Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

a•flävaraæa (‘eightfold armour’) The eight commandments that VÏRA ŸAIVAShave to observe, namely: obedi- ence towards the GURU, w ...

Brahmä and communicated BRAHMA- VIDYÄ; he is believed to have been the first to bring fire down from heaven, offer SOMAand recit ...

Aughara A branch of the Näflhapanthis, the fol- lowers of GORAKHNÄfiHA, a section of yogis, followers of ŸIVA. AUM Also written ...

austerities See ASCETICISM; ATONEMENT; TAPAS. ävähana Invitation to the deity to appear for worship. avatära (‘descent’) Mostly ...

Bädämi Ancient temple site in the Deccan, home to the famous Malegitti Ÿivälaya temple (seventh century) and others. Bädaräyaæa ...

35 Bhagavad-gïtä bali SeePIŒ¥A. Banaras (Benares) Anglicized form of VÄRÄŒASÏ. Bande mätäräm (‘I worship you, Mother’) First wor ...

Bhägavata Puräæa 36 the Mahäbhärata. Much commented upon by hundreds of Indian authors since ŸA¢KARA(2) (eighth century) and tra ...

37 Bhäratïya Jänatä Party teachers advocating it have different understandings of its precise content. Some seem to favour a spi ...

Jänatä Party in 1980, with the aim of transforming India into a Hindu state. Its leader Lal Krishna Advani became a popular hero ...

aesthetics, personified as grandson of Adharma (unrighteousness) and Hiƒsä (violence), and father of Møtyu (death). bhedäbheda ( ...

bïja–mantra 40 may be preferable to indifference, because it is at least a reaction to his presence. bïja–mantra (‘seed-mantra’) ...

41 Brahmä Kumäris Bodhäyana Author of a (lost) gloss on the Brahma- sütras. body Hinduism has an ambivalent attitude towards the ...

Brahma Puräæa 42 Vi•æu and received prophecies about the end of the world, which was to be followed by an earthly paradise. Brah ...

43 Braja brahma-randhra (‘Brahma’s crevice’) Aperture at the crown of the head, iden- tified by the ŸIKHA, the small tuft of hai ...

followers of CAITANYA, Brajbhümi is the destination of many millions Hindu pil- grims every year and a preferred place of retire ...

an enlightened one, he first approached his former companions in a grove near Väräæasï to announce to them the good news of the ...

caitanya See CONSCIOUSNESS. Caitanya, also Kø•æa Caitanya (‘Kø•æa Consciousness’) (1486–1533) Born Viÿvambhara Miÿra, the second ...

47 Cäæakya cakra (3) In TANTRA(2), six (to nine) nerve cen- tres in the subtle body through which the spiritual energy is channe ...

famous for its realistic, almost Machiavellian tone. It gives a very valu- able detailed description of the adminis- tration of ...

cetana See CONSCIOUSNESS. chandas Verses, metres, one of the six VEDÄŒGAS. chandoga A priest or chanter of the Sämaveda (VEDAof ...