counter the chakravyuha. While
Abhimanyu was in his mother’s womb,
he heard his father describe how to
penetrate it. Once Abhimanyu is in,
however, he realizes that he does not
know how to get out, and although he
kills a great number of the enemy, he is
eventually slain.
Abhinavagupta
(10th c. C.E.) Kashmiri writer famous
for his works on poetics and aesthet-
ics. Abhinavagupta was a pivotal figure
in the development of Trika Shaivism,
a particular religious community
devoted to the god Shiva. The writer’s
most famous religious work is the
Tantraloka, a twelve-volume work elu-
cidating the metaphysics and ritual of
Trika Shaivism. His Dhvanyalokagives
similar attention to aesthetics and
poetics. See also Kashmirand Shaiva.
Abhinaya
(“bringing near”) In Indian drama, the
general name given to acting. Its ulti-
mate purpose is to convey an emotion
through a look or gestureand thus
“bring” it to the audience. In Indian
dance, this term refers to a piece in
which the dancer acts out a story, with
the aim to convey to the viewers the
emotions of her character. Particularly
with Indian dance, this sort of acting is
not mere artistry, however refined, but
carries explicit religious meaning. Not
only is the story’s content often drawn
from religious literature, but most
Indian dance forms were first per-
formed in temples as entertainment
for the resident deity.
Abhira
Sanskrit term for Ahir. See Ahir.
Abhisheka
(“anointing”) Ritual bathing (snana) or
anointing with water, particularly of
the image of a deityduring worship. In
earlier times this term referred to the
ritual anointing of a king at his corona-
tion (rajabhiseka). In modern times
the term can also apply to anointing or
sprinkling individuals with water dur-
ing religious or life cycle rituals, partic-
ularly rites of initiation (diksha)
involving a change of status for the ini-
tiate—such as the shift from house-
holder to initiated ascetic or in the
ritual tradition known as tantra, an
initiation bestowing certain ritual and
religious qualifications (adhikara). In
both cases the anointing is intended to
honor the initiate, to evoke images of
royal coronation, and to suggest the
importance of the occasion.Abortion
Hindu views toward abortion have
varied widely over the course of time.
It is unequivocally condemned in the
dharma literature, which prescribes
loss of castefor a person procuring an
abortion or for a womanhaving one.
This prescription may have been
based on the use of abortion to con-
ceal illegitimate births, but it may well
have been condemned because it
entailed the loss of a potential son.
In modern times attitudes have
changed somewhat, in part because of
family planning initiatives and in
more recent times because of the
technology available for sex determi-
nation. Abortion facilities are now
more widely available in India due to
the government’s emphasis on family
planning and population control, and
there is less social stigma associated
with the procedure. However, tradi-
tional proscriptions remain. With the
advent of methods for prenatal sex
determination, couples began selec-
tively aborting female fetuses because
sonsare more highly valued in Hindu
society. This practice was widespread
and generated such concern that it
was outlawed in 1995, although the
law has reportedly only succeeded in
driving this practice underground.Abortion