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Nasadiya Sukta
The Nāsadīya Sūkta (after the incipit ', or "not the non-existent"), also known as the Hymn of Creation, is the 129th hymn of the 10th mandala of the Rigveda (10:129). It is concerned with cosmology and the origin of the universe. Nasadiya Sukta begins with the statement: "Then, there was neither existence, nor non-existence." It ponders when, why, and through whom the universe came into being in a contemplative tone, and provides no definite answers. Rather, it concludes that the gods too may not know, as they came after creation, and that even the surveyor of that which has been created, in the highest heaven may or may not know. To this extent, the conventional English title ''Hymn of Creation'' is perhaps misleading, since the poem does not itself present a cosmogony or creation myth akin to those found in other religious texts, instead provoking the listener to question whether one can ever know the origins of the universe. Interpretations The hymn has attracted a larg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mandala 10
The tenth mandala of the Rigveda has 191 hymns. Together with Mandala 1, it forms the latest part of the Rigveda, containing much mythological material, including the Purusha sukta (10.90) and the dialogue of Sarama with the Panis (10.108), and notably containing several dialogue hymns. The subjects of the hymns cover a wider spectrum than in the other books, dedicated not only to deities or natural phenomena, including deities that are not prominent enough to receive their own hymns in the other books ( Nirrti 10.59, Asamati 10.60, Ratri 10.127, Aranyani 10.146, Indrani 10.159), but also to objects like dice (10.34), herbs (10.97), press-stones (for Soma, 10.94, 175) and abstract concepts like liberality (towards the rishi, 10.117), creation (10.129 (the Nasadiya Sukta), 130, 190), knowledge (10.71), speech, spirit (10.58), faith (10.151), a charm against evil dreams (10.164). 10.15, dedicated to the forefathers, contains a reference to the emerging rite of cremation in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kāma
''Kama'' (Sanskrit ) means "desire, wish, longing" in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh literature.Monier Williamsकाम, kāmaMonier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary, pp 271, see 3rd column Kama often connotes sensual pleasure, sexual desire, and longing both in religious and secular Hindu and Buddhist literature, as well as contemporary Indian literature, but the concept more broadly refers to any desire, wish, passion, longing, pleasure of the senses, desire for, longing to and after, the aesthetic enjoyment of life, affection, or love, enjoyment of love is particularly with or without enjoyment of sexual, sensual and erotic desire, and may be without sexual connotations. Kama is one of the four goals of human life and is also contemplated as one of the primary needs to fulfill during the stages of life according to the Hindu tradition. It is considered an essential and healthy goal of human life when pursued without sacrificing the other three goals: Dharma (vir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tapas (Indian Religions)
Tapas (Sanskrit: तपस्) is a variety of austere spiritual meditation practices in Indian religions. In Jainism, it means asceticism (austerities, body mortification); in Buddhism, it denotes spiritual practices including meditation and self-discipline; and in the different traditions within Hinduism it means a spectrum of practices ranging from asceticism, inner cleansing to self-discipline by meditation practices. The ''Tapas'' practice often involves solitude, and is a part of monastic practices that are believed to be a means to moksha (liberation, salvation). In the Vedas literature of Hinduism, fusion words based on ''tapas'' are widely used to expound several spiritual concepts that develop through heat or inner energy, such as meditation, any process to reach special observations and insights, the spiritual ecstasy of a yogin or ''Tāpasa'' (a vṛddhi derivative meaning "a practitioner of austerities, an ascetic"), even warmth of sexual intimacy.Kaelber, W. O. (19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamas (philosophy)
Tamas (Sanskrit: तमस् ''tamas'' "darkness") is one of the three Gunas (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.James G. Lochtefeld, Guna, in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, Vol. 1, Rosen Publishing, , page 265 The other two qualities are '' rajas'' (passion and activity) and ''sattva'' (purity, goodness). ''Tamas'' is the quality of inertia, inactivity, dullness, or lethargy. Etymology The Vedic word ''támas'' refers to "darkness" and the Indo-European word ''*temH-es'', meaning "dark", and the Lithuanian word ''tamsa'', meaning "darkness", is related to it. Hinduism In Samkhya philosophy, a is one of three "tendencies, qualities": sattva, rajas and tamas. This category of qualities have been widely adopted by various schools of Hinduism for categorizing behavior and natural phenomena. The three qualities are: * ''Sattva Sattva ( Sanskrit: सत्त्व, mean ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amrita
''Amrita'' ( sa, अमृत, IAST: ''amṛta''), ''Amrit'' or ''Amata'' in Pali, (also called ''Sudha'', ''Amiy'', ''Ami'') is a Sanskrit word that means "immortality". It is a central concept within Indian religions and is often referred to in ancient Indian texts as an elixir. Its first occurrence is in the Rigveda, where it is considered one of several synonyms for ''soma'', the drink of the devas. Amrita plays a significant role in the Samudra Manthana, and is the cause of the conflict between devas and asuras competing for amrita to obtain immortality. Amrita has varying significance in different Indian religions. The word ''Amrit'' is also a common first name for Sikhs and Hindus, while its feminine form is ''Amritā''. Amrita is cognate to and shares many similarities with ambrosia; both originated from a common Proto-Indo-European source."Ambrosia" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 1, p. 315. Etymology Amrita is composed of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mrtyu
Mṛtyu ( sa, मृत्यु, lit=Death, translit=Mṛtyu), is a Sanskrit word meaning death. Mṛtyu, or Death, is often personified as the deities ''Mara'' (मर) and ''Yama'' (यम) in Dharmic religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. * Mara (Hindu goddess), the goddess of death according to Hindu mythology. *Mṛtyu-māra as death in Buddhism or Māra, a "demon" of the Buddhist cosmology, the personification of Temptation. *Yama ( sa, यम) is the god of death and the underworld in Hinduism and Buddhism. **Yama in Hinduism. **Yama in Buddhism. Etymology The Vedic ''mṛtyú'', along with Avestan ''mərəθiiu'' and Old Persian ''məršiyu'' comes from the Proto-Indo-Iranian word for death, ''*mr̥tyú-'', which is ultimately derived from the Indo-European root ''*mer-'' ("to die") and thus is further related to Latin ''mors''. Literature Vedas Mrtyu is invoked in the hymns of the Rigveda: Upanishads The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (a mystical appendix to the Shata ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Wonder That Was India
''The Wonder That Was India: A Survey of the Culture of the Indian Sub-Continent Before the Coming of the Muslims'', is a book on Indian history written by Arthur Llewellyn Basham and first published in 1954. Synopsis The book was aimed at a western audience. Basham, in the book, has attempted to correct the negative stereotypes of India created by authors like James Mill, Thomas Babington Macaulay and Vincent Arthur Smith. Reception Thomas Trautmann considers this book his primary influence which encouraged him to study India. The foreword of the 2005 edition by Picador was written by him. David Dean Shulman has said that the book fascinated him. See also * ''The Greatness That Was Babylon ''The Greatness That Was Babylon'' (1962; second edition 1988) is a book about Babylonia by the Assyriologist H. W. F. Saggs. Summary Saggs, writing for the "general reader", describes the ancient Babylonians before and during the ancient Assy ...'' References 1954 non-fiction ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Journal Of The American Oriental Society
The ''Journal of the American Oriental Society'' is a quarterly academic journal published by the American Oriental Society since 1843. on JSTOR
JSTOR (; short for ''Journal Storage'') is a digital library founded in 1995 in New York City. Originally containing digitized back issues of academic journals, it now encompasses books and other primary sources as well as current issues of j ...
See also * List of theological journalsReferences External links |
Trishtubh
''Trishtubh'' ( sa, त्रिष्टुभ्, , IAST: ) is a Vedic metre of 44 syllables (four padas of eleven syllables each), or any hymn composed in this metre. It is the most prevalent metre of the Rigveda, accounting for roughly 40% of its verses. The Trishtubh pada contains a "break" or caesura, after either four or five syllables, necessarily at a word-boundary and if possible at a syntactic break, followed by either three or two short syllables. The final four syllables form a trochaic cadence. For example RV 2.3.1: :' :' :' :' :"Agni is set upon the earth well kindled :he standeth in the presence of all beings. :Wise, ancient, God, the Priest and Purifier :let Agni serve the Gods for he is worthy." :(trans. Griffith; the translator attempts to imitate the meter in English) This is to be read metrically as follows, with marking the caesura and separating the cadence: : : : : The Avesta has a parallel stanza of 4x11 syllables with a caesura after the fourth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
śabda
''Shabda'' ( sa, शब्द, ), is the Sanskrit word for "speech sound". In Sanskrit grammar, the term refers to an utterance in the sense of linguistic performance. History In classical Indian philosophy of language, the grammarian Katyayana stated that ''shabda'' ("speech") is eternal (''nitya''), as is ''artha'' "meaning", and that they share a mutual co-relation. According to Patanjali, the permanent aspect of ''shabda'' is ("meaning"), while ''dhvani'' ("sound, acoustics") is ephemeral to ''shabda''. Om, or Aum, a sacred syllable of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, is considered to be the first resonating vibrational sound within an individual being. It also denotes the non-dualistic universe as a whole. In Buddhism, Om corresponds to the crown chakra and white light. Bhartrihari, on the other hand, held a ''shabda-advaita'' position, identifying ''shabda'' as indivisible, and unifying the notions of cognition and linguistic performance, which is ultimately ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sphoṭa
( sa, स्फोट, ; "bursting, opening", "spurt") is an important concept in the Indian grammatical tradition of Vyakarana, relating to the problem of speech production, how the mind orders linguistic units into coherent discourse and meaning. The theory of ' is associated with Bhartṛhari ( 5th century "Bhartrihari was long believed to have lived in the seventh century CE, but according to the testimony of the Chinese pilgrim Yijing ..he was known to the Buddhist philosopher Dignaga, and this has pushed his date back to the fifth century CE."), an early figure in Indic linguistic theory, mentioned in the 670s by Chinese traveller Yijing. Bhartṛhari is the author of the '' Vākyapadīya'' (" reatiseon words and sentences"). The work is divided into three books, the ''Brahma-kāṇḍa'', (or ''Āgama-samuccaya'' "aggregation of traditions"), the ''Vākya-kāṇḍa'', and the ''Pada-kāṇḍa'' (or ''Prakīrṇaka'' "miscellaneous"). He theorized the act of speech as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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