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Heramba
Heramba ( sa, हेरम्ब, ), also known as Heramba Ganapati (), is a five-headed iconographical form of the Hindu god Ganesha (Ganapati). This form is particularly popular in Nepal. This form is important in Tantric worship of Ganesha. He is one of the most popular of the thirty-two forms of Ganesha. As an epithet The ''Mudgala Purana'' mentions Heramba Ganapati as one of the thirty-two names of Ganesha. The ''Skanda Purana'' lists that Heramba Vinayaka as one of the 56 Vinayakas in the vicinity of Varanasi. Heramba also figures in the lists of Ganesha's names in the ''Brahma Vaivarta Purana'' (8 names), the ''Padma Purana'' (12 epithets) and the ''Cintyagama'' (16 Ganapatis). Heramba is also used as an epithet of Ganesha in the ''Ganesha Purana''. The ''Brahma vaivarta Purana'' explains the meaning of Heramba: the syllable ''he'' denotes helpnessless or weakness, while ''ramba'' is protection of the weak, to save them from harm; thus ''Heramba'' means the "Protector of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu denominations worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists and includes Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia (Java and Bali), Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Bangladesh and in countries with large ethnic Indian populations including Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago. Although Ganesha has many attributes, he is readily identified by his elephant head. He is widely revered, more specifically, as the remover of obstacles and thought to bring good luck; the patron of arts and sciences; and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rites and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as a patron of letters ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herambasuta
Herambasuta (Devanagari:हेरम्बसुत, IAST:), was a Tantric exponent who belonged to the vamachara Ganapatya sect. The tenth century work attributed to certain mentions the cult of led by Herambasuta. The name of the group derives from ''(leftovers)'' in reference to the foods left over at the end of the ritual to the deity. In Tantric context, food is deliberately left in the mouth in order to render them ritually impure. According to the scripture mentioned above, Herambasuta held many unorthodox views, and the worship included . The form of worship Herambasuta expounded was : there was no caste restriction, promiscuity was allowed and the followers wore a red mark on the forehead. According to R. G. Bhandarkar it was an imitation of Kaula (Hinduism), Kaula form of worship. Notes {{Worship in Hinduism Ganesha Hindu tantra Tantric practices Indian Hindu monks Hindu philosophers and theologians ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thirty-two Forms Of Ganesha
Thirty-two forms of Ganesha are mentioned frequently in devotional literature related to the Hindu god Ganesha (Ganapati). The Ganesha-centric scripture ''Mudgala Purana'' is the first to list them. Detailed descriptions are included in the ''Shivanidhi'' portion of the 19th-century Kannada ''Sritattvanidhi''. There are also sculptural representations of these thirty-two forms in the temples at Nanjangud and Chāmarājanagar (both in Mysore district, Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...), done about the same time as the paintings were done and also at the direction of the same monarch.Ramachandra Rao, p. vi. Each of the thirty-two illustrations is accompanied by a short Sanskrit meditation verse ('), written in Kannada script. The meditation verses list the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vahana
''Vahana'' ( sa, वाहन, or animal vehicle, literally "that which carries, that which pulls") denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical, a particular Hindus, Hindu God is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vahana is often called the deity's "mount". Upon the partnership between the deity and his vahana is woven much Hindu iconography, iconography and Hindu mythology, Hindu theology. Deities are often depicted riding (or simply mounted upon) the vahana. Other times, the vahana is depicted at the deity's side or symbolically represented as a divine attribute. The vahana may be considered an :wikt:accoutrement, accoutrement of the deity: though the vahana may act independently, they are still functionally emblematic or even :wikt:syntagmatic, syntagmatic of their "rider". The deity may be seen sitting or standing on the vahana. They may be sitting on a small platform, or riding on a saddle or bareback. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Devi
Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism. The concept and reverence for goddesses appears in the Vedas, which were composed around the 2nd millennium BCE. However, they do not play a vital role in that era. Goddesses such as Lakshmi, Parvati, Durga, Saraswati, Sita, Radha and Kali have continued to be revered in the modern era. The medieval era Puranas witness a major expansion in mythology and literature associated with Devi, with texts such as the Devi Mahatmya, wherein she manifests as the ultimate truth and supreme power. She has inspired the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. Further, Devi and her primary form Parvati is viewed as central in the Hindu traditions of Shaktism and Shaivism. Etymology ''Devi'' and ''deva'' are Sanskrit terms found in Vedic literature around the 3rd millenni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tantra
Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the Indian traditions, also means any systematic broadly applicable "text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique or practice". A key feature of these traditions is the use of mantras, and thus they are commonly referred to as Mantramārga ("Path of Mantra") in Hinduism or Mantrayāna ("Mantra Vehicle") and Guhyamantra ("Secret Mantra") in Buddhism. Starting in the early centuries of the common era, newly revealed Tantras centering on Vishnu, Shiva or Shakti emerged. There are tantric lineages in all main forms of modern Hinduism, such as the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition, the Shakta sect of Sri-Vidya, the Kaula, and Kashmir Shaivism. In Buddhism, the Vajrayana traditions are known for tantric ideas and practices, which are based on India ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ankusha
The elephant goad, bullhook, or ankus (from Sanskrit ' or ''ankusha'') is a tool employed by mahout in the handling and training of elephants. It consists of a hook (usually bronze or steel) which is attached to a handle, ending in a tapered end. A relief at Sanchi and a fresco at the Ajanta Caves depict a three-person crew on the war elephant, the driver with an elephant goad, what appears to be a noble warrior behind the driver and another attendant on the posterior of the elephant.Nossov, Konstantin & Dennis, Peter (2008). ''War Elephants''. illustrated by Peter Dennis. Edition: illustrated. Osprey Publishing.(accessed: Monday April 13, 2009), p.18 Nossov and Dennis (2008 p 19) report that two perfectly preserved elephant goads were recovered from an archaeological site at Taxila and are dated from 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE according to Marshall. The larger of the two is 65 cm long. Nossov and Dennis (2008: p. 16) state: An ''ankusha'', a sharpened ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abhayamudra
The Abhayamudrā "gesture of fearlessness" is a mudra, mudrā (gesture) that is the gesture of reassurance and safety, which dispels fear and accords divine protection and bliss in Buddhism and other Indian religions. The right hand is held upright, and the palm is facing outwards. This is one of the earliest mudrās found depicted on a number of Hinduism, Hindu, Buddhism, Buddhist, Jainism, Jain and Sikhism, Sikh images. The abhayamudrā (施無畏印) represents protection, peace, benevolence and the dispelling of fear. The Hindu god Nataraja is depicted with the second right hand making the Abhaya Mudra, bestowing protection from both evil and ignorance to those who follow the righteousness of dharma. In Theravada, Theravada Buddhism, it is usually made with the right hand raised to shoulder height, the arm bent and the palm facing outward with the fingers upright and joined and the left hand hanging down while standing. In Thailand and Laos, this mudra is associated with th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varadamudra
Varadamudra is a mudra, and it indicates a gesture by the hand and symbolizes dispensing of boons. For varadamudra, the right hand is used. It is held out, with palm uppermost and the fingers pointing downwards. Varadamudra and abhayamudra are the most common of several other mudras seen on divine figures in the art of Indian religions Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification of .... Often the open hand is shown with a lotus bud in the centre. References *''Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend'' () by Anna Dallapiccola Buddhist rituals Hand gestures Hindu philosophical concepts Mudras {{Buddhism-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Modak
Modak (Marathi: मोदक; Japanese: 歓喜団; Thai: โมทกะ or ขนมต้ม; Malaysian: Kuih modak; Indonesian: Kue modak; Burmese: မုန့်လုံးရေပေါ်), also referred to as Koḻukattai (கொழுக்கட்டை) in Tamil, is an Indian sweet dumpling dish popular in many Indian states and cultures. According to Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, it is considered one of the favourite dishes of Lord Ganesha and the Buddha and is therefore used in prayers. The sweet filling on the inside of a modak consists of freshly grated coconut and jaggery, while the outer soft shell is made from rice flour or wheat flour mixed with khava or maida flour. There are two types of modak, fried and steamed. The steamed version (called ''ukdiche modak'') is often served hot with ghee. Religious significance Hinduism Modak is considered to be the favourite sweet of the Hindu deity, Ganesha. From it, he gets the moniker modakapriya (one who likes mod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parashu
Parashu ( sa, Paraśu, script=Latn) is the Sanskrit word for a battle-axe, which can be wielded with one or both hands. Construction The parashu could be double-edge bladed or single-edge bladed with a spike on the non cutting edge. It usually measures between 3 – 5 feet though some are as long as 7 feet. The parashu is usually made of iron or wootz steel. The cutting edge is broader than the edge which is attached to the haft. The haft is often tied with a leather sheet to provide a good grip. Hinduism The parashu named Vidyudabhi is the weapon of the god Shiva who gave it to Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, whose name means "Rama with the axe" and also taught him its mastery. Parashurama was the guru of Dronacharya, the guru who instructed the Pandavas in the epic Mahabharata. Bhishma and Karna, half brother of Pandava also took instruction in weaponry from Parashurama. Parashurama was known to have terrible temper, having lost his father to the wicked Kshatriya Kartav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akshamala
A japamala, , or simply mala ( sa, माला; , meaning 'garland') is a loop of prayer beads commonly used in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism for counting recitations when performing ''japa'' (reciting a mantra or other sacred sound) or for counting some other '' sadhana'' (spiritual practice) such as prostrating before a holy icon. They are similar to other forms of prayer beads used in various world religions and are sometimes referred to in Christianity as a "rosary". The main body of a mala is usually 108 beads of roughly the same size and material as each other though smaller versions, often factors of 108 such as 54 or 27, exist. A distinctive 109th "guru bead", not used for counting, is very common. Mala beads have traditionally been made of a variety of materials such as wood, stone, seeds, bone and precious metals—with various religions often favouring certain materials—and strung with natural fibres such as cotton, silk, or a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
