Nirvikalpaka
In certain schools of Indian
philosophy—among them certain
Buddhists, the Nyayas, and the
Prabhakara school of Mimamsa—
nirvikalpaka is the name for a sort of
simple non-conceptual awareness, pro-
duced solely by the operation of the
senses. According to these schools, if the
senses producing this awareness have
no defect, such an awareness is believed
to be true. However, it can be confused
or misinterpreted through the action of
the mind. This belief had important
ramifications for theories of error,
which seek to explain how erroneous
judgments are possible. The schools that
believed in this theory attributed error
to the action of the mind.
Nishkramana
(“going-out”) Samskara
The sixth traditional life-cycle ceremony
(samskara), in which the infant is taken
for his or her first trip outside the house.
Although the traditional texts consider
this a minor rite and the traditional tex-
tual procedures are seldom performed,
a young child’s first outing is often still
carefully planned. On a symbolic level, it
represents the child’s first encounter
with the larger world, and thus the
child’s expanding sphere of possibilities.
It also shows the continuing importance
of rites of protection. Even in modern
India many people believe in the power
of the evil eye (nazar), and young
children are considered particularly
susceptible. Thus, a child’s first
encounter with the chaotic outside
world must be carefully structured and
carefully supervised.
Nishumbha
In Hindu mythology the name of a
demonkilled by the goddess Kaliin the
Devimahatmya, the earliest and most
important text for the mythology of the
Goddess. Together with his brother
Shumbha, Nishumbha is one of the
generals in the army of a demon named
Mahishasura. Due to a divine boon
given to Mahishasura, Shumbha and
Nishumbha are able to vanquish the
gods and assume control of heaven.
However, they are devoured by Kali, who
emerges as a manifestation of the
Goddess’s anger.Niti Shastra
(“instructions on diplomacy”) General
name for a genre of instruction that
taught politically astute behaviors, such
as making friends and allegiances,
intimidating one’s enemies, and know-
ing who can be trusted. This was a rec-
ognized branch of learning in the
traditional Hindu sciences, and was
taught to influential and royal families,
for whom knowing the real workings
of the world was considered essential
to fulfilling their social functions. The
fables of the Panchatantra convey
these hard-edged lessons on self-
interest and caution through the use of
animal characters.Nitya Karma
(“perpetual [ritual] action”) One of the
three broad types of ritual action, the
others being naimittika karma and
kamya karma. Nitya karma is ritual
action that is prescribed at regular fixed
intervals, often on a daily basis; one
gains no religious merit from perform-
ing them, but omitting them is consid-
ered a religious demerit. One example of
a nitya karma is the Gayatri Mantra,
which must be recited at morning and
evening worship(sandhya) by every
“twice-born” man who has received the
adolescent religious initiationknown as
the “second birth.” Another nitya karma
is the Five Great Sacrifices (panchama-
hayajna), which are daily religious
duties for a “twice-born” householder;
they are rarely performed today.Nityasamsarin
One of the three classes of beings in the
Dvaita Vedanta philosophical school,
founded by the philosopher MadhvaNityasamsarin