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Kardama (Nāga)
Kardama () is a character featured in Hindu literature. A son of the creator god Brahma, Kardama is described to be a prajapati, one of the progenitors of creation. After propitiating Vishnu and seeking his counsel for a suitable wife, he marries Devahuti, one of the daughters of the first man, Manu. He becomes the father of nine daughters by her, as well as one son, the sage Kapila. Legend According to the Bhagavata Purana, Brahma is said to have instructed his son Kardama to procreate. Kardama went to the Bindusaras ashrama located at the banks of the river Sarasvati, whereupon he commenced a tapas that lasted ten thousand years to please Vishnu. Propitiated, Vishnu appeared before Kardama, who requested the deity to grant him a wife with whom he could sire children. Vishnu promised him that two days thence, Svayambhu Manu and his wife, Shatarupa, would offer their daughter Devahuti to him for his wife. He further stated that his wife would bear him nine daughters, all of who ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prajapati
Prajapati (, ) is a Vedas, Vedic deity of Hinduism. He is later identified with Brahma, the creator god. Prajapati is a form of the creator-god Brahma, but the name is also the name of many different gods, in many Hindu scriptures, ranging from the creator god Brahma to being the same as one of the following deities: Vishvakarma, Agni, Indra, Daksha, and many others, because of the diverse Hindu cosmology. In classical and medieval era literature, Prajapati is the metaphysical concept called Brahman as Prajapati-Brahman, and Brahman is the primordial matter that made 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, particularly Brahma. Still later, the term evolves to mean any divine, semi-di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tapas (Indian Religions)
Tapas (Sanskrit: तपस्, romanized: tapas) is a variety of austere spiritual meditation practices in Indian religions. In Jainism, it means asceticism (austerities, body mortification); in Buddhism, it denotes spiritual practices including meditation and self-discipline; and in the different traditions within Hinduism it means a spectrum of practices ranging from asceticism, 'inner cleansing' to self-discipline by meditation practices. The ''Tapas'' practice often involves solitude and is a part of monastic practices that are believed to be a means to moksha (liberation, salvation). In the Vedas literature of Hinduism, fusion words based on ''tapas'' are widely used to expound several spiritual concepts that develop through heat or inner energy, such as meditation, any process to reach special observations and insights, the spiritual ecstasy of a yogin or ''Tāpasa'' (a vṛddhi derivative meaning "a practitioner of austerities, an ascetic"), even warmth of sexual inti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atharvan
Atharvan ( , nominative singular: अथर्वा ) is a legendary Vedic sage (rishi) of Hinduism, who along with Angiras, is supposed to have authored (" heard") the Atharvaveda. He is also said to have first instituted the fire-sacrifice or yajña. Sometimes he is also reckoned among the seven seers, the Saptarishi. His clan is known as the Atharvanas. Atharvan married Shanti, daughter of Prajapati Kardama, and had a great sage Dadhichi as a son. He is referred to as a member of the Bhrigu clan. According to the Mundaka Upanishad and other texts, he was the eldest son and ( Manasaputra) born from mind of the creator deity, Brahma. Etymology Vedic ''atharvan'' is cognate with Avestan ''āθrauuan'' / ''aθaurun'', "priest", but the etymology of the term is not yet conclusively established. It has been traditionally thought to be etymologically related to the Avestan Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vashistha
Vasishtha (, ) is one of the oldest and revered Vedic rishis or sages, and one of the Saptarishis (seven great Rishis). Vasishtha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the ''Rigveda''. Vasishtha and his family are mentioned in Rigvedic verse 10.167.4, other Rigvedic mandalas and in many Vedic texts. His ideas have been influential and he was called the first sage of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy by Adi Shankara. The '' Yoga Vasishtha'', ''Vasishtha Samhita'', as well as some versions of the '' Agni Purana'' and ''Vishnu Purana'' are attributed to him. He is the subject of many stories, such as him being in possession of the divine cow Kamadhenu and Nandini her child, who could grant anything to their owners. He is famous in Hindu stories for his legendary conflicts with sage Vishvamitra. In the Ramayana, he was the family priest of the Raghu dynasty and teacher of Rama and his brothers. Etymology Vasishtha is also spelled as ' and is Sanskrit for "most e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhrigu
Bhrigu (, ) is a rishi in Hindu tradition. He is one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshis, and one of the many Prajapatis (the facilitators of creation) created by Brahma. He was the first compiler of predictive astrology and also the author of '' Bhrigu Samhita'', an astrological ( jyotisha) classic. Bhrigu is considered a manasaputra ("mind-born son") of Brahma. The adjectival form of the name, '' Bhārgava'', is used to refer to the descendants and the school of Bhrigu. According to ''Manusmriti'', Bhrigu was a compatriot and companion of Svāyambhuva Manu, the progenitor of humanity. Along with Manu, Bhrigu made important contributions to the ''Manusmṛti'', which was constituted out of a sermon to a congregation of saints in the state of Brahmavarta, after the great floods in this area. As per the ''Skanda Purana'', Bhrigu migrated to Bhrigukaccha, modern Bharuch, on the banks of the Narmada river in Gujarat, leaving his son Chyavana at Dhosi Hill. According to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kratu
Kratu () is described as one of the manasaputras, the mind-born children of the creator deity, Brahma, in Hinduism. He is also a rishi, who appears in two different ages. He is considered to be one among the seven great sages of the age of the first Manu, the Saptarishis, believed to have originated from the mind of Brahma. In another legend, he is believed to have been born from his father's left eye. Legend In the Svayambhuva Manvantara, Kratu is a Prajapati, a son of Brahma. He is also the son-in-law of Prajapati Kardama. His wife is named Kriya. It is said that he has 60,000 children. Their name is included in the eighth book of the Rigveda. Kratu also has two sisters, Punya and Satyavati. He is also stated to be married to Santati in the Puranas, and the pair has sixty thousand children, called the Balakhilyas, who were each of the size of a thumb, but possessed great mastery over the senses. According to the ''Mahabharata'', while helping the sage Kashyapa with a sa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pulastya
Pulastya (Sanskrit: पुलस्त्य) is one of the ten Prajapati, and one of the mind-born sons of Brahma in Hinduism. He is also one of the Saptarishi (Seven great sages) in the first age of Manu, the Manvantara.Inhabitants of the Worlds Mahanirvana Tantra, translated by Arthur Avalon, ( Sir John Woodroffe), 1913, Introduction and Preface. The Rishi are seers who know, and by their knowledge are the makers of shastra and "see" all mantras. The word comes from the root rish Rishati-prapnoti sarvvang mantrang jnanena pashyati sangsaraparangva, etc. The seven great Rishi or saptarshi of the first manvantara are Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulatsya, and Vashishtha. In other manvantara there are other ''saptarishi''. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angiras (sage)
Angiras ( (stem), , , nominative singular , , , rendered Angirā in Hindi) was a Vedic rishi (sage) of Hinduism. He is described in the ''Rigveda'' as a teacher of divine knowledge, a mediator between men and gods, as well as stated in other hymns to be the first of Agni-devas (fire gods). In some texts, he is considered to be one of the seven great sages or '' Saptarishis'', but in others he is mentioned but not counted in the list of seven great sages. In some manuscripts of ''Atharvaveda'', the text is attributed to "Atharvangirasah", which is a compound of sage Atharvan and Angira. The student family of Angira are called "Angira", and they are credited to be the authors of some hymns in the first, second, fifth, eighth, ninth, and tenth books of the ''Rigveda''. By the time of the composition of the Rigveda, the Angirases were an old Rishi clan, and were stated to have participated in several events. Texts Many hymns of the ''Rigveda'' credit the Angirases as their au ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atri
Atri or Attri is a Vedic sage, who is credited with composing numerous shlokas to Agni, Indra, and other Vedic deities of Hinduism. Atri is one of the Saptarishi (seven great Vedic sages) in the Hindu tradition, and the one most mentioned in the Rigveda. The fifth Mandala (Book 5) of the Rigveda is called the Atri Mandala in his honour, and the eighty seven shlokas in it are attributed to him and his descendants. Atri is also mentioned in the Puranas and the Hindu epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Legend Atri is one of the seven great Rishis or Saptarshi along with Agastya, Bhardwaja, Gautama, Jamadagni, Vashistha, and Vishvamitra. According to the legends of the Vedic era, sage Atri was married to Anasuya Devi. They had three sons, Dattatreya, Durvasa and Chandra. As per divine account, he is the last among the seven Saptarishis and is believed to have originated from the tongue. The wife of Atri was Anasuya, who is considered one of the seven female p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marichi
Marichi () or Mareechi or Marishi is the mind-born son of Brahma, and one of the Saptarishi in Hindu mythology. He is also the father of Kashyapa, and the grandfather of the ''devas'' and the ''asuras''. In Jainism, he is referred to as one of the previous reincarnations of the 24th ''Tirthankara,'' Mahavira and the grandson of Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara. Saptarishi Saptarishi, a Sanskrit dvigu meaning "seven sages" are the seven rishis who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never enumerate these rishis by name, though later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanishads do so. While earlier texts do not mention Marichi as one of the seven, references can be found in the epic ''Mahabharata''. In some parts of India, people believe these are seven stars of the Big Dipper named " Vashista", "Marichi", "Pulastya", " Pulaha", "Atri", " Angiras" and "Kratu". There is another star slightly visible within it, known as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saṃsāra
''Saṃsāra'' (Devanagari: संसार) is a Sanskrit word that means "wandering" as well as "world," wherein the term connotes "cyclic change" or, less formally, "running around in circles." ''Saṃsāra'' is referred to with terms or phrases such as transmigration/reincarnation, karmic cycle, or Punarjanman, and "cycle of aimless drifting, wandering or mundane existence". When related to the theory of karma, it is the cycle of death and rebirth. The "cyclicity of all life, matter, and existence" is a fundamental belief of most Indian religions. The concept of ''saṃsāra'' has roots in the post-Vedic literature; the theory is not discussed in the Vedas themselves. It appears in developed form, but without mechanistic details, in the early Upanishads. The full exposition of the ''saṃsāra'' doctrine is found in early Buddhism and Jainism, as well as in various schools of Hindu philosophy. The ''saṃsāra'' doctrine is tied to the karma theory of Hinduism, and th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vimana
Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentioned in Jain texts. Etymology The Sanskrit word ''vimāna'' (विमान) literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out". Monier Monier-Williams defines ''vimāna'' as "a car or a chariot of the gods, any self-moving aerial car sometimes serving as a seat or throne, sometimes self-moving and carrying its occupant through the air; other descriptions make the Vimana more like a house or palace, and one kind is said to be seven stories high", and quotes the Pushpaka Vimana of Ravana as an example. It may denote any car or vehicle, especially a bier or a ship as well as a palace of an emperor, especially with seven stories. Nowadays, ''vimāna, vimān'' or ''bimān'' means "aircraft" in Indian languages, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
