YoniYoni (Sanskrit: , IAST: yoni), sometimes called pindika, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the HindugoddessShakti. It is usually shown with linga – its masculine counterpart. Together, they symbolize the merging of microcosmos and macrocosmos, the divine eternal process of creation and regeneration, and the union of the feminine and the masculine that recreates all of existence.
ShivaShiva (; Sanskrit: शिव, IAST: Śiva, lit. 'The Auspicious One'), also known as Mahadeva (; Sanskrit: महादेव, IAST: Mahādevaḥ, [mɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh], lit. 'The Great God') and Shankara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. In the Shaivite tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe.
MurtiIn the Hindu tradition, a murti (Sanskrit: मूर्ति, romanized: mūrti, lit. 'statue, sculpture, form, embodiment, or solid object') is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a deity or saint used during puja and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing bhakti or reverence – whether at Hindu temples or shrines. A mūrti is a sacred image or embodiment of a deity and is worshipped for devotional activities.
ShaivismHindu tradition that worships ShivaShaivism (; Sanskrit: शैवसंप्रदायः, romanised: Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is an umbrella-term for a number of Hindu religious traditions, which worship Shiva as the supreme being. The followers of Shaivism are called Shaivas or Shaivites, numbering about 385 million people, across South Asia predominantly in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
PurushaPurusha (Sanskrit: पुरुष, IAST: Puruṣa) is a concept in Vedic theology and Indian philosophy, variously referring the cosmic being or self, awareness, and universal principle. In one of many creation myths of the early Vedas, Purusha was a cosmic being whose sacrifice by the gods created all life.
Hindu deitiesHindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. Deities in Hinduism are as diverse as its traditions, and a Hindu can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, or even agnostic, atheistic or humanistic. The terms and epithets for deities within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavān and Bhagavati.
HinduismHinduism () is an umbrella term for a range of Indian religious and spiritual traditions (sampradayas) that are unified by adherence to Dharma, a cosmic order maintained by its followers through rituals and righteous living, as expounded in the Vedas. The word Hindu originated as an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest surviving religion in the world, it is also described since the 19th century by the term Sanātana Dharma (lit. 'eternal dharma').
Transcendence (religion)In religion, transcendence is the aspect of existence that is completely independent of the material universe, beyond all known physical laws. This is related to the nature and power of deities as well as other spiritual or supernatural beings and forces. This is contrasted with immanence, where a god is said to be fully present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways.
AniconismBanning of material representations Aniconism is the cultural absence of artistic representations (icons) of the natural and supernatural worlds, or it is the absence of representations of certain figures in religions.
Indian epic poetryIndian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya (IAST: Kāvyá). The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which were originally composed in Sanskrit and later translated into many other Indian languages, and the Five Great Epics of Tamil literature and Sangam literature are some of the oldest surviving epic poems ever written.
Microcosm–macrocosm analogyThe microcosm–macrocosm analogy (or, equivalently, macrocosm–microcosm analogy) refers to a historical view that posited a structural similarity between the human being (the , i.e., the small order or the small universe) and the cosmos as a whole (the , i.e., the great order or the great universe). Given this fundamental analogy, truths about the nature of the cosmos as a whole may be inferred from truths about human nature, and vice versa.
UpanishadsAncient Sanskrit religious and philosophical texts of HinduismThe Upanishads (; Sanskrit: उपनिषद्, IAST: Upaniṣad, pronounced) are Sanskrit texts of the late Vedic and post-Vedic periods that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hinduism.
PrakritiPrakriti (Sanskrit: प्रकृतिIAST: Prakṛti) is "the original or natural form or condition of anything, original or primary substance". It is a key concept in Hinduism, formulated by the Samkhya school, where it does not refer merely to matter or nature, but includes all cognitive, moral, psychological, emotional, sensorial and physical aspects of reality.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.