Do Devas Serve Bhagavan?

Question

Do Devas serve Bhagavan? Are they obedient to Bhagavan? Cite theologians please, not just scripture alone.

Answer 1

In the Vedas let's take the long lost Caraka-Katha Āraṇyaka manuscripts:

Caraka-Katha Aranyaka, Harvard Oriental Series 65, Michael Witzel Now, let’s check the 2nd section of the Manuscript of Caraka-Katha Āraṇyaka II-100/101 and do keep notice of 5 names with which Rudra is addressed and how they mimic the five faces of Shiva linga, also this exact hymn landed in Atharvaśiras Upaniṣhad (one of the minor Upaniṣhad belonging to Atharva Veda).

evāitad āha. divi prsto yajatas suryatvag iti || devā vai rudram svargaṃ lokaṃ gataṃ na vyajānann ādityavarṇaṃ carantan. te .abruvan: ko .asīti (question). ahaṃ rudro, aham indro, aham ādityo, ahaṃ sarvasyāvayā haraso divyasyeti. te bruvan: nirbhajāmainam iti. tān ruvann abhyavadat. tān prādhrajat. te bruvan: bhavān sarvam iti. yad ruvann abhyavadat, tad rudrasya rudratvam. yad bhavān iti, tad bhavasya bhavatvam. yat sarvam iti tac charvasya śarvatvam. sa śivo bhavat. tac chivasya śivatvam. tebhyo mṛlata tan mṛlasya mṛlatvam. taṃ devā abruvan bhavasya bhūtasya bhavyasyādhipatyam iti. sarvasyādhipatyaṃ yajamānaṃ gamayati. anavadyabhis sam u jagmabhir iti. hotra va anavadyas. tabhir va esapravargye sangaschate. tabhir eva pravargyam sangamayati. sanudra asam sadanam va ahur iti. veda vai samudras. tesu va e-

Wandering Rudra in the heavenly realm (svargaṃ lokaṃ) with a sun-like luster/brilliance (ādityavarṇaṃ). The Devas who ascended to the heavenly realm saw and sought Rudra as to who he was (.abruvan: ko .asīti). I am Rudra (ahaṃ rudro), I am Indra (aham indro), I am the Āditya (aham indro, aham ādityo), I am divine brilliance the encompases entirity ( ahaṃ sarvasyāvayā haraso divyasyeti). The Devas claimed no offering to Rudra. He Roared fiercely towards them (rudratvam). The devas realized this and addressed him with due reverence by calling him Bhava. They said Bhava the entirety is thy Sarva. Because they said you are all this that revealed Śarva’s [prowess] as an archer. Because he then became favorable that is Śiva’s benevolence. Because he became kind to them [the other deva-s] that is Mṛḍa’s compassion. The deva-s said to him: “The overlordship of the present, the past and the future [is yours]. [If he knows this while performing the ritual, i.e. offering the portion for Rudra] it leads the ritualist to lordship over all.

Caraka Katha Āraṇyaka 2.100/101\

In this way the Devatas prayed to Rudra. Source: LINK

Answer 2

I cannot find correct resources right now, but I have the answer.

In short: Yes they do.

One need to understand that Devtas are just souls with another type of body. We cannot call it a subtle body but the reason why Devtas exist is because pious souls have done great tapasya during their previous human (or other) life.

But, devtas cannot achieve moksha. Lord Krishna had stated that one’s soul need a human body for spiritual perfection and unification. The reason behind is that Humans are capable of evolving, unlike the Devtas.

That is why we have so many stories of even Devtas committing sins (not on purpose) but because their souls are yet to be perfected.

Also, a Deva can be a soul with moksha who was given a duty by the Parmahtama in this universe. Although, a good question is if it matters for the united soul since it is Parmahtama in all forms, whether Devas or humans.