Grantha Dictionary

grantha: (Sanskrit) Literally, "knot," a common name for book.

A term thought to refer to the knot on the cord that bound ancient palm-leaf or birch-bark manuscripts. Books are afforded deep respect in Hinduism, always carefully treated, never placed directly on the floor.

Special books are not uncommonly objects of worship. Grantha also names an ancient literary script developed in South India.

See: olai.

(See also: Grantha , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

hridaya-grantha

lit., “the knot in the heart.” Refers to material bondage of the living entity resulting from sexual attraction.

(See also: hridaya-grantha , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Panchadasi [fifteen]: Vedantic text of fifteen chapters written by Swami Vidyaranya. It is an advanced introductory text (prakarana grantha) intended to unfold all the subject of Vedanta necessary for enlightenment, or to serve as a foundation for further study of Vedanta.

(See also: Panchadasi , Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Purva-mimamsa - the philosophy established by Maharsi Jaimini, also known as jaimini-darsana. To thoroughly examine a topic and arrive at a conclusion is known as mimamsa. Mimamsa comes from the verbal root man, to think, reflect, or consider. Because in his book, Maharsi Jaimini has established the correct interpretation of the Vedic statements and how they may be decided through logical analysis, this book is known as mimamsa-grantha. The Vedas have two divisions: purva-kansa (the first part) , dealing with Vedic karma; and uttara-kansa (the latter part) , dealing with the Upanisads or Vedanta. Since Jaimini’s book deals with an analysis of the first part of the Vedas, it is called purva-mimamsa. As Jaimini’s philosophy deals exclusively with an analysis of Vedic karma, it is also known as karma-mimamsa.

Jaimini has minutely examined how Vedic ritualistic karma is to be performed and what its results are. He has accepted the Vedas as apauruseya (not created by any man) , beginningless, and eternal. His philosophy is established on the basis of the Vedas. However, he has given prominence only to Vedic karma. He states that the jivas are meant to performVedic karma only. By proper performance of Vedic karma, one can obtain parama-purusartha, the supreme goal, which in his opinion refers to the attainment of the celestial planets.

In Jaimini’s view, the visible world is anadi, without beginning, and it does not undergo destruction. Consequently, there is no need for an omniscient and omnipotent Isvara to carry out the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the world. Jaimini accepts the existence of pious and sinful karma. According to his doctrine, karma automatically yields the results of its own actions. Therefore, there is no need for an Isvara to award the results of karma.

(See also: Purva-mimamsa , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

grantha:

grantha. Scriptural text or book.

(See also: grantha , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Grantha (Sanskrit) (from granth to tie, compose)

A tying, binding, stringing together; a verse (particularly one of 32 syllables, i.e., a sloka); a composition, literary production, book -- the ancient Sanskrit manuscript being leaves held together by means of a cord.

The name especially given to the sacred scriptures of the Sikhs. These were originally compiled in 1604 by the fifth Sikh guru, Arjan, and consisted of hymns of the first five gurus and of saints of different religions and castes. In 1705-6 Govindsingh, the tenth and last guru, added the hymns of the ninth guru and enjoined that after him the Grantha would take the place of the guru. The theme of the hymns is the union of the human soul with the divine through transcending of egoism.

(See also: Grand Architect of the Universe , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Tamil The principal member of the non-Aryan races in Southern India, generally termed Dravidian, and regarded as aboriginal. Because of intermixture with early Aryan immigrants, they are very similar to the Indo-European type. The Tamil language is the principal one of the Dravidian group spoken in Southern India: it is not akin to Sanskrit and instead of the Devanagari uses a Brahmanical adaptation of the Grantha letters (corresponding to the Vatteluttu or round-hand letters) -- an alphabet once common throughout the Pandyan kingdom. At one time Tamil was classed with the Mongoloid races because of the close affinity of their languages. Blavatsky suggests, however, that as the language is said to be akin to the Basque in Spain, this points to a similar origin from offshoots of Atlantean settlements in the Pacific (SD 2:790).

(See also: Tamil , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

upagrantha: (Sanskrit) "Secondary text." Appendices or additional resources of a book.

See: Grantha.

(See also: Upagrantha , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

olai: (Tamil) "Leaf."

An ancient form of Indian books used in South India, made of strips of fronds from the palmyra (trindruma) and talipot (talapatra, "fan-leaf") palms. Prepared birch bark (bhurja pattra) was the medium in the North. The pages were loosely tied, with cord passed between one or two holes and usually bound between wooden covers. Ink, made from lampblack or charcoal, was applied with a reed pen. Or, more commonly in the South, the letters were scribed with a stylus, then rubbed with powdered lampblack. These books are small in size, averaging about 2 inches high and 8 inches wide and up to 11 or 12 inches thick, wound with string and generally protected in colored cloth.

See: grantha.

(See also: Olai , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Gravitation Attraction, and hence gravitation, is a manifestation of cosmic desire, which draws together separate things into unities. Desire is the attribute of living beings, and the universe is exclusively composed of living beings.

The effects of gravitation within our terrestrial limits are calculable; and by transferring these laws speculatively to the stellar spaces, we can construct a coherent mechanics not only of the solar system but of the galaxy. But in doing so we merely sketch the architecture of a mechanical universe; and it is not certain how far we are justified in applying the terrestrial to extraterrestrial regions, and using this as a basis for calculations as to mass, distance, etc.

Gravitation, like all the other phenomena of nature, is to be attributed to living beings of cosmic magnitude by reason of the vital electricity or vital magnetism emanating from these beings, which electricity or magnetism is at once one of the phenomena of life and of cosmic intelligence.

In the lower scale of magnitudes found in and among the molecules, atoms, and electronic particles, the same observations apply. Cohesion among the infinitesimals is the microcosmic working of the same fundamental qualities that manifest themselves in macrocosmic phenomena, such as gravitation.

(See also: Grantha , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Grantha (Sanskrit) (from granth to tie, compose)

A tying, binding, stringing together; a verse (particularly one of 32 syllables, i.e., a sloka); a composition, literary production, book -- the ancient Sanskrit manuscript being leaves held together by means of a cord.

The name especially given to the sacred scriptures of the Sikhs. These were originally compiled in 1604 by the fifth Sikh guru, Arjan, and consisted of hymns of the first five gurus and of saints of different religions and castes. In 1705-6 Govindsingh, the tenth and last guru, added the hymns of the ninth guru and enjoined that after him the Grantha would take the place of the guru. The theme of the hymns is the union of the human soul with the divine through transcending of egoism.

(See also: Grantha , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

prakarana grantha: introductory Vedantic texts that unfold the entire subject matter of Vedanta with or without reference to any of the terse Upanishads. The purpose of these texts were to explain all the concepts necessary for enlightenment in simple terms, so the subject could be understood without having to resort to the study of the thick scriptures and the lengthy logical analysis typical of the scholarly approach. Some of the most known are Atma Bodha, Vivekachudamani, Panchadasi, Vedanta Sara, Vedanta Paribhasa.

(See also: prakarana grantha , Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)