Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

chariot and taken in procession through

a town.

Ratï (‘desire’, ‘lust’)

Personified as wife of Käma, the god of

love, and a daughter of DAKÆA. She is

also known by other names such as

Kämi, Revä, Prïti, Kämapriyä and

Mäyävatï.

ratna (‘jewel’)

This is used as title of distinction, and is

the name of a medal given by the Indian

government (Bhärataratna).

Raurava (‘dreadful’, ‘terrible’)

One of the hells. (See alsoNÄRAKA.)

Rävaæa (‘crying’, ‘screaming’)

The demon king of Laökä, the chief of

the RÄKÆASAS, half-brother of KUBERA,

grandson of the ø•i Pulastya. Laökä was

originally in the possession of Kubera,

but Rävaæa ousted him. He had ten

heads (he is also known as Daÿagrïva or

Daÿavädana). He practised the most

severe penances for 10,000 years to pro-

pitiate Brahmä, and offered one of his

heads at the end of each millennium.

Thus he gained invulnerability from

devas and asuras, but it was foretold

that he was doomed to die through a

woman. He is a major figure in the

RÄMÄYANA, where he is the main adver-

sary of Räma. He abducted Sïtä, Räma’s

wife, but did not do violence to her. He

eventually succumbed to Räma and his

allies and lost his capital and his life.

Øddhi (‘prosperity’)

The wife of KUBERA, the god of wealth.

Sometimes the name is also used for

PÄRVATÏ, the wife of Ÿiva.

reality (sat/satya)

The quest for a ‘reality’ behind the

deceptive appearance of things is as old

as Hinduism. The Vedas contain the

oft-quoted prayer ‘from the unreal lead

me to the real’ (asatya mä sat gamaya),

and the Upani•ads’ main interest is in

finding the ‘reality of the real’ (satyasa

satyam). All Hindu systems are ways of

‘realization’, i.e. methods of finding

truth and reality. Reality is by definition

imperishable, possesses consciousness

and is blissful (sat–cit–änanda).

rebirth (punarjanma)

From the time of the Upani•ads

onwards the universal belief in the end-

less round of rebirth (saƒsära) became

widely accepted in India together with

the notion that it was the major task of

a human being to break that cycle and

attain a state of transcendent freedom.

While rebirth, under the inexorable law

of karma, took place in time, LIBERATION

(mok•a, nirväöa, kaivalya) meant reach-

ing a timeless state. The major differ-

ences between the competing traditions

arose from differences in understanding

the nature of the ultimate condition and

the means necessary to achieve it.

religious persecution

While Hinduism prides itself on toler-

ance towards followers of other religions,

religious persecution is not unknown.

There are historic instances of persecu-

tion (even execution) of Jains in South

India under the instigation of the Ÿaivite

saint SAMBANDHARas well as persecu-

tion of Vai•æavas by Ÿaivite kings. In

more recent times radical Hindus local-

ly instigated persecutions of Muslims

and Christians. Many Hindu works

contain not only polemics against other

sects and followers of other religions,

but also a great deal of invective and

condemnation.

Renou, Louis (1896–1966)

Eminent French Indologist. He was

professor of Sanskrit at the Sorbonne

151 Renou, Louis

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