Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

panth(a) 134

accomplishments of the human mind.

From ancient times Päæinï was revered as

a ØÆI(sage) and his work was considered

to be inspired by Ÿiva. The study of gram-

mar was undertaken as a spiritual disci-

pline and was considered indispensable

for anyone aspiring to become a teacher

of philosophy or religion.

panth(a) (‘path’, ‘following’)

This is used especially in contexts such

as Kabïr Panth, followers of the path

taught by KABÏR.

päpa

SeeSIN.

päpa-puru•a (‘man of sin’)

The personification of all unpardonable

sins: his head consists of brahmanicide,

his arms of cow-killing, his nose of

woman-murder, his belly of intoxica-

tion, his legs of theft of gold.

parama-haƒsa (‘supreme swan’)

An honorific title for a spiritual

teacher.

paramärthika

(‘relating to the supreme reality’)

Transcendent; the opposite to vyava-

härika, relating to empirical reality. (See

alsoVYAVAHÄRA.)

paramätman (‘supreme soul’)

The Absolute, BRAHMAN.

paraƒparä

The lineage of teacher and disciple, tra-

dition. The Upani•ads have long lines of

teachers to whom their teachings are

traced back. For members of Hindu reli-

gious orders it is important to memorize

their guruparaƒparä to authenticate

their tradition. A teaching not traced

back to an acknowledged line of

teachers is considered unsound and not

conducive to LIBERATION.

Paräÿara (14th century BCE?)

A ø•i(sage) to whom some of the Øgvedic

süktas(HYMNS) are attributed. He is also

the narrator of the Vi•æu Puräæaand the

author of a major work on DHARMAŸÄS-

TRA, commented upon by MÄDHAVA(2).

Paraÿuräma

(‘Rama with the battle-axe’)

The sixth AVATÄRAof Vi•æu; the fifth

son of Jamadagni and Reæukä. He

appeared in the TRETAYUGAto end the

tyranny of the KÆATRIYAS, whom he is

said to have annihilated 22 times. His

story is told in the Rämäyaæa, the

Mahäbhärata and some PURÄŒAS.

Pargiter, Frederick Eden

(1852–1927)

Officer in the Indian Civil Service, High

Judge in Calcutta, historian and student

of classical India who rejected the

Äryan invasion theory. He was the

author of Ancient Indian Historical

Tradition(1922) and The Puräæa Text

of the Dynasties of the Kali Age(1913).

Parijäta

The wonderful tree produced at the

CHURNING OF THE OCEAN, whose blos-

soms perfumed the whole universe. It was

placed in Indra’s heaven, but when Kø•æa

visited it, his wife, Satyabhämä, induced

him to carry it away. In the ensuing fight

Indra lost and Kø•æa carried the tree to

Dväraka. After Kø•æa’s death the tree was

returned to Indra’s heaven.

parikrama

SeeCIRCUMAMBULATION.

Parik•it

The grandson of Arjuna, father of

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