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Nirṛti
Nirṛti () sometimes spelled Nirruti or Nirriti, is a Hindu deity, personifying death, decay, and sorrow. In early Hindu scriptures, Nirṛti is a goddess who lives in the kingdom of the dead. In later Hinduism, Nirṛti and Nirṛta is also a male god, who is regarded as a dikapala ("guardian of the directions") of the southwest. Etymology The Sanskrit word ''Nirṛti'' means 'decay' and is derived from ''nirṛ'' (lit. 'to separate'). It can be interpreted as meaning "devoid of '' ṛta/i''", a state of disorder or chaos.Witzel, Michael. “Macrocosm, Mesocosm, and Microcosm: The Persistent Nature of 'Hindu' Beliefs and Symbolic Forms.” International Journal of Hindu Studies, vol. 1, no. 3, 1997, pp. 501–539. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20106493. Accessed 10 Mar. 2020. The name ' has the meaning of "absence of ṛta", meaning 'disorder', or 'lawlessness', specifically the guardian to the absence of divine or cosmic disorder. This term was used in Vedic texts to indicat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hindu Deity
Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. Deities in Hinduism are as diverse as its traditions, and a Hindu can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, even agnostic, atheistic, or humanist.Julius J. Lipner (2009), Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, 2nd edition, Routledge, , p. 8; Quote: "(...) one need not be religious in the minimal sense described to be accepted as a Hindu by Hindus, or describe oneself perfectly validly as Hindu. One may be polytheistic or monotheistic, monistic or pantheistic, even an agnostic, humanist or atheist, and still be considered a Hindu." The terms and epithets for deities within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva (Hinduism), Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavan, Bhagavān and Bhagavathi, Bhagavati. The deities of Hinduism have evolved from the Vedic era (2nd millennium BCE) through the medieval era (1st millennium CE), regionally within Nepal, Pakistan, India and in Sout ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ahimsa
(, IAST: , ) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to actions towards all living beings. It is a key virtue in Indian religions like Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. (also spelled Ahinsa) is one of the cardinal virtues of Jainism, where it is the first of the Jain Ethics, Pancha Mahavrata. It is also one of the central precepts of Hinduism and is the first of the five precepts of Buddhism. is inspired by the premise that all living beings have the spark of the divine spiritual energy; therefore, to hurt another being is to hurt oneself. is also related to the notion that all acts of violence have Karma, karmic consequences. While ancient scholars of Brahmanism had already investigated and refined the principles of , the concept reached an extraordinary development in the ethical philosophy of Jainism. Mahavira, the twenty-fourth and the last of Jainism, further strengthened the idea in . About , Valluvar emphasized and Ethics of eating meat, m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Devi-Bhagavata Purana
The Devi Bhagavata Purana (, '), also known as the Devi Purana or simply Devi Bhagavatam, is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas as per Shiva Purana of Hinduism. Composed in Sanskrit by Veda Vyasa, the text is considered a major purana for Devi worshippers ( Shaktas). It promotes ''bhakti'' (devotion) towards Mahadevi, integrating themes from the Shaktadvaitavada tradition (a syncretism of Samkhya and Advaita Vedanta). While this is generally regarded as a Shakta Purana, some scholars such as Dowson have also interpreted this Purana as a Shaiva Purana. The Purana consists of twelve cantos with 318 chapters. Along with the ''Devi Mahatmya'', it is one of the most important works in Shaktism, a tradition within Hinduism that reveres Devi or Shakti (Goddess) as the primordial creator of the universe, and as Brahman (ultimate truth and reality). It celebrates the divine feminine as the origin of all existence: as the creator, the preserver and the destroyer of everything, as well ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Danda
In Indic scripts, the daṇḍa (Sanskrit: दण्ड ' "stick") is a punctuation mark. The glyph consists of a single vertical stroke. Use The daṇḍa marks the end of a sentence or line, comparable to a full stop (period) as commonly used in the Latin alphabet, and is used together with Western punctuation in Hindi and Nepali. The daṇḍa and double daṇḍa are the only punctuation used in Sanskrit texts. No distinct punctuation is used to mark questions or exclamations, which must be inferred from other aspects of the sentence. In metrical texts, a double daṇḍa is used to delimit verses, and a single daṇḍa to delimit a pada, line, or semi-verse. In prose, the double daṇḍa is used to mark the end of a paragraph, a story, or section. Computer encoding The Devanagari character can be found at code point U+0964 () in Unicode. The "double daṇḍa" is at U+0965 (). The Unicode standard recommends using this character also in other Indic scripts, like B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vishnudharmottara Purana
The Vishnudharmottara Purana (or the ''Vishnudharmottara'') is a Hindu Sanskrit text in the '' Upapuranas'' genre. Like the ''Mahapuranas'', it is also encyclopedic covering a wide range of topics in the traditions of Hinduism. It is included in the list of eighteen Upapuranas given in the Brihaddharma Purana (1.25.23-26). History It is most celebrated for '' Chitrasutras'' constituting chapters 35–43 of the third ''khanda'' (book). This much cited part of the text dates from the Gupta period of Indian history. The ''Chitrasutra'' section of the ''Vishnudharmottara Purana'' has been discovered in manuscripts all over India and Nepal in Devanagari, Sharada, Bengali, and Newari scripts. The compilation that has survived into the modern age was likely complete by the 5th or 6th-century CE according to David Pingree. It is one of the oldest known complete Sanskrit treatises on painting arts in India. Content The ''Vishnudharmottara Purana'' is a Vaishnava-tradition text. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vahana
''Vāhana'' () or ''vahanam'' () denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular Hindus, Hindu deity is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vāhana is often called the deity's "mount". Upon the partnership between the deity and his vāhana is woven much Hindu iconography, iconography and Hindu mythology, Hindu theology. Deities are often depicted riding (or simply mounted upon) the vāhana. Other times, the vāhana is depicted at the deity's side or symbolically represented as a divine attribute. The vāhana may be considered an :wikt:accoutrement, accoutrement of the deity: though the vāhana may act independently, they are still functionally emblematic or even :wikt:syntagmatic, syntagmatic of their "rider". The deity may be seen sitting or standing on the vāhana. They may be sitting on a small platform, or riding on a saddle or bareback. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Āgama (Hinduism)
The Agamas (Devanagari: , IAST: ) are a collection of several Tantric literature and scriptures of Hindu schools. Julius Lipner (2004), Hinduism: the way of the banyan, in The Hindu World (Editors: Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby), Routledge, , pages 27–28 The term literally means tradition or "that which has come down", and the Agama texts describe cosmology, epistemology, philosophical doctrines, precepts on meditation and practices, four kinds of yoga, mantras, temple construction, deity worship and ways to attain sixfold desires. These canonical texts are in Sanskrit and Tamil. The three main branches of Agama texts are Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta. The Agamic traditions are sometimes called Tantrism, although the term "Tantra" is usually used specifically to refer to Shakta Agamas.Mariasusai Dhavamony (1999), Hindu Spirituality, Gregorian University and Biblical Press, , pages 31–34 with footnotes The Agama literature is voluminous, and includes 28 Shaiva Agamas, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rudras
Rudras refer to the forms of the god Rudra, whose traditions have since been associated with lord Shiva. They make up eleven of the thirty-three gods in the Vedic pantheon.Hopkins pp. 172-3 They are at times identified with the storm deities referred to as Maruts, while at other times considered distinct from them. While the ''Vamana Purana'' describes Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi, Maruts are described distinct from the Rudras as the 49 sons of Diti, sister of Aditi, and the attendants of Indra, rather than Rudra. Birth and names The ''Ramayana'' tells they are eleven of the 33 children of the sage Kashyapa and his wife Aditi, along with the 12 Adityas, 8 Vasus and 2 Ashvins, constituting the Thirty-three gods.Mani pp. 654–5 The ''Vamana Purana'' describes the Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi. The '' Matsya Purana'' notes that Surabhi – the mother of all cows and the "cow of plenty" – was the consort of Brahma and their union produced the eleven ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dikapala
The Guardians of the Directions (, ) are the deities who rule the specific directions of space according to Hinduism, Jainism and '' '' Buddhism—especially . As a group of eight deities, they are called (अष्ट-दिक्पाल), literally meaning guardians of eight directions. They are often augmented with two extra deities for the ten directions (the two extra directions being zenith and nadir), when they are known as the . In Hinduism it is traditional to represent their images on the walls and ceilings of Hindu temples. They are also often portrayed in Jain temples, with the exception that Nāga usually takes the place of Vishnu in the nadir. Ancient Java and Bali Hinduism recognize , literally meaning guardians of nine directions, that consist of eight directions with one addition in the center. The nine guardian gods of directions is called ''Dewata Nawa Sanga'' (Nine guardian devata). The diagram of these guardian gods of directions is featured in Surya Majap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samudra Manthan
The Samudra Manthana () is a major episode in Hinduism that is elaborated in the Vishnu Purana, a major text of Hinduism. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of the elixir of eternal life, amrita. Nomenclature *Sāgara manthana (सागरमन्थन) – ''Sāgara'' is another word for '' Samudra'', both meaning a sea or large water body. *Kshirasāgara manthana (क्षीरसागरमन्थन) – ''Kshirasāgara'' means the ocean of milk or milky ocean. ''Kshirasāgara'' = ''Kshira'' (milk) + ''Sāgara'' (ocean or sea). *Amrita Manthana (अमृतमन्थन) – ''Amrita'' means the elixir. “''Churning for the Elixir”'' Legend Indra, the King of Svarga, was riding on his divine elephant when he came across the sage Durvasa, who offered him a special garland given to him by an apsara. The deity accepted the garland and placed it on the trunk (sometime the tusks or the head of the elephant in some scriptures) of Airavata (his mount) as a tes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alakshmi
Alakshmi ( Devanāgari: अलक्ष्मी; from the roots ''अ'' (''a''): "not" and ''लक्ष्मी'' (''Lakshmi''): "goddess of fortune", figurative meaning "goddess of misfortune") meaning "not Lakshmi" or "anti-Lakshmi". She is described as being "cow-repelling, antelope-footed, and bull-toothed."Pattanaik, Devdutt. ''Lakshmi: The Goddess of Wealth and Fortune-An Introduction''. Vakils Feffer & Simons Ltd, 2003 () Or she "has dry shriveled up body, sunken cheeks, thick lips, and beady eyes and that she rides a donkey." Alakshmi is also known as Kalahapriya and Daridara, Jyestha and the shadow opposite of Lakshmi. She is not mentioned by name in the Vedic, Upanishadic or early Puranic literature, but all aspects of Alakshmi match those of the Rig Vedic goddess Nirṛti. She is also said to be the shadow of Lakshmi. In ''Padma Purana'', the cosmology includes her where the Samudra Manthana creates both good and bad of everything that emerges. That which is inaus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
