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Gandharva
A gandharva () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Dharmic religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, whose males are divine performers such as musicians and singers, and the females are divine dancers. In Hinduism, they are regarded to be the celestial demigods who serve as the musicians of the devas. It is also a term for skilled singers in Indian classical music. Gandharvas have been associated with the historical Gandhara region. In Buddhism, this term also refers to a being in the intermediate state (between death and rebirth). Hinduism In Hinduism, the gandharvas (, , , , , , ; , ) are a class of minor deities who serve as divine musicians in Hindu mythology. The term gandharva is present in Vedic sources (including in the Rigveda) as a singular deity. According to Oberlies, "In mandala I, IX and X the gandharva is presented as a celestial being (dwelling near the sun / in the heavenly waters) which watches over the Soma (apparently) for the benefit ...
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Gandharva Marriage
A Gandharva marriage (Sanskrit: गान्धर्व विवाह, ''pronounced gənd̪ʱərvə vɪvaːhə'') (also known as love marriage) is one of the eight classical types of Hindu marriage. This ancient marriage tradition from the Indian subcontinent was based on consensual acceptance between two people, with no rituals, witnesses or family participation. The marriage of Dushyanta and Shakuntala was a historically celebrated example of this class of marriage. Etymology In Hinduism and Buddhism, '' Gandharvas'' are male nature spirits and the masculine counterparts of the Apsaras. They are passionate lovers of women and arouse erotic and romantic passion in women. History The Smritis of Hinduism recognize eight types of marriage, one of them being Gandharva marriage. The other seven are: ''Brahma'', ''Daiva'', ''Arya'', ''Prajapatya'', ''Asura'', ''Raksasa'' and ''Paisacha''.The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, James G. Lochtefeld (2001), , Page 427Hindu ...
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Gandharva Kingdom
A gandharva () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Dharmic religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, whose males are divine performers such as musicians and singers, and the females are divine dancers. In Hinduism, they are regarded to be the celestial demigods who serve as the musicians of the devas. It is also a term for skilled singers in Indian classical music. Gandharvas have been associated with the historical Gandhara region. In Buddhism, this term also refers to a being in the intermediate state (between death and rebirth). Hinduism In Hinduism, the gandharvas (, , , , , , ; , ) are a class of minor deities who serve as divine musicians in Hindu mythology. The term gandharva is present in Vedic sources (including in the Rigveda) as a singular deity. According to Oberlies, "In mandala I, IX and X the gandharva is presented as a celestial being (dwelling near the sun / in the heavenly waters) which watches over the Soma (apparently) for the benefit ...
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Apsaras
An apsaras or apsara ( sa, अप्सरा ' lso ' pi, अक्चरा, translit=accharā) is a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hinduism and Buddhist culture. They figure prominently in the sculpture, dance, literature and painting of many Indian and Southeast Asian cultures. There are two types of apsaras: ''laukika'' (worldly) and ''daivika'' (divine). Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha, Tilottama and Ghritachi are the most famous among them. They are most often depicted in the court and discretion of Indra. Apsaras are widely known as ''Apsara'' ( ) in Khmer, and also called as ''Accharā'' in Pāli, or ''Bidadari'' ( Malay, Maranao), ''Biraddali'' ( Tausug, Sinama), ''Hapsari/Apsari'' or ''Widadari/Widyadari'' ( Javanese), ''Helloi'' ( Meitei) and ''Apsorn'' ( th , อัปสร). English translations of the word "Apsara" include "nymph", "fairy", "celestial nymph", and "celestial maiden". In Hinduism, apsaras are beautiful, supernatural female b ...
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Indian Classical Music
Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not distinct until about the 15th century. During the period of Mughal rule of the Indian subcontinent, the traditions separated and evolved into distinct forms. Hindustani music emphasizes improvisation and exploration of all aspects of a raga, while Carnatic performances tend to be short composition-based. However, the two systems continue to have more common features than differences. The roots of the classical music of India are found in the Vedic literature of Hinduism and the ancient ''Natyashastra'', the classic Sanskrit text on performing arts by Bharata Muni., Quote: "The tradition of Indian classical music and dance known as ''Sangeeta'' is fundamentally rooted in the sonic and musical dimensions of the Vedas (Sama veda), Upanishad ...
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Tumbara
Tumburu ( sa, तुम्बुरु, translit=Tuṃburu) is the foremost among the gandharvas, the celestial musicians of Hindu mythology. He is described to perform in the courts of the deities Kubera and Indra, as well as sing the praises of Vishnu. He is said to lead the gandharvas in their singing. Legend Origin Tumburu is described as the son of Sage Kashyapa, and his wife, Pradha. Along with the other three gandharva sons of Kashayapa, Bahu, Haha, and Huhu, he is renowned for his sweet and pleasant speech. Tumburu is often described as the best among the gandharvas in his musical talent. A "mighty singer and musician", he sings in presence of the devas. Besides Narada and Gopa, he is also regarded as the king of songs. Rivalry with Narada The ''Bhagavata Purana'' considers Narada to be the teacher of Tumburu. The scripture mentions that Tumburu accompanied him on a visit to the court of Yudhishthira. Narada and Tumburu are said to sing the glories of Vishnu. ...
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Tumburu
Tumburu ( sa, तुम्बुरु, translit=Tuṃburu) is the foremost among the gandharvas, the celestial musicians of Hindu mythology. He is described to perform in the courts of the deities Kubera and Indra, as well as sing the praises of Vishnu. He is said to lead the gandharvas in their singing. Legend Origin Tumburu is described as the son of Sage Kashyapa, and his wife, Pradha. Along with the other three gandharva sons of Kashayapa, Bahu, Haha, and Huhu, he is renowned for his sweet and pleasant speech. Tumburu is often described as the best among the gandharvas in his musical talent. A "mighty singer and musician", he sings in presence of the Deva (Hinduism), devas. Besides Narada and Gopa, he is also regarded as the king of songs. Rivalry with Narada The ''Bhagavata Purana'' considers Narada to be the teacher of Tumburu. The scripture mentions that Tumburu accompanied him on a visit to the court of Yudhishthira. Narada and Tumburu are said to sing the glorie ...
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Svarga
Svarga (), also known as Indraloka and Svargaloka, is the celestial abode of the devas in Hinduism. Svarga is one of the seven higher lokas ( esoteric planes) in Hindu cosmology. Svarga is often translated as heaven, though it is regarded to be not the equivalent of the Abrahamic Heaven. Description Svargaloka is a set of celestial worlds located on and above Mount Meru, where those who had led righteous lives by adhering to the scriptures delight in pleasures, before their next birth on earth. It is described to have been built by the deity Tvashtar, the Vedic architect of the devas. The king of the devas, Indra, is the ruler of Svarga, ruling it with his consort, Indrani. His palace in the abode is called Vaijayanta. This palace holds the famous hall, Sudharma, unrivalled among all the princely courts. The capital of Svarga is Amaravati, and its entrance is guarded by the legendary elephant, Airavata. Svarga is described to be the home of Kamadhenu, the cow of plenty, ...
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Bardo
In some schools of Buddhism, ''bardo'' ( xct, བར་དོ་ Wylie: ''bar do'') or ''antarābhava'' (Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese: 中有, romanized in Chinese as ''zhōng yǒu'' and in Japanese as ''chū'u'') is an intermediate, transitional, or liminal state between death and rebirth. The concept arose soon after Gautama Buddha's death, with a number of earlier Buddhist schools accepting the existence of such an intermediate state, while other schools rejected it. The concept of ''antarābhava'', an intervening state between death and rebirth, was brought into Buddhism from the Vedic- Upanishadic (later Hindu) philosophical tradition. Later Buddhism expanded the bardo concept to six or more states of consciousness covering every stage of life and death. In Tibetan Buddhism, ''bardo'' is the central theme of the ''Bardo Thodol'' (literally ''Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate State''), the ''Tibetan Book of the Dead'', a text intended to both guide the rec ...
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Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda. Each Veda has four subdivisions – the Samhitas ( mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge).Gavin Flood (1996), ''An Introduction to Hinduism'', Cambridge University Press, , pp. 35–39A Bhattacharya (2006), ''Hindu Dharma: Introduction to Scriptures and Theology'', , pp. 8–14; George M. Williams (2003), Handbook of Hindu Mythology, Oxford University P ...
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Yaksha
The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, as well as ancient and medieval era temples of South Asia and Southeast Asia as guardian deities. The feminine form of the word is or '' yakshini'' ( sa, यक्षिणी ; Pali:Yakkhini). In Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, the has a dual personality. On the one hand, a may be an inoffensive nature- fairy, associated with woods and mountains; but there is also a darker version of the , which is a kind of ghost ( bhuta) that haunts the wilderness and waylays and devours travellers, similar to the . Early yakshas Several monumental yakshas are known from the time of the Maurya Empire period. They are variously dated from around the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century BCE. These statues are monum ...
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Vāc
Vacha ( sa, वाच्, '), a Vedic goddess is a personified form of speech. She enters into the inspired poets and visionaries, gives expression and energy to those she loves; she is called the "mother of the Vedas" and consort of Prajapati, the Vedic embodiment of mind. She is also associated with Indra in Aitareya Aranyaka.''The Myths and Gods of India''
Alain Daniélou, pages 260-261
Elsewhere, such as in the Padma Purana, she is stated to be the wife of Vision (''Kashyapa''), the mother of Emotions, and the friend of Musicians (''Gandharva''). She is identified with goddess in later Vedic literature and post-Vedic texts of Hindu traditions. Sarasvati has re ...
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Deva (Hinduism)
''Deva'' (; Sanskrit: , ) means "shiny", "exalted", "heavenly being", "divine being", "anything of excellence", and is also one of the Sanskrit terms used to indicate a deity in Hinduism.Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary” Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, page 492 ''Deva'' is a masculine term; the feminine equivalent is '' Devi''. In the earliest Vedic literature, all supernatural beings are called ''Devas''George Williams (2008), A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, Oxford University Press, , pages 90, 112 and '' Asuras''. The concepts and legends evolved in ancient Indian literature, and by the late Vedic period, benevolent supernatural beings are referred to as ''Deva-Asuras''. In post-Vedic Hindu texts, such as the Puranas and the Itihasas of Hinduism, the ''Devas'' represent the good, and the ''Asuras'' the bad. In some medieval works of Indian literature, ''Devas'' are also referred ...
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