G
Gada
(“club”) In Hindu iconography, one of
the identifying objects carried by the
god Vishnu, along with the conch shell
(shankha), lotus (padma), and discus
(chakra). In the Mahabharata, the
later of the two great Hindu epics, the
gada is also the weapon of choice for
Bhima, one of the five Pandavabroth-
ers who are the epic’s protagonists. Of
these five brothers, Bhima is noted for
his prodigious size and strength, which
gives him obvious advantages in wield-
ing the gada.
Gadge Maharaj
(1876–1956) Modern ascetic teacher
and religious preceptor in the Varkari
Panth, a religious community centered
around the worshipof the Hindu god
Vithobaat his temple at Pandharpurin
the modern state of Maharashtra.
Gadge Maharaj got his name from the
clay pot (gadge) that was his only pos-
session, signifying his rejection of all
wealth and worldly entanglements.
Gadge had been born into a casteof
washermen, who are considered a low
status group since their everyday work
brings them in contact with other peo-
ple’s soiled garments. In his teachings,
Gadge not only stresses the importance
of devotion to God—the hallmark of
the bhakti(devotional) movement—
but also advocates temperance, poverty,
and vegetarianism.
Gahadavala Dynasty
(r. 1089–1194) Northern Indian dynasty
whose core region was the western and
central parts of the Gangetic plain. The
Gahadavalas were a short-lived and
transitional dynasty who filled a politi-
cal vacuum during the tumultuous years
following the turn of the first millennium.
During this period the Gangetic plain
was plagued by political instability and
was regularly subjected to Muslim raids.
The Gahadavalas supplanted the
Rashtrakutas, whom they conquered in
1089, and consolidated their power
through the middle Ganges basin. In
1194 the Gahadavalas were defeated by
the Ghurids, an Afghani Muslim dynasty.
Following their defeat, most of the
Gahadavala territory became part of the
Ghurid empire.
Gaja Hasta
A particular hand gesture(hasta) used
in Indian dance, sculpture, and ritual.
In the gaja (“elephant”) hasta, the arm
is extended straight out, with the
hand gently curving down; the curved
arm is fancifully compared to the trunk
of an elephant.
Gajendramoksha
(“release of the elephant-king”) The
name of a particular incident in Hindu
mythology involving a battle between
king Indradyumna, in the form of
a giant elephant, and a Gandharva
(celestial musician) named Huhu, in
the form of a giant crocodile. Both
Indradyumna and Huhu have assumed
these forms as the result of a curse.
Indradyumna has been cursed by the
sage Agastya, who becomes angry when
the meditating king fails to greet him
with proper respect. Huhu has been
cursed by the sage Devala, when the
amorous waterplay between Huhu and
some celestial damsels has disturbed
the sage’s meditation.
The struggle between the two ani-
malsbegins when the elephant comes
to the water to drink and the crocodile
grabs him by the leg. The crocodile
attempts to pull the elephant into deep-
er water while the elephant struggles to
break free. The pair are so evenly
Gajendramoksha