The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (2 Vol Set)

(vip2019) #1

afflicted with self-pride. Through
amassing religious merits, Nahusha suc-
ceeds to the throne of Indra, the king of
the gods, who has gone into hiding
because of an evil deed. Nahusha is
filled with lust for Indra’s wife, Indrani.
He tries to act on it despite the obvious
improprieties of approaching another
man’s wife and a mortal making a claim
on a goddess. Nahusha sets off for
Indrani’s palace in a palanquin. In his
impatience, he whips the palanquin
bearers, saying “Sarpa, sarpa” (“Move!
Move!”). Unfortunately for Nahusha,
one of the bearers is Agastya, the sage.
For Nahusha’s lust and disrespect,
Agastya curses him to become a
snake (sarpa). Nahusha remains a
serpent for many years but is released
from the curse by the sight of the
Pandavabrothers.


Nai


Traditional Indian society was modeled
as a collection of endogamous, or inter-
married, subgroups known as jatis
(“birth”). Jatis were organized (and their
social status determined) by the group’s
hereditary occupation, over which the
group held a monopoly. The Nai jati’s
occupation was barbering, a low status
job because it required continual con-
tact with cut human hair, considered
a source of impurity (ashaucha). In
many instances the Nais also served
as messengers.


Naimisha


City and sacred site (tirtha) in the state
of Uttar Pradesh, about fifty miles
northwest of the city of Lucknow. In the
later sectarian literature known as the
puranas, Naimisha is described as a for-
est. Today the city’s major attraction is a
spring-fed bathing (snana) pool named
Chakra Tirtha. According to tradition,
this bathing pool contains waterfrom
all the holy places of India, and thus is
the best place for pious Hindus to take a
holy bath.


Naimittika Karma


(“occasional [ritual] action”) One of
three general types of ritual action, the
others being nitya karmaand kamya
karma. Naimittika karma rites follow a
particular cause (naimittika); when par-
ticular circumstances arise, one is
required to perform the ritual. For
example, when a child is born, certain
rites must be performed. However, the
ritual is not required unless a birth has
taken place.

Naina Devi


Presiding deityof the Naina Devi temple
in the Shiwalik Hills in the state of
Himachal Pradesh, and one of the nine
Shiwalik goddesses. Naina Devi’s tem-
ple is located on a mountaintop close to
the border of Punjab. It is nine miles
from Anandpur Sahib, a famous Sikh
place of pilgrimage, and about one mile
from Nangal village. The greatest pil-
grimage traffic occurs during festivals
held on the eighth day in each half of the
lunar monthof Shravan, and also dur-
ing the first nine days of the month of
Ashvin, when the Navaratri festival
takes place.
According to the temple’s charter
myth, Naina Devi is one of the Shakti
Pithas, a network of sites sacred to the
Goddesswhich spreads throughout the
subcontinent. Each Shakti Pitha marks
the site where a body part of the dis-
membered goddess Satifell to earth,
taking form there as a different goddess;
Naina Deviwas Sati’s eyes (naina). As
with many of the other Shiwalik god-
desses, the images in Naina Devi’s tem-
ple are self-manifested (svayambhu
images) outcrops of stone. In a different
version of the myth, the images were
discovered by a herdsman named
Naina, who heeded the command of
the Goddess to build a temple for her.
For further information see Kathleen
Erndl, Victory to the Mother, 1993. See
also pitha.

Naina Devi
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