Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

141 prati-sarga

praæava

See AUM.

präæäyäma (‘breath-control’)

An important part of ritual practice and

of YOGA, a method of purification and a

way to concentrate the mind.

prapatti (‘self-surrender’)

A central notion in BHAKTI, especially in

VAIÆŒAVISM. It is the culmination of a

long process of devotion and consists of

five acts: the intention of submitting to

the Lord; the giving up of resistance to

the Lord; the belief in the protection of

the Lord; the prayer that the Lord may

save his devotee; the consciousness of

utter helplessness. The oldest reference to

prapatti may be Bhagavadgïtä XVIII, 66.

präräbdha (karma)

Residual KARMA(2), karma left over

from previous lives, which has to be

lived through; fate, destiny.

Prärthana Samäj

(‘Prayer Association’)

Founded in 1867 in Bombay by Dr

Atmaram Pandurang (1823–98) as a

Hindu reform movement. Its most

prominent member was Justice Mahadev

Govinda Ranade (1842–1901), who was

responsible for many social reform ini-

tiatives and who exerted a major influ-

ence on the Indian National Congress,

of which he was a founder member. The

Prärthana Samäj established the Social

Reform Movement and founded the

journal Indian Social Reformer. It

fought for the abolition of CASTE, the

right of widows to remarry, the aboli-

tion of child MARRIAGEand the educa-

tion of WOMEN. It was instrumental in

the foundation of many associations

dedicated to the upliftment of the

depressed classes, tribal people and

women.

prasäda (‘grace’)

FOODthat has been offered to the deity

and that is shared among devotees as

God’s gift and blessing.

Praÿastapäda (fourth century CE)

A famous scholar of the VAIŸEÆIKA

school; author of the Padärthadharma-

saögraha.

Praÿna Upani•ad

One of the principal Upani•ads. It deals

with six questions (praÿna) which are

asked of the sage Pippaläda.

prasthäna trayï

(‘the triad of proof-texts’)

The major Upani•ads, the Bhagavad-

gïtä, and the Brahmasütras, upon which

a founder of a school of Vedänta has to

comment.

prati-biƒba

SeeBIßBA–PRATIBIßBA; MADHVA.

pratijñä (‘acknowledgement’)

A vow, promise. In NYÄYA: the state-

ment of the proposition to be proved,

the first part of the five-membered

Indian syllogism. The others are: hetu

(reason); udaharaæa (illustrative exam-

ple); upanaya(corroborative instance);

nigamana (inference: identical with the

first statement).

Prätiÿäkhya

Treatises dealing with the phonetics of

Vedic language, for example the

Taittirïyaprätiÿäkhya, which belongs to

the Black YAJURVEDA.

prati-sarga

Dissolution of the created universe; one

of the pañcälak•ana (five topics of a

Puräæa).

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