Vijñäna-bhik•u (15th century)
The founder of a school of VEDÄNTA
called Sämänya-väda. He attempted to
show the compatibility of SÄßHKYAand
Vedänta in his commentary to the
Brahmasütras called Vijñänämøta
Bhäsya. He also wrote a commentary
on the Ÿavaragïtä of the Kürma Puräæa.Vikramäditya (95 BCE–78 CE)
A legendary king, whose identity has
been variously established, from whose
reign the beginning of the Vikram era
dates (57 BCE). His capital was Ujjainï,
and he was renowned as a soldier and
politician, as well as a patron of the
arts. He was said to have assembled at
his court the ‘nine jewels’, men highly
accomplished in their fields of endeav-
our: Dhanvantari, a physician; K•apa-
æaka, Ÿaöku, and Vetäla Bhaflfla, poets;
Amarasinha, a lexicographer; Ghata-
kharpara, Kälidäsa and Vararuci, poets
and dramatists; and Varähamihira, an
astronomer. The title Vikramäditya was
also used by other kings.village religion
The discrepancy between the sophisti-
cated Hindu systems such as VEDÄNTA
and the down-to-earth religious practice
of Indian villages was noticed early.
Village religion in India is characterized
by locality: the most important objects
of worship are usually local heroes and
goddesses, often former members of the
village community. Worship is offered
not only in formal temples but at impro-
vised shrines, under trees, at peculiarly
shaped stones, at places where appari-
tions were sighted, etc. A number of
studies of village religion in different
parts of India have been undertaken
recently.Vindhya
A range of mountains that stretch
across Central India, dividing theMadhyadeÿa, homeland of the Äryas,
from the south, the Deccan. Many
events described in epics and Puräæas
relate to the Vindhyas.violence (hi™•a)
This is normally considered a vice by
Hindus. It is justified, however, if sanc-
tioned by the ŸÄSTRAS: the killing of ani-
mals in SACRIFICE is not considered
sinful, because it is done on the strength
of a Vedic injunction, and by being sac-
rificed an animal obtains a higher exis-
tence. The killing of enemies by
K•atriyas (warrior class) is also permit-
ted, or even required, if involved in a
just (dharmic) war. As Kø•æa explains
to Arjuna in the Bhagavadgïtä, a war-
rior must fight in order to fulfil his
duties and to contribute to the well-
being of the world (lokasangraha).
Unconditional ahiƒsä (non-violence),
as GANDHItaught it, is not part of main-
stream Hindu tradition.Viräj, alsoViräfl
(‘splendid’, ‘excellent’)
A primordial being, variously described
as the male half of BRAHMÄor as an
issue of PURUÆA, the prototype of all
male creatures. In VEDÄNTAit is the
name of the intellect that rules over the
aggregate of bodies.viräja
The mythical river that divides
Vaikuæflha from Ÿivaloka.Vïra-ÿäivas
SeeLI¢GÄYATS.virtues
The most common list of traditional
(universal) Hindu virtues is provided in
the five YAMA(non-violence, truthful-
ness, honesty, continence and non-cov-
etousness) and five NIYAMA (purity,203 virtuesEncyclo - Letter V 10/2/03 10:03 am Page 203