Encyclopedia of Hinduism

into the MANTRA, Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram; after a week of repeating the mantra, Ramsurat was permanently cast into a stat ...

Yogi Ramsuratkumar: Under the Punnai Tree (Prescott, Ariz: Hohm Press, 2003). rasa Rasa (taste) is an important Indian aesthetic ...

Hindus to the government’s equalization policy. In fact, its supporters generally are from the upper castes. While they criticiz ...

under the name Mayavati. In still other versions, Rati, in the guise of Mayavati, raises Kamadeva to life and they are married o ...

Supported largely by volunteer staff and sales of his products, Elan Vital is active in the United States, Britain, and Australi ...

Rig Veda The Rig Veda is the earliest of the four VEDAS central to the Brahminical tradition. According to tradition it was comp ...

trans., Sacred Writings. Edited by Jaroslav Pelikan, vol. 5, The Rig Veda (New York: Book-of-the-Month Club, 1992); Wendy O’Flah ...

Vasishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, and Bharadvaja. In the later epics and Puranas, or mythical lore, rishis inhabited A ...

the founder of the reform movement BRAHMO SAMAJ. He was born in Radhanagar, Bengal, on May 22, 1772, to a Bengali BRAHMIN, but r ...

Rudra Rudra, “the howler,” is the father of the MARUTS, the storm gods of the RIG VEDA, but is also known for causing disease an ...

Rudrananda Ashrams were established in seven states. He directly initiated several persons to become teachers in his practice, i ...

371 J:AF sacred cow The English idiom sacred cow was coined with ref- erence to the veneration of cows that is common in India, ...

The mythological wish-giving cow Surabhi is an indication of the magic inherent in the species. A late Atharva Vedic hymn (c. 30 ...

sadhana Sadhana (from the SANSKRIT root sadh, complete, accomplish) is used generically for any spiritual practice but is most f ...

she decided to assume the role of GURU and teach others how to experience this divine energy. She is believed to be a direct cha ...

most famous holy men. His influence extends through several spiritual teachers who were influenced by him. MEHER BABA spent time ...

is always and eternally separate from Shiva. One can realize one’s Shiva nature at the core of one’s soul, but souls are eternal ...

but, with increasing publications and dissemina- tion of the teaching, the church has expanded to other areas, including Hawaii, ...

body. All “knowledge” and all “consciousness” merge into an undifferentiated awareness that is absorbed in being itself. This do ...

Samkhya (Sankhya) Samkhya is one of the six orthodox systems of Hinduism that were first developed in ancient times. It is tradi ...