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Hiranyaksha
__NOTOC__ Hiranyaksha ( sa, हिरण्याक्ष, "golden-eyed"), also known as Hiranyanetra ( sa, हिरण्यनेत्र) was an oppressive Asura who attacked the heavens and thereafter kidnapped and attempted to destroy the earth goddess in Hindu Puranas. Legend Some of the Puranas present Hiranyaksha as the son of Diti and Kashyapa. Kashyapa (Sanskrit: कश्यप ''kaśyapa'') was an ancient sage (rishis), who is one of the Saptarshis in the present Manvantara; with others being Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, and Bharadwaja. He was the father of the Devas, Asuras, Nagas and all of humanity. He married Aditi, with whom he fathered Agni, the Aditya. With his second wife, Diti, he begot the Daityas. In this Puranic version, the good Suras and evil Asuras are the children of the same Kashyapa, and there is a constant war between good and evil. Once, Hiranyaksha assaulted the defenceless Mother Earth and pulled her deep into the cosm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varaha
Varaha ( sa, वराह, , "boar") is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, in the form of a boar. Varaha is generally listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu. Varaha is most commonly associated with the legend of lifting the Earth (personified as the goddess Bhudevi) out of the cosmic ocean. When the asura Hiranyaksha stole the earth and hid her in the primordial waters, Vishnu appeared as Varaha to rescue her. Varaha slew the asura, and retrieved the Earth from the ocean, lifting it on his tusks, and restored Bhudevi to her place in the universe. Varaha may be depicted as completely a boar or in an anthropomorphic form, with a boar's head and the human body. His consort, Bhudevi, the personified Earth, is often depicted as a young woman, lifted by Varaha. Etymology and other names The deity Varaha derives its name from the Sanskrit word ''varāha'' (Devanagari: वराह, ) meaning "boar" or "wild boar". The word ''varāha'' is from P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu (; also known as Hiranyakashyap) was an Asura king of the ''daityas'' from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. His name literally translates to "clothed in gold" (''hiranya'' "gold" ''kashipu'' "soft cushion"), and is often interpreted as depicting one who is fond of wealth and sensual comforts. In the Puranas, however, it is also stated the name was derived from a golden throne called 'Hiranyakashipu' the asura sat in or nearby during the ''Atiratra'' (Soma) sacrifice. Hiranyakashipu's younger brother, Hiranyaksha was slain by Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu. Angered by this, Hiranyakashipu decided to gain magical powers by performing a penance for Lord Brahma. He is subsequently killed by the Narasimha avatar of Lord Vishnu. His tale depicts the futility of desiring power over others and the strength of God's protection over his fully surrendered devotees (in the case of his son Prahlada). Hiranyakashipu, according to legend, earned a boon from Lord Brahma t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andhaka
In Hindu literature, Andhaka (Sanskrit: अन्धक, IAST: Andhaka; lit. "He who darkens") refers to a malevolent asura, whose pride is vanquished by Shiva and Parvati.. His story finds mention in various Hindu texts, including the '' Matsya Purāṇa'', the '' Kūrma Purāṇa'', the '' Liṅga Purāṇa'', the ''Padma Purana,'' and the ''Shiva Purana''. He is believed to have one thousand heads, and one thousand arms, and also having two thousand eyes. In another version, he has two thousand arms, and two thousand legs. In some versions of his story, Andhaka is described as a son of Shiva and Parvati. In Puranic Scriptures Shiva Purana In the Shiva Purana, when Shiva was meditating on Mount Mandara, Parvati was in a playful mood and covered Shiva's eyes. This caused the whole universe to become covered in darkness. The sweat that oozed out of Parvati's hands, due to touching Shiva's powerful third eye, fell to the ground and created a horrible looking and blind boy. Parva ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daityas
According to ancient scriptures, the daityas (Sanskrit: दैत्य) are a race of asuras, descending from Kashyapa and his wife, Diti. Prominent members of this race include Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu, and Mahabali, all of whom overran the earth, and required three of Vishnu's avataras to be vanquished. Literature The Manusmṛiti classifies the daityas as good, while placing them at a lower level than the devas: The origin and noteworthy members of this race are specified in the Harivamsha Purana: List of daityas Some of the notable daityas mentioned in Hindu mythology include: *Hiranyakashipu - First son of Kashyapa and Diti * Hiraṇyakṣa - Second son of Kashyapa and Diti *Holika - First daughter of Kashyapa and Diti *Andhakasura - Son of Hiranyaksha (Born from the sweat of Shiva) *Prahlada - Son of Hiranyakashipu *Simhika - Daughter of Hiranyakashipu *Virocana - Son of Prahlada, father of Mahabali * Devamba - Mother of Mahabali *Mahabali - Son of Virochan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narasimha
Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end religious persecution and calamity on earth, thereby restoring dharma. Narasimha is often depicted with three eyes, and is described in Vaishnavism to be the God of Destruction; he who destroys the entire universe at the time of the great dissolution (Mahapralaya). Hence, he is known as Kala (time) or Mahakala (great-time), or Parakala (beyond time) in his epithets. There exists a matha (monastery) dedicated to him by the name of Parakala Matha in the Sri Vaishnava tradition. Narasimha is also described as the God of Yoga, in the form of Yoga-Narasimha. Narasimha iconography shows him with a human torso and lower body, with a leonine face and claws, typically with the asura Hiranyakashipu in his lap, whom he is in the process of defeating. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diti
Diti ( sa, दिति) is a daughter of the ''Prajapati'' Daksha in Hinduism. She is a wife of the sage Kashyapa and the mother of the demonic race Daityas and the divine group of Marutas. Legend According to the ''Puranic'' scriptures, Diti is one of the sixty daughters of ''Prajapati'' Daksha and his wife Asikni. She and her twelve sisters were married to the sage Kashyapa. Diti is described as the mother of two groups of beings—the Daityas and the Maruts. The most prominent of her sons were Hiranyakashipu, Hiranyaksha, Vajranaka, Arunasura, Raktabija and Surapadman. Diti also had a daughter named Simhika (also known as Holika). Birth of Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu The Bhagavata Purana describes the circumstances of the birth of the two powerful daityas: Birth of the maruts After the death of her sons in the Samudra Manthana, Diti grew inconsolable. She begged her husband to grant her a child who would be capable of defeating Indra. In due course, Diti becam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manaku Of Guler
Manaku of Guler or Manaku (c. 1700–1760) was an Indian painter from the Guler State, in modern-day Himachal Pradesh. After his death he was mostly forgotten and overshadowed by his much-celebrated younger brother Nainsukh. But today he is recognised as an exponent of Pahari style of painting, much like his brother. The rediscovery of Manaku has been a result of research efforts by art historians like B. N. Goswamy. Like Nainsukh, Manaku almost never signed his works, and only four extant works carry his signature. Gallery File:Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku.jpg, ''Hiranyagarbha (Golden Cosmic Egg)'', c. 1740, Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Bharat Kala Bhavan, Varanasi File:Hiranyaksha use maya on varaha by manaku from Bhagavata purana series.jpg, ''Vishnu as Varaha challenges the demon Hiranyaksha'' from Bhagavata Purana series, c. 1740, Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh File:Jayadeva bow to Radha-krishna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holika
Holika ( sa, होलिका, translit=Hōlikā), also known as Simhika, is an asuri in Hinduism. She is the sister of the asura-kings Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha, and the aunt of Prahlada. The legend of ''Holika Dahan'' (Holika's burning) signifies the triumph of righteousness over sin. Holika is associated with the annual bonfire on the night before Holi, the festival of colours. Legend According to Hindu mythology, a king named Hiranyakashipu, like many asuras, wished to be immortal. To fulfill this desire, he performed the required tapas until he was granted a boon by Brahma. The boon granted Hiranyakashipu five of his desires: that he would not die at the hands of any being created by Brahma, that he would not perish inside or outside, by day or night, by any weapon, on the earth or in the sky, by men or beasts, devas or asuras, that he be unequalled, that he possess undiminishing power, and that he be the one ruler of all creation. His wish granted, Hiranyakash ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patala
In Indian religions, Patala (Sanskrit: पाताल, IAST: pātāla, lit. ''that which is below the feet''), denotes the subterranean realms of the universe – which are located under the earthly dimension. Patala is often translated as underworld or netherworld. Patala is described as more beautiful than Svarga (subtle dimensions, loosely translated as heaven). Patala is described as filled with splendid jewels, beautiful groves and lakes. In Vajrayana Buddhism, caves inhabited by asuras are entrances to Patala; these asuras, particularly female asuras, are often "tamed" (converted to Buddhism) as dharmapala or dakinis by famous Buddhist figures such as Padmasambhava. In Hindu cosmology, the universe is divided into the three worlds: Svarga, Prithvi or Martya (earth/mortal plane) and Patala (gross dimensions, the underworld). Patala is composed of seven realms/dimensions or lokas, the seventh and lowest of them is also called Patala or Naga-loka, the region of the Nagas. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bharadwaja
Bharadvaja ( sa, भरद्वाज, IAST: ; also spelled Bharadwaja) was one of the revered Vedic sages (maharishi) in Ancient India. He was a renowned scholar, economist, grammarian and physician. He is one of the Saptarishis (seven great sages or Maharṣis). His contributions to ancient Indian literature, specifically the ''Rigveda'', provide significant insight into ancient Indian society. He and his family of students were the authors of the sixth book of the ''Rigveda''. In the epic ''Mahabharata'', Bharadwaja was the father of the teacher (guru) Droṇācārya, the instructor to Pandava and Kaurava princes. Bharadwaja is also mentioned in ''Charaka Samhita'', an authoritative ancient Indian medical text. Etymology The word Bharadvaja is a compound Sanskrit from ''"bhara(d) and vaja(m)"'', which together mean "bringing about nourishment". the name also lends itself to more than one yoga asana called Bharadvajasana (“nourishing pose”) named after the sage. Hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cosmic Ocean
A cosmic ocean or celestial river is a mythological motif found in the mythology of many cultures and civilizations, representing the world or cosmos as enveloped by primordial waters. In ancient creation texts, the primordial waters are often represented as originally having filled the entire universe, being the first source of the gods cosmos with the act of creation corresponding to the establishment of an inhabitable space separate from the enveloping waters. Fraxkard ( pal, plʾhwklt, Avestan: ''Vourukaša''; also called ''Warkaš'' in Middle Persian) is the cosmic ocean in Iranian mythology. In the first creation story in the Bible the world is also created as a space inside of the water, and is hence surrounded of it, "And God saith, 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.'" (). See also * Abzu * Ap (water) * Arche * Chaos (cosmogony) * Danava (Hinduism) * Danu (Asura) * Erlik * Firmament * Heh (god) * He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Good And Evil
In religion, ethics, philosophy, and psychology "good and evil" is a very common dichotomy. In cultures with Manichaean and Abrahamic religious influence, evil is perceived as the dualistic antagonistic opposite of good, in which good should prevail and evil should be defeated. In cultures with Buddhist spiritual influence, both good and evil are perceived as part of an antagonistic duality that itself must be overcome through achieving ''Śūnyatā'' meaning emptiness in the sense of recognition of good and evil being two opposing principles but not a reality, emptying the duality of them, and achieving a oneness. Evil is often used to denote profound immorality. Evil has also been described as a supernatural force. Definitions of evil vary, as does the analysis of its motives. However, elements that are commonly associated with evil involve unbalanced behavior involving expediency, selfishness, ignorance, or neglect. The modern philosophical questions regarding good and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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