Bhuta
Epithet of the god Shiva. See Shiva.
Bhutalingas
(“elemental lingas”) A network of five
southern Indian sacred sites (tirthas),
four in the state of Tamil Naduand one
in Andhra Pradesh, all dedicated to the
god Shiva. In each of these centers, the
most sacred object is the linga, a pillar-
shaped form representing Shiva. What
makes these sites unique is that the
linga is supposedly composed of one of
the five primordial elements. Thus the
linga in Tiruvannamalaiis formed from
fire; the linga in Jambukeshvar is
formed from water; the one in
Kanchipuramis made from earth; that
in Kalahasti, the sacred site in Andhra
Pradesh, is formed from air; and the
linga in Chidambaram is made from
space. Between them, these five sites
comprise a symbolic cosmologythat
encompasses all created things.
Bhutam
(7th c. C.E.) With Peyand Poygai, one of
the first three Alvars, a group of twelve
poet-saints who lived in southern India
between the seventh and tenth cen-
turies. All of the Alvars were devotees
(bhakta) of the god Vishnu. Their stress
on passionate devotion (bhakti) to a
personal god, conveyed through hymns
sung in the Tamil language, trans-
formed and revitalized Hindu religious
life. According to tradition, the three
men were caught in a torrential storm,
and one by one they took shelter in a
small dry spot, with each making room
for the next. As they stood together they
felt a fourth presence, which was
Vishnu. The Alvars were such great
devotees that their combined energy
was sufficient to provoke Vishnu’s mani-
festation. Overwhelmed with ecstasy,
the three burst into song, which formed
the first of their compositions. For fur-
ther information see Kamil Zvelebil,
Tamil Literature, 1975.
Bhutayajna
(“sacrificeto creatures”) One of the five
great sacrifices (panchamahayajna)
that is prescribed in the texts on reli-
gious duty (Dharma Shastras). These
five great sacrifices are daily religious
observances for a “twice-born” house-
holder, that is, a householder born into
one of the three “twice-born” groups in
Indian society—brahmin, kshatriya,
and vaishya—who is eligible to receive
the adolescent religious initiation
known as the “second birth.” Each sacri-
fice (yajna) is directed toward a different
class of beings, from the Ultimate
Reality down to animals, and is satisfied
by specific actions. The bhutayajna is
directed toward animals and outcasts
(and in some understandings, ghosts),
and it is satisfied by putting out food for
them to eat. In the time since the
Dharma Shastras were composed,
Hindu life has undergone significant
changes, and this particular sacrifice is
rarely performed today.Bidhai Samaroh
(“farewell celebration”) In northern
India, the formal departure of a new
bride for her marital home. This is a
momentous event for several different
reasons. A marriage is the start of a fam-
ily, and through her marriage a young
woman gets the opportunity to become
a wife and mother; these roles are still
seen as a woman’s highest fulfillment
and happiness. Yet according to the tra-
ditional model of the Indian joint family,
after marriage a woman goes to live with
and becomes part of her husband’s fam-
ily. Thus the act of seeing off a new bride
carries bittersweet feelings—happiness
for her marriage and hopes for her good
fortune, but also the sense that things
have irreversibly changed.Bihar
One of the states in modern northern
India, sandwiched between Uttar
Pradeshand West Bengal, with Nepal
on its northern border. Bihar has anBihar