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Danu (Asura)
Danu () is a Hindu primordial goddess. She is mentioned in the ''Rigveda'' to be the mother of the eponymous race of Danavas. The word ''Danu'' described the primeval waters that this deity perhaps embodied. In later Hinduism, she is described to be the daughter of the Prajapati Daksha and his spouse Panchajani, and the consort of the sage Kashyapa. Etymology As a word for "rain" or "liquid", ''dānu'' is compared to Avestan ''dānu'', "river", and further to river names like Don, Danube, Dnieper, Dniestr, etc. There is also a Danu river in Nepal. The "liquid" word is mostly neutral, but appears as feminine in RV 1.54. Literature Rigveda In the ''Rigveda'' (I.32.9), she is identified as the mother of Vritra, the asura slain by Indra. Padma Purana In the Padma Purana, the children of Danu are described: Brahmanda Purana In the Brahmanda Purana, it is stated that while Aditi is habitually righteous, and Diti was habitually strong, Danu habitually practises maya. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Danavas
In Hindu mythology, the danavas are a race descending from Kashyapa and his wife Danu, a daughter of the progenitor god, Daksha. It is mentioned that there are one hundred danavas. Origin The danavas are a mythological race of demigods, the half-brothers to the devas and daityas that are found in a range of Hindu texts. The danavas are a part of a larger group of the asuras, and are typically portrayed as opposed to the Hindu deities. However, historically, their role in Hinduism is varied and at times, the distinction between the danavas and Hindu deities is complex and they are difficult to distinguish from one another. Etymology The name ''danavas'' stems from the mother's name: Danu. Both danavas and Danu are derived from the Vedic word ''Da'' meaning 'to give.' Ananda Coomaraswamy suggests this word connotes generosity. Another interpretation of their name is associated with Danu's relationship with her first son (and demon), Vritra. In Indian mythology, in an atte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prajapati
Prajapati ( sa, प्रजापति, Prajāpati, lord and protector of creation) is a Vedic deity of Hinduism. In later literature, Prajapati is identified with the creator god Brahma, but the term also connotes many different gods, depending on the Hindu text, ranging from being the creator god to being same as one of the following: Viswakarma, Agni, Indra, Daksha, and many others, reflecting the diverse Hindu cosmology. In classical and medieval era literature, Prajapati is equated to the metaphysical concept called Brahman as Prajapati-Brahman (Svayambhu Brahman), or alternatively Brahman is described as one who existed before Prajapati. Etymology Prajapati (Sanskrit: ) is a compound of "praja" (creation, procreative powers) and "pati" (lord, master). The term means "lord of creatures", or "lord of all born beings". In the later Vedic texts, Prajapati is a distinct Vedic deity, but whose significance diminishes. Later, the term is synonymous with other gods, particular ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiamat
In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creation. She is referred to as a woman and described as "the glistening one". It is suggested that there are two parts to the Tiamat mythos. In the first, she is a creator goddess, through a sacred marriage between different waters, peacefully creating the cosmos through successive generations. In the second Chaoskampf Tiamat is considered the monstrous embodiment of primordial chaos. Some sources identify her with images of a sea serpent or dragon. In the '' Enûma Elish'', the Babylonian epic of creation, Tiamat bears the first generation of deities; her husband, Apsu, correctly assuming that they are planning to kill him and usurp his throne, later makes war upon them and is killed. Enraged, she also wars upon her husband's murderers, b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dewi Danu
Dewi Danu is the water goddess of the Balinese Hindus, who call their belief-system Agama Tirta, or ''belief-system of the water''. She is one of two supreme deities in the Balinese tradition. See also *Danu (Asura) External links *''Ulun Danu Batur Sacred Temple''* J. Stephen Lansing J. Stephen Lansing (born 1950) is an American anthropologist and complexity scientist. He is especially known from his decades of research on the emergent properties of human-environmental interactions in Bali, Borneo and the Malay Archipelago ...: ''A Thousand Years in Bali''. The Long Now FoundationDeeply important in Bali. Section needs to be devoted to rituals and irrigation structure. Watch whole video for complete understanding. For basic info, check #6, W"Water temple network"-->*''Direct Water Democracy in Bali'' {{Hindu-myth-stub Hindu goddesses Indonesian goddesses ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Danu (Irish Goddess)
In Irish mythology, ''*Danu'' () is the reconstructed mother goddess of the Tuatha dé Danann (Old Irish: "The peoples of the goddess Danu"). Though primarily seen as an ancestral figure, some Victorian sources also associate her with the land. Etymology The hypothetical nominative form of the name, ''*Danu'', is not found in any medieval Irish text, but is rather a reconstruction by modern scholars based on the genitive ''Danann'' (also spelled ''Donand'' or ''Danand''), which is the only form attested in the primary sources (e.g. in the collective name of the Irish gods, ''Tuatha dé Danann'' "Tribe of the Gods of Danu"). In Irish mythology, ''Anu'' (sometimes written as ''Anann'' or ''Anand'') is a goddess. She may be a distinct goddess in her own right or an alternative name for Danu, in which case ''Danu'' could be a contraction of ''*di Anu'' ("goddess Anu"). The etymology of the name has been a matter of much debate since the 19th century, with some earlier scholars fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maya (religion)
''Maya'' (; Devanagari: , IAST: ), literally "illusion" or "magic", has multiple meanings in Indian philosophies depending on the context. In later Vedic texts, connotes a "magic show, an illusion where things appear to be present but are not what they seem"; the principle which shows "attributeless Absolute" as having "attributes". also connotes that which "is constantly changing and thus is spiritually unreal" (in opposition to an unchanging Absolute, or Brahman), and therefore "conceals the true character of spiritual reality".Lynn Foulston and Stuart Abbott (2009), ''Hindu Goddesses: Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, , pp. 14-16. In the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy, , "appearance", is "the powerful force that creates the cosmic illusion that the phenomenal world is real." In this nondualist school, at the individual level appears as the lack of knowledge () of the real Self, ''Atman-Brahman'', mistakingly identifying with the body-mind comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Padma Purana
The ''Padma Purana'' ( sa, पद्मपुराण or पाद्मपुराण, or ) is one of the eighteen Major Puranas, a genre of texts in Hinduism. It is an encyclopedic text, named after the lotus in which creator god Brahma appeared, and includes large sections dedicated to Vishnu, as well as significant sections on Shiva and Shakti. The manuscripts of Padma Purana have survived into the modern era in numerous versions, of which two are major and significantly different, one traced to eastern and the other to western regions of India. It is one of the voluminous text, claiming to have 55,000 verses, with the actual surviving manuscripts showing about 50,000. The style of composition and textual arrangement suggest that it is likely a compilation of different parts written in different era by different authors. The text includes sections on cosmology, mythology, genealogy, geography, rivers and seasons, temples and pilgrimage to numerous sites in India – ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> Indra's myths and powers are similar to other Indo-European deities such as Jupiter, Perun, Perkūnas, Zalmoxis, Taranis, Zeus, and Thor, part of the greater Proto-Indo-European mythology. Indra is the most referred deity in the ''Rigveda''. He is celebrated for his powers, and as the one who killed the great evil (a malevolent type of asura) named Vritra, who obstructed human prosperity and happiness. Indra destroys Vritra and his "deceiving forces", and thereby brings rains and sunshine as the saviour of mankind. He is also an important deity worshipped by the Kalash people, indicating his prominence in ancient Hinduism. Indra's significance diminishes in the post-Vedic Indian literature, but he still plays an important role in various m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asura
Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indian religions, Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Deva (Hinduism), Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhism, Buddhist context, the word is sometimes translated "Titan (mythology), titan", "demigod", or "antigod". According to Hindu texts, Hindu scriptures, the asuras are in constant battle with the devas. Asuras are described in Indian texts as powerful superhuman demigods with good or bad qualities. In early Vedic literature, the good Asuras are called ''Adityas'' and are led by Varuna, while the malevolent ones are called ''Danava (Hinduism), Danavas'' and are led by Vritra. In the earliest layer of Vedic texts Agni, Indra and other gods are also called Asuras, in the sense of their being "lords" of their respective domains, knowledge and abilities. In later Vedic and post-Vedic texts, the benevolent gods are call ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vritra
Vritra () is a danava in Hinduism. He serves as the personification of drought, and is an adversary of the king of the devas, Indra. As a danava, he belongs to the race of the asuras. Vritra is also known in the Vedas as Ahi (Sanskrit: ', lit. "snake"). He appears as a human-like serpent blocking the course of the Rigvedic rivers, and is slain by Indra with his newly-forged vajra. Name ''Vritra'' literally means "cover, obstacle", in reference of him holding back the waters. It stems from Proto-Indo-Iranian ''*wr̥trás'', from the Proto-Indo-European root ''*wer-'' "to cover, to obstruct". The Indo-Iranian word is also found in Avestan as '' vərəθraγna'' (Vedic ''vṛtraghná''), literally "(one who) slays obstacles". Functionally, he is related to Jörmungandr of Norse myth, Typhon of Greek myth, and Veles of Slavic myth. Literature Vedas According to the Rig Veda, Vritra kept the waters of the world captive until he was killed by Indra, who destroyed all th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mandala 1
The first Mandala ("book") of the Rigveda has 191 hymns. Together with Mandala 10, it forms the latest part of the Rigveda. Its composition likely dates to the late vedic period (1000-500 BCE) or the Early Iron Age (around 1000 BCE). Contents Hymn 1.1 is addressed to Agni, arranged so that the name of this god is the first word of the ''Rigveda''. The remaining hymns are mainly addressed to Agni and Indra. Hymns 1.154 to 1.156 are addressed to Vishnu. Hymn 1.3 is dedicated to the Ashvins. Hymn 1.164.46, part of a hymn to the Vishvadevas, is often quoted as an example of emerging monism or monotheism. It forms the basis for the well-known statement "Truth is one, sages call it by various names": :' :' :"They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni / and he is heavenly nobly-winged Garutman." :"To what is One, sages give many a title / they call it Agni, Yama, Matarisvan." (trans. Griffith) : – ''Rigveda 1.164.46'' Interpretation Max Muller described the character of the Vedic hym ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dniestr
The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Ukrainian territory again. Names The name ''Dniester'' derives from Sarmatian ''dānu nazdya'' "the close river." (The Dnieper, also of Sarmatian origin, derives from the opposite meaning, "the river on the far side".) Alternatively, according to Vasily Abaev ''Dniester'' would be a blend of Scythian ''dānu'' "river" and Thracian ''Ister'', the previous name of the river, literally Dān-Ister (River Ister). The Ancient Greek name of Dniester, ''Tyras'' (Τύρας), is from Scythian ''tūra'', meaning "rapid." The names of the Don and Danube are also from the same Indo-Iranian word ''*dānu'' "ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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