Hindu Texts Dictionary

bhashya: n (Sanskrit) "Speech, discussion." Commentary on a text.

Hindu philosophies are largely founded upon the interpretations, or bhashyas, of primary scripture. Other types of commentaries include: vritti, a brief commentary on aphorisms; tippani, like a vritti but less formal, explains difficult words or phrases; varttika, a critical study and elaboration of a bhashya; and tika or vyakhyana, an explanation of a bhashya or shastra in simpler language.

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

Puranas: Hindu mythological texts

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

ayurveda: (Sanskrit) "Science of life." A holistic system of medicine and health native to ancient India. This sacred Vedic science is an Upaveda of the Atharva Veda. Three early giants in this field who left voluminous texts are Charaka, Sushruta and Vagbhata.

Ayurveda covers many areas, including:

1)    chikitsa, general medicine,

2)    shalya, surgery,

3)    dehavritti, physiology,

4)    nidana, diagnosis,

5)    dravyavidya, medicine and pharmacology,

6)    agada tantra, antidote method,

7)    stritantra, gynecology,

8)    pashu vidya, veterinary science,

9)    kaumara bhritya, pediatrics, 1

10) urdhvanga, diseases of the organs of the head,

11) bhuta vidya, demonology, 1

12) rasayana, tonics, rejuvenating,

13) vajikarana, sexual rejuvenation.

Among the first known surgeons was Sushruta (ca 600 bce), whose Sushruta Samhita is studied to this day. (Hippocrates, Greek father of medicine, lived two centuries later.) The aims of ayurveda are ayus, "long life," and arogya, "diseaselessness," which facilitate progress toward ultimate spiritual goals. Health is achieved by balancing energies (especially the doshas, bodily humors) at all levels of being, subtle and gross, through innumerable methods, selected according to the individual's constitution, lifestyle and nature. Similar holistic medical systems are prevalent among many communities, including the Chinese, American Indians, Africans and South Americans. See: doshas.

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

Upagama: (Sanskrit) Secondary Agama.

A large body of texts and similar in character to the principle Agamas. Each of the 28 Siddhanta Saiva Agamas has as many as 16 Upagamas associated with it, giving more specific or elaborate information on the basic text; their total number is given as 207 or 208.

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

tantra: (Sanskrit) "Loom, methodology."

1)    Most generally, a synonym for shastra, "scripture."

2)    A synonym for the Agamic texts, especially those of the Shakta faith, a class of Hindu scripture providing detailed instruction on all aspects of religion, mystic knowledge and science. The tantras are also associated with the Saiva tradition.

3)    A specific method, technique or spiritual practice within the Saiva and Shakta traditions. For example, pranayama is a tantra. Tantra generally involves a reversal of the normal flow of energies. Its perspective is that the inner self is most important, and outer life is secondary. Tantra causes the life force to flow up through the sushumna. Many are the methods for overcoming the unovercomeable. Fallen into the hands of the unscrupulous, these techniques become black magic (abhichara).

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

Veda: (Sanskrit) "Wisdom."

Sagely revelations which comprise Hinduism's most authoritative scripture. They, along with the Agamas, are shruti, "that which is heard."

The Vedas are a body of dozens of holy texts known collectively as the Veda, or as the four Vedas:

-       Rig,

-       Yajur,

-       Sama and

-       Atharva.

In all they include over 100,000 verses, as well as additional prose. The knowledge imparted by the Vedas is highly mystical or superconscious rather than intellectual.

Each Veda has four sections:

-       Samhitas (hymn collections),

-       Brahmanas (priestly manuals),

-       Upanishads (enlightened discourses).

The Samhitas and Brahmanas (together known as the karmakanda, "ritual section") detail a transcendent-immanent Supreme-Being cosmology and a system of worship through fire ceremony and chanting to establish communication with the Gods.

The Aranyakas and Upanishads (the jnanakanda, "knowledge section") outline the soul's evolutionary journey, providing yogic-philosophic training and propounding a lofty, nondual realization as the destiny of all souls.

The oldest portions of the Vedas are thought to date back as far as 6,000 bce, written down in Sanskrit in the last few millennia, making them the world's most ancient scriptures.

See: Aranyaka, Brahmana, shruti, Upanishad, Vedanga.

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

Veda: (Sanskrit) "Wisdom." Sagely revelations which

comprise Hinduism's most authoritative scripture. They, along with the Agamas, are shruti, "that which is heard."

The Vedas are a body of dozens of holy texts known

collectively as the Veda, or as the four Vedas: Rig, Yajur,

Sama and Atharva. In all they include over 100,000

verses, as well as additional prose. The knowledge

imparted by the Vedas is highly mystical or

superconscious rather than intellectual. Each Veda has

four sections: Samhitas (hymn collections), Brahmanas

(priestly manuals), Aranyakas (forest treatises) and

Upanishads (enlightened discourses). The Samhitas and

Brahmanas (together known as the karmakanda, "ritual

section") detail a transcendent-immanent Supreme-Being

cosmology and a system of worship through fire ceremony

and chanting to establish communication with the Gods.

The Aranyakas and Upanishads (the jnanakanda,

"knowledge section") outline the soul's evolutionary

journey, providing yogic-philosophic training and

propounding a lofty, nondual realization as the destiny of

all souls. The oldest portions of the Vedas are thought to

date back as far as 6,000 bce, written down in Sanskrit in

the last few millennia, making them the world's most

ancient scriptures.

See: Aranyaka, Brahmana, shruti,

Upanishad, Vedanga.

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

sutra: (Sanskrit) "Thread."

An aphoristic verse; the literary style consisting of such maxims. From 500 bce, this style was widely adopted by Indian philosophical systems and eventually employed in works on law, grammar, medicine, poetry, crafts, etc. Each sutra is often accompanied by a commentary called bhashya and sometimes subcommentary called tika, vyakhyana or tippani.

Through the media of short, concise, easily memorized sutras, vast amounts of knowledge were preserved. Reciting relevant sutra texts from memory is a daily sadhana in various Hindu arts and sciences.

Sutra also names the wife's wedding pendant (mangala sutra).

See: bhashya, wedding pendant.

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

Bhagavad Gita: "The Song of God." The sacred philosophical text often called "the Hindu Bible," part of the epic Mahabharata by Vyasa; the most popular sacred text in Hinduism.

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

Aghorasiva: (Sanskrit) A Saivite philosopher of South India who in the 12th century founded a Siddhanta school emphasizing dualistic passages of the Agamas and other early texts. The later Meykandar pluralistic philosophy is based partly on Aghorasiva's teachings. See: dvaitaadvaita, dvaita Siddhanta, Saiva Siddhanta.

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

Sivajnanabodham: (Sanskrit) "Treatise on Siva Wisdom."

A work authored (or, some believe, a portion of the Raurava Agama translated into Tamil) by Meykandar, ca 1300, consisting of 12 sutras describing the relationship between God, soul and world. The Meykandar Sampradaya revere it as their primary philosophical text, and consider it a pluralistic exposition. For others, it is monistic in character, the pluralistic interpretation being introduced by later commentators. Included in this important text is an acute commentary on each of the 12 sutras.

See: Meykandar Shastras.

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

Saiva Agamas: (Sanskrit) The sectarian revealed scriptures of the Saivas. Strongly theistic, they identify Siva as the Supreme Lord, immanent and transcendent. They are in two main divisions: the 64 Kashmir Saiva Agamas and the 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas. The latter group are the fundamental sectarian scriptures of Saiva Siddhanta. Of these, ten are of the Sivabheda division and are considered dualistic: 1) Kamika, 2) Yogaja, 3) Chintya, 4) Karana, 5) Ajita, 6) Dipta, 7) Sukshma, 8) Sahasraka, 9) Amshumat and 10) Suprabheda.

There are 18 in the Rudrabheda group, classed as dual-nondual: 11) Vijaya, 12) Nihshvasa, 13) Svayambhuva, 14) Anala, 15) Vira (Bhadra), 16) Raurava, 17) Makuta, 18) Vimala, 19) Chandrajnana (or Chandrahasa), 20) Mukhabimba (or Bimba), 21) Prodgita (or Udgita), 22) Lalita, 23) Siddha, 24) Santana, 25) Sarvokta (Narasimha), 26) Parameshvara, 27) Kirana and 28) Vatula (or Parahita).

Rishi Tirumular, in his Tirumantiram, refers to 28 Agamas and mentions nine by name. Eight of these - Karana, Kamika, Vira, Chintya, Vatula, Vimala, Suprabheda and Makuta - are in the above list of 28 furnished by the French Institute of Indology, Pondicherry. The ninth, Kalottara, is presently regarded as an Upagama, or secondary text, of Vatula. The Kamika is the Agama most widely followed in Tamil Saiva temples, because of the availability of Aghorasiva's manual-commentary (paddhati) on it. Vira Saivites especially refer to the Vatula and Vira Agamas.

The Saiva Agama scriptures, above all else, are the connecting strand through all the schools of Saivism. The Agamas themselves express that they are entirely consistent with the teachings of the Veda, that they contain the essence of the Veda, and must be studied with the same high degree of devotion.

See: Agamas, Vedas.

(See also: Saiva Agamas , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Hatha Yoga Pradipika: (Sanskrit) "Light on hatha yoga."

A 14th-century text of 389 verses by Svatmarama Yogin which describes the philosophy and practices of hatha yoga. It is widely used in yoga schools today.

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

Aranyaka: (Sanskrit) "Forest treatise." Third section of each of the four Vedas. Texts containing esoteric, mystical knowledge, largely on the inner meanings and functions of the Vedic yajna, or fire ceremonies. See: Vedas.

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

Vira Saivism (Saiva): (Sanskrit) "Heroic Saivism." Made

prominent by Basavanna in the 12th century. Also called

Lingayat Saivism. Followers, called Lingayats,

Lingavantas or Sivasharanas, always wear a Sivalinga on

their person. Vira Saivites are proudly egalitarian and

emphasize the personal relationship with Siva, rather than

temple worship. Vira Saiva priests, jangamas, conduct

marriages and other domestic rites and also act as gurus or

teachers. Among the most central texts are Basavanna's

Vachanas, Allama Prabhu's Mantragopya,

Chennabasavanna's Karana Hasuge, and the collected

work called Shunya Sampadane. The monistic-theistic

doctrine of Vira Saivism is called Shakti Vishishtadvaita -

a version of qualified nondualism which accepts both difference and nondifference between soul and God, like

rays are to the sun. In brief, Siva and the cosmic force or

existence are one ("Siva are you; you shall return to

Siva."). Yet, Siva is beyond His creation, which is real,

not illusory. God is both efficient and material cause. In

Vira Saivism, Siva divides from His Absolute state into

Linga (Supreme Lord) and anga, individual soul, the two

eventually reuniting in undifferentiated oneness. There are

three aspects of Sivalinga. 1) Ishtalinga, personal form of

Siva, in which He fulfills desires and removes afflictions -

God as bliss or joy; 2) Bhavalinga, Siva beyond space and

time, the highest divine principle, knowable through

intuition; 3) Pranalinga, the reality of God which can be

apprehended by the mind. The soul merges with Siva by a

progressive, six-stage path called shatsthala, consisting of

bhakti (devotion), mahesha (charity and selfless service),

prasada (seeking Siva's grace), Pranalinga (experience of

all as Siva), sharana (egoless refuge in Siva) and aikya

(oneness with Siva). Today Vira Saivism is a vibrant faith,

particularly strong in its religious homeland of Karnataka,

South Central India. Roughly 40 million people live here,

of which perhaps 25% are members of the Vira Saiva

religion. Early on, they rejected brahminical authority, and

along with it the entire caste system and the Vedas. By

rejecting the Vedas, they continue to stand outside

mainstream Hinduism, but in their profound love of Siva

and acceptance of certain Saiva Agamas, as well as the

main truths of the Vedic wisdom, they have identified

themselves as a unique Saiva sect. Though they have

established their faith as a distinct and independent

religion in Indian courts of law, they are still widely

embraced as devout brothers and sisters of the Hindu

dharma.

See: Lingavanta, Saivism.

(See also: Vira Saivism , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Brahmanas: Vedic ritualistic texts

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

Aranyaka Vedic: forest texts

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

Shrauta Shastra: (Sanskrit) "Texts on the revelation."

1)    Refers to scriptures or teachings that are in agreement with the Vedas.

2)    A specific group of texts of the Kalpa Vedanga, and part of the essential study for Vedic priests. The Shrauta Shastras offer explanation of the yajna rituals.

See: Vedanga.

(See also: Shrauta Shastra , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Patanjali: (Sanskrit) "Possessed of reverence."

A Saivite Natha siddha (ca 200 bce) who codified the ancient yoga philosophy which outlines the path to enlightenment through purification, control and transcendence of the mind. One of the six classical philosophical systems (darshanas) of Hinduism, known as Yoga Darshana. His great work, the Yoga Sutras, comprises 200 aphorisms delineating ashtanga (eight-limbed), raja (kingly) or siddha (perfection) yoga. Still today it is the foremost text on meditative yoga.

See: Kailasa Parampara, raja yoga, shad darshana, yoga, Patanjali yoga sutras, patanjali.

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

Jyotisha Vedanga: (Sanskrit) "Veda-limb of celestial science (astronomy-astrology)."

Ancient texts giving knowledge of astronomy and astrology, for understanding the cosmos and determining proper timing for Vedic rites. (Jyoti means light [of the sun, fire, etc.])

See: jyotisha, Vedanga.

(See also: Jyotisha Vedanga , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Shiksha Vedanga: (Sanskrit) Auxiliary Vedic texts on Sanskrit phonetics, among four linguistic skills taught for mastery of the Vedas and rites of yajna. Shiksha means "wish to accomplish; learning, study method."

See: Vedanga.

(See also: Shiksha Vedanga , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)