Haflha-yoga (‘forced yoga’)
A system of physical exercises designed
to increase bodily strength and health.
The Haflhayoga pradïpikäby Svatma-
räma Yogïndra is a standard manual.Haya-ÿiras(1), also Haya-ÿirsa,
Haya-grïva (‘horse-head’,
‘horse neck’)
The eighteenth AVATÄRA of Vi•æu,
revealer of sacred lore.Haya-ÿiras (2)
A demon who stole the Veda and was
slain by Vi•æu in the form of the
MATSYA AVATÄRA.Hazra, Rajendra Chandra
(1905–82)
Professor at Sanskrit College Calcutta,
author of many authoritative works on
Puräæas: Studies in the Puranic Records
on Hindu Rites and Customs(1940);
Studies in the Upapuräæas (2 vols, 1958
and 1963).heart (hødaya)
The seat of feeling and emotions, of
thought and intellectual operations.
Metaphorically it designates the best or
the essence of a thing. Hindu writings
speak of the presence of ‘an eternal
monitor in the heart’, i.e the conscience;
of ‘heart fetters’ or ‘heart knots’, the
hindrance to attaining freedom; of a
‘cave of the heart’ (hødaya guha), the
place where one encounters the ulti-
mate. The activity most eminently con-
nected with the heart is love. (See also
BHAKTI.)heaven
The ultimate human aim, according to
the Veda, to be obtained through
appropriate sacrifices. This concept was
superseded by the Vedäntic notion of
mok•a, a completely spiritual emancipa-tion. The Puräæas, with their sectarian
bias, present a different heaven for each
of the major gods: Vi•æu’s heaven, for
example, is Vaikunflha; Ÿiva’s Kailäsa;
Devï’s Maæidvïpa. (See alsoAFTERLIFE;
SVARGA.)Hedgewar, K.V.
SeeRÄÆTØÏYASVAYAMSEVAKSANGH.hell
See NÄRAKA.Himälaya, also Himäcala,
Himädri (‘abode of snow’)
Immense mountain range in the north
of India with great religious signifi-
cance. Ÿiva is supposed to reside on
Mount Kailäsa; Devï is called Pärvatï,
the ‘daughter of the mountains’.
Countless ascetics have withdrawn to
the Himälayas since time immemorial
and there are famous places of pilgrim-
age visited by many thousands of pil-
grims every year, such as Hardwar,
Hø•ikeÿa, Badrïnäth, Kedarnäth. The
mountain range is personified as
Himavat (husband of Menä, father of
Umä and Gaægä).hiƒsä
SeeVIOLENCE.Hindu jägaran
(‘Hindu awakening’)
Collective designation of efforts that
began at the end of the 19th century to
‘raise Hindu consciousness’. Persons
active in this process were DÄYÄNANDA
SARASVATÏ, AUROBINDO GHOSE, Bal
Gangadhar TILAK and others.
Movements contributing to it were the
Ärya Samäj, the Rä•flrïya Svayamsevak
Sangh, the Viÿva Hindü Pari•ad, and
political parties such as the Hindu
Mahäsabhä, the Jana Sangh and the
Bhäratïya Jänatä Party.81 Hindu jägaranEncyclo - Letter H 10/2/03 9:42 am Page 81