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Kalabhairavashtakam
The ''Kalabhairava Ashtaka'' () is a Sanskrit hymn written by Adi Shankara. The hymn addresses Kalabhairava, a form of Shiva. It consists of eight stanzas, characteristic of an '' ashtakam''. Hymn The first hymn of the work extols the deity: Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam Stotram: Significance, Method, and Benefits Introduction: Kaal Bhairav is considered a fierce form of Lord Shiva in Hinduism. The Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam, a revered hymn dedicated to him, is especially popular among his devotees. This stotram is believed to be composed by Adi Shankaracharya, and its recitation is said to help alleviate fear, unrest, and negative energy. Kaal Bhairav is worshipped as the lord of time and the controller of life and death. (Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur) What is an Ashtakam? An Ashtakam is a Sanskrit hymn comprising a total of eight verses. These verses typically glorify a specific deity, highlighting their qualities, virtues, and powers. The word "Ashta" means "eight," hence t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lingashtaka
The ''Lingashtaka'' () is a Hinduism, Hindu hymn attributed to the 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankara. An ''Ashtakam, ashtaka'', it comprises 8 stanzas, extolling the lingam, an aniconic form of the deity Shiva. Legend According to the ''Shiva Purana'', when Brahma and Vishnu disputed their superiority over the other, Shiva manifested before them as a massive Jyotirlinga, pillar of light. The two deities travelled along the length of the pillar in opposite directions to locate the end. While Vishnu confessed that he had been unable to locate the end, Brahma lied about having achieved his goal, proclaiming his victory. Shiva punished Brahma for his falsehood by creating Bhairava, who decapitated one of Brahma's Panchamukha, five heads. Shiva announced that Brahma would not be worshipped by humans thence; he rewarded Vishnu for his honesty by announcing that he would be widely worshipped in the same manner as himself. Brahma was forgiven following the intercession of Vishnu. Follo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Standing Figure Of Bhairava, A Form Of Śiva
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient Greek letter alpha, from which it derives. The uppercase version consists of the two slanting sides of a triangle, crossed in the middle by a horizontal bar. The lowercase version is often written in one of two forms: the double-storey and single-storey . The latter is commonly used in handwriting and fonts based on it, especially fonts intended to be read by children, and is also found in italic type. In English, '' a'' is the indefinite article, with the alternative form ''an''. Name In English, the name of the letter is the ''long A'' sound, pronounced . Its name in most other languages matches the letter's pronunciation in open syllables. History The earliest known ancestor of A is ''aleph''—the first letter of the Phoenician ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion, diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age#South Asia, Bronze Age. Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism. It was a lingua franca, link language in ancient and medieval South Asia, and upon transmission of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central Asia in the early medieval era, it became a language of religion and high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions. As a result, Sanskrit had a lasting effect on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, especially in their formal and learned vocabularies. Sanskrit generally connotes several Indo-Aryan languages# ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adi Sankara
Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedic scholar, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and his true impact lies in his "iconic representation of Hindu religion and culture," despite the fact that most Hindus do not adhere to Advaita Vedanta. Tradition also portrays him as the one who reconciled the various sects (Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism) with the introduction of the form of worship, the simultaneous worship of five deities – Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu, Shiva and Devi, arguing that all deities were but different forms of the one Brahman, the invisible Supreme Being.Klaus Klostermaier (2007), A Survey of Hinduism, Third Edition, State University of New York Press, , p. 40 While he is often revered as the most important Indian philosopher, the historical influence of his works on Hindu intellectual thought has been questioned. Until the 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhairava
Bhairava (, ), or Kāla Bhairava, is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva.Kramrisch, Stella (1994). ''The Presence of Śiva''. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 471. In the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, Bhairava represents the Supreme Reality, synonymous to Para Brahman. Generally in Hinduism, Bhairava is also called Dandapāni (" e who holds thedanda in ishand"), as he holds a rod or ''danda'' to punish sinners, and Svaśva, meaning, "he whose vehicle is a dog". In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is considered a fierce emanation of boddhisatva Mañjuśrī, and also called Heruka, Vajrabhairava, Mahākāla and Yamantaka. Bhairava is worshipped throughout India, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Japan, as well as in Tibetan Buddhism. Etymology Bhairava originates from the word ''bhīru'', which means "fearsome". Bhairava means "terribly fearsome form". It is also kn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, [mɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh]) and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. Shiva is known as ''The Destroyer'' within the Trimurti, the Hinduism, Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu. In the Shaivite tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. In the goddess-oriented Shaktism, Shakta tradition, the Supreme Goddess (Devi) is regarded as the energy and creative power (Shakti) and the equal complementary partner of Shiva. Shiva is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta Tradition, Smarta tradition of Hinduism. Shiva has many aspects, benevolent as well as fearsome. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an Omniscience, omniscient yogi who lives an Asceticism#Hinduism, ascetic life on Kailasa as well as a house ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashtakam
The term ashtakam (), also often written astakam, is derived from the Sanskrit word ''aṣṭā'', meaning "eight". In context of poetic compositions, 'ashtakam' refers to a particular form of poetry, written in eight stanzas. Form The stanzas in an "ashtakam" are a rhyming quartet with four lines, i.e. end lines rhyme as a-a-a-a. Thus, in an ashtakam generally thirty-two lines are maintained. All these stanzas follow a strict rhyme scheme. The proper rhyme scheme for an astakam is: a-a-a-a/b-b-b-b….. (/ represents a new stanza). The rhyme designs are both ear-rhymes and eye-rhymes. Ear-rhyme where the end letters rhyme in sound and audibility, and eye-rhyme where the end letters appear similar. This rhyme sequence sets the usual structure of the astakam. astakam rhyme consists of identical ("hard-rhyme") or similar ("soft-rhyme") sounds placed at predictable locations, normally the ends of lines for external rhyme or within lines for internal rhyme. Sanskrit language exhibits ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dakshinamurti Stotra
The ''Dakshinamurti Stotra'' () is a Sanskrit religious hymn (''stotra'') to Shiva attributed to Adi Shankara. It explains the metaphysics of the universe in the frame of the tradition of Advaita Vedanta. Description In the Hindu mythology, Dakshinamurti is an incarnation of Shiva, the supreme god of knowledge. Dakshinamurti is an aspect of Shiva as a guru of all types of knowledge, and bestower of ''jñāna''. This aspect of Shiva is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding, and knowledge. This form represents Shiva in his aspect as the progenitor of yoga ( Adiyogi: the first Yogi), music, and wisdom, and giving exposition on the shastras. Unlike most of the stotras of Hindu gods, which are in the form of description of anthropomorphic forms, or mythological deeds of those gods, the ''Dakshinamurti Stotra'' takes the form of conceptual and philosophical statements. Its verses offer a description of the unity of the '' atma'' in the midst o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shiva Mahimna Stotra
The ''Shiva Mahimna Stotra'' () is a Sanskrit composition (stotra) in praise of Shiva. According to tradition, the hymn is believed to have been composed by a ''gandharva'' (celestial musician) named Pushpadanta. The hymn lists Shiva's various achievements and qualities. Legend Pushpadanta, the chief of the gandharvas, had the habit of stealing flowers for the worship of Shiva from the garden of King Vahu. Possessing the ability to walk upon the air, the gandharva entered the garden by night. Unseen by the keepers of the garden, he collected a large number of flowers for the veneration of the deity in the morning. First perplexed by this event, the keepers eventually deduced the ability of the thief. They hatched a plan to place flowers sacred to Shiva ( bilva leaves in other accounts) in several locations of the garden, hoping that the intruder would tread upon them in the dark and be cursed by the deity to lose his ability and foil his crime. Accordingly, Pushpadanta walked up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and his true impact lies in his "iconic representation of Hinduism, Hindu religion and Hindu culture, culture," despite the fact that most Hindus do not adhere to Advaita Vedanta. Tradition also portrays him as the one who reconciled the various Hindu denominations, sects (Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism) with the introduction of the form of Puja (Hinduism), worship, the simultaneous worship of five deities – Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu, Shiva and Devi, arguing that all deities were but different forms of the one Brahman, the invisible Supreme Being.Klaus Klostermaier (2007), A Survey of Hinduism, Third Edition, State University of New York Press, , p. 40 While he is often revered as the most important Indian philosophy, Indian philosoph ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
