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Vanavasa
''Vanavasa'' () is a Sanskrit term meaning residence (''vāsa'') in a forest (''vana''). While it can be undertaken voluntarily, it usually carries a connotation of forced exile as a punishment. It commonly figures as a harsh penalty in ancient Hindu epics (such as the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata'') set in a time, thousands of years ago, when much of the Indian subcontinent was a wilderness.Gilbert Pollet, "Indian Epic Values: Ramayana and Its Impact: Proceedings of the 8th International Ramayana Conference, Leuven, 6-8 July 1991"; Peeters Publishers, 1995, , . When ''vanavasa'' is self-imposed, it can imply seclusion from worldly affairs to focus on spiritual matters, as in the case of ''ashram''s (hermitages) established by ancient ''rishi''s (sages). When imposed as a punishment, it carries an implication of enforced isolation from society and exposure to life-threatening extreme situations (the elements and wildlife). Literature ''Ramayana'' Rama is described to h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Draupadi
Draupadi (), also referred to as Krishnā, Panchali and Yajnaseni, is the central heroine of the Indian epic poetry, ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. In the epic, she is the princess of Panchala Kingdom, who later becomes the empress of Kuru kingdom, Kuru Kingdom. She is the Polyandry, common wife of the five Pandava brothers—Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva—and is renowned for her beauty, courage, devotion, intelligence and rhetorical skills. She is also described as ''sakhi''—a close friend—of the god Krishna. Draupadi, along with her twin brother Dhrishtadyumna, emerges fully grown from a ''yajna'' (fire sacrifice) organized by King Drupada of Panchala. Draupadi’s marriage is determined through a ''svayamvara'' (self-choice ceremony), structured as an archery contest of great difficulty. Arjuna succeeds in the challenge and wins her hand. However, their mother, Kunti, unknowingly instructs her sons to share whatever they had brought home, resu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for people living in the Indian subcontinent. It is assumed that the term ''"Hindu"'' traces back to Avestan scripture Vendidad which refers to land of seven rivers as Hapta Hendu which itself is a cognate to Sanskrit term ''Sapta Sindhuḥ''. (The term ''Sapta Sindhuḥ'' is mentioned in Rig Veda and refers to a North western Indian region of seven rivers and to India as a whole.) The Greek cognates of the same terms are "''Indus''" (for the river) and "''India''" (for the land of the river). Likewise the Hebrew cognate ''hōd-dū'' refers to India mentioned in Hebrew BibleEsther 1:1. The term "''Hindu''" also implied a geographic, ethnic or cultural identifier for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bharata (Ramayana)
Bharata ( ) is the younger brother of Rama in Hindu epic ''Ramayana'', and the regent of Ayodhya during Rama's exile. Bharata is considered as an incarnation of the Panchajanya of god Vishnu, and was married to Mandavi. Bharata is regarded for his devotion towards his elder brother Rama. He went against his mother and refused the throne of Ayodhya while elder brother, Rama, was exiled. Bharata also lived a life in exile, in Nandigram, Ayodhya, till Rama, Sita and Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya. He is mostly worshipped in Kerala. Etymology The name Bharata is of Sanskrit origin. His name means "one to be r beingmaintained". Legend Birth and early life King Dasharatha of Ayodhya had three wives: Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra. Bharata was born to Kaikeyi, while Rama was born to Kausalya, and Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born to Sumitra. In the ''Ramayana'', he is described as an incarnation of Panchajanya. While Lakshmana was a loyalist of Rama, his twin, Shatrughn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forestry In India
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental resource. India is one of the ten most forest-rich countries of the world. Together, India and 9 other countries account for 67 percent of the total forest area of the world. India's forest cover grew at 0.20% annually over 1990–2000,Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 FAO Forestry Paper 163, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2011), , page 21 and has grown at the rate of 0.7% per year over 2000–2010, after decades where forest degradation was a matter of serious concern. As of 2010, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates Forest cover in India, India's forest cover to be about 68 million hectares, or 22% of the country's area [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Exiles
Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples of the Americas * Indigenous peoples of the Americas ** First Nations in Canada ** Native Americans in the United States ** Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean ** Indigenous languages of the Americas Places * Indian, West Virginia, U.S. * The Indians, an archipelago of islets in the British Virgin Islands Arts and entertainment Film * Indian (film series), ''Indian'' (film series), a Tamil-language film series ** Indian (1996 film), ''Indian'' (1996 film) * Indian (2001 film), ''Indian'' (2001 film), a Hindi-language film Music * Indians (musician), Danish singer Søren Løkke Juul * "The Indian", an List of songs recorded by Basshunter#Unreleased songs, unreleased song by Basshunter * Indian (song), "Indian" (song), by Sturm und ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanskrit Words And Phrases
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] |
Arjuna
Arjuna (, , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, [ɐɾd͡ʒun̪ə]) is one of the central characters of the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the third of the five Pandava brothers, and is widely regarded as the most important and renowned among them. He is the son of Indra, the king of the Deva (Hinduism), gods, and Kunti, wife of King Pandu of Kuru kingdom, Kuru dynasty—making him a Demigod, divine-born hero. Arjuna is famed for his extraordinary prowess in archery and mastery over Astra (weapon), celestial weapons. Throughout the epic, Arjuna sustains a close friendship with his maternal cousin, Krishna, who serves as his spiritual guide. Arjuna is celebrated for numerous heroic exploits throughout the epic. From childhood, he emerges as an excellent pupil, studying under the warrior-sage Drona. In his youth, Arjuna wins the hand of Draupadi, the princess of the Pañcāla, Panchalas, by excelling in a formidable archery competition. Soon after, he goes on a journey during a period ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shakuni
Shakuni (, , ) is one of the antagonists of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the prince of the kingdom of Gandhara when introduced, later becoming its king after the death of his father, Subala. He was the brother of Gandhari (Mahabharata), Gandhari and the maternal uncle of the Kauravas. Portrayed as crafty and devious, Shakuni supported his nephews, particularly the eldest, Duryodhana, in plotting against their cousinsthe Pandavas. It was Shakuni who played the game of dice against Yudhishthira, one of the seminal events in the epic. Using his skills of manipulation and foul play, he won the game twice, causing the exile of the Pandavas and the consolidation of the power of the Kauravas. During the Kurukshetra War between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, Shakuni was killed by the youngest Pandava, Sahadeva. Etymology and epithets The Sanskrit word ''Śakuni'' means 'a large bird', often used for denoting a vulture. Other figures with the same name include a Nāga, serpent, ... [...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] |
Hastinapur
Hastinapur is a city in the Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ''Hastinapura'' is described as the capital of the Kuru Kingdom in Hindu texts such as the ''Mahabharata'' and the Puranas; it is also mentioned in ancient Jain texts. Hastinapur is located on the right bank of the Ganga river. Etymology In Sanskrit, ''Hastinapura'' translates to 'the City of Elephants' from ''Hastina'' (elephant) and ''pura'' (city). Its history dates back to the period of ''Mahabharata''. It is said that the city was named after King Hasti. It is also mentioned in the ''Ramayana'', the 13th and 14th verses of which say (translated): History The early archaeological remains of the region belong to Ochre Coloured Pottery culture which was a Bronze Age culture of Ganga Yamuna doab. Around c.1200 BCE the region transformed to an Iron Age culture. The region was occupied by the Painted Grey Ware culture which corresponds to the Vedic Period. In the ''Mahabharata'', Hastinapur i ... [...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] |
Ayodhya (Ramayana)
Ayodhya is a city mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit-language texts, including the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata''. These texts describe it as the capital of the Ikshvaku kings, including Rama. The historicity of this legendary city is of concern to the Ayodhya dispute. According to one theory, it is same as the present-day Indian city of Ayodhya. According to another theory, it is a fictional city, and the present-day Ayodhya (originally called Sākēta) was renamed after it around the 4th or 5th century, during the Gupta period. Scriptural references According to the ''Ramayana'', Ayodhya was founded by Manu, the progenitor of mankind, and measured 12x3 '' yojanas'' in area. Both the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata'' describe Ayodhya as the capital of the Ikshvaku dynasty of Kosala, including Rama and Dasharatha. The ''Purana-pancha-lakshana'' also describes the city as the capital of Ikshvaku kings, including Harishchandra. The ''Ramayana'' states that t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
