The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (2 Vol Set)

his divine gifts, which could not be hid- den, and the lovers are happily reunited. Damodara (dama“rope” + udara“waist”) Epithet ...

with religious life, and dance was no exception to this pattern. In their art, dancers merely follow the divine model, since in ...

spectators could enjoy it, as well. Although different schools have differ- ent typologies, the most pervasive dis- tinction is ...

Dandasana (“staff-posture”) One of the sitting pos- tures (asana) described in commen- taries to the Yoga Sutras(aphorisms on yo ...

asura and to be killed each time by Vishnu. In his previous incarnations Vijaya is born as Hiranyakashipu, who is killed by the ...

have the strongest connection with clas- sical Sanskrit (sacred language) learn- ing, are the strictest in their ascetic practic ...

poisoned by the whisperings of her maid Manthara. Manthara convinces Kaikeyi that she and her son Bharata will be mere slaves af ...

Jagannath was originally an autochtho- nous (“of the land”) deitywho hap- pened to be Puri’s local deity. Identifying him with K ...

seedpods as intoxicants, in imitation of their patron divinity’s narcotic revels. Needless to say, because of its danger, datura ...

equal love and care. This is particularly true in contemporary times, and given the trend toward smaller families, the birth of ...

son’s heirs (including his wife and daughters) become inheritors, not in their own right, but as representatives of the deceased ...

Day of Brahma Day of Brahma The Day of Brahma, or kalpa, is the largest generally accepted measure of time in Indian cosmology, ...

unenlightened person. According to this image, just as the deer does not recog- nize that the heady scent of musk comes from its ...

Deogarh Small town in the extreme southern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, seventy miles south of the city Jhansi, in a part ...

(Pancha Dravida). The core region for the Deshastha brahmins is in the Deccanregion in Maharashtra, whereas the other major subc ...

situation prompted the British to for- mally ban this practice, despite their general reluctance to interfere in Hindu religious ...

higher value than any individual’s desires. Traditional Indian society was highly status-conscious, a trait reflected not only i ...

Hindu gods. After his marriage, Skanda contracts a “love-marriage” with the tribal girl Valli. Skanda’s two wives thus symbolize ...

powerful that none of the gods can con- quer him. One day, when the gods are recounting their defeats at the demon’s hands, each ...

Dhanga (d. 1003) A monarch in the Chandella dynasty, most famous for committing religious suicideby drowning himself at Allahaba ...