Ka

Glossary

Abhimanyu

Son of Arjuna and Subhadr

ā

; marries Uttar

ā

Aciravat

ī

River in the Bihar region

adharma

Disorder, illegality, illegitimacy, violation of

dharma

adhvaryu

Chief priest of proceedings, one of four basic kinds of officiants in the sacrifice of the

soma

; the others are the

hotṛ

, the

udgātr

, and the

brahmān

The priest who, more than any other, performs the liturgical actions; he moves around continually, handles the sacrificial implements, cooks the oblations, tends the fire. “The

adhvaryu

is the eye of the sacrifice” (

Bṛhad Āranyaka Upaniṣad

, 3.1.4)

Ā

ḍ

i

A demon hostile to

Ś

iva

Aditi

Boundless, She who loosens bonds; mother of the

Ā

dityas through her union with Ka

ś

yapa

Ā

dityas

The twelve sons of Aditi and Ka

ś

yapa: Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u, Indra, Vivasvat, Mitra, Varu

ṇ

a, P

ū

ṣ

an, Tva

ṣ

ṭ

ṛ

, Bhaga, Aryaman, Dh

ā

t

ṛ

, Savit

ṛ

, A

ṃ

ś

a

Agastya

A

ṛṣi

born with Vasi

ṣ

ṭ

ha from the bowl where Mitra’s and Varu

ṇ

a’s sperm fell; sometimes considered one of the Saptar

ṣ

is, husband of Lop

ā

mudr

ā

Age of the Losing

Throw

Kaliyuga

Agni

Fire

agnīdh

He who lights the fire; an officiant who tends the fire

agnihotra

Offering to the fire; the simplest and most important of the solemn rites. The head of every family of the three upper castes must offer this sacrifice all his life, morning and evening, shortly before the rising of the sun or the appearance of the first star

agre

Forward; Agni’s secret name

Ahaly

ā

Unplowable One; wife of the

ṛṣi

Gotama

aham

I

āhavanīya

Fire into which one pours the offering; one of the three sacrificial fires, together with the

gārhapatya

, “belonging to the sacrificer,” a domestic fire, and the

dakṣiṇāgni

, “fire of the south.” The

āhavanīya

is lit, with a flame taken from the

gārhapatya

ahiṃsā

Not to wound; nonviolence toward living beings. A lizard defined it as “the supreme law of all creatures that breathe” (

Mahābhārata

, 1.11.12)

Air

ā

vata

Born of the ocean: a white elephant ridden by Indra

Ajita Ke

ś

akambalin

Philosopher who lived at the time of the Buddha

Ak

ū

p

ā

ra

Cosmic turtle, immersed in the waters

Alakanand

ā

River that rises in the Him

ā

laya and flows into the Ganges

Albertine

A character in Proust’s

Recherche

Aldebaran

A star in the Taurus coustellation; it corresponds to Rohin

ī

All-gods

Vi

ś

ve Devas

amāgadho

māgadhavākyah

Man-not-from-the-Magadha called man-from-the-Magadha

Amar

ā

vat

ī

Indra’s celestial city

Amb

ā

A princess of K

ā

ś

ī

, carried off by Bh

ī

ṣ

ma with her sisters, Ambik

ā

and Amb

ā

lik

ā

amba

Mother

Amb

ā

lik

ā

A princess of K

ā

ś

ī

, marries Vicitrav

ī

rya, mother of P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u through her union with Vy

ā

sa

ambālikā

An affectionate form of

amba

, “mother”

ambhas

Water, billow

Ambik

ā

A princess of K

ā

ś

ī

, marries Vicitrav

ī

rya, mother of Dh

ṛ

tar

ā

ṣ

ṭ

ra through her union with Vy

ā

sa

ambikā

An affectionate form of

amba

, “mother”

Ā

mrap

ā

l

ī

Guardian of the Mango Trees, courtesan of Vai

ś

ā

l

ī

Ā

mrava

ṇ

a

Park of the Mango Trees, one of the Buddha’s favorite parks

amṛta

Immortal; liquid of eternal life, drunk by the gods, which surfaces during the churning of the ocean (

amṛtamanthana

) and coincides with the substance that men call

soma

A

ṃ

ś

a

Portion; one of the

Ā

dityas

aṃśa

Portion. The gods can descend into certain human beings with a part of themselves. Thus, of the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

ava brothers, Bh

ī

ma has a portion of V

ā

yu, Yudhi

ṣ

ṭ

hira of Dharma, Arjuna of Indra, Nakula and Sahadeva of the A

ś

vins

ānanda

Joy, beatitude

Ā

nanda

Joy; Buddha’s cousin

Ā

nandavardhana

A poet and writer of treatises, author of the

Dhranyāloka

, “The Light of Poetical Suggestion,” perhaps the most important Indian work of literary criticism; lived in Kashmir in the ninth century

A.D.

Ananta

Infinite; another name of the snake

Ś

e

ṣ

a

ananta

Infinite, without limit

Anas

ū

y

ā

Without envy; daughter of Dak

ṣ

a and V

ī

rin

ī

, wife of Atri

anattā

Non-Self; a P

ā

li term of Buddhist doctrine (equivalent to the Sanskrit

anātman

) that denies the existence of a Self,

ātman

Andrée

A character in Proust’s

Recherche

A

ṅ

giras

A group of

ṛṣis

, their guide is also called A

ṅ

giras

anirukta

Inexpressible, unexpressed, implicit; describes those verses and rites in which the divinity of whom one is speaking is not named; also describes formulas that are murmured or pronounced mentally

Annap

ū

r

ṇ

ā

Full of food; a peak in the Him

ā

laya

Antelope

M

ṛ

ga, name of the constellation Orion

Antelope Park

Mrgad

ā

va, park of the king of V

ā

r

ā

ṇ

as

ī

Anumati

Consent; daughter of A

ṅ

giras; also the fifteenth day of the lunar cycle, when the gods look favorably on sacrificial offerings

Anuruddha

A Buddhist monk present at the Council of R

ā

jag

ṛ

ha

Anyata

ḥ

plak

ṣ

ā

A pond in Kuruk

ṣ

etra where Urva

ś

ī

appears with her following of Apsaras

āpaḥ

Waters, from

āp-

, “to pervade”

aparimita

Boundless

apauruṣeya

Not from man; of nonhuman origin

Apollo

Son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis

Apsaras

Flowing in the waters; celestial nymphs

apuṃścalū

puṃścalūvākyā

“Not-whore called whore”

araṇī

A twig of

aśvattha

with which the ritual fire is kindled and with which Pur

ū

ravas first unleashed fire in the world

Arati

Dissatisfaction; a daughter of M

ā

ra

Archer

Ś

arva; one of Rudra’s names

arhat

Worthy; the fourth level of sanctity in Buddhist terminology; refers to those who have freed themselves from

karman

Arjuna

White One; one of the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas, born of the union between Indra and Kunt

ī

, first wife of P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u, his putative father

arka

Brilliant;

Asclepias gigantica

; a hymn of praise; the mystic name of the holy fire in the

agnicayana

and the

aśramedha

Ā

rtabh

ā

ga

A brahmanic master, contemporary with Y

ā

jñavalkya

Artemis

Daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo

Aru

ṇ

a

Son of Ka

ś

yapa and Vinat

ā

, S

ū

rya’s charioteer

Arundhat

ī

One of the K

ṛ

ttik

ā

s, wife of Vasi

ṣ

ṭ

ha

Aryaman

One of the

Ā

dityas, an ancestor of the

Ā

ryas

Ā

ryas

Noble Ones; used by the Vedic texts to refer to members of the three upper

castes

as

-

To gain

A

ś

ani

Flash (of lightning); one of Rudra’s names

asat

That which is not (

a-sat

), the unmanifest

āśrama

Hermitage

Asuras

Gods, the first-born sons of Praj

ā

pati; when they oppose the Devas, the gods per excellence, they become antigods

aśva

Horse

Aśvajit

One of the first five companions of the Buddha

A

ś

vala

Priest (

hotṛ

) of King Janaka

aśvamedha

Sacrifice of the horse

aśvattha

Ficus religiosa, peepul tree

A

ś

vins

Divine twins, sons of Vivasvat and Sara

ṇ

y

ū

atirikta

Overflowing

ātman

Self

Atri

Devourer: one of the Saptar

ṣ

is, to whom are attributed a number of the hymns of the fifth

maṇḍala

of the

Ṛ

g Veda and one hynm of the tenth

muṇḍala

arabhṛtha

Ritual bath

aratāra

Descent; a periodic apparition, under a different form on each occasion, of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u upon earth. The most widely accepted list gives the ten main

aratāras

as follows: Matsya, K

ū

rma, Var

ā

ha, Narasi

ṃ

ha, V

ā

mana, Para

ś

ur

ā

ma, R

ā

macandra, K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a, Buddha, Kalkin

Avimukta

Cremation ground in K

ā

ś

ī

Awakened One

The Buddha

Awakening One

The

brahman

, according to the

Maitri Upaniṣad

, 6.4

Ā

yus

Life’s duration; son of Pur

ū

ravas and Urva

ś

ī

Badar

ī

A place of pilgrimage, sacred to Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u, in the upper Ganges valley on the slopes of the Him

ā

laya

Bad Creation

Creation of Ahriman in Avestic theology

Bahu

ś

ruta

He who has heard much; epithet of

Ā

nanda

Balbec

A seaside town where certain episodes of Proust’s

Recherche

take place

Balzac

Honoré de Balzac, 1799–1850

bandhu

Connection

Banyan Park

Nyagrodh

ā

r

ā

ma, a park in Kapilavastu

Baudh

ā

yana

Traditionally recognized as the founder of the school of the “black” Yajur Veda (Taittir

ī

ya school), author of numerous S

ū

tras

Bear

Ursa major; ṛkṣāḥ

; residence of the Saptar

ṣ

is

Bengal

A region in northeast India

Betelgeuse

A star in the constellation Orion

Bhaga

Dispenser of riches; one of the

Ā

dityas. brother of U

ṣ

as

Bhairava

The Tremendous One; epithet of

Ś

iva

bhakti

Devotion

bhaṇgā

Cannabis indica

Bharadv

ā

ja

One of the Saptar

ṣ

is. to whom are attributed a number of hymns of the sixth, ninth, and tenth

maṇḍala

of the

Ṛ

g Veda

Bharata

Author of the

Nātyaśāstra

; may have lived in the third or fourth century

A.D.

Bh

ā

rhut

Place in Madhya Pradesh holy to Buddhism

Bh

ā

ru

ṇ

ḍ

a

Mythical birds who live in Uttarakuru

Bhava

Existence; one of Rudra’s names

bheda

Lesion, fracture, difference

Bh

ī

ma

One of the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas, born of the union between V

ā

yu and Kunt

ī

, first wife of P

ā

ndu, his putative father

Bh

ī

ṣ

ma

Terrible; son of

Ś

ā

ṃ

tanu and Ga

ṅ

g

ā

Bh

ṛ

gu

A

ṛṣi

, head of one of the clans founded by a

ṛṣi

Bh

ū

mi

Earth;

śakti

of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

B

ī

bhatsu

He-who-feels-repugnance; epithet of Arjuna

Bihar

Region in east India, bounded by Bengal, Orissa, and Nepal

bilra

Aegle marmelos

, tree sacred to

Ś

iva

Bindusaras

Lake of Drops; formed from drops of Ga

ṅ

g

ā

fallen to earth

Black One

K

ā

l

ī

Black One

K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a; also an epithet of

Ś

iva

Blessed One

Epithet of the Buddha

Boar

Var

ā

ha; the third

aratāra

of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

bodháyanti

The Awakening One

Bodhgay

ā

The name of the place (near Gay

ā

) where the awakening (

bodhi

) of the Buddha took place

bodhi

Awakening

Bodhisattva

A being destined to the awakening; the name used for those destined to become Buddhas as well as for those who have chosen not to reach the state of Buddha immediately, out of compassion for other beings. Before achieving awakening, Siddh

ā

rtha Gautama is a Bodhisattva

Born-in-a-reed-marsh

Ś

aravanodbhava

Boy

Kum

ā

ra; one of the names of Rudra

Brahm

ā

All the unresolved disputes that revolve around the term

brahman

can equally well be applied to the meaning of this name. His antecedent is Praj

ā

pati

brahmacārin

He who behaves according to brahman; the name of those in the first stage of human life, that of a pupil under the guidance of a

guru

, characterized by chastity and the observance of special rules

Brahm

ā

haty

ā

Fury of the Bralunanicide; a girl who pursues those who have killed a brahman

brahman

The St. Petersburg Dictionary (Böhtlingk-Roth) offers seven meanings in the following order: prayer, magic formula, sacred discourse, sacred knowledge, sacred way of life, the absolute, the caste of the brahmans. The debates over this word have gone on since the beginning of Indological studies. Each of the seven meanings has its supporters, who believe it to be prevalent. Numerous hybrid meanings have also been proposed, as have further translations, for example, “connective energy compressed in enigmas” (Renou); “power of language” (Staal); “powerful word” (Kramrisch); “link between life and death” (Heesterman). A whole literary genre, the Br

ā

hma

ṇ

as, was given over to the interpretation of

brahman

In the

Atharva Veda

, 10.8.37, we read: “He who knows the thread of the thread knows the great essence of

brahman

”

Br

ā

hma

ṇ

as

Prose texts of ritual exegesis, written between 800 and 600

B.C.

brahmodya

A dispute through enigmas

B

ṛ

haspati

Lord of the sacred discourse; the chief priest,

purohita

, of the Devas

Brilliant

Vivasvat

Buddha

Awakened; the Buddha

Ś

ā

kyamuni, Siddh

ā

rtha Gautama, son of

Ś

uddhodana and M

ā

y

ā

; according to Visnuite tradition, the ninth

avatāra

of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u. The dates of his life are still a matter of controversy, but usually considered as straddling the sixth and fifth centuries

B.C.

Buddha K

ā

ś

yapa

The Buddha who precedes the Buddha

Ś

ā

kyamuni

Buddha Maitreya

The Buddha of the future, who appears after the Buddha

Ś

ā

kyamuni

Buddha

Ś

ā

kyamuni

Siddh

ā

rtha Gautama, the Buddha

Bušyanst

ā

Avestic demon of morning-time inertia

cakra

Wheel; in Tantrism, the name of the centers through which Dev

ī

Ku

ṇ

ḍ

alin

ī

ascends; also referred to as lotuses (

padmas

). Their number varies with the traditions; in the

haṭha yoga

there are seven

Cape Comorin

Southernmost extremity of the Indian subcontinent

Castle, The

Franz Kafka’s novel

Celestials

The Devas, the Apsaras, and the Gandharvas

chandas

Meter

Chāndogya Upaniṣad

Together with the

Bṛhad Āranyaka

, the oldest and most important of the Upani

ṣ

ads

Ch

ā

y

ā

Shadow; another name for Sa

ṃ

j

ñ

ā

cit

-

To think intensely

citi

Brick

Citrasena

A Gandharva and music and dance master in Indra’s heaven

Coomaraswamy

Ā

nanda K. Coomaraswamy, indologist, 1877–1947

Cow of Desires

K

ā

madhenu, magic cow possessed by Vasi

ṣ

ṭ

ha; one of the gems,

ratnas

, that appeared during the churning of the ocean

Cows

Go

; a term in the language of enigmas: cows have twenty-one secret names

Craftsman

Tva

ṣ

ṭ

ṛ

Creator

Brahm

ā

Cyavana

A

ṛṣi

of the Bh

ṛ

gu clan

Dadhikr

ā

van

In the

Ṛ

g Veda, the name of a regal horse

Dadhyañc

Son of the primordial priest Atharvan; knows the

pravargva

, a ceremony incorporated in the cult of the

soma

Daityas

Sons of Ka

ś

yapa and Diti, enemies of the Devas

daiva

Fate

Dak

ṣ

a

Skillful (

dexter

); born from Brahm

ā

’s right thumb. Also “Dak

ṣ

a was generated by Aditi and Aditi was generated by Dak

ṣ

a” (

Ṛg Veda

, 10.72.4); father of Sat

ī

Dakṣiṇā

Ritual fee

D

ā

navas

Demonie beings, enemies of the Devas, sons of Ka

ś

yapa and Danu

Danu

Daughter of Dak

ṣ

a, wife of Ka

ś

yapa, mother of the D

ā

navas

darbha

Grass frequently used in sacrifices

Dark

K

ā

l

ī

; epithet of the Goddess and of K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a

darśana

Vision

Daughter

U

ṣ

as

Daughter of the

Mountain

P

ā

rvat

ī

Daughter of the Sun

S

ū

ry

ā

, daughter of S

ū

rya

Dawn

U

ṣ

as

Dawns

uṣsaḥ

Dead Egg

M

ā

rt

ā

ṇ

ḍ

a

Death

M

ṛ

tyu

Delphi

Sanctuary of Apollo

Desire

K

ā

ma

Devas

Gods, younger brothers of the Asuras

Devavrata

One who observes a divine vow; the first name of Bh

ī

ṣ

ma

Devi

The Goddess, of whom P

ā

rvat

ī

and Sat

ī

are manifestations

Dev

ī

Ku

ṇ

ḍ

alin

ī

Twisted Goddess;

śakti

, the “power” of

Ś

iva coiled around the base of the spine

Devourer

Agni

dexter

Able; Dak

ṣ

a

Dhanvantari

Physician of the gods; one of the

ratnas

, “gems,” that appear during the churning of the ocean

Dhany

ā

Fortunate; sister of Men

ā

Dharma

Law; the god who fathers Yudhi

ṣ

ṭ

hira with Kunt

ī

; name of the dog of Yudhi

ṣ

ṭ

hira

dharma

Law, order; in the Buddhist lexicon also means “element”

Dharmasūtras

Ancient works of jurisprudence attributed to various founders of the Vedic schools

Dh

ā

t

ṛ

Ruler; one of the

Ā

dityas

Dhenuka

Full of cows; a place of pilgrimage in India

Dhi

ṣ

a

ṇ

ā

Hymn, prayer, intelligence; the cup that contains the

soma;

also the goddess who brings wealth and fortune

Dh

ṛ

tar

ā

ṣ

ṭ

ra

Blind son of Vy

ā

sa and Ambik

ā

, father of the Kauravas

dhrani

Poetic suggestion

dīkṣita

Initiate; one who submits himself to the rites of the

dīkṣā

, “consecration”

Dinkas

A Nilotic tribe

D

ī

rghatamas M

ā

mateya

Long Darkness, son of Mamat

ā

; the

ṛṣi

to whom hymns 140–164 of the first book of the

Ṛ

g Veda are attributed

Disorder

Adharma

Diti

Limit; daughter of Dak

ṣ

a, wife of Ka

ś

yapa, mother of the Daityas

Draupad

ī

Daughter of Drupada, king of the Pa

ñ

c

ā

las, born from the sacrificial fire, marries the five P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

ava brothers

Dro

ṇ

a

Master of arms of both the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas and the Kauravas, born of the seed of Bharadv

ā

ja, father of A

ś

vatth

ā

man, an ally of the Kauravas

Drupada

King of the Pa

ñ

c

ā

las, father of Draupad

ī

Durv

ā

sas

A brahman and

ṛṣi

, a portion (

aṃśa

) of

Ś

iva

Dusk

Sandhy

ā

drāpara

When playing dice the throw that gives a remainder of two. In the sequence of the

yugas

, it follows the

kṛtayaga

and the

tretāyuga

, and comes before the

kaliyugu

Dv

ā

rak

ā

City where K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a reigns, on the northeastern coast of India

dritīya

Second

Dwarf

V

ā

mana, the fifth

aratāra

of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

Earth

P

ṛ

thiv

ī

Elephant

Air

ā

vata, one of the

ratnas

“gems,” that appeared during the churning of the ocean

Eleusis

Place of the eponymous mysteries

Euchantress

Mohin

ī

Everything

Sarva; one of the names of Rudra

Evil of Death

Pāpmā mṛtyuḥ

Existence

Bhava; one of the names of Rudra

Extreme

Uttar

ā

Eye of the Pond

Hradeck

ṣ

us

Father

Praj

ā

pati

Father Time

Praj

ā

pati

Fénelon

French theologian, 1651–1715

Fifth Veda

One of the definitions of the

Mahābhārata

Fire

Agni

Forest of Cedars

Devad

ā

ruvana: a place inhabited by

ṛṣis

and their wives, on the slopes of the Him

ā

laya

Forest of Kh

ā

ṇ

ḍ

ava

A forest near Indraprastha; or Sugar Candy Forest

Forest of Naimi

ṣ

a

Naimi

ṣ

ā

ra

ṇ

ya: the forest where Ugra

ś

ravas recited the

Mahābhārata

for the first time

Four Vedas

The

Ṛ

g Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda

Fury of the

Bralumanicide

Brahmahaty

ā

Ga

ṇ

as

Genies who follow

Ś

iva

Gandham

ā

dana

A mountain east of the Him

ā

laya

G

ā

ndh

ā

r

ī

Wife of Dh

ṛ

tar

ā

ṣ

t

ṛ

a, mother of the Kauravas

Gandharvas

Celestial demons

Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. 1869–1948

G

ā

ṇ

ḍ

ī

va

A prodigious bow, given to Arjuna by Agni

Ga

ṇ

a

ś

a

Lord of the Trops; son of P

ā

rvat

ī

: has an elephant’s head

Ga

ṅ

g

ā

Sister of P

ā

rvat

ī

: the river Ganges

G

ā

rg

ī

Woman theologian of the Kuru-Pa

ñ

c

ā

las

gārhapatya

Belonging to the sacrificer; domestic fire; one of the three sacrificial fires. It is from the circular

gārhapatya

that one takes the flame to light the

āharanīya

Garu

ḍ

a

Immense eagle, son of Ka

ś

yapa and Vinat

ā

Gaur

ī

Name of an Apsaras

Gautama

Name of the clan into which the Buddha was born

Gav

ā

ṃ

pati

A

ṛṣi

contemporary with the Buddha

Gay

ā

A place in the Bihar region near which the awakening of the Buddha occurred

G

ā

yatr

ī

Daughter of Brahm

ā

gāyatrī

A Vedic meter made up of three lines of eight syllables

Geldner

K.F. Geldner, indologist, 1853–1929

Gemini

A constellation between Canis Major and Orion

Genie

Yak

ṣ

a

Genies

Ones who drink words; R

ā

k

ṣ

asas

Genies

Following

Ś

iva: Ca

ṇ

as

Gh

ṛ

t

ā

c

ī

Name of an Apsaras

Gilda

The protagonist of

Gilda

by Charles Vidor, 1946

Goddess

Dev

ī

Gokula

A village near Mathur

ā

Good Creation

Creation of Ohrmazd, in Avestic theology

Gop

ā

Wife of Siddh

ā

rtha Gautama, the Buddha

gopī

Cow girl

Gotama

Or Gautama; one of the Saptar

ṣ

is, author of hymns 74–93 of the first

maṇḍala

of the

Ṛ

g Veda

Grace-Done-to-

Antelopes

Became the name of King V

ā

r

ā

ṇ

asi’s Antelope Park after the Buddha, in one of his earlier lives, passed through it in the form of an antelope

grāma

Village; temporary settlement of nomad shepherds

grāvastut

Praiser of stones; officiant in the rite of the

soma

Great Bear

Or Great Chariot; a northern constellation of seven stars

Great Black One

Mah

ā

k

ā

la; epithet of

Ś

iva

gṛhapati

Leader, guide of the officiants who takes the place of the sacrificer.

yajamāna

, in the

sattra

G

ṛ

tsamada

A

ṛṣi

attributed with the authorship of the second

maṇḍala

of the

Ṛ

g Veda

Guardian of the

Mango Trees

Ā

mrap

ā

l

ī

Guardians

Phūlakes

; to whom Plato entrusts control of the city

Guñg

ū

The new moon

Harappa

With Mohenjo-daro, one of the two main centers of civilization in the Indus valley, which flourished between 2500 and 1700

B.C.

Hastin

ā

pura

A city of the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas and the Kauravas, near the present Delhi

Head of the Antelope

M

ā

rga

ś

ī

r

ṣ

a; mouth corresponding to November-December

Hegel

G.W.F. Hegel, 1770–1831

He-who-came-thus

Tath

ā

gata, the Buddha

He-who-feels-

repugnance

B

ī

bhatsu; epithet of Arjuna

He-who-has-the-

blue-neck

N

ī

laka

ṇ

ṭ

ha; epithet of

Ś

iva

He-who-holds-

the-bowl

Kap

ā

lin; epithet of

Ś

iva

Him

ā

laya

Himavat

Himavat

Him

ā

laya; father of P

ā

rvat

ī

hiṃs

-

To wound

Hindukush

A mountainous region between Afghanistan and the west of India (Pakistan and Kashmir)

Hipparchus

Hipparchus of Nicea, second century

B.C

., astronomer who identified and described the precession of the equinoxes

Hoffmann

Karl Hoffmann, indologist, 1915–

hotṛ

He who pours the oblation; one of the four main officiating priests, whose duty is to recite hymns and ritual formulas

Hradecak

ṣ

us

Eye of the Pond; one of the six Apsaras who escort Urva

ś

ī

hṛdyá samudrá

The ocean of the heart

Hr

ī

Modesty

I

Aham

idam

This

iduṃ sarram

All this

India

The Island of the Jamb

ū

Indo-Aryans

Ā

ryas

Indra

King of the Devas and one of the

Ā

dityas

Indr

ā

n

ī

Indra’s wife

Indraprastha

A city of the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas, corresponds to the present Delhi

Indus

Sindhu

Iran

Ē

r

ā

nšahr, “Land of the

Ā

ryas”

Ī

ś

ā

na

Lord; one of the names of Rudra

Island of the Jamb

ū

Jamb

ū

dv

ī

pa; ancient name of the Indian subcontinent

ira

“In a certain sense”; “so to speak.” “The particle

ira

stresses indetermination, evokes latent values” (L. Renou and L. Silburn, “

Nirukta

and

ánīrukta

,” in

L. Sarup Memorial Volume

, Hoshiarpur, 1954, p. 76)

jagatī

A Vedic meter made up of three lines of twelve syllables

Jamadagni

Devouring fire; a

ṛṣi

, descendant of Bh

ṛ

gu, according to some traditions, one of the Saptar

ṣ

is; introduced the

rirāj

meter

jambū

Rose-apple tree,

Eugenia jambos

; Island of the Jamb

ū

, Jamb

ū

dv

ī

pa, is the ancient name of India

Janaka

Generator; king of Videha

Janamejaya

One who makes men tremble; son of Par

ī

k

ṣ

it

Janapadakaly

ā

ṇ

ī

The beauty of the land: girl betrothed to

Ā

nanda (or, according to some, to Nanda)

jaráyantī

Awakening, making one grow old

Jay

ā

Maid of P

ā

rvat

ī

Jayadratha

One who has victorious chariots; king of Sindhu, ally of the Kauravas against the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas

Jena

City in Germany

Jetavana

One of the Buddha’s favorite parks

Jina Mah

ā

v

ī

ra

A spiritual master at the time of the Buddha, founder of Jainism

K.

Josef K. in

The Trial

and K. in

The Castle

, novels by Franz Kafka

Ka

Who? Secret name of Praj

ā

pati

Kadr

ū

Daughter of Dak

ṣ

a, sister of Vinat

ā

, mother of a thousand N

ā

gas; according to the

Śatapatha Brāhmana

, 3.2.4.1, she and Vinat

ā

were

māyās

, “magic forms,” evoked by the Devas to win the

soma

Kafka

Franz Kafka, 1883–1924

Kail

ā

sa

A mountain in western Tibet on whose slopes the Indus, the Ganges, and the Brahm

ā

putra rivers all flow

Kakuda K

ā

ty

ā

yana

A philosopher at the time of the Buddha

K

ā

la

Time; one of the names of

Ś

iva

K

ā

lak

ū

ṭ

a

The poison of the world, drunk by

Ś

iva during the churning of the ocean

K

ā

landakaniv

ā

pa

Offered to the squirrels; one of the Buddha’s favorite parks

Kal

ā

vat

ī

Sister of Men

ā

kali

When playing dice the losing throw, “the dog’s throw,” which gives a remainder of one; in the sequence of the

yugas

, it comes after the

kṛtayuga

, the

tretāyuga

, and the

drāparayuga

K

ā

l

ī

Black One, Dark One; an epithet of Dev

ī

, and hence of P

ā

rvat

ī

K

ā

lid

ā

sa

An Indian poet and playwright who lived between the fourth and fifth centuries

A.D.

kaliyuga

Age of the Losing Throw

kalpa

A cosmic cycle corresponding to a day of Brahm

ā

; divided into four aeons,

yugas

, it ends with the

pralaya

, “dissolution,” also known as the “night of Brahm

ā

”

K

ā

ma

Desire, son of Brahm

ā

kāma

Desire

K

ā

mar

ū

pa

Form of desire; ancient name of Assam

K

ā

ñ

c

ī

A city in Tamil Nadu

kapāla

Bowl

Kap

ā

lin

He-who-holds-the-bowl; epithet of

Ś

iva

Kapilavastu

The Buddha’s birthplace; presumably corresponds to Pipr

ā

w

ā

, in Uttar Pradesh

K

ā

rapacava

A bend in the Sarasvat

ī

River

Karko

ṭ

aka

Name of a Snake, son of Kadr

ū

karman

Action; initially, sacrificial action

Kar

ṇ

a

Son of S

ū

rya and Kunt

ī

abandoned at birth, adopted by Adhiratha and R

ā

dh

ā

kārṣāpana

A coin of the Bihar

K

ā

rttika

Month of the K

ṛ

ttik

ā

s, the Pleiades; October — November

kāśā mádhumatī

Honey whip; used by the A

ś

vins

K

ā

ś

ī

The Splendid; ancient name of V

ā

r

ā

ṇ

as

ī

(Benares)

Ka

ś

yapa

Turtle; one of the Saptar

ṣ

is. He always has two wives — either Aditi and Diti or Kadr

ū

and Vinat

ā

Or he marries thirteen of Dak

ṣ

a’s daughters, including Aditi, Diti, Kadr

ū

, and Vinat

ā

Kaṭha Upaniṣad

An upani

ṣ

ad almost entirely in verse; contains the instructions given by Yama to a young brahman, Naciketas

K

ā

ty

ā

yan

ī

Epithet of Durg

ā

, the Inaccessible One; manifestation of Dev

ī

K

ā

ty

ā

yan

ī

Wife of Y

ā

jñavalkya

Kauravas

Descendants of Kuru; the name usually used for the hundred sons of Dh

ṛ

tar

ā

ṣ

ṭ

ra and G

ā

ndh

ā

r

ī

, cousins of the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas

Kau

ś

ik

ī

River in Bihar, frequently called Kosi

Kaustubha

Gem that appeared during the churning of the ocean

kari

Poet

K

ā

vya U

ś

anas

Chief priest of the Asuras

Khy

ā

ti

Daughter of Dak

ṣ

a and V

ī

ri

ṇ

í

Kosala

A principality of the Bihar region

Kratu

Will; a

ṛṣi

of the second list

K

ṛ

ś

ā

Gautam

ī

Companion of the Buddha in his youth; in P

ā

li: Kis

ā

Gotam

ī

Kr

ś

ā

nu

A footless archer, guardian of the

soma

K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a

Black One, Dark One; Obscure One; son of Vasudeva and Devaki, adopted by Nanda and Ya

ś

od

ā

; eighth

avatāra

of vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a

Black One; epithet of Draupad

ī

kṛta

A winning throw when playing dice; a number divisible by four, leaving no remainder; name of the perfect age

krtakrtya

He who has done what must be done

K

ṛ

ttik

ā

s

The Pleiades, the wives of the Saptar

ṣ

is: six of them carry Skanda in their wombs and give birth to him

K

ṣ

am

ā

Daughter of Dak

ṣ

a and V

ī

ri

ṇ

ī

kṣatriya

Warrior; noble; the second of the four castes

Kum

ā

ra

Boy; one of the names of Rudra

kumāraka

Boy

Kumbhayoni

He whose womb was a pot; epithet of Vasi

ṣ

ṭ

ha, born together with Agastya from the sperm simultaneously squirted into a pot by Mitra and Varu

ṇ

a upon seeing Urva

ś

ī

Kunt

ī

Adopted daughter of Kunt

ī

bhoja; mother of Kar

ṇ

a by S

ū

rya; wife of P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u, mother of Yudhi

ṣ

ṭ

hira by Dharma, Bh

ī

ma by V

ā

yu, and Arjuna by Indra

Kuntibhoja

King of the Kunt

ī

and the Bhoja peoples; adoptive father of Kunt

ī

K

ū

rma

Turtle; second

avatāru

of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

Kuruk

ṣ

etra

Field of the Kurus; about a hundred and fifty kilometers north of Delhi; place where the gods made sacrifices; site of the battle between the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas and the Kauravas narrated in the

Mahābhārata

Kuru-Pa

ñ

c

ā

las

Collective name of the Kuru and Pa

ñ

c

ā

la peoples, who settled in the “middle region” (

madhyadeśa

), brahmanic par excellence, in the northwestern part of the Ganges plain. The territory of the Kurus was the Kuruksetra

Kurus

Inhabitants of the Kuru-Pa

ñ

c

ā

la region

Ku

ś

inagara

Capital of the Malla people; in a wood near Ku

ś

inagara the complete extinction (

parinirvāṇa

) of the Buddha took place

Lake of Drops

Bindusaras

lakṣaṇa

Token of perfection; the Buddha has thirty-two

lakṣaṇas

that distinguish his body from those of other beings

Laksm

ī

Consort and

śakti

of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

Last

Uttar

ā

Law

Dharina

Laws of Manu

Manusmṛti

; according to tradition, a text in which the

ṛṣi

Bh

ṛ

gu described the institutions of the sacred law as proclaimed by Manu; believed to have been written down between the second century

B.C.

and the second century

A.D.

Licchavis

The dominant clan in the city of Vai

ś

ā

l

ī

līlā

Game

liṇga

Sign, token, phallus

Lucke

John Locke, 1632–1704

Loug

Dighanikāyu

, “group of long [discourses]”: name of one of the five sections into which the

Suttapitaka

, one of the Three Baskets of the Buddha’s discourses, is divided

Long Discourses

The doctrine of the Buddha expounded in long treatises

Lop

ā

mudr

ā

Wife of Agastya

Lord of the Animals

Ś

iva

Lord of the Creatures

Praj

ā

pati

Lord of the Herds

Pa

ś

upati

Lord of the Mountain

Parvata, Himavat

Lord of the Ornament

Ś

ubháspá

ū

s

Lord of the Residues

Vastupa; epithet of

Ś

iva

Lumbin

ī

The place M

ā

y

ā

gave birth to the Buddha, a small wood on the road between Devadaha and Kapilavastu: identified with a village in Ter

ā

i (Nepal) not far from Gorakhpur (India), now known as Ruminindei

Mada

Intoxication; a demon

madhu

Honey

madhura

Sweet

Madhurasvar

ā

Name of an Apsaras

mādhurya

Sweetness

madhuvidyā

Doctrine of the honey

M

ā

dr

ī

Second wife of P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u, who, by her union with the A

ś

vins, gives birth to Nakula and Sahadeva

Magadha

Ancient name for the present southern Bihar

Mahābhārata

Epic poem attributed to Vy

ā

sa, said to have been written down sometime between the third century

B.C.

and the third century

A.D.

Mah

ā

deva

Great God; one of the names of Rudra

mahaduktha

Great recital; chants intoned by the

hotṛ

on the day of the

mahāerata

, during the midday squeezing of the

soma

Mah

ā

k

ā

ś

yapa

Great Turtle; one of the first sixteen

arhats

, led the Buddhist community after the death of the Buddha

Mah

ā

ko

ś

ī

A river that rises in the Him

ā

laya

mahāvira

A clay pot made during the

pravargya

rite, used for heating milk

mahāvrata

Great vow; a ceremony that forms part of a

sattra

lasting a year; at its center is the

mahaduktha

mahiṣī

Consecrated One; the first in rank of the king’s wives; she who married him first

Main

Name of the region around Frankfurt, where the Main flows

Maitrey

ī

Wife of Y

ā

jñnavalkya

Maitri Upaniṣad

An Upani

ṣ

ad in which the sage Maitri appears

Mallas

At the time of the Buddha, the dominant clan in the north of Bihar

manas

Mind; Latin:

mens

mānasaputras

Sons born of the mind

maṇḍala

Circle; the books that make up the

Ṛ

g Veda are known as

maṇḍalas

Mandara

A mountain used by the Devas and Asuras for the churning of the ocean

Man-Lion

Narasimha, fourth

avatāra

of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

mantra

Incantatory formula, metric unit; the hymns of the

Ṛ

g Veda are composed of

mantras

Manu

Son of Vivasvui and Sa

ṃ

j

ñ

a. progenitor of men, who are thus known as

mānaras.

Or the son of Brahm

ā

and

Ś

atar

ū

p

ā

M

ā

ra

Killer; prince of demons, enemy of the Buddha

Marcel

Name of the narrator in Proust’s

Recherche

M

ā

rga

ś

ī

r

ṣ

a

Head of the Antelope: the month corresponding to November-December

Mar

ī

ci

A

ṛṣi

of the second list

M

ā

rt

ā

ṇ

ḍ

a

Dead Egg; the name of the Sun, shapeless son of Aditi

Maruts

Darting Ones; Rudra’s children, born “from the laugh of the lightning” (

Ṛg Veda

, 1.23. 12)

Maskarin Go

ś

ā

l

ī

putra

Philosopher at the time of the Buddha

M

ā

tali

Charioteer and messenger of Indra

Mathur

ā

A city of Uttar Pradesh, on the Yamun

ā

River; birthplace of K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a

Maudgaly

ā

yana

A disciple of the Buddha

māyā

Enchantment; also illusion, deception, magic; from the root the

mā

-, “to measure”

M

ā

y

ā

Mother of the Buddha

Memory

Smara

Men

ā

Wife of Himayat, mother of P

ā

rvat

ī

and Gañg

ā

Menak

ā

Name of an Apsaras

Meru

The mountain that is also the axis of the world

meru

Spine

Middle-length

Majjhimanikāya

, “group of middle-length”; the name of one of the five sections into which the

Suttapiṭaka

, one of the Three Baskets of the Buddha’s discourses, was subdivided

Middle Way

Madhyamā pratipad;

term used to define the teaching of the Buddha and the Eight-fold Path he preached

Milky Way

Flow of celestial wuters: the whitish band that crosses the celestial vault, including about 100 billion stars; identified with Ga

ṅ

g

ā

Mi

ś

rake

ś

ī

Name of un Apsaras

Mitra

Friend; one of the

Ā

dityas: a divinity who has a dual relationship with Varu

ṇ

a

Mixed

Saṃyuttanikāya

, “mixed group”; the name of one of the five sections into which the

Suttapiṭaka

, one of the Three Baskets of the Buddha’s discourses, was divided

Mohenjo-daro

A city in the Indus valley; center of the eponymous civilization, which flourished between 2500 and 1700

B.C.

Mohin

ī

Enchantress, She who deceives; celestial courtesan, female manifestation of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

Moon

Soma; one of the ratnas, “gems,” that appeared during the churning of the ocean

Mother of the Universe

P

ā

rvat

ī

Mountain Girl

P

ā

rvat

ī

M

ṛ

ga

Antelope; name of the constellation Orion

M

ṛ

tyu

Death; sometimes male, sometimes female

muhūrta

A unit of time, equivalent to about forty-eight minutes

mūlādhāra

First of the

cakras

, “wheels.” through which Dev

ī

Ku

ṇ

ḍ

al

ī

n

ī

ascends the body: situated at the base of the spine

Mural

ī

K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a’s flute

N

ā

gas

Snakes; name of the sons of Kadr

ū

and Vinat

ā

and of all snakes

Nak

ṣ

atras

Houses of the Moon

Nakula

One of the five P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas. twin brother of Sahadeva, whose parents were N

ā

satya, one of the A

ś

vins, and M

ā

dr

ī

P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u’s second wife

Nanda

Herdsman, K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a’s adoptive father

Nanda

Brother of the Buddha

Ś

ā

kyamuni

Nandin

The bull that

Ś

iva rides

Nara

Man from whom the waters,

n

ā

ras

, are born; a

ṛṣi

, brother of N

ā

r

ā

ya

ṇ

a; appears as Arjuna in the

Mahābhārata

N

ā

rada

A

ṛṣi

, son of Brahm

ā

N

ā

r

ā

ya

ṇ

a

He who moves in the waters; dwelling place of man; epithet of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u; a

ṛṣi

, brother of Nara

N

ā

ṭ

ya

ś

ā

stra

Treatise on the Theater, attributed to Bharata; the first and most important Indian text on the theater, sometimes considered a Fifth Veda

Naw

ā

b J

ā

far Kh

ā

n

Ruler at whose court in Bengal in 1717 a dispute took place between supporters of

srakīyā

love and

parakīyā

love in the cult of K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a and R

ā

dh

ā

neṣṭṛ

Priest who leads the wives of the king in the

aśramedha

Neumann

Karl Eugen Neumann, 1865–1915, seholar of Buddhism

Night

Ratri

N

ī

laka

ṇ

ṭ

ha

The Blue-Necked One: epithet of

Ś

iva: refers to the stain that appeared on the god’s neck after he drank K

ā

lak

ū

ṭ

a

n

ī

pa

Nauclea cadamba

, a tree of scented, orange-colored flowers

Nir

ṛ

ti

Dissolution

nire

ā

ṇ

a

Extinction

Ni

ṣ

ā

das

Population of India; according to the

Lau’s of Manu

, 10.8, “a Ni

ṣ

ā

da is born from a brahman and the daughter of a

śūdra

[the lowest caste]”

Noble Ones

Ā

ryas

ṇ

yagrodha

Ficus indica

, the banyan tree

Nymph

Apsaras

Oldenberg

Hermann Oldenberg, indologist. 1854–1920

Olympus

Seat of the Greek gods

Omniform

Vi

ś

var

ū

pa: epithet of Tva

ṣ

ṭ

ṛ

and of his son Tri

ś

iras

One-and-more

Aṇguttaranikāya

; a group of discourses made up of one or more lines; name of one of the sections into which the

Suttapiṭaka

, one of the Three Baskets of the Buddha’s discourses, is divided

Order

The Buddhist community (

saṅgha

)

Order

Ṛta

Orion

A constellation between Gemini and Taurus; Praj

ā

pati in the sky

Orissa

A region of northeastern India

O

ṣ

adhiprastha

A city in the Him

ā

laya, birthplace of P

ā

rvat

ī

pālāgalī

Daughter of the Herald; fourth in rank of the king’s wives, of a lower caste than the others

P

ā

ñ

c

ā

las

People who share a border with the Kuru people

Pañcaviṃśa Brāhmaṇa

The twenty-five-chapter Br

ā

hma

ṇ

a: similar in theme to the

Jaiminīya Brāhmaṇa

P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas

The five brothers born of Kunt

ī

and M

ā

dr

ī

, and held to be the sons of P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u, cousins of the Kauravas, desceudants of the lunar dynasty

P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u

Son of Vy

ā

sa and Amb

ā

lik

ā

, putative father of the five P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas

P

ā

ṇ

ini

The greatest Indian grammarian, who lived around 500

B.C.

in

Ś

al

ā

tura in northwest India

parakīyā

Another’s woman; the object of an adulterous, illegitimate love

parakīyādharma

Law of the illegitimate one

Par

ī

k

ṣ

it

Son of Abhimanyu and Uttar

ā

, father of Janamejaya

pāriplara

Circular story

pariāṛktā

Neglected One: the third in rank of the king’s wives

Parjanya

Cloud; Indra’s younger brother

Park of the Mango Trees

Ā

mrava

ṇ

a; a park in Vai

ś

ā

l

ī

parvan

Knot; used of the books that compose the

Mahābhārata

P

ā

rvat

ī

Daughter of the Mountain; her father, Himavat, is also called Parvata

paśus

Domestic animals (including man); animals that can be sacrificed

Pa

ś

upati

Lord of the Herds; one of the names of Rudra, then of

Ś

iva

pāyasa

Rice cooked in milk

pecus

Herd: primordial form of wealth, from which comes

pecunia

, “money”

Person

Puru

ṣ

a

Person in the Eye

Indra and Indr

ā

n

ī

appear as Persons in the Eye, he in the right, she in the left

Physician

Dhanvantari; one of the

ratnas

, “gems,” that appeared during the churning of the ocean

Place of the Hunter

The celestial region between Sirius and Aldebaran, including the constellations Gemini and Taurus

Plak

ṣ

a Pr

ā

srava

ṇ

a

A place forty-eight days’ march from where the Sarasvat

ī

silts up; the center of the earth is a span (

prādeśa

) to the north of it

Plato

427–347

B.C.

Pleasure

Rati

Pleiades

K

ṛ

ttik

ā

s; a group of seven stars in the Taurus constellation

Prabh

ā

sa

A city in Gujarat

pradakṣiṇā

Ritual circumambulation around a statue, a temple, or a person, in a clockwise direction, that keeps the object of veneration on one’s right (from

dakṣiṇā

, “right hand”)

Praj

ā

pati

Progenitor; Lord of the Creatures: antecedent of Brahm

ā

prajñā

Wisdom

prakṛti

Nature’s fabric, made up of three threads (

guṇas

); the female counterpart of Puru

ṣ

a, in the S

ā

ṃ

khya doctrine

pralaya

Cosmic dissolution, which occurs at the end of every

kalpa

prāṇa

Vital breath; man has seven of them

prāśitra

First portion; when the portions of the sacrificial food are distributed, the first to be cut is a morsel no bigger than a barley grain, which is offered to the brahman on a wooden plate with a handle; it corresponds to the piece of flesh torn from Praj

ā

pati when he was wounded

prati-

Prefix that indicates, among other things, a coming toward, typical of U

ṣ

as

pratiṣṭhā

Foundation, base

pratītyasamutpāda

“Production (

utpāda

) converging (

sam

) in function of (

pratītya

)” (L. Silburn); “law of interconnection” (T. Stcherbatsky)

Precious Stone

Kaustubha; one of the

ratnas

, “gems,” that appeared during the churning of the ocean

preman

Love

Prisonnière

La Prisonnière

; the third-to-last part of Proust’s

Recherche

Pr

ī

ti

Daughter of Dak

ṣ

a and V

ī

ri

ṇ

ī

Progenitor

Praj

ā

pati

Progenitors

The Saptar

ṣ

is

Propitious

Ś

iva

Proust

Marcel Proust, 1871–1922

Pulaha

A

ṛṣi

of the second list

Pulastya

A

ṛṣi

of the second list

punarmṛtyu

Repeated death

púr

Most commentators interpret the word as “walls”; W. Rau gives it as “livestock corral”

P

ū

ra

ṇ

a K

ā

ś

yapa

Philosopher at the time of the Buddha

Pur

ā

ṇ

as

Ancient Ones; texts that tell the stories of the gods and, in relation to them, deal with any other matter, cosmic or human; composed mostly between the fourth and fourteenth centuries

A.D.

pūrṇa

Full

Pur

ū

ravas

Lover of Urva

ś

ī

, father of

Ā

yus

Puru

ṣ

a

Person; primordial man, who is broken up in the world

puruṣa

Person

pūrvácitti

First thought

P

ū

rvácitti

Name of an Apsaras

pūrváhūti

First ritual call

P

ū

ṣ

an

Nourisher; one of the

Ā

dityas, brother (or husband) of S

ū

ry

ā

puṣkara

Blue lotus

pūṣkara

Rock

P

ū

tan

ā

Fetid; a demon

Python

Snake of Delphi

quincunx

The shape in which the number five is displayed on dice

R

ā

dh

ā

K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a’s most celebrated lover, a

gopī

R

ā

hula

Son of the Buddha and Gop

ū

Raivataka

A mountain near Prabh

ā

sa

R

ā

jag

ṛ

ha

A city in Bihar where the first Buddhist council was held shortly after the Buddha’s death

rājasūya

Rite in which the king was consecrated

Rambh

ā

Name of an Apsaras

rasa

Juice, flavor, emotion, essence

rāsalīlā

Game of the dance; a circular dance

Rati

Pleasure; K

ā

ma’s consort

ratililā

Game of pleasure

ratnas

Gems; visions that appeared during the churning of the ocean; including Sun, Moon, the Apsaras, Uccai

ḥ

ś

ravas,

Ś

r

ī

, Air

ā

vata, Dhanvantari, K

ā

madhenu, and Kaustubha

Rauhi

ṇ

a

An immense tree from whose branches hang the V

ā

lakhilyas

ṛc

Praise, hymn

ṛddhipāda

Basis of magic power

Recherche

À la recherche du temps perdu

by Marcel Proust

Renou

Louis Renou, indologist. 1896–1966

Residue

Ś

e

ṣ

a

Ṛ

g Veda

Wisdom made up of hymns; A collection of 1,028 hymns divided into ten books (

maṇḍalas

), belonging to the eponymous Veda. It is believed to have been put together between 1200 and 1000

B.C.

Ring

Der Ring des Nibelungen

, by Richard Wanger

riṣ-

To consume oneself

rocaná

Space of light

Rohi

ṇ

ī

Tawny One; Aldebaran

Romance of the Horse

Narrative implicit in the course of the

aśramedha

ṛṣi

Seer

Ṛ

ś

ya

ś

ṛ

ṇ

ga

Son of the

ṛṣi

Vibh

ā

ṇ

ḍ

aka: hermit

ṛta

Order, truth; Heinrich Lüders dedicates a considerable part of his two-volume

Varuṇa

(unfinished) to a demonstration of how and why the two meanings are copresent

ṛtáran

Endowed with truth

Rudra

Yelling One or Tawny One, according to the ancient etymologists; antecedent of

Ś

iva

Rüdras

Eleven divinities who, with the Vasus, the

Ā

dityas, and the two A

ś

vins, make up the thirty-three Vedic gods

Rukmi

ṇ

ī

First wife of K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a

rūpa

Form

ruran

Roaring

sabhā

Meeting place, assembly hall

sāhā

The girl who takes part in the rite of the

aśramedha

Sah

ā

Name of an Apsaras

Sahadeva

The youngest of the five P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas, twin brother of Nakula, whose parents were Dasra, one of the A

ś

vins, and M

ā

dr

ī

, P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u’s second wife

Ś

ā

kalya

A bralunan of the Kuru-Pa

ñ

c

ā

las

śakti

Power: the

śakti

pur excellence is

Ś

iva’s consort

Ś

akuntal

ā

Daughter of Vi

ś

v

ā

mitra and the Apsaras Menak

ā

; from her union with King Du

ṣ

yanta she gives birth to Sarvadamana, later known as Bharata, emperor of India

Ś

ā

kyas

The royal clan to which the Buddha belonged, hence his name

Ś

ā

kyamuni, “Wise man of the

Ś

ā

kyas”

śāla

Shorea robusta,

Vatica robusta

, a resinous tree common in India

Ś

ā

lavat

ī

An area of the principality of Kosala

Ś

ā

lva

A tribe settled on the banks of the Yamun

ā

Ś

ā

ma

ś

ravas

Disciple of Y

ā

jñavalkya

śamī

Acacia suma, Mimosa suma, Prosopis spicigera

, a tree of the acacia family

Sa

ṃ

jayin Vairat

ī

putra

Philosopher living at the time of the Buddha

saṃjīranī vidyā

The science of resurrection

Sa

ṃ

j

ñ

a

Name; simulacrum of Sara

ṇ

y

ū

created by Sara

ṇ

y

ū

herself; also known as Ch

ā

y

ā

, “Shadow”

S

ā

ṃ

khya

One of the six schools of thought fundamental to Indian philosophy

saṃnyāsin

Renouncer

sampad

That which falls together, equivalence

saṃsāra

Migration; the circle of rebirth, becoming of phenomena

Ś

ā

ṃ

tanu

King of the lunar dynasty, father of Bh

ī

ṣ

ma, husband of Satyavat

ī

, and father of Vicitrav

ī

rya

saṃtati

Continuity

S

ā

ñ

c

ī

A place in Madhya Pradesh sacred to Buddhism

Sandhy

ā

Conjunction, dusk; daughter of Brahm

ā

Sannati

Daughter of Dak

ṣ

a and V

ī

ri

ṇ

ī

śāntarasa

Flavor of peace

Saptar

ṣ

is

The seven

ṛṣis

who reside in the stars of the Great Bear, also known as

ṛṣis

of the first list, partly to indicate that they came before all the other

ṛṣis

and partly because of the antiquity of the tradition that bears witness to them: Bharadv

ā

ja, Ka

ś

yapa, Gotama, Atri, Vi

ś

v

ā

mitra, Jamadagni, and Vasi

ṣ

ṭ

ha. The

ṛṣis

of the second list, predominant in the epics, are Mar

ī

ci, Atri, A

ṅ

giras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and Vasi

ṣ

ṭ

ha. Bh

ṛ

gu is sometimes included in the second list

Saram

ā

Indra’s she-dog

Sara

ṇ

y

ū

Daughter of Tva

ṣ

ṭ

ṛ

, twin sister of Tri

ś

iras, wife of Vivasvat, mother of Yama and Yam

ī

and of the A

ś

vins

Sarasvat

ī

Flowing One; wife of Brahm

ā

, sacred river of the Punjab, whose waters sink into the sands of the Rajasthan

Ś

arava

ṇ

odbhava

Born-in-a-reed-marsh; name of Skanda

Ś

ā

riputra

Disciple of the Buddha

S

ā

rn

ā

th

Place where the Buddha began to preach, near V

ā

r

ā

nas

ī

Sarva

Everything; one of the names of Rudra

Ś

arva

Archer; one of the names of Rudra

Ś

ary

ā

ti

King, son of Manu, father of Sukany

ā

Śalapatha Brāhmaṇa

The Br

ā

hmana of the hundred paths; the most important and complex of the Br

ā

hma

ṇ

as, attributed to Y

ā

jñavalkya

Ś

atar

ū

p

ā

She who has a hundred shapes: daughter and consort of Brahm

ā

Sat

ī

She-who-is; daughter of Dak

ṣ

a and V

ī

ri

ṇ

ī

, consort of

Ś

iva

sattra

Sitting; a rite without

dakṣiṇā

, which can last from twelve days to, in theory at least, a hundred years

sattra

Being, purity; one of the three threads (

guṇas

) that make up the world

satya

Truth

satyarākya

Word of truth; ordeal of the word

Satyavat

ī

Born from the seed of King Uparicara swallowed by a fish who was the Apsaras Adrik

ā

; mother to Vy

ā

sa through her union with the brahman Par

ā

ś

ara, wife of

Ś

ā

ṃ

tanu

Savit

ṛ

He who gives impulse; shape of the Sun, one of the

Ā

dityas

S

ā

vitr

ī

Daughter of Savit

ṛ

, consort of Brahm

ā

S

ā

ya

ṇ

a

Commentator of the Vedas who lived in the fourteenth century

Self

Ātman

Ś

e

ṣ

a

Residue, also called Ananta; the snake Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u rests on as he drifts around the waters

śeṣa

Residue

Seven Sisters

The seven celestial rivers. “The young daughters of the sky, who do not eat and cannot do harm, do not dress and are not naked” (

Ṛg Veda

, 3.1.6)

Seven Wise Ones

Saptar

ṣ

is

Shadow

Ch

ā

y

ā

She-who-comes-from-the-north

Uttar

ā

She-who-is

Sat

ī

She-who-loosens-ties

Aditi

She-who-takes-across

Uttar

ā

Short Discourses

The doctrine of the Buddha, expounded in short texts

Siddh

ā

rtha

He who has reached the goal; name of the Buddha

sidhraka

Wood used for the club with which the dog is beaten to death at the beginning of the

aśvamedha

(perhaps

Lagerstroemia indica

)

Sindhu

The river Indus

Sirius

Star in the constellation Canis Major, on the edge of the Milky Way; Rudra, the Archer

Ś

i

ś

up

ā

la

King of Cedi. ally of the Kauravas against the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas

Ś

iva

Propitious, Fortunate. Benign; his antecedent is Rudra; with Brahm

ā

and Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u. he constitutes the Trim

ū

rti, defined by K

ā

lid

ā

sa as “a single body divided in three shapes. Each can be the firstborn or last-born in relation to the others” (

Kumārasambhara

7.44)

Skanda

Squirt: son of

Ś

iva and P

ā

rvat

ī

, brought to birth by six of the K

ṛ

uik

ā

s

Sky

Dyaus

Smara

Memory; Epithet of K

ā

ma

Sm

ṛ

ti

Remembrance; daughter of Dak

ṣ

a and V

ī

ri

ṇ

ī

Snake

N

ā

ga

Soma

Divine king, made up of the substance called

soma

soma

Squeezed, juice; an intoxicating plant that has been identified over the centuries with munerous botanical varieties, both in India and by Western indologists. From the Br

ā

hma

ṇ

as on, the

soma

is replaced in the rites (because it is no longer available) by

Ephedra, Sarcostemma

, and other epiphytes. In 1968. R. Gordon Wasson claimed to have identified the

soma

as the hallucinogenic mushroom

Amanita muscaria

According to D.S. Flattery, on the other hand, it is another hallucinogenic plant,

Peganum harmala

Splendor of the World

Ś

r

ī

Squirt

Skanda

śraddhā

Trust, faith

śramaṇa

Ascetic

Ś

r

ī

Splendor of the World; appeared during the churning of the ocean and became the consort of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

sṛj-

To squirt

śruti

That which one hears: revelation, a term used to designate the Vedas as a whole

Sth

ū

ra

Gṛhapati

of a group of officiants of a

sattra

that was celebrated along the banks of the Sarasvat

ī

Styx

Infernal river

Subhadr

ā

A wanderer; the last disciple converted by the Buddha

Subhadr

ā

Fortunate One: sister of K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a. wife of Arjuna, mother of Abhimanya

Ś

ubháspát

ī

s

Lords of Ornament: epithet of the A

ś

vins

Submarine Mare

Va

ḍ

av

ā

Ś

uddhodana

Nohleman of the

Ś

ā

kya tribe in Kapilavastu, father of Siddh

ā

rtha Gautama, later called the Buddha

Sugar Candy Forest

Forest of Kh

ā

ṇ

ḍ

ava

Suj

ā

t

ā

Well born; a girl from Uruvilva who lived at the time of the Buddha

Sukany

ā

Good daughter; daughter of

Ś

ary

ā

ti

Ś

unah

ś

epa

Son of the

ṛṣi

Aj

ī

garta Sauyavasi

śūnya

Empty

Suparn

ī

Aquiliue One: another name of Vinat

ā

S

ū

rya

Sun; son of Adini and Ka

ś

yapa

S

ū

ry

ā

Daughter of the Sun

suṣumnā

Central channel, inside the spinal cord. along which Dev

ī

Ku

ṇ

ḍ

alin

ī

ascends

sūta

Caste of charioteers, heralds, and bards

sūtra

Thread, rule enounced with a minimum number of words, in somewhat algebraic formulas, often with no verb: in Buddhism, the word takes on the larger connotation “discourse” of the Buddha

sra

-

From self, of self, auto-. one’s own

srakīyā

One’s own woman. legitimate wife

srargaloka

Bright world

srásṛ

Sister

Svasti

Well-being; one of the names of Dev

ī

sraytamātṛṇṇa

Term for the “naturally perforated” stones used in the altar of fire

svayaṃbhū

Self-existing

Svaya

ṃ

prabh

ā

Name of an Apsaras

svayaṃvara

Independent choice; ceremony in which the future bride chooses one of her suitors, after they have undergone a trial of ability

Tak

ṣ

aka

King of the N

ā

gas, lives in the Forest of Kh

ā

ṇ

ḍ

ava

T

ā

ṇ

ḍ

ava

Ś

iva’s cosmic dance

Tantr

ī

Daughter of M

ā

ra

tapas

Heat: ardor: from the Indo-European root

tap

-, which gives the Latin

tepeo

Long translated with a range of tenns (

austérités, penance, Kasteinng, ascèse

). tapas means at once the cosmie heat and the heat within the mind, that which broods, in the sense of incubates (

Brütung

, occasionally, in Deussen)

tapasrinī

A woman who practices

topas

T

ā

raka

A powerful Ausra

tathā

Thus

Tath

ā

gata

He-who-came-thus; name the Buddha gave himself

tathatā

Being thus

tat tram asi

“You are that” (

Chāndogya Upanisad

, 6.8.7); one of the “great sentences,”

mahārākyas

, of the Upanisads

Taurus

A constellation between Orion and the Pleiades

Tawny One

Rohin

ī

, U

ṣ

as

Taxila

Tak

ṣ

a

ś

il

ā

, a city in northwest India, now Pakistan, near Rawalpindi

tejas

Flame; luminous force, manifestation of

tapas

telestêrion

Rectangular building, with columns, where part of the Eleusinian mysteries were enacted

Ten Sisters

The ten fingers

Thirty-three

The Devas: the twelve

Ā

dityas, the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, and the two A

ś

vins (or, in other traditions. Dyaus and Prthiv

ī

, Sky and Earth)

Three Baskets

Tripiṭaka

, into which the teaching of the Buddha is divided

Time

K

ā

la

Tiresias

Seer of Thebes

Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy, 1828–1910

Tree of Awakening

The fig tree in Gay

ā

under which the awakening,

bodhi

, of the Buddha occurred. Today the place of the awakening is known as Bodhgay

ā

Tremendous

Bhairava; epithet of

Ś

iva

tretā

When playing dice the throw that gives a remainder of three; in the sequence of the

yugas

, the

tretāyuga

follows the

kṛtayuga

Trial, The

Franz Kafka’s novel

Tricephalous

Tri

ś

iras

Tri

ś

a

ṇ

ku

King of the solar dynasty, favorite of Vi

ś

v

ā

mitra

Tri

ś

iras

The Tricephalous: son of Tva

ṣ

ṭ

ṛ

, twin brother of Sara

ṇ

y

ū

: also called Vi

ś

var

ū

pa

triṣṭubh

A Vedic meter made up of four verses of eleven syllables

Truth

Satya; ṛta

Turtle

K

ū

rma

Tu

ṣ

ita

Celestial home of the various Bodhisattvas

Tva

ṣ

ṭ

ṛ

Carpenter, Craftsman; father of Sarany

ū

and Tri

ś

iras, one of the

Ā

dityas

Twelve

The

Ā

dityas

Twisted Goddess

Devi Kundalin

ī

tyád

That

Uccaih

ś

ravas

He who neighs loudly; the White Horse, one of the

ratnas

, “gems,” that appeared during the churning of the ocean

udgātṛ

One of the four main officiants; the chanter, his task is to sing the ritual hymns (

stotras

) of the Sama Veda

udgītha

The second and most important part of the

stotra

; a trio for voices sung by the

udgātṛ

and his assistants

udumbara

Ficus glomerata

; according to legend, it flowers every three thousand years

Ugradeva

Terrifying God; one of the names of Rudra

Ugra

ś

ravas

A bard who tells the story of the

Māhābhārata

, which he hears from Vai

ś

amp

ā

yana

Ul

ū

p

ī

Daughter of the king of the N

ā

gas, wife of Arjuna

Um

ā

From u m

ā

, “oh, no”; another name of P

ā

rvat

ī

Unlimited One

Aditi

Up

ā

li

Palace barber at Kapilavastu, who joins the Buddha’s disciples

Upani

ṣ

ads

Treatises around correspondences; metaphysical texts, the oldest of which are in prose, the later in prose and verse

Uparicara

King from whose seed, swallowed by a large fish, Satyavat

ī

is born

Upav

ā

ṇ

a

Monk, disciple of the Buddha, his servant before

Ā

nanda

Orj

ā

Daughter of Dak

ṣ

a and V

ī

rin

ī

ūru

Thigh

Uruvilv

ā

Locality in Magadha, near Bodhgay

ā

Urva

ś

ī

The first of the Apsaras, ancestor of the lunar dynasty, into which the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas and the Kauravas were born

U

ṣ

as

Dawn

Uttar

ā

Extreme; daughter of Vir

ā

ṭ

a, wife of Abhimanyu

Uttarakuru

A fabulous and inaccessible country in the far north

V

ā

c

The goddess Word

rāc

Word, voice (Latin:

rox

)

Va

ḍ

av

ā

The Submarine Mare: from her mouth issues a blaze of heat,

rāḍarāgni

, that ends up consuming the waters of the ocean

Vaijayanta

Indra’s standard

Vai

ś

ā

l

ī

The ancient city of the Liechave clan, in Bihar

Vai

ś

ampáyana

A

ṛṣi

, disciple of Vy

ā

sa

rajra

Thunderbolt; supreme weapon forged by Tva

ṣ

ṭ

ṛ

for Indra

Vaku

ḍ

a

Place where the last of the

Ś

ā

kyas find refuge

Vala

Cave; the rock that conceals the Cows and the Waters

V

ā

lakhilyas

A race of

ṛṣis

the height of a thumb, born from Praj

ā

pati’s hair: Hymns 49–59 of the eighth book of the

Ṛ

g Veda are attributed to them

Var

ā

ha

Boar; third

avatāra

of Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

V

ā

r

ā

ṇ

as

ī

The capital of the kingdom of K

ā

ś

ī

, whence derived the Hindi Ban

ā

ras, later anglicized to Beuares

V

ā

ra

ṇ

ā

vata

City where the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas live before fleeing the burning of the lacquer house

Varg

ā

Name of an Apsaras

rarṇa

Color, caste

Varu

ṇ

a

All-embracing; one of the

Ā

dityas

Var

ū

thin

ī

Name of an Apsaras

rasatīrarī

Overnight waters; used in the

soma

rites

Vasi

ṣ

ṭ

ha

Born from the seed of Mitra and Varu

ṇ

a squirted into a bowl. one of the Saptar

ṣ

is, author, as tradition has it, of the seventh

maṇḍala

of the

Ṛ

g Veda

V

ā

sto

ṣ

pati

Lord of the Place. Lord of the Sacrificial Residue; one of the names of Rudra

V

ā

suki

Snake, one of the kings of the N

ā

gas, used by the Devas and the Asuras in the churning of the ocean

Vasus

Group of eight divinities, including Soma, Agni, and V

ā

yu; with the

Ā

dityas, the Rudras, and the A

ś

vins, they make up the thirty-three Vedic gods

rārātā

Favorite One: the second in rank of the king’s wives

V

ā

yu

Wind; the god who generates Bh

ī

ma through his union with Kunt

ī

Vedas

A collection of texts including the books of hymns, the Br

ā

hma

ṇ

as, the Ara

ṇ

yakas, the Upani

ṣ

ads, and the S

ū

tras. They are divided into the

Ṛ

g Veda, S

ā

ma Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda (the latter is sometimes excluded, in which case one speaks of the Three Vedas)

veda

Knowledge

vedi

Altar

Ve

ṇ

uvana

Bamboo Wood, one of the Buddha’s favorite parks

ri

-

Prefix indicating separation and pervasiveness

Vicitrav

ī

rya

Son of

Ś

ā

ṃ

tanu and Satyavat

ī

, husband of Ambik

ā

and Amb

ā

lik

ā

Videhas

A people in northeast India

Vidura

Son of Vy

ā

sa and one of Ambik

ā

’s maids, uncle of the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas and the Kauravas

Vijay

ā

Maid of P

ā

rvat

ī

Vikrampur

A city in Bengal

Vimalakau

ṇ

ḍ

inya

Son of

Ā

mrap

ā

l

ī

rīṇā

A musical instrument with strings, emblem of Sarasvat

ī

Vinat

ā

Daughter of Dak

ṣ

a, sister of Kadr

ū

, mother of Garu

ḍ

a and Aru

ṇ

a; according to the

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa

, 3.2.4.1. Kadr

ū

and Vinat

ā

were two

māyūs

, “magic forms,” evoked by the Devas to conquer the

soma

Vin

ā

yaka

Without husband; epithet of Ga

ṇ

e

ś

a, born from P

ā

rvat

ī

alone

Vip

ā

ś

ā

A river in the Punjab

ripras

Vibrant; epithet of the

ṛṣis

V

ī

rabhadra

Terrifying manifestation of

Ś

iva

viraha

Separation

virāj

A Vedic meter of four lines of ten syllables

Vir

ā

ṭ

a

King of the Matsyas (Fishes), father of Uttar

ā

V

ī

ri

ṇ

ī

Wife of Dak

ṣ

a

Vir

ū

ḍ

haka

King of the Kosalas

Vi

ṣ

ṇ

u

All-pervasive One; from

riś

, “to enter,” or

vy-aś

, “to penetrate,” “to pervade.” “For he penetrates in everything” (

Vāyu Purāṇa

, 5.36). One of the

Ā

dítyas

visṛj

-

To expand, to emit

Vi

ś

v

ā

mitra

Friend of everyone; one of the Saptar

ṣ

is; according to tradition, author of most of the third and fourth

maṇḍala

of the

Ṛ

g Veda

Vi

ś

var

ū

pa

Omniform One; another name of Tva

ṣ

ṭ

ṛ

and of his son Tri

ś

iras

Vi

ś

v

ā

vasu

Beneficent to everyone; a Gandharva

Vi

ś

ve Devas

The All-gods

Vivasvat

Irradiant, Brilliant One; the Sun, one of the

Ā

dityas

Voice

V

ā

c

Vraja

V

ṛ

nd

ā

vana; the forest where K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a would meet the

gopīs

, near Mathur

ā

vrata

Way of life, vow

vrāta

Band, fraternity, group of initiates

vrātya

Member of a wandering band (

vrāta

) bound by a vow,

vrata

V

ṛ

ddhak

ṣ

atra

Father of Jayadratha

Vrnd

ā

vana

Forest where K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a and R

ā

dh

ā

pleasure each other; there is a celestial V

ṛ

nd

ā

vana and a terrestial V

ṛ

nd

ā

vana, also known as Vraja, near Mathur

ā

V

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

is

The people of K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a

V

ṛ

tra

Obstruction, obstacle; his mother is Danu; alternatively, born from the dregs of the

soma

Indra drank

Vy

ā

sa

Son of Satyavat

ī

and Par

ā

ś

ara, natural father of P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u, Dh

ṛ

tar

ā

ṣ

t

ṛ

a, and Vidura; according to tradition, he arranged the texts of the

Ṛ

g Veda and was author of the

Mahābhārata

Wagner

Richard Wagner, 1813–1883

Waters

Ā

pa

ḥ

White Horse

Uccai

ḥ

ś

ravas, one of the

ratnas

, “gems,” that appeared during the churning of the ocean

Wind

V

ā

yu

Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889–1951

Wolf’s Belly

V

ṛ

kodara; epithet of Bh

ī

ma

Word

V

ā

c

ya evaṃ veda

“He who knows thus,” a recurring formula in the Br

ā

hma

ṇ

as and the Upani

ṣ

ads

yajña

Sacrifice

Y

ā

jñavalkya

A

ṛṣi

, named at the end of the fourteenth book of the

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa

as author of the whole work

Yak

ṣ

a

Mysterious; genie, demon; the word appears in the

Jaiminīya Brāhmaṇa

, 3.203, where it means “prodigious element or being”; all Hindu divinities, and the Buddha, are occasionally referred to as Yak

ṣ

as

Yama

Twin; son of Vivasvat and Sara

ṇ

y

ū

, twin brother of Yam

ī

, king of the dead

Yam

ī

Twin; daughter of Vivasvat and Sara

ṇ

y

ū

, twin sister of Yama

Yamun

ā

Sacred river, daughter of Vivasvat; in symbolic relationship with Ga

ṅ

g

ā

as the Sun is to the Moon

Ya

ś

od

ā

Adoptive mother of K

ṛ

ṣ

ṇ

a

Year

Sa

ṃ

vatsara

Yogarāsiṣṭha

A poem of around twenty-eight thousand

ślokas

, “stanzas,” probably composed in Kashmir between the eighth and thirteenth centuries

A.D.

yojana

A unit of length, corresponding to about fifteen kilometers

yoni

Vagina, womb, spring

Yudhi

ṣ

ṭ

hira

The eldest of the P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

avas, born of the union between Dharma and Kunt

ī

, first wife of P

ā

ṇ

ḍ

u, his putative father

yuga

Aeon

yūpa

Pole to which sacrificial victims are tied

Zodiac

Celestial band corresponding to the ecliptic