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Swayambhu
Svayambhu () is a Sanskrit word that means "self-born", "self-manifested", "self-existing", or "that that is created by its own accord". Various deities and entities featured in Hindu literature and tradition are regarded to be svayambhu, such as Brahman in the Upanishads, and the Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and Manu in the Puranas. The term svayambhu is also used to describe the belief of a self-manifested image (''murti'') of a deity present in a temple, which is described to be not of human creation, but of natural or divine origin. Such images are described in some of the regional legends of religious sites called the sthala puranas. Some of the best examples of such images include the twelve Jyotirlinga images of Shiva, and Venkateswara image of Vishnu. Etymology Svayambhu is a portmanteau of the Sanskrit words ''svayam'' (स्वयम्) which means 'self' or 'on its own' and ''bhū'' (भू) which means 'to take birth' or 'arising'. Literature A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion, diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age#South Asia, Bronze Age. Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism. It was a lingua franca, link language in ancient and medieval South Asia, and upon transmission of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central Asia in the early medieval era, it became a language of religion and high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions. As a result, Sanskrit had a lasting effect on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, especially in their formal and learned vocabularies. Sanskrit generally connotes several Indo-Aryan languages# ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Venkateswara
Venkateswara (, ), also known as Venkatachalapati, Venkata, Balaji and Srinivasa, is a Hindu deity, described as a form or avatar of the god Vishnu. He is the presiding deity of Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati. His consorts, Padmavati (Hinduism), Padmavati and Bhudevi, are avatars of the goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu. Etymology and other names Venkateswara literally means "Lord of Venkata (hill), Venkata". The word is a combination of the words ''Venkata'' (the name of a hill in Andhra Pradesh) and ''iśvara'' ("Lord"). According to the ''Brahmanda Purana, Brahmanda'' and ''Bhavishya Purana, Bhavishyottara'' Puranas, the word "Venkata" means "destroyer of sins", deriving from the Sanskrit words ''vem'' (sins) and ''kata'' (power of immunity). Venkateswara is known by many names such as Srinivasa (''in whom Lakshmi dwells''), Narayana (''The Primordial One''), Perumal (''the great lord''), Malayappa (''the lord of the Hill'') and Govinda ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soyombo Symbol
The ''Soyombo'' symbol is a special character in the Soyombo alphabet invented by Zanabazar in 1686. The name "Soyombo" is derived from Sanskrit ''svayambhu'' "self-created". The Soyombo symbol serves both as a traditional symbol of Mongolia, Buryatia and Kalmykia, and as a national symbol of Mongolia, to be found on the Flag of Mongolia, the Emblem of Mongolia, and on many other official documents. In the Soyombo alphabet, the two variations of the Soyombo symbol are used to mark the start and end of a text. It is thought to be possible that the symbol itself may predate the script. Symbolism The Soyombo has ten elements in the columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric symbols and patterns. They are fire, sun, crescent moon, two triangles, two horizontal rectangles, the ''Taijitu'' (yin and yang), and two vertical rectangles. The elements in the symbol are given the following significance (from top): * Fire is a general symbol of eternal growth, wealth, and success. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swayambhunath
Swayambhu Maha Chaitya (Devanagari: स्वयम्भू स्तूप; Nepal Bhasa: स्वयंभू; Swayambhu Great Stupa, or ''Swayambu'' or ''Swoyambhu'') is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. The Tibetan and Sanskrit name for the site means 'self-arising' or 'self-sprung'. For the Buddhist Newari people, the day-to-day religious practice at Swayambhu occupies a central position, and it is among the three most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Boudha. Swayambhu is the Sanskrit name. The complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. The stupa has Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on it. Between them, the number one (in Nepal script) is painted in the fashion of a nose. There are also shops, restaurants and hostels. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words ''Christ (title), Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title (), a translation of the Biblical Hebrew term ''mashiach'' () (usually rendered as ''messiah'' in English). While there are diverse interpretations of Christianity which sometimes conflict, they are united in believing that Jesus has a unique significance. The term ''Christian'' used as an adjective is descriptive of anything associated with Christianity or Christian churches, or in a proverbial sense "all that is noble, and good, and Christ-like." According to a 2011 Pew Research Center survey, there were 2.3 billion Christians around the world, up from about 600 million in 1910. Today, about 37% of all Christians live in the Americas, about 26% ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acheiropoieta
are Christian icons that are said to have come into existence miraculously, not created by a human. They are also called icons made without hands. Invariably, these are images of Jesus or Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, usually the Virgin and Child. In Eastern Orthodoxy, the most notable examples are the Mandylion, also known as the Image of Edessa, and the Hodegetria. In Western Christianity, the most notable examples are the Shroud of Turin, Veil of Veronica, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Manoppello Image. The term is often applied to the image's content, and thus used for what are known to be normal human copies of originals believed to have been miraculously created. Although the most famous today are mostly icons painted on wood panel, they exist in other media, such as mosaics, painted tile, and cloth. Ernst Kitzinger distinguished two types: "Either they are images believed to have been made by hands other than those of ordinary mortals or else they are claimed to be mecha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yuga
A ''yuga'', in Hinduism, is generally used to indicate an age of time. In the ''Rigveda'', a ''yuga'' refers to generations, a period of time (whether long or short), or a yoke (joining of two things). In the ''Mahabharata'', the words ''yuga'' and ''kalpa'' (a day of Brahma) are used interchangeably to describe the cycle of creation and destruction. In post-Vedic texts, the words "''yuga''" and "age" commonly denote a (pronounced ''chatur yuga''), a cycle of four world ages—for example, in the ''Surya Siddhanta'' and ''Bhagavad Gita'' (part of the ''Mahabharata'')—unless expressly limited by the name of one of its minor ages: '' Krita (Satya) Yuga'', ''Treta Yuga'', ''Dvapara Yuga'', or '' Kali Yuga''. The term "''yuga''" can represent the number 4. In early Indian astronomy, it referred to a five-year cycle starting with the conjunction of the sun and moon in the autumnal equinox. Etymology ''Yuga'' () means "a yoke" (joining of two things), "generations", or "a peri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, a war of succession between two groups of princely cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandava, Pāṇḍavas. It also contains Hindu philosophy, philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or ''puruṣārtha'' (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the ''Mahābhārata'' are the ''Bhagavad Gita'', the story of Damayanti, the story of Shakuntala, the story of Pururava and Urvashi, the story of Savitri and Satyavan, the story of Kacha (sage), Kacha and Devayani, the story of Rishyasringa and an Ramopakhyana, abbreviated version of the ''Rāmāyaṇa'', often considered as works in their own right. Traditionally, the authorship of the ''Mahābhārata'' is attributed to Vyasa, Vy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one of the most popular in Vaishnavism. Composed in Sanskrit and traditionally attributed to Veda Vyasa, it promotes '' bhakti'' (devotion) towards Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, integrating themes from the Advaita (monism) philosophy of Adi Shankara, the Vishishtadvaita (qualified monism) of Ramanujacharya and the Dvaita (dualism) of Madhvacharya. It is widely available in almost all Indian languages. The ''Bhagavata Purana'', like other puranas, discusses a wide range of topics including cosmology, astronomy, genealogy, geography, legend, music, dance, yoga and culture. As it begins, the forces of evil have won a war between the benevolent '' devas'' (deities) and evil '' asuras'' (demons) and now rule the universe. Truth re-emerges as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hiranyagarbha
Hiranyagarbha (, , poetically translated as 'universal womb') is the source of the creation of the universe or the manifested cosmos in Vedic philosophy. It finds mention in one hymn of the Rigveda ( RV 10.121), known as the Hiraṇyagarbha Sūkta, suggesting a single creator deity (verse 8: ', Griffith: "He is the God of gods, and none beside him."), identified in the hymn as Prajāpati. The concept of the "golden womb" is first mentioned in the Vishvakarma Sūkta (RV 10.82.5,6) which picturized the "primeval womb" as being rested set upon the navel of Vishvakarman. This imagery was later transferred to Vishnu and Surya. The Upanishad calls it the Soul of the Universe or Brahman, and elaborates that Hiraṇyagarbha floated around in emptiness and the darkness of the non-existence for about a year, and then broke into two halves which formed the '' Svarga'' and the '' Pṛthvi''. In classical Purāṇic Hinduism, Hiraṇyagarbha is the term used in the Vedanta for t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manusmriti
The ''Manusmṛti'' (), also known as the ''Mānava-Dharmaśāstra'' or the Laws of Manu, is one of the many legal texts and constitutions among the many ' of Hinduism. Over fifty manuscripts of the ''Manusmriti'' are now known, but the earliest discovered, most translated, and presumed authentic version since the 18th century is the "Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) manuscript with Kulluka Bhatta commentary". Modern scholarship states this presumed authenticity is false, and that the various manuscripts of ''Manusmriti'' discovered in India are inconsistent with each other. The metrical text is in Sanskrit, is dated to the 2nd century BCE to 2nd century CE, and presents itself as a discourse given by Manu (Svayambhuva) and Bhrigu on dharma topics such as duties, rights, laws, conduct, and virtues. The text's influence had historically spread outside India, influencing Hindu kingdoms in modern Cambodia and Indonesia. In 1776, ''Manusmriti'' became one of the first Sanskrit texts ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brahmana
The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedas, Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rigveda, Rig, Samaveda, Sama, Yajurveda, Yajur, and Atharvaveda, Atharva Vedas. They are a secondary layer or classification of Sanskrit texts embedded within each Veda, which explain and instruct on the performance of Yajna, Vedic rituals (in which the related Samhitas are recited). In addition to explaining the symbolism and meaning of the Samhitas, Brahmana literature also expounds scientific knowledge of the Vedic period, Vedic Period, including observational astronomy and, particularly in relation to altar construction, geometry. Divergent in nature, some Brahmanas also contain mystical and philosophical material that constitutes Aranyakas and Upanishads. Each Veda has one or more of its own Brahmanas, and each Brahmana is generally associated with a particular Shakha or Vedic school. Less ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
