The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism - Hindu Temple of

429 Pages·2009·8.81 MB·English

The Illustrated Encyclopedia
of
Hinduism
The Illustrated Encyclopedia
of
Hinduism
James G. Lochtefeld, Ph.D.
The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
New York
Published in 2001 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010
Copyright © 2001 by James G. Lochtefeld
First Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without
permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lochtefeld, James G., 1957–
The illustrated encyclopedia of Hinduism/James G. Lochtefeld.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8239-2287-1 (set)
ISBN 0-8239-3180-3 (volume 2)
1. Hinduism Encyclopedias. I. Title
BL1105.L63 2000
294.5'03—dc21 99-27747
CIP
Manufactured in the United States of America
Nachiketas
N
poetry are dedicated to Krishna, a dif-
ferent form of Vishnu. This seeming
divergence may reflect her conviction
that all manifestations of Vishnu are
ultimately the same or indicate the dif-
ference between personal devotion and
literary expression.
The thirty poems in the Nacciyar
Tirumoli are told by a group of unmar-
ried girls, who have taken a vow to bathe
Nabhadas in the river at dawn during the coldest
(c. 1600) Author of the Bhaktamal month of the year. This vow has a long
(“Garland of Devotees”). In this hagio- history in southern India, where young
graphic text, he gives short (six line) girls would take the oath to gain a good
accounts of the lives of more than two husband and a happy married life. In the
hundred contemporary bhakti (devo- poem, the girls have taken the vow to
tional) figures, some from personal gain Krishna as their husband. The
experience. Although Nabhadas identi- poems in the cycle describe various fea-
fies himself as a Ramanandi—a devotee tures of the natural world at dawn, the
(bhakta) of the god Rama—his work girls’ hopes in performing the vow, and
includes devotees of all sectarian per- their return to Krishna’s house to awaken
suasions. The text is notably free of mar- him and beg for his grace. The final
velous and miraculous events, and poem in the series describes the benefits
Nabhadas emphasizes the devotee’s gained by one who chants the text.
personal qualities, to serve as a model of
devotion for others. In many cases the
Nachiketas
Bhaktamal gives the earliest reliable
A primary character in the Kathka
account for these figures, making it an
Upanishad, a speculative philosophical
important source for northern Indian
text considered one of the later upan-
literary and religious history. Despite its
ishads. In the text, the boy Nachiketas is
importance the text cannot be defini-
the seeker of ultimate wisdom. In a fit of
tively dated, although internal evidence
anger his father curses him to be given
suggests that it was completed early in
to Death; Nachiketas obediently goes to
the seventeenth century.
the house of Death to give himself up.
He waits for three days at Death’s door,
Nacciyar Tirumoli but receives none of the hospitality due
One of two collections of poetry com- to a brahminguest. When Death returns
posed by the poet-saint Andal (9th c.), he is disturbed to discover that his guest
the other being the Tirruppavai. Andal has been neglected. To atone for the
was the only woman among the Alvars, lapse, Death offers Nachiketas three
a group of twelve poet-saints who lived boons. With his first two, Nachiketas
in southern India between the seventh wishes to return to his father and to
and tenth centuries. All the Alvars were understand the meaning of a particular
devotees (bhakta) of the god Vishnu. sacrificial ritual. With the final boon he
Their emphasis on passionate devotion asks what happens to a person after the
(bhakti) to a personal god, conveyed death of the body. Death first tries to
through hymns sung in the Tamil lan- evade the question, then tries to bribe
guage, transformed and revitalized Nachiketas with other gifts. When the
Hindu religious life. Andal’s chosen boy holds firm in his resolve, Death
deity was Ranganatha, the form of begins to reveal his secrets. This dis-
Vishnu presiding at the temple of course makes up the bulk of the text.
Shrirangam. Yet both collections of her Death’s secrets focus mainly on the
451
Nadi
reality of the Self (atman), its eternal bodies and flying matted hair presented
and indestructible nature, and the diffi- a fearsome sight. As Indian social and
culties in truly knowing it. The Self is political circumstances have changed,
portrayed as the ultimate truth, and to their military importance has faded.
know it is to know the only thing that However, these organizations (akhara)
really matters. of Naga ascetics still exist, although they
are most important now in determining
the order for bathing (snana) at the
Nadi
Kumbha Mela. The accounts of the
(“tube”) In general, the word nadimay
ascetics themselves are full of tales of
be applied to any pipe or tube,
strife along sectarian lines (Shaivasver-
whether in plumbing or the human
sus Vaishnavas); a good indication that
circulatory system. A nadi has a more
the Shaivas gained superiority is that
specialized meaning with regard to
they have priority in the bathing at the
the Hindu conception of the subtle
Kumbha Melas. For further information
body. The subtle body is an alternate
see Jadunath Sarkar, A History of the
physiological system, existing on a
Dasanami Naga Sanyasis, 1958; David
different plane than gross matter, but
Lorenzen, “Warrior Ascetics in Indian
corresponding to the material body. It
History,” in Journal of the American
consists of six psychic centers
Oriental Society, Vol. 98, No. 1, 1978;
(chakras), visualized as multipetaled
and James G. Lochtefeld, “The Vishva
lotus flowers running roughly along
Hindu Parishad and the Roots of
the spine, connected by three vertical
Hindu Militancy,” in Journal of the
channels known as nadis. Of these,
American Academy of Religion,Vol. LXII,
the ida nadi is on the left side, the
No. 2, 1994.
pingala nadi on the right, and the
sushumna in the center.
Naga
(2) In Hindu mythology, the Nagas are a
Naga
class of minor divinities who have the
(“naked”) The general term for any fight-
form of serpents. Their king is Vasuki. In
ing or militant ascetic. Ascetic orders
popular Hinduism, Nagas are often con-
traditionally chartered companies of
sidered to be the gods of a specific place.
fighting ascetics to protect the members
Often associated with fertility and
and their resources. The Naga orders of
fecundity, Nagas are usually believed to
the Dashanami Sanyasiswere devotees
live in springs, ponds, and other small
(bhakta) of the god Shiva, whereas the
bodies of water. In Buddhist and Jain
Bairagiorders were devotees of the god
iconography the Nagas often play the
Vishnu. In northern India during the
role of minor protective deities. It is
eighteenth century these Naga ascetics
common to see a seated figure shad-
developed into dynamic military and
owed by an “umbrella” of Nagas.
mercantile powerhouses. In several
Although this is unusual in Hindu
instances, Naga ascetics managed to
iconography, there may be remnants
carve out petty kingdoms of their own.
of this in the iconography of the god
In many other instances, they had sig-
Shiva, who is often depicted wearing
nificant influence in the northern
snakes for both his ornaments and his
Indian economy and politics, whether in
sacred thread.
their own right or as mercenary soldiers
in the service of a reigning monarch.
Nagara
Their name was a literal description of
their practices, since many of these One of the three developed styles in
ascetics would go into battle bearing medieval Hindu temple architecture,
only their weapons. Their ash-smeared along with the Dravidaand the Veshara.
452
Nagara
Built in the Nagara style, the Triloknath Temple in Mandi consists of a series of towers,
the largest of which contains an image of the presiding deity.
The Nagara style is found throughout upward, similar to a series of hills
northern and eastern India. One of its leading to a distant peak. This vertical-
prominent features is a shikhara or ity is accentuated through the use of
tower. The shikhara is often surrounded turrets (urushringas) on the sides of
by smaller towers that lead the eye up to the towers, which replicate the shape
the highest point, which is directly over of the final peak. The entire temple is
the image of the temple’s primary deity. set on a raised base (adhishthana).
Within this general pattern there are two Within the temple there are usually
variants, exemplified by the temples at several different zones: an entrance
Khajurahoand Orissa. porch (ardhamandapa), a hall (man-
In Khajuraho the series of shikha- dapa), an intermediate area (antarala),
ras are connected, forming a continu- and a central shrine(garbhagrha) sur-
ous rising swell that draws the eye rounded by a processional path
453
Nageshvar
(pradakshina). Despite their different connected with the god Krishna, some
parts, temples built in the Khajuraho scholars believe the Nageshvar linga
style convey the artistic impression of may have been promoted to maintain a
an integrated, unified whole. Shaivite presence in an important
The Orissan style emphasizes the Vaishnavaarea.
contrast between the temple’s con-
stituent parts. The two central compo-
Nag Panchami
nents are the entrance hall (jagamohan)
Festival falling on the fifth day (pan-
and the beehive-shaped temple tower
chami) of the bright, waxing half of the
(deul). The tower is often three or four
lunar month of Shravan (July–August).
times taller than the entrance hall, a dif-
This day is devoted to the worship of
ference that tends to heighten the con-
serpents, whether as Nagas—the minor
trast between the two. Other sections
deitieswho take the form of snakes—or
include a dance-hall (natamandira),
actual cobras and other snakes. On this
traditionally used for performances, and
day the images of the Naga deities are
a “food pavilion” (bhogamandapa),
bathed and given offerings. Offerings
where the prasad was cooked. These
are also made to real serpents. On this
architectural elements are connected
day people refrain from digging in the
like beads on a string, as seemingly sep-
earth, since snakes live there.
arable parts lined up with one another.
This rite occurs on the fifth day
The most important temples in the
because in astrology (jyotisha), the
Orissan style are the Lingaraja Temple
guardian deity for this day is Shesha, the
in Bhubaneshvar, the Jagannath
god Vishnu’s serpent couch. This festi-
temple in Puri, and the Sun Temple
val falls at the beginning of the rainy
at Konarak.
season, when the rising waters caused
by the monsoonrains often drive snakes
Nageshvar
out of their dens, and at times into peo-
Temple and sacred site (tirtha) about fif- ples’ homes and gardens. The rainy sea-
teen miles northeast of the holy city of son is also the time for growing crops;
Dwaraka, in the eastern state of snakes pose a real danger for people
Gujarat. The temple is named after its working in the fields. According to one
presiding deity, the god Shiva in his estimate, 10,000 Indians die from
manifestation as the “Lord of Serpents.” snakebites every year. According to pop-
Shiva is present at Nageshvar in the ular belief, observing this rite will pro-
form of a linga, a pillar-shaped image. tect one from snakebites for the entire
The Nageshvar linga is one of the twelve year. This observance is a protective rit-
jyotirlingas, a network of sites at which ual, marking the advent of a dangerous
Shiva is uniquely present. Nageshvar’s time for many villagers.
charter myth is based on the story of the
demon Daruk and his wife Daruka.
Nagpur
Daruka is a fervent devotee (bhakta) of
City in the eastern state of Maharashtra.
Shiva’s wife Parvati; through Parvati’s
Nagpur is the birthplace of the Hindu
graceDaruka gains protection for all the
nationalist organization known as the
other demons. The demons use this
Rashtriya Svayamsevak Sangh. The
power to oppress the righteous. As the
organization was formed in 1925 by Dr.
demons are about to kill one of Shiva’s
K. B. Hedgewar and still maintains its
devotees, Shiva appears and slays them.
headquarters in Nagpur.
Parvati has come along with Shiva to
protect Daruka, her devotee. Daruka
persuades Shiva and Parvati to remain Nahusha
in Nageshvar as a sign of their grace.
In Hindu mythology, a king of the lunar
Since the city of Dwaraka is also
dynasty, and a paradigm for a person
454
Naina Devi
afflicted with self-pride. Through Naimittika Karma
amassing religious merits, Nahusha suc- (“occasional [ritual] action”) One of
ceeds to the throne of Indra, the king of three general types of ritual action, the
the gods, who has gone into hiding others being nitya karma and kamya
because of an evil deed. Nahusha is karma. Naimittika karma rites follow a
filled with lust for Indra’s wife, Indrani. particular cause (naimittika); when par-
He tries to act on it despite the obvious ticular circumstances arise, one is
improprieties of approaching another required to perform the ritual. For
man’s wife and a mortal making a claim example, when a child is born, certain
on a goddess. Nahusha sets off for rites must be performed. However, the
Indrani’s palace in a palanquin. In his ritual is not required unless a birth has
impatience, he whips the palanquin taken place.
bearers, saying “Sarpa, sarpa” (“Move!
Move!”). Unfortunately for Nahusha,
Naina Devi
one of the bearers is Agastya, the sage.
For Nahusha’s lust and disrespect, Presiding deityof the Naina Devi temple
Agastya curses him to become a in the Shiwalik Hills in the state of
snake (sarpa). Nahusha remains a Himachal Pradesh, and one of the nine
serpent for many years but is released Shiwalik goddesses. Naina Devi’s tem-
from the curse by the sight of the ple is located on a mountaintop close to
Pandavabrothers. the border of Punjab. It is nine miles
from Anandpur Sahib, a famous Sikh
place of pilgrimage, and about one mile
Nai
from Nangal village. The greatest pil-
Traditional Indian society was modeled grimage traffic occurs during festivals
as a collection of endogamous, or inter- held on the eighth day in each half of the
married, subgroups known as jatis lunar month of Shravan, and also dur-
(“birth”). Jatis were organized (and their ing the first nine days of the month of
social status determined) by the group’s Ashvin, when the Navaratri festival
hereditary occupation, over which the takes place.
group held a monopoly. The Nai jati’s According to the temple’s charter
occupation was barbering, a low status myth, Naina Devi is one of the Shakti
job because it required continual con- Pithas, a network of sites sacred to the
tact with cut human hair, considered Goddess which spreads throughout the
a source of impurity (ashaucha). In subcontinent. Each Shakti Pitha marks
many instances the Nais also served the site where a body part of the dis-
as messengers. membered goddess Sati fell to earth,
taking form there as a different goddess;
Naimisha Naina Devi was Sati’s eyes (naina). As
with many of the other Shiwalik god-
City and sacred site (tirtha) in the state
desses, the images in Naina Devi’s tem-
of Uttar Pradesh, about fifty miles
ple are self-manifested (svayambhu
northwest of the city of Lucknow. In the
images) outcrops of stone. In a different
later sectarian literature known as the
version of the myth, the images were
puranas, Naimisha is described as a for-
discovered by a herdsman named
est. Today the city’s major attraction is a
Naina, who heeded the command of
spring-fed bathing (snana) pool named
the Goddess to build a temple for her.
Chakra Tirtha. According to tradition,
For further information see Kathleen
this bathing pool contains water from
Erndl, Victory to the Mother, 1993. See
all the holy places of India, and thus is
also pitha.
the best place for pious Hindus to take a
holy bath.
455
Naisthika
Naisthika to be incompatible with certain everyday
(“fixed”) A person who takes a vow to activities, which should be avoided during
remain a perpetual religious student that time. Hindus who pay attention to
(brahmacharin), keeping lifelong vows astrology are keenly aware of the passage
of celibacy, austerity, study, and service of time and the quality of each moment.
to his or her religious preceptor (guru).
Nakula
Naivedya In the Mahabharata, the later of the
(“to be presented”) The thirteenth of the two great Hindu epics, Nakula is the
sixteen traditional upacharas (“offer- fourth of the five Pandava brothers,
ings”) given to a deityas part of worship. the epic’s antagonists. Nakula’s mother,
To treat the deity as an honored guest, a Madri, is the younger wife of King Pandu.
person may offer food. The food is often None of the Pandava brothers are actually
returned to the worshipers as prasad, the Pandu’s sons, since he has been cursed to
sanctified food bearing the deity’s grace. die the moment he holds his wife in
The offering may be done in various ways, amorous embrace. Instead, they are mag-
but the underlying motive for all the ically created through the effect of a
upacharas is to show one’s love for the mantragiven to Madri’s co-wife, Kunti, by
deity and attend to the deity’s needs. the sage Durvasas. The mantra gives the
woman who recites it the power to call
down any of the gods to conceive a son
Naiyayika
who will be as powerful as the god himself.
Term for a follower of the Nyaya and With Pandu’s blessing Kunti teaches the
Vaisheshikaphilosophical schools, two of mantra to Madri. She meditates on the
the six schoolsin Hindu philosophy. After Ashvins, the divine twins who are the
the early centuries of the common era, the physicians of the gods. Thus, she bears
Nyaya and Vaisheshika schools merged, as twins. As the sons of the physicians of the
did the Samkhya and Yoga schools and gods, both Nakula and Sahadeva are
theMimamsa and Vedanta schools. The skilled healers of animals and human
term Naiyayika is used to denote a follower beings. Although Nakula and Sahadeva
of the combined Nyaya-Vaisheshika are among the five Pandava brothers, they
school of philosophy. are less important to the Mahabharata
than their three elder siblings.
Nakshatra
In Indian astrology (jyotisha), a nakshatra Nala
is one of the twenty-seven signs in the In Hindu mythology, the King of
lunar zodiac. In a single lunar monththe Nishadas and the husband of Damayanti.
moonmoves through each of the twenty- The story of Nala andDamayanti appears
seven lunar houses. The territory for these as a story within the Mahabharata, the
lunar houses is divided equally through- later of the two great Hindu epics. It is
out the solar zodiac—with 2.25 lunar recounted to the five Pandava brothers,
houses for each of the twelve solar signs. the epic’s protagonists, during their twelve
The nakshatras are important in Indian year exile in the forest, as a way to keep up
astrology, partly because they change their spirits by telling how others have
quite rapidly, but also because the charac- transcended misfortune.
ter and qualities associated with each When Damayanti is old enough to
nakshatra are believed to color the time marry, her father sends invitations to the
period in which they fall. One group of five kings of the earth, announcing her
nakshatras, the Panchak Nakshatra, is svayamvara, a rite in which Damayanti
considered extremely inauspicious; many will choose her husband. The kings of
activities will be curtailed until this period the earth come to the svayamvara to
has passed. Certain nakshatras are judged seek her hand, as do the gods (devas)
456
Namakarana (“name-giving”) Samskara
themselves. Yet Damayanti has already
decided to choose Nala after being
advised by a swan who praises him. The
gods try to foil this by taking on the
physical appearance of Nala, so that
Damayanti will not be able to tell the
difference between them. As a last
resort, Damayanti makes an act of
truth, a ritual action whose efficacy is
based on the power of truth. In her act of
truth, Damayanti declares that she has
never loved anyone but Nala. To prove
that this statement is true, she directs
the gods to resume their true forms.
Compelled by the power of truth, the
gods immediately do as she commands.
Nala and Damayanti are married, and as
a reward for her fidelity, the gods give
Nala various divine gifts. Hearing of the
marriage, two of the rejected suitors
curse Nala to lose his kingdom. Because
of the curse, Nala and Damayanti are
separated and suffer long tribulations,
which include Nala having his body
magically changed so that no one is able
Namakarana samskara being performed on an
to recognize him. In the end Damayanti
infant, who in this photo is wrapped in cloth for
recognizes him by his divine powers, protection from the evil eye.
which cannot be hidden, and the lovers
hymns of the Alvars, compiled in the
are happily reunited. See also truth,
tenth century by Nathamuni. The Alvars
power of.
were a group of twelve poet-saints who
lived in southern India between the sev-
Naladiyar enth and tenth centuries. All the Alvars
One of the most important pieces of were devotees (bhakta) of the god
early Tamil literature, along with its pre- Vishnu and emphasized passionate
decessor, the Tirukkural. The Naladiyar devotion (bhakti) to a personal god,
is a collection of four hundred verses conveyed through hymns sung in the
that date from the fifth or sixth century. Tamil language. Their collected hymns
Mainly concerned with moral and ethi- were popularly known as the “Tamil
cal life, the verses were written by a Veda.” They carry Vedic authority for
group of Jain monks who found shelter many southern Indian Vaishnavas, par-
with a pious king in time of famine. In ticularly the Shrivaishnava school,
gratitude each monk wrote one verse. which applied more developed philo-
Despite the Naladiyar’s sectarian origin, sophical articulation to these devotional
it has become the cultural property of ideas. See also Veda.
Tamils from all religious communities;
many of the verses have come into the Namakarana
language as proverbial sayings.
(“name-giving”) Samskara
The fifth of the traditional life-cycle
Nalayira Divyaprabandham
ceremonies (samskaras), during which
(“The Four Thousand Divine the newborn child is given a name.
Compositions”) Title for the collected Although some commentators believe
457