Jahnavi
(“daughter of Jahnu”) Epithet of the
GangesRiver, which Hindus consider to
be the physical form of the goddess
Ganga. The name Jahnavi refers to an
incident during her creation in which
she encounters Jahnu, a great ascetic
who has amassed great power through
performing harsh physical asceticism
(tapas). After the Ganges has been
brought down to earth by the sage
Bhagirath, but before she makes her
way to the ocean, the playful river picks
up and carries away Jahnu’s belongings
while the sage is meditating nearby.
Jahnu is enraged at this disrespect; to
punish Ganga, he drinks all of the water
in the river. When the gods realize what
has happened, they are very concerned.
They somehow manage to placate
Jahnu, and the sage agrees to release
her. The problem then is how to release
the Ganges in a way that will not defile
her, since vomiting her up or voiding her
as urine are both unacceptable. In the
end, Jahnu bypasses this dilemma by
releasing her through his ear. She con-
tinues on her way to the sea, but
acquires the name Jahnavi by virtue of
being “born” from Jahnu.Jahnu
In Hindu mythology, an asceticwho has
amassed great power by performing
harsh physical asceticism(tapas). One
day while Jahnu is deep in meditation,
his belongings are picked up and carried
away by the river Ganges(believed by
Hindus to be the physical form of the
goddess Ganga), who has recently come
down from heavenand is being led to
the sea by the sage Bhagirath. Jahnu is
enraged at this disrespect; to punish
Ganga, he drinks all of the waterin the
river. When the gods realize what has
happened, they are very concerned.
They somehow manage to placate
Jahnu, and the sage agrees to release
her. The problem then is how to release
the Ganges in a way that will not defile
her, since vomiting her up or voiding her
as urine are both unacceptable. In the
end, Jahnu bypasses this dilemma by
releasing her through his ear. She con-
tinues on her way to the sea and
acquires the name Jahnaviby virtue of
being “born” from Jahnu.Jaimini
(4th c. B.C.E.?) Figure traditionally cited
as the author of the Mimamsa Sutras,
the central texts of the Purva Mimamsa
school, one of the six schoolsof Indian
philosophy. The Mimamsa school is
most concerned with the examination
and pursuit of dharma (“righteous
action”). In their pursuit of dharma,
the Mimamsa also believed that all
necessary instructions were contained
in the Vedas, the oldest Hindu religious
texts. Given these twin assumptions,
much of Mimamsa thought is devoted to
the principles and methods of textual
interpretation used to unlock the
instructions that they were confident
the Vedas contained.Jahnavi
Sculpture of the goddess Ganga, the Ganges River,
who is also known as Jahnavi.