Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

tyäga (‘renunciation’) This applies especially to the formal act of becoming a SAMNYÄSI. Tyägaräja (1767–1847) One of India’s mo ...

Udäyana (10th century) Author of Nyäyakusumañjäli, a celebrated text. ud-bhava (‘appearance’) This applies especially to the app ...

Umäpati (‘lord of Umä’, ‘Uma’s husband’) A frequent designation of Ÿiva. unborn (aja) An epithet of the ultimate, ÄTMANand BRAHM ...

äcärya (master) had to write a commen- tary on the principal Upani•ads, the first and longest being that by ŸAŒKARA(2). upa-päta ...

vac (‘speech’, ‘word’) In the Øgveda (Väksükta) personified as a goddess, through whom everything is created, and through whom t ...

195 Vai•æavism Ÿiva the bull NANDI, Indra an elephant, Durgä a tiger etc. In temples the vahanas are represented before the main ...

Vaiÿya 196 saƒpradäya, founded by NÄRADA(3), also called the Hamsa saƒpradäya, or Nimbärka saƒpradäya, after its best- known rep ...

Väma-deva (3) An Upani•adic sage. Väma-deva (4) The name of a daÿanämi samnyäsi, founder and president of the Akhil Bhäratïya Sa ...

Värkarïs 198 was constructed in 1783 by Ränï Ahalyabäï. Many Hindus come to Väräæasï to die in the hope of finding instant liber ...

199 Veda married the seven daughters of Ähuka. Devakï, the youngest, became the moth- er of Kø•æa. After Kø•æa’s death he also d ...

Vedäægas (‘limbs of the Veda’) Six auxiliary sciences to be studied in order to understand and use the Veda correctly: ÿik•ä (ph ...

201 Vendan the age and origin of Vedic civilization. While the majority of Western scholars, following the lead of Max MÜLLER, a ...

Veökafleÿvara (‘Lord of Veökafla’) A title of Vi•æu as worshipped in TIRUPATI, situated on the Veökafla hill. vetäla A ghost or ...

Vijñäna-bhik•u (15th century) The founder of a school of VEDÄNTA called Sämänya-väda. He attempted to show the compatibility of ...

contentment, ritual actions, study, mak- ing the Lord the motive of one’s actions) as listed in Patañjali’s Yogasütra, as prepar ...

His community is divided into a great many different saƒpradäyas (sects). The most characteristic feature of Vi•æu is his appear ...

Viÿva-näflha (‘universal Lord’) A title of Ÿiva and name of the most famous of the temples in VÄRÄŒASÏ, of which Ÿiva is patron ...

Kø•æa’s youthful exploits, especially his dalliance with the GOPÏS, the milkmaids of Braja, as described in the Harivamÿa and th ...

war (vigraha) Hindu history, from the Vedas onwards, is replete with stories of wars, climaxing in the Great Bhärata War, with w ...

209 Woodroff, John Bhagavadgïtä (1785) inspired many Europeans. He became co-founder of the Asiatick Society of Bengal (1784). H ...