How did the universe start? What are the Devi devtas and other entities and the purpose of journey of soul?

There is a nice video at: https://www.dadabhagwan.tv/Home/Video/Soul+is+Permanent
which you will like watching as it provides good clarification in relation to the question you have asked here. He explains that there are six eternal elements in this Universe...

There Are Six Eternal Elements in This Universe
Eternal means these elements cannot be created nor can they be destroyed; they are everlasting. Soul, which is our real Self, is one of the eternal elements, and it is present in every living being in this Universe.

The Elements Revolve Around Each Other and Consequently Phases of the Element Occur
What we can see in the world are these ‘phases of the element’. For example, human beings, animals, insects are all phases of the Soul. The Devi, Devtas and other living entities too are the phases of the Soul that happen during the journey of the Soul.
It is like Sun, Moon and Earth revolve around each other and ‘phases of the Moon’ happen, and this is what we can see!

The Journey of Soul
1.The journey begins from a total dormant stage, where one is getting no benefit of the infinite knowledge or vision of the Soul,
2.later one enters in this world and develops from one-sensed to five-sensed living being and thereafter evolves in the human life-form, and
3.Finally one reaches the ultimate stage of salvation and attains liberation.

There Are Three Divisions in the Universe
1.Living beings who have not entered into the worldly cycle, as yet are called Nigod. Before the living being enters into the worldly cycle, there is a stage wherein there is total covering on the Soul. The Soul is not spoilt, but it is totally covered with dense layers of coverings of karma over it. So not a single ray of light of knowledge of the Soul is able to come out. These living beings are called ‘nigod’. There are infinite Souls in this stage. Since they are fully covered, not a single sense has been developed in these living beings and hence they are dormant.

2.Worldly living creatures. When some covering from over the Soul of the Nigod gets removed, little light of Soul comes out and one sense is developed. With this, the particular living being enters the world, and gradually develops from one-sensed to two-sensed, then to three-sensed, four sensed, five-sensed, and thereafter comes into human life-form where his mind, intellect, ego, etc. get developed.

While in human form, the living being is trapped in a labyrinth of merit karma and demerit karma, and is therefore subject to endless wandering by way of birth and death and rebirth in one of the four life forms namely: celestial, human, animal or hell; there is no liberation from it.

Due to the dense layers of karma that cover the Soul, every living being, starting from the single sensory to the five-sensory life-form, experiences enormous suffering, just like a man confined to total darkness suffers. When human beings with their five senses have to suffer so much, imagine the suffering that the living beings with lesser senses and in other life-form go through? The most a person gets by earning a lot of merit karma is a life as a Devi or Devta i.e. a celestial being, but not liberation (he doesn’t move onto the next division of Universe).

The atmosphere in the celestial world is so dazzling and intoxicating that one generally gets completely lost and absorbed in what surrounds him. The happiness there is in such abundance that it is difficult to remember one’s Soul, unless the Devi-Devta has already attained Self-Realization when in human form, and is now serving for the salvation of the world from there.

Liberation is acquired only when, one in human life-form, happens to meet Gnani Purush, the Enlightened One, who destroys one’s demerit karma of countless lifetimes, through the fire of the real spiritual knowledge, and makes one realize one’s Self (the Soul)!!! Until then, one keeps wandering. Therefore, the celestial beings too wish to be born as a human being in this world so that they can meet a Gnani Purush and attain Self-Realization.
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After Self-Realization, the worldly development completes; new karmas stop being charged; and when the discharge of all old karma finishes, one attains liberation from all the bondages of karma. Thus, on meeting Gnani Purush, one is able to break-free and complete the journey of the Soul; until then one keeps wandering between the four different life forms.

When one Soul attains liberation and leaves the world, one Soul from the Nigod comes into this world. Hence, there is always a fixed, finite number of living beings in this division of Universe.

3.Liberated Souls. When one gets free from the karmic bondages, the light of the Soul is fully uncovered! Hence, one does not have to take rebirth and come back in this world now! There are infinite such Souls who have reached the stage of ultimate salvation so far.
The Universe Has Arisen Naturally, It Runs Naturally, Everything Is Happening Here Naturally!
Who wakes you up in the morning?...

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan specifies that the energy force that wakes you up “is the same force that keeps the Sun, the Moon, the stars and the entire Universe in regulation. It is the same force that clears away the pollution caused by the industrial mills in this world, or else people would get suffocated to death. When it rains, who goes up there to make water for the rain? It is all a natural adjustment! When two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen come together along with some other evidences like air, etc., water is formed naturally and the rain falls.”

So, there is no maker in this world; no doer; everyone is simply an ‘instrument’ in the process.
“Na Kartutvam, Na Karmani, Lokasya Shrujati Prabhu:
Na Karmaphal Sanyog, Svabhavas Tu Pravartate!” - Lord Krishna.

Meaning..
“God does not act, nor does He induce anyone to act, nor does He give the fruits of action.
All this happens naturally”

To know more please visit: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/self-help/is-god-just-why-...