Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

supposed to be circumscribed by ‘five topics’ (pañcälak•ana): sarga (creation), pratisarga (dissolution), manvantara (world peri ...

111 Manasä Hindu princes and annexed large areas in north-western India. He is responsi- ble for the destruction of the famous S ...

Mänasa, alsoMänasa- sarovara A lake in the Himälayas on Mount Kailäsa, believed to be native place of swans who return there eve ...

Maögalä (‘the auspicious one’) An aspect of the Goddess (DEVÏ). maögala (‘auspicious’, ‘benedictory’) Maögala-stotra, an introdu ...

Manu 114 transmission of a mantra from GURUto disciple, meant to be a personal inner guide, and not to be divulged to anyone els ...

the goal of marriage is to enable a man to offer to the gods and to beget a son who will ensure the continuity of the sacrifice. ...

Mätøkas 116 in today’s Kerala. The women own the property, and inheritance is from mother to daughter. Relationship and descent ...

117 Meru sacrifice (asses and camels, for instance, are unfit for sacrifice, because they lack medha). medicine Traditional Indi ...

Meykaæõa(deva) 118 Meykaæõa(deva) (13th century) Religious name of Ÿvetabana, a Ÿaiva philosopher, author of the Ÿivajñana- bodh ...

119 month (devotees), and she is one of the favourite saints of northern India. (See also ANfiÄL.) miracle An essential ingredie ...

moon The hundreds of synonyms and epithets for the moon in Hindu literature (e.g. candra(mä), soma, ÿaÿï, ÿaÿäöka, rajanï- kara, ...

muni Someone who keeps silence, a sage, a saint; also a title of honour for religious persons. muñja A kind of grass or rush fro ...

worshipped with flowers, paddy, millet, and honey. Goats are sacrificed in his honour. He became äryanized as Subrahmaæia. (See ...

Naciketas A son of the Vedic ø•i(sage) Uddälaka (also called Äruni) and a major figure in the Taittirïya Brähmaæaand the Kaflhta ...

näga (2) Naked ascetics, quite often militant. Naimi•a A forest near the Gomatï river, in which, according to tradition, the Mah ...

is the author of Tiruviruttam, Tiru- vasariyam, Tiruvaymoli and Periya Tiruvandadi. His icon is placed in many temples and his p ...

time it takes to atone for their crimes; they are not eternal. (See alsoAFTER- LIFE.) Nära-Närada A pair of sages who according ...

of them affiliated with the RÄÆfiRÏYA SVAYAMSEVAK SANGH, and Hindu political parties have been pressing for a long time for the ...

Nimbärka, also Nimäditya, Niyamänanda (1125–62) Telugu brahmin, founder of the (VAIÆŒAVA) Sanakädi (or Haƒsa) saƒpradäya, in whi ...

Nyäya One of the six orthodox systems of Hindu philosophy. While best known for its detailed treatment of logic and epistemology ...