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Avatars In The Mahabharata
The section ''Amshavatara Parva'' (1.7.a) of the ''Adi Parva'' in the ''Mahabharata'' (Critical Edition). provides a detailed account of the incarnations of Danavas, Asuras Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Deva (Hinduism), Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhism, ..., gods, and other celestial beings into human forms, as narrated by Vaisampayana to Janamejaya, revealing the divine origins of prominent figures in the epic. Notes References {{Mahabharata Mahabharata Mahabharata ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adi Parva
The Adi Parva ("Book of the Beginning") is the first of the eighteen ''parvas'' (books) of the Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. "Ādi" (wiktionary:आदि#Sanskrit, आदि) in Sanskrit means "first". Adi Parva traditionally has 19 parts and 236 ''adhyayas'' (chapters). The Textual criticism, critical edition of Adi Parva has 19 parts and 225 chapters. Adi Parva describes how the epic came to be recited by Ugrasrava Sauti to the assembled rishis at the Naimisha Forest after first having been narrated at the ''sarpasatra'' of Janamejaya II, Janamejaya by Vaishampayana at Taxila. It includes an outline of contents from the eighteen books, along with the book's significance. The history of the Bhāratas and the Bhrigus are described. The main part of the work covers the birth and early life of the Mahabharata#Kuru family tree, princes of the Kuru Kingdom and the persecution of the Pandavas by Dhritarashtra. Structure and chapters The Adi Parva consists of 19 ''upa-parvas'' (parts, l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bahlika (Mahabharata)
(), also spelled or , was a king of the Bahlika kingdom mentioned in Hindu literature, most notably the ''Mahabharata''. He was the second son of King Pratipa of the Lunar dynasty and the elder brother of Shantanu, who later became the king of Kuru Kingdom and the father of Bhishma. Bahlika was also a prominent elder of the Kaurava lineage and participated in the events leading up to and during the Kurukshetra War. Biography Accession to the throne Bahlika was the second of the three sons of Pratipa and his wife Sunanda, the king and queen of Hastinapura. With his eldest son Devapi set to inherit, Pratipa gifted some newly-conquered land (though in some versions of the story, this is the land Jarasandha gifted Bahlika for agreeing not to join Panchala in a war against Magadha) to his second son; the land was given the name Bahlika as a result. However, due to leprosy, Pratipa's eldest son Devapi refused to ascend the throne and retired into the woods to perform penance ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ganga
The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ... and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttarakhand. It flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain, Gangetic plain of North India, receiving the right-bank tributary, the Yamuna, which also rises in the western Indian Himalayas, and several left-bank tributaries from Nepal that account for the bulk of its flow. In West Bengal state, India, a feeder canal taking off from i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shantanu
Shantanu (, ) was the King of Kuru Kingdom with his capital at Hastinapura, in the epic ''Mahabharata''. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, a forebear of the lineage of the Chandravamsha, the father of Bhishma and the great-grandfather of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The ruler was the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapura and had been born during the latter's latter years. His eldest brother, Devapi, had leprosy, and had given up his inheritance to become a hermit. The middle son, Bahlika, (or Vahlika) abandoned his paternal kingdom, and had started living with his maternal uncle in Balkh, subsequently inheriting his kingdom. Shantanu, thus, ascended the throne of Hastinapura. Etymology The meaning of the name can be explained by nirukti available in Adi Parva, through which Sri Nityānanda Miśra elaborates its meaning as "the one who amplifies sukha (happiness) for others". Monier-Williams translates ''śaṁ-tanu'' as "wholesome for the body". The Sa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vasus
The Vasus () are a group of deities in Hinduism associated with fire and light. They are described as the attendant deities of Indra, and later Vishnu. Generally numbering eight and classified as the Ashtavasu, they are described in the Ramayana as the children of Kashyapa and Aditi, and in the Mahabharata as the sons of Manu or Dharma and a daughter of Daksha named Vasu. They are eight among the thirty-three gods featured in the Vedas. Etymology The Sanskrit term ''Vasu''(s) is translated as the "bright ones". List There are varying lists of the eight Vasus in different texts, sometimes only because particular deities have varying names. The following are names and meanings according to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Manava Purana, and according to the Mahabharata, as normally equated: Though the ''Shatapatha Brahmana'' uses the '' Brhad-Aranyaka'' names, most later texts follow the ''Mahabharata'' names with the exception that Āpa 'water' usually appears in place of Aha. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashwatthaman
Ashvatthama (, , also spelt as Ashwatthama and Ashvatthaman) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the son of Drona, the royal preceptor to the Kuru princes—the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ashvatthama is a close companion of Duryodhana, the leader of the Kauravas, and receives military training alongside the Kuru princes under the tutelage of his father. Favoured by his father, Ashvatthama is entrusted with the knowledge of several celestial weapons, including the Narayanastra and the Brahmashirastra. During the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, he fights on the side of the Kauravas and emerges as one of the three surviving warriors from their faction by the war’s conclusion. On the night following the eighteenth day of battle, after the war has formally concluded, Ashvatthama launches a night raid on the Pandava camp. He kills Dhrishtadyumnathe commander-in-chief of the Pandava army, who beheaded Drona during the warand remain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kama
''Kama'' (Sanskrit: काम, ) is the concept of pleasure, enjoyment and desire in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It can also refer to "desire, wish, longing" in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh literature.Monier Williamsकाम, kāma Monier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary, pp 271, see 3rd column However, the term is also used in a technical sense to refer to any sensory enjoyment, emotional attraction or aesthetic pleasure experienced in connection with the arts, dance, music, painting, sculpture, and nature. In contemporary literature ''kama'' is often used to connote sexual desire and emotional longing,James Lochtefeld (2002), ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism'', Volume 1, Rosen Publishing, New York, , page 340. but the ancient concept is more expansive, and broadly refers to any desire, wish, passion, pleasure, or enjoyment of art and beauty, the aesthetic, enjoyment of life, affection, love and connection, and enjoyment of love with or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yama
Yama (), also known as Kāla and Dharmarāja, is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for the dispensation of law and punishment of sinners in his abode, Naraka. He is often identified with Dharmadeva, the personification of ''Dharma'', though the two deities have different origins and myths. In Vedic tradition, Yama was considered the first mortal who died and espied the way to the celestial abodes; as a result, he became the ruler of the departed. His role, characteristics, and abode have been expounded in texts such as the ''Upanishads'', the ''Ramayana'', the ''Mahabharata'', and the ''Puranas''. Yama is described as the twin of the goddess Yami, and the son of the god Surya (sun) (in earlier traditions Vivasvat) and Sanjna. He judges the souls of the dead and, depending on their deeds, assigns them to the realm of the Pitris (forefathers), Naraka (hell), or to be reborn on the earth. Yama is one of the Lokapalas (guardians of the realms), appointed as the pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahadeva
Mahadeva may refer to: Religion *Mahadeva, a title of the Hindu god Shiva **Parashiva, a form of Shiva ** Parameshwara (god), a form of Shiva * Para Brahman, a Hindu deity *Adi-Buddha, in Buddhism, the "First Buddha" or the "Primordial Buddha" * Mahadeva (Buddhism), founder of the Caitika school of Indian Buddhism or a literary figure associated with 5 points of contention in some Theravada works * Taidi, in Chinese folk religion People with the name * Mahadeva (Buddhism), founder of the Caitika school of Indian Buddhism or a literary figure associated with 5 points of contention in some Theravada works * Mahadeva (Kakatiya dynasty), 12th-century ruler of India * Mahadeva of Devagiri, a 13th-century ruler of the Yadava dynasty of India * Mahadeva (undertaker), a recipient of the Chief Minister's gold medal from the city of Bangalore, India * Mahadeva Iyer Ganapati (1903–1976), Indian engineer * Arunachalam Mahadeva (1885–1969), Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and diplomat * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drona
Droṇa (, ), also referred to as Dronacharya (, ), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He is one of the primary counsellors and warriors featured in the epic. Drona is the son of the sage Bharadvaja, and a descendant of the sage Angirasa. Despite being master of advanced military arts and the divine weapons known as astras, Drona initially chooses a life of poverty until he is humiliated by his friend Drupada, the king of Panchala. With the help of his students, he captures Drupada and takes away half of the kingdom. Drona serves as the second commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army, from the 11th day to the 15th day. The acharya fails four times in capturing Yudhishthira (the 11th day, 12th day, 14th day, and the 14th night). He was beheaded by Dhrishtadyumna—his student and son of Drupada—when he meditates to release his soul on the battlefield. Etymology Drona's name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brihaspati
Brihaspati (, ), is a Hindu god. In the ancient Vedic scriptures, Brihaspati is associated with fire, and the word also refers to a god who counsels the devas and devis (gods and goddesses). In some later texts, the word refers to the largest planet of the Solar System, Jupiter, and the deity is associated with the planet as a Navagraha. Sage Brihaspati appears in the Rigveda (pre-1000 BCE), such as in the dedications to him in the hymn 50 of Book 4; he is described as a sage born from the first great light, the one who drove away darkness, is bright and pure, and carries a special bow whose string is '' Rta'' or "cosmic order" (basis of dharma). His knowledge and character is revered, and he is considered Guru (teacher) by all the Devas. In the Vedic literature and other ancient texts, sage Brihaspati is also called by other names such as Bramanaspati, Purohita, Angirasa (son of Angiras) and Vyasa; he is sometimes identified with god Agni (fire). His wife is Tara (or g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gandharva
A ''gandharva'' () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Indian 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. In Buddhism, this term also refers to a being in the intermediate state (between death and rebirth). In 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 of the gods and the sacrificers." The gandharva also "receives the Soma from the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
