| Glossary Apsaras Beautiful nymphs who emerged from the churning of the sea of milk, and were taken by Indra to dance in his palace. back Asuras Asuras, 'divine', originally referred to the supreme spirit (as Ahura in ancient Iran). Asura later acquired an opposite meaning so that now the asuras are the enemies of god, the anti-gods or demons. back Avidya Misapprehension; false understanding or ignorance. back Bhagavad Gita The Mahabarata might be called the Indian national saga. It is the most popular of all the sacred books. Within it is an interlude - the Bhagavad Gita - a partly philosophical, partly devotional inspired utterance of Krishna, spoken in reply to Arjuna's protest that he has no will to slay his friends and kinsmen, immediately before the great battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas. This Gita, or song, has become a widely accepted gospel among Hindus. back Bhavana Feeling; intention; disposition. back Bhupura The square and T-shaped entrances of the yantra. back Bhuta Elements. back Bija Seed (Bija Mantra - seed sound/syllable). back Bindu Point; dot; source. 'Rituals lead ultimately to concentration on the point (Bindu), the centre at which all experience, all being, is compacted into its utmost concentration - to implode back into its origin.' back Brahma 'In the background of the whole process of creation is the Primal Matter pulsating with its own life, vibrating with inherent force, seeded with potentialities. Creative heat starting a new vibration in the Primal Matter, gives rise to creative desire, the will-to-be which acts as the seed of mind, the imaginative principle, and from this follows the entire series of creations of visible tangible forms.' Nasadiya Sukta, Rig Veda The First Cause formed the Hiranya-garbha or 'Golden Womb', the Cosmic Egg which floated on the primeval waters, a totality in which male and female principles are eternally united. From here Brahma, the first god. Brahma was born with one head but when his wife Sarasvati was born, she was so beautiful that he grew four more faces, so that he could see her on every side of him. The fifth face was burned off by the fire of Siva's third eye when Brahma spoke disrespectfully to him. In his four hands Brahma holds a sceptre (or a rosary), a bow, an alms bowl, and the Rig Veda, the ancient scriptures. As Purusha (the cosmic man) Brahma created mankind with Sarasvati. Once he had made the world it remained unaltered for one of his days. During one of his nights there was a steady deterioration that ended in general destruction. A day and a night of Brahma is known as a kalpa, and is the equivalent of 8,649,000 years. Apart from the gods, the wise and the elements, the world is consumed by fire at the end of each kalpa, after which Brahma restores creation. back Chakra Wheel; circle, internal yantras or energy centres in subtle body along spinal column. back Chandra Moon. Lunar phase. back Chonp A very small golden bindi with a green or red dot in the centre, worn on all festive occasions and pujas. It will be worn by married women even before they wear the traditional chundri. back Daityas Descended from Diti, wife of the sage Kasyapa the Daityas are the giant demons as necessary to the balance of the cosmos as the gods themselves. Together gods and demons created the Amrita, the water of life, when they churned the Sea of Milk. back Dhanwantari Physician to the gods. Born from the churning of the Sea of Milk. He is also called Sudhapani, which means 'carrying nectar in his hands'. back Dhyana Deep contemplation. Meditation. back Dipa Lighted lamp, moved in a clockwise direction during deity worship. back Diwali Divali or Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, falls exactly twenty days after Dussehra on Amavas (new moon), during the dark fortnight of Kartik some time in October or November. A fire festival marking the winter solstice Diwali is the North Indian New Year. back Durvasas 'Ill-clothed', a sage and incarnation of Siva. When Indra refused his gift of a garland, Durvasas laid a curse of destruction on him. The curse so weakened Indra and the other gods that the demons seized the opportunity to challenge their ascendancy. The result was the battle for Amrita, the water of life, which came from the churning of the ocean. back Dussehra Falling on the tenth day of Ashwin Dussehra is celebrated throughout India. Although it has various interpretations in different parts of the country Dusserah essentially celebrates the victory of good over evil, it is also referred to as Vijayadashmai - the tenth day of victory. In states like Bengal, where the cult of the Mother Goddess is strong, Dussehra marks the day Goddess Durga triumphed over the demon Mahishasura. For nine nights - Navarathri - her lavishly decorated image is worshipped and on the tenth, the day she vanquished the evil demon, her image is immersed in the sea or river. This immersion signifies Durga's return to her husband Shiva after her annual visit to her parental home. In Mysore, where the Goddess Durga is revered as Chamundi, Dussehra is a day of unmatched festivities. Being the family deity of the Mysore Maharaja, Goddess Chamundi is taken out in a grand victory procession that includes caparisoned elephants, courtiers and court symbols. Such is the pomp and pageantry associated with Dussehra in Mysore that tourist flock in droves to witness it. In northern India Dussehra is symbolic of the victorious return of Rama to Ayodhya after his victory over Ravana, the demon King of Lanka. Some legends also insist that Dussehra is the day Rama killed Ravana after a mighty battle that lasted nine days. Rama's victory is celebrated by enacting his story in a Ram Leela culminating in the burning of Ravana's multi-headed effigy. back Gambling Dice were the symbol of ancient social justice. In the Sabha, the assembly of tribal administration of early Vedic times, the casting of the lot ensured impartiality in the distribution of the collective wealth of the tribe among the clans. The dicer was called Sabhasthanu, 'pillar of the assembly'. A ritual game of dice in which the king takes part was one of the features of the Rajasuya - a protracted ceremony of royal inauguration in Rig Vedic times. So the king of a later time at least formally took an oath to maintain the Rta, the spirit of ancient equality and justice. back Ganesha Son of the Divine Mother - most recently Parvati - Ganesha or Ganapati is the Remover of Obstacles. God of success and worldly wisdom, writing and wealth are his. Ganesha has a red elephant's head on a white human body, he has four arms and is wreathed in serpents. In all sacramental prayers the first invocation is for Ganesha. He is a popular god who knows no caste distinction. back Ganga Ganga was born from Vishnu's toe. Her nature was wayward as water. Once long ago the gods begged Siva to sing his celestial song. Vishnu knew its power and to stem the force of a song that could wreak havoc in the universe he sat before Siva to absorb some of the song's power. The song sang louder and with its beauty Ganga's waters rose. She would have flooded the heavens in her ecstasy. But Vishnu, as is his way, was prepared and he imprisoned Ganga in a large pot before any damage could be done. Ganga was annoyed at Siva for his effect on her, but she could not resist him. When in response to King Bhagirath's invocations Siva agreed to induce Ganga to come down from the Heavens to Earth he knew that the weight of her waters would be too much for the land to bear. He would sit between Heaven and Earth and bear the weight of her waters on his head. He called her and she came, unable to resist him though all the while angry that he was forcing her to descend from Heaven. But she had a plan. She would trick him, take him, wash him away in her swirling currents. But Siva knew her mind and grew to a giant stature. His matted locks held her. Long years she flowed about and about in his hair until finally reaching Earth her raging stream was split, force was stemmed. So Mother Ganga came down to bless the Earth with her holy waters. back Granthi Knots, blockages to kundalini energy in subtle body along spine. back Guna Attribute, quality of the mind; quality of the material universe. There are three gunas: Sattva (harmony), rajas (motion, activity), tamas (inertia). back Haldi Hindi name: Haldi. Sanskrit name: Haridra. English name: Tumeric. Latin name: Curcuma longa. Family: Zingiberacae. Traditionally in India a person will have an oil massage before bathing then instead of using soap will cleanse their body and faces of the film of oil with a moist paste made from tumeric and lentil flour. back Hari 'Creation and growth', a name of Vishnu. back Hell Beneath the Three Worlds lies Hell and the infernal underground regions of Patala, realm of 'Nagas', ruled by the Serpent King Sesha also known as Vasuki. Surya's son Yama is god of death, his underworld kingdom is Yamapur, his dark palace Kalichi. back Indra Vitra, the serpent of drought, swallowed the cosmic waters and lay in coils enveloping the mountains. The parched earth became shrunken and dry. The people prayed for release and Indra god of the Atmosphere was born, son of Heaven and Earth. With his thunderbolt Indra split open the Vitra's stomach, releasing the waters, generating life, and liberating dawn. So Indra became king of the Gods. One of Indra's titles is Purandara, 'destroyer of cities'. In those early days he was the war god of the Aryans who invaded India around 1700 BC. Indra of the Rig Veda is depicted not as protector but rather as the ideal war-leader plundering district after district for the sake of cattle-wealth. By about the fifth century BC Indra had lost his place of ascendancy on earth to Vishnu and become no more than a god of paradise. Buddha, who never denied the Hindu pantheon, claimed that in earlier lives he had been Indra. back Ishta devata, Ishta Devi A person's chosen deity. back Jains Jainism, one of the three major religions of early India has been continuously practiced since the 8th century BC. The religion's name derives from the word Jina, meaning 'liberator' or 'victor', denoting spiritual rather than material conquest. Jains believe in a cycle of birth and rebirth influenced by the karmic effects of deeds and attitudes (as do Hindus and Buddhists). The ultimate goal of the believer is to break the cycle and achieve liberation. To help then achieve this goal Jains revere a group of twenty-four emancipated beings called Jinas or Thrithankaras ('one who fords the river' between the material and spiritual worlds), who act as teachers and role-models to the faithful. Jainism's strict doctrine of non-violence (ahimsa) was an influence on Mahatma Gandhi. back Krishna Incarnation of Vishnu. Arjuna's charioteer in the Mahabharata war, in the course of which he recited the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna's other names, Govinda and Gopala (herdsman) indicate his origin as a god of flocks and herds. Krishna is dark skinned, his image blue of black, Krishna also means lampblack, used for making ritual images. back Kundalini Latent psychic energy coiled at base (muladhara) chakra at the base of the spine. To be awakened to ascend through successive chakras with ritual and meditation. back Lakshmi Lakshmi is known throughout India as the goddess of wealth, good fortune, beauty and fertility. Her other name is Padma - meaning lotus. back Linga The linga, according to the Skanda Purana, symbolises the substance of the universe in the process of formation and dissolution. It also signifies the static principle, which has been represented in the shape of an egg, when it characterises Siva in the 'attributeless aspect. Ajit Mookerjee, Ritual Art of India The union of Siva and his energy, Sakti, is symbolised by the combined form of linga-yoni - the union of antithetical principles. A synthesis that restores balance, changing a state of chaos caused by separation into perfect continuity and equilibrium. back Lotus 'In the beginning were the waters. Matter readied itself. The sun glowed. And a lotus slowly opened, holding the universe on its golden pericarp.' Naveen Patnaik, The Garden of Life The lotus belongs to this world and the world below and the world above; to earth, water and light. It enacts the transmutation from earth to air, from mud to perfume, from darkness to lustrous colour. Its shape points to all the directions of space; its openings and closings are the measure of time, of days and nights. It embraces all the elements and forms of the cosmos, while the pericarp refers to the mysteries of generation. Ajit Mookerjee, Ritual Art of India The connection between Lakshmi and the lotus is a long one. Padma or Kamala, both meaning lotus, are other names for the goddess Shri Lakshmi, like her the lotus is a symbol of prosperity and material wealth. back Mahadeva 'Restorer', one of the names of Siva. back Mahavira The last Jina of the Jains was Mahavira (c.599-527BC), an elder contemporary of the Buddha, who was instrumental in fostering the Jain faith as a reaction against the Brahmanical caste system and its associated sacrificial rituals. back Mandala Circle, sacred symbol, associated with yantras, object of focus in meditation. back Matrika Divine Mother; power of the letter or the word; base of all knowledge. back Monosa Serpent goddess. back Muhurta The critical moment for the performance of a rite. back Naga Serpent. back Namaskar Namaste means: I honour the place in you where the entire universe resides, I honour the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace I honour that place within you where if you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us back OM Sacred sound. back Padma Sanskrit for Lotus - synonym for chakra. back Padmasana Lotus pose. back Pancha Five. back Pancha Bhuta Five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air and space or ether), which must be purified in ritual. back Parijata A blossoming this tree which perfumed the world, Parijata emerged during the churning of the ocean. It was eventually placed in Indra's heaven. back Pongal Perhaps the most important South Indian festival. A harvest festival in thanksgiving for the paddy crop, honouring the Sun god Surya, the rain God Indra and cattle. Pongal actually means 'to boil over' and is the name given to a porridge of rice, milk, ghee and jaggery which must overflow the pot in celebration of the abundance of the harvest. Calculated by the solar calendar the festival always starts on January 13th. Pongal proper falling on January 14th. back Prakriti Counterpart of the male element Purusha; creative energy; the source of objectivity, cosmic substance; the primal female, or Nature. Matter, the material world - made up of the three gunas. back Prana Life force, subtle energy. back Prasada Rite of offering food. Food which has been offered to god before being eaten is called prasadam, 'god's mercy', whether in an established temple with formal worship or at home with a simple prayer. Depending on the name of the deity it is being offered to prasadam is prefixed by any one of thousands of names, such as Govinda or Damodar. Temples become well known for their special prasadams. For example, Vrindavan's temple of Radha Ramana is famous for a sweet called kuliya. back Puja Ritual worship. back Purusha Pure Conciousness; the male principle, counterpart of Prakriti or Nature, the female principle. back Rajas One of three gunas, principle of motion, a quality of Prakriti or Nature. Female seed. Menstrual flow. The Rishis other home is Svarg, Indra's paradise, where all wishes and desires are gratified. The Rishis created seven Manus or saviours in seven ages of the world and from them everything living has sprung. Divinely inspired, the Rishis composed the ancient Vedic hymns. back Rakhi The festival of Raksha Bandhan falls during the month of Sawan on Purnima (the day of the full moon according to the Vikram calendar), some time in July-August according to the English calendar. The festival is a celebration of the brother-sister relationship. Traditionally a brother is seen as a woman's main support within her family. To celebrate and symbolise this on Raksha Bandhan a sister ties a Rakhi on the right hand of all of her brothers. They acknowledge the relationship by accepting the Rakhi with grace and love. back Rishi When Brahma decided to people the earth seven Rishis or holy men where created from his brow, they are often called 'the mind-sons of Brahma'. Sacrificial priests associated with the Devas, ' shining ones' (gods other than the supreme god), the Rishis sit in the night sky in the constellation of the Great Bear, their female forms - some might say their wives - reside in the constellation of the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. The Rishis other home is Svarg, Indra's paradise, where all wishes and desires are gratified. The Rishis created seven Manus or saviours in seven ages of the world and from them everything living has sprung. Divinely inspired, the Rishis composed the ancient Vedic hymns. back Sattva One of three gunas, principle of equilibrium, truth. The quality of prakriti which has clarity and lightness. back Sea of Milk The Hindu universe consists of three worlds: physical heavenly and spiritual. The Sea of Milk, a cosmic ocean underlies everything, in it are seven islands the largest of which is Jambu-dwip, the physical world. Jambu-dwip is protected by eight guardians accompanied by an elephant, each at a point of the compass - Indra (east), Agni (south-east), Yama (south), Surya (south-west), Varuna (west), Vayu (north-west), Kuvera (north) and Som (north-east). In the centre of Jambu-dwip, to the north of the Himalayas is a golden mountain named Meru, flanked by four smaller mountains. Bramalok, Brahma's kingdom, on top of Mount Meru is the dwelling of those who have attained release from the cycle of birth and death. Bramalok is surrounded by the celestial cities of the gods, including Indra's Svarg. Svarg is the home of the Rishis, sages, the Prajapatis, priests and minor nature gods. The Gandhavas, heavenly musicians and the Apsaras, heavenly nymphs live in the foothills of Meru. The Rakshasas, the giants and demons live in Meru's valleys. Between the Himalayas and the sea is India, the only country where people experience suffering and therefore redemption. Below India are the underworld realms, the Hells of Yama and the seven lands of the Nagas, serpent gods with supernatural powers. back Shakti Power, energy, permeating creation. Feminine force. back Shri A name of the goddess Lakshmi. back Siva As Najaraja, Lord of the Dance, Siva dances the heart-maddening dance of bliss, the rhythm of the universe, dancing the world into and out of existence. Dancer, Lover, Mendicant. With a crown of serpents and a necklace of skulls he haunts cemeteries and cremation grounds. Hair matted, the crescent moon on his brow Siva's beauty rends the universe. Siva's trident represents creation, preservation and dissolution, it is wrapped around with red, Sakti, female energy, the creative power of Siva. Two parallel lines and a crescent moon, Siva's emblem. back Sky-Elephant Brahma concealed in each of the animals a profound secret. The secret of the mystic syllables, amsvara, he concealed in a horse. The secret of internality in the cow. The secret of prophecy in the chameleon. The secret of longevity in the crow. In the elephant '...a beast of the moon with crescent tusks, who emerged from the churning seas...' he concealed wisdom. 'The king of the country died. A new king could only be chosen by an elephant carrying a pot of water in its trunk, and whoever the elephant poured the water over was destined to become the new king.' Prafulla Mohanti, Indian Village Tales A luminous white elephant would appear in a dream to all mothers due to bear a Trithankara - one who guides humanity. In the dream of Trishali, mother of Vardhamana, great holy man of the Jains, a luminous white elephant was followed by a white bull, the goddess Shri, indicating the child's happiness and the red sun, symbolising the child's acquisition of perfect knowledge. Maya, mother of Buddha dreamed that she saw Siddhartha, the future Buddha, come down into her womb in the form of a white elephant. Each of the guardian deities which preside over the eight points of the compass is aided by an elephant. Ganesha, the elephant headed god, is the loyal son of Parvati and Siva, guardian at the gate of his mother's house. The remover of obstacles and bringer of good luck Ganesha is invoked before any important undertaking. Ganesha was the scribe who wrote down the great epic the Mahabarat, dictated by Dwaipayana. Ganesha also arranged the ancient texts known as the Vedas. Ganesha's vehicle is a rat. His four arms hold a club, a discus, a shell and a water lily. back Sloka Sanskrit stanza or verse in general. back Soma An intoxicating drink known in Vedic times. back Surabhi The 'cow of plenty' who has the power to grant wishes. She belongs to the Rishi or 'sage' Vasishtha whose name means 'most wealthy'. Surabhi is also called Nandini, the mother of the bull Nandi, vehicle of Shiva. Surabhi was the first gift to emerge at the churning of the Sea of Milk. The early Rig Vedic tribes were pastoral. Cattle were wealth and other forms of wealth were measured in terms of cattle. Numerous passages in the Rig Veda underline the importance attached to the possession of cattle. The word go, 'cow', is used as one of the synonyms for Prthivi, 'the earth'. Gods are invoked as the offspring of cows. Poets compare their songs with the lowing of cattle. The Bharatas are frequently described as 'a host desirous of cows' and the Rig Veda is filled with details of cattle raids. The word gavisti meaning 'battle for cattle' soon came to denote any conflict or battle. Within the Rig Veda Indra is depicted not as protector but rather as the ideal war-leader plundering district after district for the sake of cattle-wealth. A mimic cattle raid was one of the features of the Rajasuya - a protracted ceremony of royal inauguration in Rig Vedic times - a throw back to early Vedic times when successful leadership in such raids had been an essential qualification for a tribal leader. back Surya A dark red man with three eyes and four arms Surya rides a horse drawn chariot driven by Aruna, 'the dawn'. Two of his hands hold water lilies, the third blesses and with the forth he encourages his worshippers. Sometimes he is called Dyaus, 'the son of heaven', and sometimes the son of Aditi, 'infinity'. Surya was one of the three chief gods of ancient Hinduism. One of the most auspicious symbols in hinduism the swastika, 'all-well', is dedicated to the springtime sun. Surya's son Yama is god of death, his underworld kingdom is Yamapur, his dark palace Kalichi. back Sushumna Central energy channel running along vertical axis of spine, the base to crown chakras. back Tamas One of three gunas, the quality of prakriti which produces inertia, heaviness, stability. back Three Worlds Earth, Heaven and Atmosphere or Sky. Beneath the Three Worlds lies Yama's Hell and the infernal underground regions of Patala, realm of 'Nagas', ruled by the Serpent King Sesha also known as Vasuki. back Til Hindi name: Til. Sanskrit name: Tila. English name: Sesame. Latin name: sesame indicum. Family: Pedaliaceae. A sesame seed is often offered in Hindu religious ritual because it is supposed to assist in removing every particle of sin. This ritual significance has led to the traditional usage of sesame seed as a way of saying, 'the smallest particle that is still perceptible.' back Varuni The hindu goddess of wine, goddess of the rolling eyes, born during the churning of the ocean, emerging from the milky sea after the sacred cow Surabhi. She is also called Mada, 'intoxication'. The first important ritual of the Vajapeya - one of the principal ceremonies of royal inauguration in Rig Vedic times - is that of collective drinking. Drinking was an essential feature of the Vedic sacrifices. The common form of wine used in the Vedic period was Soma. In Vedic literature Soma is considered the means through which men overcome death and attain mortality, 'We have drunk the Soma and become immortal'. At his birth Indra accepted cup after cup of invigorating Soma from his worshippers, gaining greater courage with each draft. back Vasuki Vasuki or Sesha is the Serpent King who rules the infernal underground regions of Patala the underworld realm of the serpents, Nagas, water spirits with human heads and serpent bodies who inhabit opulent sub aquatic palaces. Vasuki, has 1000 heads and is also called Ananta, 'endless'. Vasuki forms the couch of Vishnu when the great god sleeps during the intervals in creation. In Southeast Asia, local serpent princesses married Indian priests or warriors to establish dynasties there. back Vermilion Originally this brilliant powder, a purple-red or vermilion dust was made from the glands and hairs of the fruit of the Indian Kamila (or Kamala). Hindi and Sanskrit name: Kampillaka. Latin name: Mallotus philippensis. Family Euphorbiaceae. The most conspicuous cosmetic of the married Hindu woman. Originally used to mark the parting of a woman's hair, then later to form a spot in the centre of her forehead, traditionally the powder would be placed on his wife by her husband every morning as an act of honour. back Vishnu 'Whenever the sacred law fails and evil raises its head, I take embodied birth to guard the righteous, to root out sinners, and to establish the sacred law. I am born from age to age' Bhagavad Gita. On ten occasions Vishnu came to earth to preserve the world. His principal incarnations were as Matsya, the fish, Kurma, the turtle, Narasimha, the man-lion, Varaha, the boar, Vamana, the dwarf, Parasurama - 'Rama with an axe', Rama, Krishna, Buddha and, yet to come, Kalki - the god 'seated on a white horse'. Between each of his successive creations or preservations of the universe Vishnu slumbers on the cosmic waters, the body of the serpent king Vasuki for his bed, Vasuki's seven hooded and jeweled heads for his canopy. Of all the incarnations of Vishnu Khrishna alone is believed to be not merely a portion of Vishnu, but Vishnu himself in human form. In the heart of the battle, climax of the Mahabharat wars, Khrishna composed the Bhagavad Gita, explaining to Arjuna humanity's place in the pattern of the universe, and why he must fight, dispassionate, without hope of gain or loss, so to fulfill his destiny. back Vishvakarma One of the great sages Vishvakarma was father of Sanjna, 'conscience', wife of Surya the sun god. Sanjna had left her husband unable to tolerate his dazzling brilliance. Vishvakarma came to his daughters aid. Placing the sun god on his lathe he cut away one eighth of his brightness, trimming him in every part but his feet. The fragments that were trimmed off fell blazing to the earth and from them Vishvakarma fashioned the discus of Vishnu, the trident of Shiva and the weapons of the other gods. back Yantra Mystical diagram. Tool for meditation and devotion. Abstract symbol of deity. Power diagram. back Yoni Inverted triangle symbolising the female principle. back Note: Sansrit words are given phonetically with westernised plurals. top |
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