The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (2 Vol Set)

temple evolved, two categories of tem- ple dancers emerged: those allowed to dance in the inner sanctum, and those allowed to da ...

P Pacification of Planets Indian astrology (jyotisha) recognizes nine “planets”: the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, a ...

The defining characteristic of Padmapada’s Vivarana school is that he places the locus of ignorance in Brahman, in contrast to t ...

from their functional use as footwear, after death an ascetic’s padukas will often be kept by his (or, more rarely, her) discipl ...

twice each year; a palanquin(palkhi) bearing his sandals is at the head of the procession bearing his name. Paksha One of the pa ...

further information see Fred Clothey, “Pilgrimage Centers in the Tamil Cultus of Murukan,” in Journal of the American Academy of ...

in the state of Gujarat, Maharashtrisin the state of Maharashtra, Karnatasin the state of Karnataka, Andhrasin the state of Andh ...

(4th–3rd c. B.C.E.), it retained an inde- pendent identity until the third century. See also Maurya dynasty. Panchamahayajna (“[ ...

consulted before initiating any impor- tant activity. Pancharatra (“five nights,” of uncertain meaning) The name denotes a parti ...

people themselves take responsibility for their communities, but since there are multiple jatis in any traditional Hindu village ...

many pilgrimage places, and conse- quently, their status and their income have declined. Many pilgrimage places have been develo ...

in which the pilgrims all arrive on the same day. Each pilgrim procession starts from a different place and is identified with o ...

of southern India, but with the decline of the Cholas the Pandyas became the dominant regional power, eventually absorbing the C ...

panthis more closely associated with movements in the santreligious tradi- tion, which tended toward rebellion against the preva ...

continually immersed in contemplation of the Supreme Brahman. The word Paramahamsa has a more specialized meaning among the Dash ...

Parashu (“battle-axe”) A characteristic object in Hindu iconography, and one that appears in various forms—sometimes with a very ...

need, he will forget everything he has learned as his student. Parashurameshvar Temple Temple constructed about 750 C.E.in the c ...

already present in the cause, emerges from it through a natural transformation of that cause, and is causally related to it. All ...

community’s founder, Vallabhacharya, or his successor Vitthalnath. Little is known about Parmananddas himself, although traditio ...

Parvati by making disparaging remarks about Shiva’s lifestyle and personality, but Parvati, unshaken in her resolve, refuses to ...