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Dvipa
Dvipa (, ) is a term in Hindu cosmography. The Puranas describe a dvipa to be one of the seven islands or continents that are present on earth, each of them surrounded by an ocean. The same terminology is also used to refer to the seven regions of the cosmos. In the geocentric model of Hinduism, the seven dvipas are present around Mount Meru, which is present at the centre of Jambudvipa, the term employed for the Indian subcontinent. Dvipa is also sometimes used to refer to the abodes of deities, such as Manidvipa. Etymology The word dvipa is a portmanteau of the Sanskrit words ''dvī'' (two) and ''apa'' (water), meaning "having water on two sides". It is cognate with the Young Avestan 'duuaēpa', which means the same. Description According to the Matsya Purana and the Bhagavata Purana, the world is divided into seven dvipas, termed as the ''sapta-dvīpa'' (the seven islands). The Mahabharata names the following as the seven islands of the world: The British author Benjam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jambudvīpa
Jambudvīpa (Pali; Jambudīpa) is a name often used to describe the territory of Indian subcontinent, Indian Subcontinent in ancient Indian sources. The term is based on the concept of ''dvīpa'', meaning "island" or "continent" in ancient Indian cosmogony. The term ''Jambudvipa'' was used by Ashoka to represent his realm in the third century BCE. The same terminology was used in subsequent texts, for instance Kannada inscriptions from the tenth century CE which also described the region, presumably Outline of ancient India, Ancient India, as ''Jambudvipa''. The word Jambudvīpa literally refers to "the land of jambu trees", where jambu is Sanskrit for ''Syzygium cumini''. Puranic description According to Puranic cosmography, the world is divided into seven concentric island continents (''sapta-dvipa vasumati'') separated by the seven encircling oceans, each double the size of the preceding one (going out from within). The seven continents of the Puranas are stated as Jambu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shakadvipa
Shakadvipa (), is an island featured in Hindu mythology. The island is named after a great teak tree that is stated to venerated in its midst. Its terrain and inhabitants are described in the Puranas. Literature Brahma Purana According to the Brahma Purana, the ocean known as Kshira Sagara is surrounded by Shakadvipa, which is described to be twice the size of Kraunchadvipa, another island. The sovereign of the island is called Bhavya, and he is mentioned as having seven sons, offering each a region of the land: Jalada, Sukumara, Kaumara, Maṇīcaka, Kusumottara, Modaka, and Mahadruma. The seven mountains that exist on this island are Udaya, Jaladhara, Raivataka, Shyama, Ambikeya, Astikeya, and Kesari. A great shaka (teak) tree is described to grow there, frequented by gandharvas and siddhas. The members of the four varnas who live here do so without contracting any disease. The Magas are the Brahmanas, the Magadhas are the Kshatriyas, the Manasas are the Vaishyas, and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manidvipa
Manidvipa (; ) is the celestial abode of Mahadevi, the supreme goddess, according to the Shaktism tradition in Hinduism. It is an island situated in the middle of an ocean called the Sudha Samudra (the ocean of nectar). In the Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Devi Bhagavata Purana, Manidvipa is portrayed as the ''Sarvaloka'', the highest world that is superior to Goloka, the realm of Krishna and Radha, Saketa the realm of Rama and Sita, Vaikuntha, the realm of Vishnu and Lakshmi, Kailasa, the realm of Shiva and Parvati, and Brahmaloka, the realm of Brahma and Saraswati. This is consistent with the scripture's portrayal of goddess Tripura Sundari being greater than any of the Trimurti. In her form as Tripura Sundari, Devi is the ruler of Manidvipa. It is believed that Mahadevi created this island according to her will. Description The descriptions of Manidvipa can be found in the ''Devi Bhagavata Purana'', ''Mahabhagavata Purana'', and ''Tripura Rahasya''. According to the goddess-c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Meru
Mount Meru (Sanskrit/Pali: मेरु)—also known as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru—is a sacred, five-peaked mountain present within Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmologies, revered as the centre of all physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. It is professed to be located at the junction of the four great cosmic continents—Pubbavideha Dīpa, Uttarakuru Dīpa, Amaragoyāna Dīpa and Jambu Dīpa. Despite not having a clearly identified or known geophysical location, Mount Meru is, nevertheless, always thought of as being either in the Himalayan Mountains or the Aravalli Range (in western India). Mount Meru is also mentioned in scriptures of other, external religions to India, such as Taoism—which was influenced, itself, by the arrival of Buddhism in China. Many Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples have been built as symbolic representations of Mount Meru. The "Sumeru Throne" ( :zh:须弥座; ''xūmízuò'') style is a common feature of Chinese pagodas. The highe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kshira Sagara
In Hindu cosmology, the ''Kshira Sagara'' (, ; ; ; Telugu: Pala Samudram) or Ocean of Milk is the fifth from the centre of the seven oceans. It surrounds the continent known as Krauncha. According to Hindu scriptures, the Deva (Hinduism), devas and asuras worked together for a millennium to churn this ocean in order to acquire amrita, the nectar of immortality. The episode is mentioned in the Samudra manthan, ''Samudra Manthana'' chapter of the Puranas, a body of ancient Hindu legends. The Kshira Sagara is described as the place where the deity Vishnu reclines over his serpent-mount Shesha, accompanied by his consort, Lakshmi. Etymology The "Ocean of Milk" is the English translation of the Sanskrit terms ', ' or ', from ''Kshira, kṣīra'' "milk" and ', ' "water, ocean" or ' "ocean." The term varies across Indic languages, referred to as ''Khir Shaagor'' in Bengali language, Bengali, ''Tiruppāṟkaṭal'' in Tamil language, Tamil, and ''Pāla Samudram'' in Telugu language, Telu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kusha Grass
Kusha () also known as Darbha () and Pavitram (), are the Sanskrit terms for ''Desmostachya bipinnata'' grass. This grass is of literary and ritual significance in Hinduism. In the performance of Vedic rituals such as the homa and tarpana, the kusha grass is shaped like a ring and is worn by a priest on the ring finger of his right hand. The auspicious day for uprooting the sacred grass Kusha is the amavasya day of Bhadrapada month in Hinduism called as Kusha Amavasya. Literature The Rigveda prescribes the sprinkling on the soma juice upon kusha grass in the performance of a rite. Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita contains the prescription to use kusha grass along with deerskin and cloth in the ideal seat of mediation. The Garuda Purana states that the kusha grass is born of the hair of Vishnu, and that it offers residence to the essence of all three of the Trimurti. It is among the many substances that is declared to be impossible to become impure despite frequent usage. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plaksadvipa
Plakṣadvīpa () is one of the seven dvipas ("island" or "continent") envisioned in Hindu cosmology. The word Plakṣadvīpa literally refers to "the land of fig trees" where ''Plakṣa'' is Sanskrit name of the fig tree, and ''dvīpa'' means "island" or "continent". Description Brahma Purana The Brahma Purana describes Plakṣadvīpa as a paradise 100,000 yojanas wide, possessing seven main mountains and seven main rivers. The mere mention of the latter has the ability to "dispel sins altogether", and "the people of the region drink waters thereof and feel delighted". At the centre of the continent is a colossal fig tree, which gives the region its name. Its ruler, Medhātithi, had seven sons, Śāntabhaya, Śiśira, Sukhodaya, Ānanda, Śiva, Kṣemaka and Dhruva, who rule sub-kingdoms on the continents. Its inhabitants are described as living for 5,000 years, who live lives of perfect health and happiness as prescribed by their dharma. Societally, the text asserts that the fou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Syzygium Cumini
''Syzygium cumini'', commonly known as Malabar plum, Java plum, black plum, jamun, jaman, jambul, or jambolan, is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae, and favored for its fruit, timber, and ornamental value. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It can reach heights of up to and can live more than 100 years. A rapidly growing plant, it is considered an invasive species in many world regions. ''Syzygium cumini'' has been introduced to areas including islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. The tree was introduced to Florida and is commonly grown in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Its fruits are eaten by various native birds and small mammals, such as jackals, civets, and fruit bats. Description Its dense foliage provides shade and is grown just for its ornamental value. At the base of the tree, the bark is rough and dark grey, becoming lighter grey and smoother higher up. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Teak
Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicles) at the end of the branches. These flowers contain both types of reproductive organs ( perfect flowers). The large, papery leaves of teak trees are often hairy on the lower surface. Teak wood has a leather-like smell when it is freshly milled and is particularly valued for its durability and water resistance. The wood is used for boat building, exterior construction, veneer, furniture, carving, turnings, and various small projects. ''Tectona grandis'' is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, but is naturalised and cultivated in many countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Myanmar's teak forests account for nearly half of the world's naturally occurring teak. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified by adherence to the concept of ''dharma'', a Ṛta, cosmic order maintained by its followers through rituals and righteous living, as expounded in the Vedas. The word ''Hindu'' is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, it has also been described by the modern term ''Sanātana Dharma'' () emphasizing its eternal nature. ''Vaidika Dharma'' () and ''Arya dharma'' are historical endonyms for Hinduism. Hinduism entails diverse systems of thought, marked by a range of shared Glossary of Hinduism terms, concepts that discuss God in Hinduism, theology, Hindu mythology, mythology, among other topics in Hindu texts, textual sources. Hindu texts have been classified into Śruti () and Smṛti (). The major Hin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fresh Water
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salt (chemistry), salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mineral water, mineral-rich waters, such as chalybeate springs. Fresh water may encompass frozen water, frozen and meltwater in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, snowfields and icebergs, natural precipitations such as rainfall, snowfall, hail/ice pellets, sleet and graupel, and surface runoffs that form inland bodies of water such as wetlands, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, as well as groundwater contained in aquifers, subterranea (geography), subterranean subterranean river, rivers and underground lake, lakes. Water is critical to the survival of all living organisms. Many organisms can thrive on salt water, but the great majority of vascular plants and most insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds need fresh water to sur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
