vajramon has the most developed physical strength.
• Mihiramon is the biggest ruffian.
• Sandiramon is the most cunning and cruel.
• Sinduramon has the hardest armor.
• Pajiramon holds a surprisingly high number of secrets whose truth is not divulged, and because of this it holds the alias of "Dark Deva".

They also hold different relationships to each other:

• Indaramon and Vajramon are on especially bad terms with each other due to their conflicting beliefs and personalities.
• Caturamon cares for Makuramon and Sinduramon (all three serve Baihumon) as if they were its younger brothers. They do not reciprocate this. It also acts as a moderator when its comrades quarrel.
• Pajiramon is a loner who does not care for others, and makes no effort to befriend the other Deva. Only one Deva is able to counter the power of Pajiramon's Vahnijvala: Kumbhiramon, through the power of its thoughts.

Design and Analysis

The Twelve Heavenly Generals, as depicted in the Butsuzōzui.

Each Deva is based on and named after one of the Twelve Heavenly Generals, a group of Hindu Yakṣa (a term in which the group are also referred to collectively as) who were incorporated into Buddhist mythology as the servants and protectors of the Bhaiṣajyaguru. The term "Deva" itself refers to the plethora of deities and other supernatural beings that the Twelve Heavenly Generals belong to.

In Japan, by the end of the Heian Period, it became common in Japanese Buddhism to represent the Heavenly Generals as animals of the Chinese zodiac. The Deva Digimon follow this tradition and are each themed after one of the animal of the Chinese Zodiac. However, over the years there have been multiple proposed schemes of which Heavenly General is associated with which Zodiac animal, and different depictions may feature different assignments. The Deva's animal assignments follow one such scheme.

Another major source of inspiration for the Digimon depiction of the Deva is the Butsuzōzui (佛像圖彙), an illustrated compendium of Buddhist images that was originally published in three volumes in 1690 which categorized and organized deities, including the Twelve Heavenly Generals (artwork from the Butsuzōzui was used in the Digimon Tamers episode "I Want to Become Strong! Rise, Impmon" when Lee Jianliang and Chou-sensei discuss the mythological inspiration behind the Deva Digimon). Nearly all of the Deva have three horns and red eyes, and each wears Chinese-styled armor with a red or purple scarf.

Each Deva also has one of the following:

• A Special Move that is named after one of the twenty-eight Naraka, or "hells" mentioned in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Usually, the chosen Naraka has some association with either the Deva's zodiac animal or their weapon, through the literal meaning or description of that Naraka.
• A bīja, written in Siddhaṃ script, inscribed somewhere on their armor. In a similar manner to the Chinese zodiac, the Twelve Heavenly Generals were also assimilated into the Honji suijaku paradigm where they were seen as local manifestations of eternal Buddhist figures. Those figures, consisting of a mixture of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, were referred to as "honji" (本地) or "honjibutsu" (本地仏). Although the honji and the generals that are assigned to them are not always consistent, in the case of the Deva, their designations are based on those displayed in the Butsuzōzui. Almost all of the bījas coupled with each general correspond to the ones that are associated with the honji to which they are assigned.
• A signature weapon which is named in Chinese in the format Bǎo (X) 「宝(X)」, where (X) is a generic type of weapon that represents a lakṣaṇa, the hand-held attribute of a Buddhist image. This is also a reference to the fact that Yakṣa were the guardian deities of the treasure hidden in the earth in Hindu mythology. The configuration of the weapons that the Twelve Heavenly Generals wield vary in different media, and the weapons that the Deva use are concatenated from those media, primarily the Butsuzōzui.

In general, the Deva take their weapons, bīja, and honji from those associated with the Heavenly Generals in the order in which they are listed in the Butsuzōzui order (there are some exceptions where the Deva use different weapons or bīja entirely). However, they take their names from the Sanskrit names of the Twelve Heavenly Generals in the Butsuzōzui order in reverse. They take their associated animal species from the signs of the Chinese zodiac, in order.

Members

Deva	Servant of	Mythological inspiration
		Namesake Heavenly General	Sign	Special Move/Naraka	Weapon	Bīja	Honji	Notes
Kumbhiramon	Xuanwumon	| Kumbhīra/Kimbhīra | 宮毘羅大将 Kubira-taishō | 宫毗罗 Gōngpíluó	Rat	Krimíśa ("hell of insects")	Bǎo Chǔ Pestle/vajra	bhaḥ [Armor]	Śākyamuni (Shaka)	Weapon, bīja, and honji all traditionally associated with Vikarāla (the first of the Heavenly Generals in the order in which they are listed in the Butsuzōzui). Specifically, Vikarāla is associated with a three-pronged vajra (三鈷 sanko).
Vajramon	Xuanwumon	| Vajra | 跋折羅大将 Bazara-taishō/ 伐折羅大将 Basara-taishō | 伐折罗 Fázhéluó	Ox	Rodha ("obstruction")	Bǎo Jiàn Sword	hūṃ [Shoulders] va [Tips of the Bǎo Jiàn]	Vajrapāṇi (Kongousha)	Weapon, bīja, and honji all traditionally associated with Catura (the second in the Butsuzōzui order). Only the hūṃ bīja has that historical association, not the va bīja on Vajramon's Bǎo Jiàn.
Mihiramon	Qinglongmon	| Mihira/Mekhila | 迷企羅大将 Mekira-taishō | 迷企罗 Míqǐluó	Tiger	Vimohana ("place of bewildering")	Bǎo Bàng Three-section staff	aṃ [Armor]	Samantabhadra (Fugen)	Weapon, bīja, and honji all traditionally associated with Sindūra (the third in the Butsuzōzui order).
Andiramon	Qinglongmon	| Aṇḍīra/Antira | 安底羅大将 Antera-taishō/ Anchira-taishō | 安底罗 Āndǐluó	Rabbit	Asipatravana ("forest of sword leaves")	Bǎo Fǔ Axe	bhai [Chestplate]	Bhaiṣajyaguru (Yakushi)	Weapon, bīja, and honji all traditionally associated with Makura (the fourth in the Butsuzōzui order).
Majiramon	Qinglongmon	| Majira/Anila | 頞儞羅大将 Anira-taishō/ 末儞羅大将 Manira-taishō | 摩仁罗 Mórénluó/ 頞儞罗 È'nǐluó	Dragon	Vedhaka ("piercing", the hell of arrow manufacturers)	Bǎo Shǐ Arrow	a [Horns]	Mañjuśrī (Monju)	Honji is traditionally associated with Pāyila (the fifth in the Butsuzōzui order). Pāyila is also traditionally associated with arrows as well as bows. The bīja that is traditionally associated with Pāyila, maṃ, is not used.
Sandiramon	Zhuqiaomon	| Śaṇḍilya/Saṇṭhila | 珊底羅大将 Santera-taishō/ Sanchira-taishō | 珊底罗 Shāndǐluó	Snake	Krishńa ("dark")	Bǎo Kuí Lance	ha [Hood, Bǎo Kuí]	Kṣitigarbha (Jizou)	Weapon, bīja, and honji all traditionally associated with Indāla (the sixth in the Butsuzōzui order).
Indaramon	Zhuqiaomon	| Indāla/Indra | 因陀羅大将 Indara-taishō | 因达罗 Yīndáluó	Horse	Adhomukha ("head-inverted")	Bǎo Bèi Conch shell	trāḥ [Shoulders]	Ākāśagarbha (Kokūzou)	Weapon, bīja, and honji all traditionally associated with Śaṇḍilya (the seventh in the Butsuzōzui order).
Pajiramon	Zhuqiaomon	| Pāyila/Pajra | 波夷羅大将 Haira-taishō | 波夷罗 Bōyíluó	Sheep	Vahnijwala ("fiery flame"; the hell of shepherds)	Bǎo Gōng Bow and arrow	ma [Belt, gauntlets]	Mārīcī (Marishi-ten)	Bīja and honji are traditionally associated with Majira (the eighth in the Butsuzōzui order). Majira is also traditionally associated with arrows, but not bows.
Makuramon	Baihumon	| Makura/Mahāla/Mahoraga | 摩虎羅大将 Magora-taishō/ Makora-taishō | 摩虎罗 Móhǔluó	Monkey	Raurava ("fearful")	Bǎo Yù Ball	sa [Hat]	Avalokiteśvara (Kanzeon)	Weapon, bīja, and honji all traditionally associated with Aṇḍīra (the ninth in the Butsuzōzui order).
Sinduramon	Baihumon	| Sindūra/Cindāla/Kinnara | 真達羅大将 Shindara-taishō | 真达罗 Zhēndáluó	Rooster	Púyaváha ("where matter falls")	Bǎo Chǔ Pestle/vajra	hrīḥ [Armor, Bǎo Chǔ]	Amitābha (Amida)	Weapon, bīja, and honji all traditionally associated with Mihira (the tenth in the Butsuzōzui order). Specifically, Mihira is associated with a single-pronged vajra (独鈷 tanko).
Caturamon	Baihumon	| Catura/Caundhula | 招住羅大将 Shōzura-taishō/ 招杜羅大将 Shōtora-taishō | 招杜罗 Zhāodùluó	Dog	Śwabhojana ("food of dogs")	Bǎo Chuí Hammer	saṃ [Armor, Bǎo Chuí]	Mahāsthāmaprāpta (Tokudaiseishi)	Honji is traditionally associated with Vajra (the eleventh in the Butsuzōzui order). Catura is traditionally associated with swords, and none of the Heavenly Generals have an association with hammers. The bīja that is traditionally associated with Vajra, saḥ, is not used.
Vikaralamon	Xuanwumon	| Vikarāla/Vikāla | 毘羯羅大将 Bigara-taishō/ Bikara-taishō | 毗羯罗 Píjiéluó	Pig	Súkara ("hog")	Bǎo Lún Wheel	yu [Brow]	Maitreya (Miroku)	Bīja and honji are traditionally associated with Kumbhīra (the twelfth in the Butsuzōzui order). Vikarāla is traditionally associated with swords, and none of the Heavenly Generals have an association with wheels, although they do have significance as Buddhist iconography.

Appearances

Anime

Digimon Tamers

Chou-sensei explaining the mythology of the Deva to Lee Jianliang.

Main article: Deva (Tamers)

All twelve Deva are servants of Zhuqiaomon and (with one exception) minor antagonists. According to Lopmon (formerly Andiramon of the Deva), Zhuqiaomon created the Deva by reconfiguring the "fragments of Digimon that became dust". It commands the Deva with retrieving Culumon and eliminating potential threats to the Four Holy Beasts, so they begin Realizing into the real world to try and capture Culumon, but are resisted by the Tamers.

Of the Deva, Andiramon is the only one who does not appear to have been ordered to pursue Culumon. Instead, he guards the Southern Gate of the Four Holy Beasts' domain, until he defects and becomes Lee Shaochung's partner Digimon.

The episode "I Want to Become Strong! Rise, Impmon" explores the mythological inspiration of the Deva. Lee Jianliang asks his martial arts instructor, Chou-sensei, about the meaning of the term "Deva". Chou-sensei discusses the role of the Deva in Hinduism as enemies of the Asura, and reflects on the subjective nature of good and evil as it relates to the perception of the Deva as "good" gods. This scene uses illustrations of the Twelve Heavenly Generals that are taken from the Butsuzōzui.

Manga

Digimon Knuckles

The Deva are a group of Digimon with high status as prestige, though not as high as the Royal Knights. Vajramon and Pajiramon are members of the group, and them falling under the control of the mysterious villain was taken as proof of how dangerous that being was.

Video Games

Digimon World Re:Digitize

The Deva appear as collectable cards.

Digimon World Re:Digitize Decode

The Deva appear as collectable cards.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth

After Aiba collects all of the Deva medals, the Medal Man rewards them with 3 Revival Capsule DX.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker's Memory

After Amasawa Keisuke collects all of the Deva medals, the Medal Man rewards him with with 3 Revival Capsule DX.

Digimon ReArise

Vikaralamon had travelled to the Human World to the ascertain the threat after a large quantity of devices affected the Digital World. Xuanwumon however considered it to just be a "passing noise" and so travelled to the Human World to retrieve its subordinate.

Vajramon, Kumbhiramon, Majiramon, Mihiramon, Pajiramon, Sinduramon, Caturamon, Sandiramon, Indaramon, Makuramon and Andiramon also appear.

TCG

Digimon Card Game

Deva is a trait given to the members of this group in the Digimon Card Game. While originally it had no gameplay implications, some cards released since EX-05 Animal Colosseum, such as those of the Four Holy Beasts, interact specifically with this trait.

Additional Information

References	Notes