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Parivrajaka Dynasty
The Parivrajaka (IAST: Parivrājaka) dynasty ruled parts of central India during 5th and 6th centuries. The kings of this dynasty bore the title Maharaja, and probably ruled as feudatories of the Gupta Empire. The dynasty is known from inscriptions of two of its kings: Hastin and Samkshobha. Political status The Parivrajaka inscriptions refer to the imperial Gupta dynasty, but do not mention any Gupta overlord. However, the use of title "Maharaja" (generally used by feudatory kings) suggests that they were vassals of the Guptas. In addition, the Parivrajaka inscriptions state that the dynasty ruled the forest kingdoms; the Allahabad pillar inscription of the Gupta emperor Samudragupta states that he subjugated all the forest kingdoms. When the Gupta empire started declining, they acknowledged nominal Gupta suzerainty. Multiple inscriptions of the dynasty mention a year of an uncertain calendar era, with the term "Gupta-nṛipa-rājya bhuktau", which has been translated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Golden Age of India by historians. The ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by the king Sri Gupta; the most notable rulers of the dynasty were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II and Skandagupta. The 5th-century CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits the Guptas with having conquered about twenty-one kingdoms, both in and outside India, including the kingdoms of Parasikas, the Hunas, the Kambojas, tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys, the Kinnaras, Kiratas, and others.Raghu Vamsa v 4.60–75 The high points of this period are the great cultural developments which took place primarily during the reigns of Samudragupta, Chandragupta II and Kumaragupta I. Many Hindu epics and literary sources, such as Mahabharata and Ramay ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varna (Hinduism)
''Varṇa'' ( sa, वर्ण, varṇa), in the context of Hinduism, refers to a social class within a hierarchical caste system in India, caste system. The ideology is epitomized in texts like ''Manusmriti'', which describes and ranks four varnas, and prescribes their occupations, requirements and duties, or ''Dharma''. *Brahmins: Vedas, Vedic scholars, priests or teachers. *Kshatriyas: Rulers, administrators or warriors. *Vaishyas: Agriculturalists, farmers or merchants. *Shudras: Artisan, Artisans, laborers or servants. Communities which belong to one of the four varnas or classes are called savarna Hindus. The Dalits and tribes, tribals who do not belong to any varna were called avarna. This quadruple division is a form of social stratification, quite different from the more nuanced system ''Jātis'' which correspond to the European term caste system in India, "caste". The varna system is discussed in Hindu texts, and understood as idealised human callings. The concept i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Punya (Hinduism)
Punya (), also rendered Punyam () is a concept in Hinduism with various definitions. It generally refers to virtue or merit, and the activities that allow one to acquire this attribute, in order to achieve liberation from samsara, the cycle of birth and death in the material world. Definitions ''Punya'' is referred to as good ''karma'' or a virtue that contributes benefits in this and the next birth and can be acquired by appropriate means and also accumulated. In Vedanta terms ''punya'' is the invisible wealth, a part of ''dharma'', the first of four human goals; the other three goals being ''artha,'' ''kama, and moksha''. ''Punya'' and '' pāpa'' are the seeds of future pleasure and pain, the former, which sows merits, exhausts itself only through pleasure and the latter, which sows demerits, exhausts itself only through pain; but '' Jivan mukti'' ends all karmic debts consisting of and signified by these two dynamics. Philosophical traditions During the Vedic period, ''brah ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dasharatha Sharma
Dasharatha Sharma (1903–1976) was an Indologist with particular interest in the history of the Rajasthan region of India. Born in the Rajasthani city of Churu, he studied in the city of Bikaner and at the University of Delhi. He had degrees of Master of Arts (M.A.) in History and Sanskrit and received a Doctor of Literature (D. Litt.) for his thesis, ''Early Chauhan Dynasties''. Academic appointments Sharma was the head of the Department of History at Hindu College, University of Delhi, and later was appointed Reader (equivalent of Associate Professor) in Ancient History at the University of Delhi. In 1966, he was appointed as Professor and Head, Department of History at the University of Jodhpur (now renamed Jai Narain Vyas University) and later became Dean, Faculty of Arts at the same institution. After retirement from the University of Jodhpur, Prof. Sharma served as Director of the Rajasthan Puratattva Mandir near the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute in Jodhpur. He a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. Shiva is known as "The Destroyer" within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu. In the Shaivite tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. In the goddess-oriented Shakta tradition, the Supreme Goddess ( Devi) is regarded as the energy and creative power (Shakti) and the equal complementary partner of Shiva. Shiva is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism. Shiva has many aspects, benevolent as well as fearsome. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an omniscient Yogi who lives an ascetic life on Mount Kailash as well as a householder with his wife Parvati and his three children, Ganesha, Kartikeya and A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaivite
Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions ranging from devotional dualistic theism such as Shaiva Siddhanta to yoga-orientated monistic non-theism such as Kashmiri Shaivism.Ganesh Tagare (2002), The Pratyabhijñā Philosophy, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 16–19 It considers both the Vedas and the Agama texts as important sources of theology.Mariasusai Dhavamony (1999), Hindu Spirituality, Gregorian University and Biblical Press, , pages 31–34 with footnotesMark Dyczkowski (1989), The Canon of the Śaivāgama, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 43–44 Shaivism developed as an amalgam of pre-Vedic religions and traditions derived from the southern Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta traditions and philosophies, which were assimilated in the non-Vedic Shiva-tradition. In the process of Sanskritisation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narasimhagupta
Narasimhagupta (Gupta script: ''Na-ra-si-ṅha-gu-pta'') Baladitya was an emperor of the Gupta Empire of North India. He was son of Purugupta and probably the successor of Budhagupta. Defeat of the Hunas According to the Chinese monk Xuanzang, Narasimhagupta had to pay tribute to the Huna king Mihirakula. Finally, Baladitya along with Yasodharman of Malwa is credited with driving the Alchon Huns from the plains of North India according to the Chinese monk Xuanzang. In a fanciful account, Xuanzang, who wrote a century later in 630 CE, reported that Mihirakula had conquered all India except for an island where the king of Magadha named Balditya (who could be Gupta ruler Narasimhagupta Baladitya) took refuge, but that Mihirakula was finally captured by the Indian king, who later spared his life. Mihirakula is then said to have returned to Kashmir to retake the throne.Early Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks by Jason Neelip.168/ref> Narasimhagupta's governor in Malwa, Bhanu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhanugupta
Bhanugupta was one of the lesser known kings of the Gupta dynasty. He is only known from an inscription in Eran, and a mention in the Manjushri-mula-kalpa. Only mentioned in the Eran inscription as a "Raja" and not a "Maharaja" or a "Maharajadhiraja" as would be customary for a Gupta Empire ruler, Bhanugupta may only have been a Governor for the region of Malwa, under Gupta Emperor Narasimhagupta. Eran inscription of Bhanugupta Bhanugupta is known from a stone pillar inscription in Eran, Malwa. The inscription was translated by John Faithfull Fleet in 1888, and then a second time in 1981, leading to different interpretations. Initial translation (J.F Fleet 1888) According to the initial translation of the Eran inscription (by John Faithful Fleet in 1888), Bhanugupta participated to a non-specific battle in 510 CE (Line 5). This translation was the basis for various conjectures about a possible encounter with Toramana, the Alchon Huns ruler. It has been suggested that Bhan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vainyagupta
Vainyagupta ( sa, वैन्यगुप्त) was one of the lesser known kings of the Gupta dynasty. He is known from the fragmentary clay sealing discovered at Nalanda and the Gunaighar copper plate inscription dated Gupta era 188 (507 CE). R. C. Majumdar considers him as son of Purugupta. In the Nalanda fragmentary clay sealing he is mentioned as the ''Maharajadhiraja'' and a ''paramabhagavata'' (devout worshipper of Vishnu), while the Gunaighar copper plate inscription mentions him as the ''Maharaja'' and a ''Bhagavan Mahadeva padanudhyato'' (devotee of Shiva). Vainyagupta had the first construction of Kashi Vishwanath temple between 500 CE - 508 CE during his reign. Identification Historians came to know about Vainyagupta after discovering the Nalanda clay seal, Gunaighar copper plate and coins belonging to his reign. The artifacts neither contain his father nor his grandfather's name. According to R.C. Majumdar, Vainyagupta's father was Purugupta. The Gunaighar cop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Budhagupta
Budhagupta (Gupta script: ''Bu-dha-gu-pta'', ) was a Gupta emperor and the successor of Kumaragupta II. He was the son of Purugupta and was succeeded by Narasimhagupta.Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). ''Political History of Ancient India'', Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p. 522 Rule Budhagupta had close ties with the rulers of Kannauj and together they sought to run the Alchon Huns (Hunas) out of the fertile plains of Northern India. Northern India, and in particular the area of Eran, was next invaded by the Alchon Huns ruler Toramana, who set up his own inscription there, the Eran boar inscription of Toramana, circa 510-513 CE. Inscriptions The Damodarpur copper-plate inscription informs us that Pundravardhana bhukti (the present-day North Bengal) was ruled by his two viceroys (''Uparika Mahararaja'') Brahmadatta and Jayadatta. The Eran stone pillar inscription of two brothers, Matrivishnu and Dhanyavishnu mentions Budhagupta as their emperor (''Bhupati''), under whom ''Mah ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
