Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

and found by Nandana, the charioteer

of DHØTARÄÆfiRA, who brought him up

as his own child. Later Karæa became

king of Anga (Bengal). In the Great War

he fought at the side of the KAURAVAS

and was killed by ARJUNA, who only

then found out that Karæa was the half-

brother of the PÄŒ¥AVAS. (See also

MAHÄBHÄRATA.)

Karpatriji Maharaj (1898–1973)

VAIÆŒAVA ascetic, founder of the

Rämaräjya Pari•ad, a Hindu political

party with a nationalist agenda.

Kär•æa, alsoKär•æajinï

A sage, reputed author of a lost

BRAHMA-SÜTRA.

Kärtavïrya

Son of Køtavïrya, patronymic of ARJUNA.

Kärttikeya

God of war, the planet Mars, also

known as MURUGANand Skanda. Son

of Ÿiva, in some traditions born without

a mother. He is represented as having

six heads, riding on a peacock, holding

a bow in one hand and an arrow in the

other. His wife is Kaumarï or Senä. He

is also called Senäpati (lord of the army,

or husband of Senä), Siddhasena,

Kumära. In South India he is known as

Subrahmaæia.

Karve, Dhonde Keshav

(1858–1962)

Professor of Sanskrit in Poona, social

reformer, founder of the Widow

Marriage Association, and of the

Women’s University in Poona.

kärya (‘condition of bondage’)

A knowledge of this is essential to gain

LIBERATION, according to the PÄŸUPATAS.

Kashmir Ÿaivism

An important school of philosophical

Ÿaivism, which flourished from the 8th

to the 12th centuries in Kashmir. Also

known as Ÿiva Advaita, Tøka, Spaæõa-

ÿästra, Pratyäbhijñä. Its most important

representative was Abhinavagupta

(c. 1100), whose main work is known

as Tanträlokä. Its designation as ‘Ÿiva

Advaita’ reflects its doctrine that all

reality is undivided Ÿiva; it is called

Spaæõaÿästra (vibration) because it

teaches that every atom in the universe

is constantly oscillating; it is known as

Pratyäbhijñä (recognition) because it

holds that Ÿiva is mirrored in the soul

and that recognizing his image brings

about LIBERATION. There are few teach-

ers of this tradition left. Its best-known

contemporary representative was Pandit

Lak•man Joo.

Karpatriji Maharaj 96

Kärttikeya, the god of war, son of

Ÿiva and Pärvatï.

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