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Panchajanya
Panchajanya ( IAST: Pāñcajanya) is the ''shankha'' or conch of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, known to be one of his four divine attributes. It is stated to have been one among the various substances that emerged during the Samudra Manthana. According to the Mahabharata, Purushottama (Vishnu) killed a daitya (a member of a clan of asuras) named Panchajana on a mountain named Chakravan constructed by Vishvakarma, and seized the conch shell in which Panchajana had lived for himself. The conch is named after the daitya. In Literature In the Bhagavad Gita, the Panchajanya is mentioned: As per the Harivamsa, Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu, is described as possessing a conch shell called Panchajanya, one of his four attributes together with the mace Kaumodaki, the disc-like weapon Sudarshana Chakra, and a lotus. The conch was used during the Kurukshetra War, and is held in popular tradition to have signalled its beginning. Origin There are two origins stated in the script ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shankha
A Shankha (conch shell) has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. It is the shell of any suitable sea snail which had a hole made for the performer's embouchure. In Hindu history, the shankha is a sacred emblem of The Hindu preserver god Vishnu. It is still used as a trumpet in Hindu ritual, and in the past was used as a war trumpet. The shankha is praised in Hindu scriptures as a giver of fame, longevity and prosperity, the cleanser of sin and the abode of goddess Lakshmi, who is the goddess of prosperity and consort of Vishnu. The shankha is displayed in Hindu art in association with Vishnu. As a symbol of water, it is associated with female fertility and serpents (Nāgas). The shankha (representing the conch of the presiding deity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a part of the state emblem of the Indian state of Kerala. The symbol was derived from the erstwhile emblems of the Indian princely state of Travancore, and the Kingdom of Cochin. The shankha is one of the eight ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sudarshana Chakra
Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्र, lit. "disc of auspicious vision", IAST: Sudarśana Chakra) is a spinning, celestial discus with 108 serrated edges, attributed to Vishnu and Krishna in the Hindu scriptures. The Sudarshana Chakra is generally portrayed on the right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu, who also holds the Panchajanya (conch), the Kaumodaki (mace), and the Padma (lotus). While in the Rigveda, the Chakra was Vishnu's symbol as the wheel of time and by the late period, the Sudarshana Chakra emerged as an ayudhapurusha (an anthropomorphic form), as a fierce form of Vishnu, used for the destruction of demons. As an ''ayudhapurusha'', the deity is known as Chakraperumal or Chakratalvar. Etymology The word ''Sudarshana'' is derived from two Sanskrit words – ''Su''(सु) meaning "good/auspicious" and ''Darshana'' (दर्शन) meaning "vision". In the Monier-Williams dictionary the word Chakra is derived from the root क् ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within the Trimurti, the triple deity of supreme divinity that includes Brahma and Shiva. Gavin Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism' (1996), p. 17. In Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the supreme being who creates, protects, and transforms the universe. In the Shaktism tradition, the Goddess, or Adi Shakti, is described as the supreme Para Brahman, yet Vishnu is revered along with Shiva and Brahma. Tridevi is stated to be the energy and creative power ( Shakti) of each, with Lakshmi being the equal complementary partner of Vishnu. He is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism. According to Vaishnavism, the highest form of Ishvara is with qualities ( Saguna), and have certain form, but is limit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kaumodaki
Kaumodaki () is the gadā (mace) of the Hindu deity Vishnu. Vishnu is often depicted holding the Kaumodaki in one of his four hands; his other attributes are the chakra, the conch, and the lotus. The ''gada'' is also found in the iconography of some of Vishnu's avatars. The name, 'Kaumodak' first appears in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', where it is associated with Vishnu's avatar, Krishna. The ''gada'' is depicted in images of Vishnu since . While initially unadorned, the size and shape of Kaumodaki vary in depictions. More elaborate design features like flutes and segments were added in depictions of Vishnu's ''gada''. Though the weapon may be depicted as an inanimate ''gada'', Kaumodaki sometimes appears personified as a woman known as Gadadevi or Gadanari in sculptures of Vishnu. In depictions that use this version, Vishnu rests one of his hands on her head, while she herself holds the ''gada'', is seen emerging from it or has the ''gada'' carved on her head/crown. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Padma (Vishnu)
Padma () is one of the four attributes borne by Vishnu in his iconography. It is associated with Vishnu's abode upon water, as well as his role in creation and birth. Mythology In the Vishnu Purana, in the beginning of time, Brahma is described to have been created within a lotus blooming from the navel of Vishnu. The ''padma'' is hence prominent in the Vaishnava narrative of cosmogony, where Brahma is instructed by Vishnu to start generating the universe and the rest of creation. The lotus is regarded to be a representation of dharma, the cosmic law, as well the epitome of purity, as it rose beneath the impure seabed towards the sun. During the Samudra Manthanam, when Lakshmi chooses Vishnu as her eternal consort, she throws a garland of lotuses around his neck, and is also eulogised as the lotus-faced one. In the legend of the Gajendra Moksham, the elephant Gajendra holds a lotus as an offering to Vishnu as he arrives to save his devotee from a crocodile. The realm of Kri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kurukshetra War
The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura. The war laid the foundation for the '' Bhagavad Gita''. The historicity of the war remains the subject of scholarly discussion. The Battle of the Ten Kings, mentioned in the ''Rigveda'', may have formed the core of the Kurukshetra war's story. The war was greatly expanded and modified in the ''Mahabharata'''s account, which makes it dubious. Attempts have been made to assign a historical date to the Kurukshetra war, with research suggesting BCE. However, popular tradition claims that the war marks the transition to the ''Kali Yuga,'' dating it to BCE. The war took place in Kurukshetra. Despite only spanning eighteen days, the war takes more than ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conch
Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North America, a conch is often identified as a queen conch, indigenous to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Queen conches are valued for seafood and are also used as fish bait. The group of conches that are sometimes referred to as "true conches" are marine gastropod molluscs in the family Strombidae, specifically in the genus '' Strombus'' and other closely related genera. For example, '' Lobatus gigas'', the queen conch, and '' Laevistrombus canarium'', the dog conch, are true conches. Many other species are also often called "conch", but are not at all closely related to the family Strombidae, including '' Melongena'' species (family Melongenidae) and the horse conch '' Triplofusus papillosus'' (family Fasciolariidae). Speci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samudra Manthana
The Samudra Manthana ( sa, समुद्रमन्थन; ) is a major episode in Hinduism that is elaborated in the Vishnu Purana, a major text of Hinduism. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of the elixir of eternal life, amrita. Nomenclature *Sāgara manthana (सागरमन्थन) - ''Sāgara'' is another word for '' Samudra'', both meaning a sea or large water body. *Kshirasāgara manthana (क्षीरसागरमन्थन) - ''Kshirasāgara'' means the ocean of milk or milky ocean. ''Kshirasāgara'' = ''Kshira'' (milk) + ''Sāgara'' (ocean or sea). Legend Indra, the King of Svarga, was riding on his divine elephant when he came across the sage Durvasa, who offered him a special garland given to him by an apsara. The deity accepted the garland and placed it on the trunk (sometime the tusks or the head of the elephant in some scriptures) of Airavata (his mount) as a testament to his humility. The flowers had a strong scent that attracted some bees. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Balarama
Balarama ( Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana. The first two epithets associate him with ''hala'' (''langala'', "plough") from his strong associations with farming and farmers, as the deity who used farm equipment as weapons when needed, and the next two refer to his strength. Balarama is sometimes described as incarnation of Shesha, the serpent associated with the deity Vishnu; Krishna is regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu. Some traditions regard him as one of the 10 principal avatars of Vishnu himself. Balarama's significance in Indian culture has ancient roots. His image in artwork is dated to around the start of the common era, and in coins dated to the second-century BCE. In Jainism, he is known as Baladeva, and has been a historically s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandipani
Sandipani (), sometimes rendered Sāndīpana, is the guru of Krishna and Balarama in Hinduism. He is regarded to have educated them regarding all the Vedas, the art of drawing, astronomy, gandharva veda, medicine, training elephants and horses, and archery. Legend The ''Bhagavata Purana'' relates the following story regarding Sandipani: While staying as students at the residence of Sandipani, the brothers Krishna and Balarama, and their friend, Sudama, mastered every single lesson, although only having been instructed in each once. Upon the rapid completion of their studies, they persuaded their teacher to ask for the preceptor’s ''dakṣiṇā'' (a type of honorarium to one's guru) of his own choosing. Sandipani asked for the restoration of his child, who had disappeared in the ocean at Prabhasa. The two brothers travelled to Prabhasa and found that the son had been snatched away by a being named Śaṅkhāsura (). Krishna rescued his son and they returned him to their prece ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Krishna Janmashtami according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar, which falls in late August or early September of the Gregorian calendar. The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna's life are generally titled as ''Krishna Leela''. He is a central character in the ''Mahabharata'', the '' Bhagavata Purana'', the '' Brahma Vaivarta Purana,'' and the '' Bhagavad Gita'', and is mentioned in many Hindu philosophical, theological, and mythological texts. They portray him in various perspectives: as a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, and the universal supreme being. Quote: "Krsna's various appearances as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, i.e. ''Mahavishnu''. Its followers are called Vaishnavites or ''Vaishnava''s (), and it includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings respectively. According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, constituting about 641 million or 67.6% of Hindus. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, and broadly hypothesized as a History of Hinduism, fusion of various regional non-Vedic religions with Vishnu. A merger of several popular non-Vedic theistic traditions, particularly the Bhagavata cults of Vāsudeva, Vāsudeva-krishna and ''Gopala-Krishna, Gopala-Krishna'', and Narayana, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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