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Amba (Mahabharata)
Amba () is a character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. She is the eldest and most beautiful daughter of Kashya, the King of Kashi, and the sister of Ambika and Ambalika. Amba, along with her sisters, were abducted by Bhishma during their svayamvara ceremony, as brides to marry Vichitravirya, the King of Hastinapura. Before the wedding ceremony, the princess approaches Bhishma, and informs him of her love for King Salva, upon which she is allowed to go to the latter and urge him to accept her as his wife. To her dismay, Salva rejects her, regarding her to have been customarily accepted by Bhishma as his wife. Despite her efforts, as well as those of Parashurama, Bhishma refuses to marry her. Amba holds Bhishma responsible for her misfortune, undertaking a penance, and is granted a boon by Shiva. She is reborn as Shikhandi, the child of King Drupada, and the sibling of the epic's female protagonist, Draupadi. Etymology Amba is a commonly used word in Sanskrit meanin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhishma
Bhishma (), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, is a central figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was a statesman and military commander of the ancient Kuru Kingdom. Renowned for his wisdom, valor, and unwavering principles, Bhishma served as the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the Kurukshetra War. Born to King Shantanu and the river goddess Ganga, he was originally named Devavrata. He was designated the heir-apparent to the throne. However, he renounced his claim and took a vow of lifelong celibacy to facilitate his father's marriage to Satyavati. This unparalleled sacrifice earned him the title Bhishma, meaning "the one who undertakes a severe vow," and he was blessed with ''Ichcha Mrityu''—the boon of choosing his time of death. Bhishma's life after his vow was marked by unwavering loyalty to the Kuru dynasty. He served as the chief advisor and regent to successive rulers of Hastinapura, including his stepbrothers Chitrangada and Vi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vedas
FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, 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 Hindu texts, 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 Brahmanas (commentaries on and explanation of rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices – Yajñas), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-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: Introduc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kshatriya
Kshatriya () (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority"; also called Rajanya) is one of the four varnas (social orders) of Hindu society and is associated with the warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the context of later Vedic society wherein members were organised into four classes: ''brahmin'', kshatriya, '' vaishya,'' and '' shudra''. History Early Rigvedic tribal monarchy The administrative machinery in Vedic India was headed by a tribal king called a Rajan whose position may or may not have been hereditary. The king may have been elected in a tribal assembly (called a Samiti), which included women. The Rajan protected the tribe and cattle; was assisted by a priest; and did not maintain a standing army, though in the later period the rulership appears to have risen as a social class. The concept of the fourfold varna system is not yet recorded. Later Vedic period The hymn '' Purusha Sukta'' in the ''Rigveda'' describes the symbolic crea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kauravas
''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his wife Gandhari. Duryodhana, Dushasana, Vikarna and Chitrasena are the most popular among the brothers. They also had a sister named Dussala and a half-brother named Yuyutsu. Etymology The term ''Kauravas'' is used in the ''Mahabharata'' with two meanings , *The wider meaning is used to represent all the descendants of Kuru. This meaning, which includes the Pandava brothers, is often used in the earlier parts of popular renditions of the ''Mahabharata''. *The narrower but more common meaning is used to represent the elder line of the descendants of Kuru. This restricts it to the children of King Dhritarashtra, excluding the children of his younger brother, Pandu, whose children form the Pandava line. The rest of this article deals ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pandavas
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledged as the sons of Pandu, the King of Kuru, but were fathered by different '' Devas'' (gods) due to Pandu's cursed inability to naturally sire children. In the epic, the Pandavas married Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, and founded the city of Indraprastha after the Kuru Kingdom was split to avoid succession disputes. After the split, the other part of the kingdom was ruled by their cousins, the Kauravas. However, the Pandavas lost their kingdom to Duryodhana (eldest and king of the Kauravas) when Yudhishthira gambled it away during a game of dice. The bet Yudhishtira agreed to was that the Pandavas would hand the kingdom over to the Kauravas and go into exile for 12 followed by an year in hiding. After this ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duryodhana
Duryodhana (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, [d̪ʊɾjoːd̪ʱən̪ᵊ], ), also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He is the eldest of the Kaurava, Kauravas, the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari (Mahabharata), Gandhari of Kuru dynasty. Born through a miraculous manner, his birth is accompanied by ill-omens. Duryodhana grows up in Hastinapur, Hastinapura and later becomes its crown prince. Driven by innate selfishness, jealousy, and hostility towards his cousins—the five Pandava brothers—Duryodhana frequently plots against them, aided by his principal allies: his trickster uncle Shakuni, his loyal friend Karna, his devoted brother Dushasana and his blind and indulgent father Dhritarashtra. Duryodhana's envy culminates in the infamous dice game, where he humiliates Draupadi, the queen of the Pandavas. This incident provokes Bhima, the second Pandava, to vow that he will one day smash Duryodhana's thigh. Later, with the he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Udyoga Parva
The Udyoga Parva () ("Book of Effort") is the fifth of the eighteen ''parvas'' (books) of the Indian epic ''Mahabharata.''van Buitenen, J.A.B. (1978) ''The Mahabharata: Book 4: The Book of the Virata; Book 5: The Book of the Effort''. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press Udyoga Parva traditionally has 10 parts and 199 chapters.Ganguli, K. M. (1883–1896)Udyoga Parva in ''The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa'' (12 Volumes). CalcuttaDutt, M.N. (1896) ''The Mahabharata (Volume 5): Udyoga Parva''. Calcutta: Elysium Press The critical edition of Sabha Parva has 12 parts and 197 chapters. Udyoga Parva describes the period immediately after the exile of Pandavas had ended. The Pandavas return, demand their half of the kingdom. The Kauravas refuse. The book includes the effort for peace that fails, followed by the effort to prepare for the great war—the Kurukshetra War. ''Vidura Niti'', a theory of leadership as propounded by Vidura, is embedded in Udyoga Parva (Chapters 33� ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brahmins
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). The traditional occupation of Brahmins is that of priesthood (purohit, pandit, or pujari) at Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and the performing of rite of passage rituals, such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers.James Lochtefeld (2002), Brahmin, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing, , page 125 Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded the supreme ritual status of the four social classes, and they also served as spiritual teachers (guru or acharya). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists, warriors, traders, and had also held other occupations in the Indian subcontinent.GS Ghurye (1969), Caste and Race in India, Popular Prakasha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Satyavati
Satyavati (, ; also spelled Satyawati) was the queen of the Kuru Kingdom in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. Satyavati is married to king Shantanu of Hastinapura, and is a great-grandmother of the Pandava and Kaurava princes. She is also the mother of the seer Vyasa, author of the epic. Her story appears in the ''Mahabharata'', the ''Harivamsa,'' and the ''Devi Bhagavata Purana''. Satyavati is the daughter of a fisherman chieftain, Characters in the Mahabharata#Dashraj, Dasharaja and was brought up as a commoner on the banks of the river Yamuna. Another legend says that she is the biological daughter of the Chedi Kingdom, Chedi king Uparichara Vasu (Vasu) and a cursed ''apsara'' (celestial nymph), who was turned into a fish called Adrika. Due to the smell emanating from her body, she was known as ''Matsyagandha'' ("She who smells like fish"), and helped her father, Dasharaja, in his job as ferryman and fisherman. As a young woman, Satyavati met the wandering rishi (sage) Paras ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varmala
A varamala () or a jayamala () is a South Asian garland that is most commonly associated with its eponymous ritual during a Hindu wedding ceremony. Traditionally, a varamala is made of roses and other flowers, though modern variations exist, such as garlands made from rupee notes, and other regional traditions. The jayamala ceremony is a well-known ritual during a Hindu wedding, where a bride and a groom exchange garlands, as an indication of acceptance of each other as their spouse, and a pledge to respect them throughout the rest of their lives. Hinduism During the Samudra Manthanam, the legend of the churning of the ocean, the newly emerged Lakshmi garlands Vishnu with her varamala of lotus flowers, accepting him to be her divine consort.In the Ramayana, Sita places a varamala around the neck of Rama after he wins her hand in the Sita Swayamvara, breaking the Pinaka bow. In the Mahabharata, Draupadi chooses Arjuna to be her husband by garlanding him during her svayamvara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salwa Kingdom
Salwa (also written as Śalva halva is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. It was close to Madra kingdom as both are mentioned together in many places. Saubha was its capital. Martikavati (alias Matika, Matrika, Matrikavati) also was mentioned as the capital of Salwa kingdom. The famous prince Satyavan was from Salwa. He married the Madra princess, Savitri, the daughter of Madra king Aswapati. Their history is a famous narration in Mahabharata. Seven chapters 3:291 to 3:297 is dedicated to this history of Satyavan and Savitri. References in Mahabharata The common ancestry of Salwas and Madras There was, in ancient times, a king in the race of Puru, known by the name of Vyushitaswa. He was devoted to truth and virtue. Vyushitaswa, who was endued with the strength of ten elephants very soon performed the horse-sacrifice, overthrowing, all the kings of the East, the North, the West and the South, and exacted tributes from them all. The seven chil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
