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Akshamalika Upanishad
The ''Akshamalika Upanishad'' ( sa, अक्षमालिका उपनिषद्, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. It is associated with the ''Rigveda''. It is one of 14 Shaiva (Shiva-related) Upanishads. The Upanishad describes akshamala (rosary) and its importance in ''japa'', the meditative repetition of a mantra. The text mentions different types of rosaries, their significance, the relevant mantras, and the symbolism. The inner thread of ''Japa Mala'', states the text, signifies the Ultimate Reality (Brahman-Atman), the silver thread on its right symbolizes Shiva, the copper thread on left of Vishnu, the face is Sarasvati, the bottom is Gayatri, the hole of each bead a reminder of Jnana (knowledge), and the knot is Prakriti (nature). Klaus Klostermaier classifies this text with the ''Bhasmajabala Upanishad'', the ''Rudrakshajabala Upanishad'', the ''Brihajjabala Upanishad'' and the ''Kalagni Rudra Upanishad'' as Shaiva texts that ex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rudraksha
''Rudraksha'' ( IAST: ') refers to a stonefruit, the dried stones of which are used as prayer beads by Hindus (especially Shaivas), as well as by Buddhists and Sikhs. When they are ripe, ''rudraksha'' stones are covered by an inedible blue outer fruit so they are sometimes called "blueberry beads". The ''rudraksha'' stones are produced by several species of large, evergreen, broad-leaved tree in the genus '' Elaeocarpus'', the principal species of which is '' Elaeocarpus ganitrus''. The stones are associated with the Hindu deity Shiva and are commonly worn for protection and for chanting mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya ( sa, ॐ नमः शिवाय; ). The stones are primarily sourced from India, Indonesia, and Nepal for jewellery and malas (garlands); they are valued similarly to semi-precious stones. Various meanings and interpretations are attributed to ''rudraksha'' stones with different numbers of "faces" ( sa, मुख, mukha, ) or locules, and rare or uniqu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prajapati
Prajapati ( sa, प्रजापति, Prajāpati, lord and protector of creation) is a Vedic deity of Hinduism. In later literature, Prajapati is identified with the creator god Brahma, but the term also connotes many different gods, depending on the Hindu text, ranging from being the creator god to being same as one of the following: Viswakarma, Agni, Indra, Daksha, and many others, reflecting the diverse Hindu cosmology. In classical and medieval era literature, Prajapati is equated to the metaphysical concept called Brahman as Prajapati-Brahman (Svayambhu Brahman), or alternatively Brahman is described as one who existed before Prajapati. Etymology Prajapati (Sanskrit: ) is a compound of "praja" (creation, procreative powers) and "pati" (lord, master). The term means "lord of creatures", or "lord of all born beings". In the later Vedic texts, Prajapati is a distinct Vedic deity, but whose significance diminishes. Later, the term is synonymous with other gods, parti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and one of the Chiranjivis. Hanuman is regarded to be the son of the wind-god Vayu, who in several stories played a direct role in Hanuman's birth, and considered to be an incarnation or son of Shiva in Shaivism. Hanuman is mentioned in several other texts, such as the epic ''Mahabharata'' and the various Puranas. Evidence of devotional worship to Hanuman is largely absent in these texts, as well as in most archeological sites. According to Philip Lutgendorf, an American Indologist, the theological significance of Hanuman and devotional dedication to him emerged about 1,000 years after the composition of the ''Ramayana'', in the 2nd millennium CE, after the arrival of Islamic rule in the Indian subcontinent.Paula Richman (2010), ''Revie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being. Rama is said to have been born to Kaushalya and Dasharatha in Ayodhya, the ruler of the Kingdom of Kosala. His siblings included Lakshmana, Bharata (Ramayana), Bharata, and Shatrughna. He married Sita. Though born in a royal family, their life is described in the Hindu texts as one challenged by unexpected changes such as an exile into impoverished and difficult circumstances, ethical questions and moral dilemmas. Of all their travails, the most notable is the kidnapping of Sita by demon-king Ravana, followed by the determined and epic efforts of Rama and Lakshmana to gain her freedom and destroy the evil Ravana against great odds. The entire life story of Rama, Sita and their companions allegorically discusses duties, rights and social ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categorizes collections of shorter works, such as short stories and short novels, by different authors, each featuring unrelated casts of characters and settings, and usually collected into a single volume for publication. Alternatively, it can also be a collection of selected writings (short stories, poems etc.) by one author. Complete collections of works are often called "The Complete Works, complete works" or "" (Latin equivalent). Etymology The word entered the English language in the 17th century, from the Greek language#Greek loanwords in other languages, Greek word, ἀνθολογία (''anthologic'', literally "a collection of blossoms", from , ''ánthos'', flower), a reference to one of the earliest known anthologies, Meleager of Gad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Telugu Language
Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken by Telugu people predominantly living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. It is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian language family and one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of the Republic of India. It is one of the few languages that has primary official status in more than one Indian state, alongside Hindi and Bengali. Telugu is one of six languages designated as a classical language (of India) by the Government of India. Telugu is also a linguistic minority in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, and the union territories of Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is also spoken by members of the Telugu diaspora spread across countries like United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand in the Anglosphere; Myanmar, Malaysian Telugu, Malaysia, Indian South Africans, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Thomas Colebrooke
Henry Thomas Colebrooke FRS FRSE (15 June 1765 – 10 March 1837) was an English orientalist and mathematician. He has been described as "the first great Sanskrit scholar in Europe". Biography Henry Thomas Colebrooke was born on 15 June 1765. His parents were Sir George Colebrooke, 2nd Baronet, MP for Arundel and Chairman of the East India Company from 1769, and Mary Gaynor, daughter and heir of Patrick Gaynor of Antigua. He was educated at home. In 1782 Colebrooke was appointed through his father's influence to a writership with the East India Company in Calcutta. In 1786 and three years later he was appointed assistant collector in the revenue department at Tirhut. He wrote ''Remarks on the Husbandry and Commerce of Bengal'', which was privately published in 1795, by which time he had transferred to Purnia. This opposed the East India Company's monopoly on Indian trade, advocating instead for free trade between Britain and India, which caused offence to the East Ind ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dara Shikoh
Dara Shikoh ( fa, ), also known as Dara Shukoh, (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659) was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Dara was designated with the title ''Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba'' ("Prince of High Rank") and was favoured as a successor by his father and his elder sister, Princess Jahanara Begum. In the war of succession which ensued after Shah Jahan's illness in 1657, Dara was defeated by his younger brother Prince Muhiuddin (later, the Emperor Aurangzeb). He was executed in 1659 on Aurangzeb's orders in a bitter struggle for the imperial throne. Dara was a liberal-minded unorthodox Muslim as opposed to the orthodox Aurangzeb; he authored the work '' The Confluence of the Two Seas'', which argues for the harmony of Sufi philosophy in Islam and Vedanta philosophy in Hinduism. A great patron of the arts, he was also more inclined towards philosophy and mysticism rather than military pursuits. The course of the history of the Indian subcont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kalagni Rudra Upanishad
The ''Kalagni Rudra Upanishad'' ( sa, कालाग्निरुद्र - उपनिषत्), is one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism, written in the Sanskrit language. It is attached to the Krishna Yajurveda. It is one of 14 Shaiva Upanishads. The Upanishad is a discourse by Kalagni Rudra (Shiva) to sage Sanatkumara on the Tripundra, the Shaiva sectarian tilaka consisting of three horizontal lines of sacred ash on the forehead. The allegorical significance of the "three ash lines", states Deussen, is that the tradition sees them as streaks of three Vedic fires, three audible syllables of ''AUM'', three Guṇas, three worlds, three Atmans, three Vedas and three aspects of Shiva. The text extols the Tripundra and tells about the procedure for applying Vibhuti (sacred ash) as Tripundra on various parts of the body with the associated mantras and rites. Klaus Klostermaier classifies the ''Kalagni Rudra Upanishad'' with the '' Bhasmajabala Upanishad'', the '' Rudraksha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brihajjabala Upanishad
The ''Brihajjabala Upanishad'' ( sa, बृहज्जाबाल उपिनषद, ) is one of the minor Upanishads, written in Sanskrit language. This Hindu text is attached to the '' Atharvaveda'', and is one of 14 Shaiva Upanishads. It describes the process of producing Vibhuti (Bhasma), or sacred ash, methods of using it for tilaka Tripundra on various parts of the body, and its meaning in Shaivism. The text also mentions Rudraksha as prayer beads. Klaus Klostermaier classifies the ''Brihajjabala Upanishad'' along with the ''Bhasmajabala Upanishad'', the '' Rudrakshajabala Upanishad'', the '' Kalagni Rudra Upanishad'' and the ''Akshamalika Upanishad'' as Shaiva texts that explain symbolism of rites and objects of worship in Shaivism. It is also spelled as ''Brihad jabala Upanishad'', ''Brihajjabalopanishad'' and ''Brihat Jabala Upanishad''. History The date of composition and the author of this text are unknown. It is likely a late medieval, post-12th century ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
