The Rg Veda’s tenth and final book
differs sharply from the preceding ones.
Its language is closer to classical
Sanskrit, and its content is far more
speculative than that of the earlier
books, hinting at a major conceptual
shift. This book features the famous
Creation Hymn(10.129), in which the
poet speculates on how the world came
to be, only to conclude that the answer
may be unknown even to the creator.
Another notable hymn in this book is
the Purusha Sukta (10.90), which
describes both the earth and human
society as the product of a primeval sac-
rifice. The former hymn foreshadows
the religious and cosmological specula-
tion found in the texts known as the
Upanishads. The latter, which contains
the first known articulation of the four
major social groups (varnas), along with
their symbolic functions, is distin-
guished as foreshadowing the later
dharma literature.
Rhythm, in Music
See tala.
Right Hand Tantra
Name for a type of tantra, a secret, ritu-
ally based religious practice. Certain
tantric rituals make use of substances
that are normally forbidden, such as
liquorand nonvegetarian food, in an
effort to unify the world by destroying all
conceptual dualities, including that
between sacred and forbidden. These
substances are used in their actual
forms in “left hand” (vamachara) tantric
ritual, and by substitution in “right
hand” (dakshinachara) tantric ritual.
See dakshinachara.
Rishabha
According to Jain tradition, Rishabha
was the founder of the Jains. He is con-
sidered the first of the Jain tirthankaras,
the founding figures in the Jain reli-
gious tradition. He is one of three Jain
tirthankaras who are mentioned in
the Yajur Veda, one of the earliest
Hindu religious texts. The figure most
often credited with developing the
teachings used by the Jains today is
Mahavira, who is considered the twenty-
fourth tirthankara.Rishi
Common word to designate a sage, seer,
or inspired religious leader. It is most
often used to indicate religious figures of
the distant past, and is not usually
applied to contemporary figures.Rishikesh
City and sacred site (tirtha) in the
Himalayan foothills of the state of Uttar
Pradesh. Rishikesh lies about fifteen
miles up the Ganges River from the
sacred city of Haridwar. As with many
sites on the Ganges, Rishikesh is famous
primarily as a bathing (snana) place,
although it is also noted as a dwelling-
place for ascetics, particularly at the
ashramsin the area around Lakshman
Jhula. As a sacred site, Rishikesh is also
notable for having no single charter
myth. According to one story, this is the
place where the god Ramakills several
demons, enabling the sages to carry outRishikeshThe city of Rishikesh lies on the Ganges River.
It contains many ashrams and is a
popular place for ritual bathing.