Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

Cokamela (1293–1338)

HARIJAN saint from Mangalredha

(Mahärä•flra), a devotee of Viflflhal (a

Mahratti form of Vi•æu); he had to pray

outside the shrine because of his OUT-

CASTEstatus, and suffered many humili-

ations, but was also recognized for his

piety and his inspired songs. After his

death he was interred at PANDHARPUR

beside NÄMADEVA. He is the author of

many popular devotional songs

(abhangs) in Marathi.

Colas

Prominent dynasty in South India (c.

319–1297). The Colas were mostly

adherents of ŸAIVISM; they patronized

the arts and religion. They also built,

over the centuries, extensive irrigation

systems that are still functional. Famous

temples such as the Rajeÿvara temple in

TANJOREowe their existence to Cola

munificence. Cola bronze images, espe-

cially of Ÿiva NÄfiARÄJA, are famous for

their craftsmanship and high artistic

quality.

confession

Confessing breaches of the moral code

is one of the ways of atonement

(PRAYAŸCITTA) for most lighter infringe-

ments.

consciousness, also caitanya,

cetana, cit

One of the key concepts in Hindu

thought. Advaitins identify the very

essence of the person with conscious-

ness, others consider it an essential

attribute. BRAHMANis often defined as

sat–cit–änanda (being–consciousness–

bliss). The Upani•ads teach four stages

of consciousness, corresponding to dif-

ferent perceptions of reality: jägarita

sthäna(waking state: corresponding to

the perception of multiple entities dif-

ferent from the perceiving subject);

svapna sthäna(dream state: perception

of mind-generated objects, different

from the subject); su•upti (dreamless

deep sleep: no perception of difference

between object and subject); turïya (‘the

fourth state’, lucid trance, awareness

without any subject–object split).

Coomaraswami, Ananda

(1877–1947)

Born in Ceylon (Ÿrï Laöka) to a

Ceylonese father and a British mother,

and trained in London as a geologist,

Coomaraswami became best known as

a rediscoverer of Indian art, especially

of ancient and classical Indian painting.

He wrote Indian Drawings (1910);

Indian Drawings: Second Series(1912);

Rajput Painting(1916). He developed

broad interests in Indian culture in gen-

eral, evident in a great number of essays

dealing with Indian mythology and his-

tory (The Dance of Ÿiva, 1918, Why

Exhibit Works of Art?, 1943) and a

monumental History of Indian and

Indonesian Art(1927).

cosmology

Hinduism does not possess a uniform

and commonly accepted cosmology.

Cosmology, however, was always very

important. In the Vedas we find a tri-

partition of the universe into an upper,

middle and lower sphere: to each were

assigned eleven deities. The moon was

believed to be the resting place for the

deceased ancestors. In the Puräæas we

find an elaborate division of the uni-

verse into a series of concentric conti-

nents surrounded by oceans – all of

immense size. The Puräæas also specu-

late that besides the universe inhabited

by us there are countless other universes.

The world we inhabit is not seen as the

best of all worlds but as the only place

where people can work out their salva-

tion. Hindus also operated with

immense time-frames in the context of a

periodic creation and annihilation of

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