Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

jätï (‘birth-group’) Lineage, sub-caste. Each jätïconsists of a number of gotras(clans). jauhar Group self-immolation in a fire, ...

in 1783, he founded Bengal Asiatick Society in 1784 (and remained its presi- dent till 1794). He studied Sanskrit, and produced ...

Kabïr (1440–1518) Famous poet-saint, composer of many hymns used by Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, author of the Bijak and founder o ...

93 kalpa are treated as synonymous. The main festivity focusing on Kälï–Durgä is Kälï/Durgäpüjä. The major feat associated with ...

Kalpa-sütra 94 Kalpa-sütra One of the VEDÄ¢GAS, dealing with ritual. Käma, alsoKämadeva The god of love. The Øgveda states that ...

National Research professor of Sanskrit, editor of many Sanskrit works and author of the multi-volume History of Dharmaÿästra(19 ...

and found by Nandana, the charioteer of DHØTARÄÆfiRA, who brought him up as his own child. Later Karæa became king of Anga (Beng ...

97 Kautsa Käÿï See VÄRÄŒASÏ. Käÿïkhaæõa Part of the Skanda Puräæa, giving a detailed description of Ÿiva temples in and around V ...

Kauverï Major river in South India on whose banks are many famous holy places. The temple city of ŸRÏRA¢GAMis locat- ed on an is ...

Indian kingdom. There also was a gra- dation among kings: a ‘great king’ (mahäräja or räjädiräja) usually had several lesser kin ...

krodha (‘anger’) One of the three ‘gates to hell’, i.e. propensities that have to be overcome if one is to lead a religious life ...

K•irasägara (‘ocean of sweet milk’) One of the oceans separating the DVIPÄS. Kubera, alsoKuvera God of wealth and presiding deit ...

Kuruk•etra (‘the field of the Kurus’) A plain near Delhi where the MAHÄBHÄRATAwar took place. Kuÿa (‘happy’) The elder of the tw ...

lak•aæa (‘mark’, ‘characteristic’) In logic, implication. Lak•maæa Son of King DAŸARATHAby his wife Sumiträ, twin brother of ŸAT ...

Lava The younger of the twin sons of Räma and Sïtä, later King of Ÿrävastï. (See also RÄMÄYAŒA.) liberation (mok•a, mukti) With ...

come into existence without human intervention. Liöga Puräæa One of the Ÿaiva Puräæas, containing many stories about Ÿiva LI¢GAS ...

Macdonell, Arthur Anthony (1854–1930) Orientalist and Sanskrit scholar. He was born at Muzaffarpur, he was a Taylorian teacher o ...

107 Maga disputes with proponents of other doctrines. Madhu A demon slain by Kø•æa. madhurasa (‘sweet love’) The highest stage o ...

Magadha 108 MAYA, the master architect of the ASURAS, who built mighty palaces and also excelled in magic, is supposed to have b ...

109 Mahä-puräæa medhaparva (horse-sacrifice book), Äÿramaparva (hermitage book); Mau- salaparva(maces book); Mahäprasthä- nikapa ...