Hindu Texts Dictionary

Kama Sutra(s): (Sanskrit) "Aphorisms on pleasure."

A fifth-century text by Vatsyayana on erotics. The Kama Shutra and other Kama Shastras are sometimes classed as an Upaveda.

See: Upaveda.

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

Upanishads:

Ancient Hindu text. Part of the Vedas.

(See also: Upanishads , Body Mind and Soul)

Gandharvaveda: (Sanskrit) "Science of music." A class of ancient texts on music, song and dance. It is the Upaveda of the Sama Veda.

See: Upaveda.

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

Paushkara Agama: (Sanskrit) Subsidiary text (Upagama) of the Matanga Parameshvara Saiva Agama, containing 977 verses divided into 90 chapters. A mostly philosophic treatise dealing with God, soul and world and the instruments of knowledge.

(See also: Paushkara Agama , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Svarloka: (Sanskrit) "Celestial or bright plane."

The third of the seven upper worlds, the mid-astral region (equated in some texts with Svarga), realm of manipura chakra.

See: loka.

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

Rudrayamala Tantra: (Sanskrit) Little known text dealing with worship.

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

Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati: (Sanskrit) "Tracks on the doctrines of the adepts."

A text of 353 highly mystical verses, ascribed to Gorakshanatha, dealing with the esoteric nature of the inner bodies and the soul's union with Supreme Reality.

See: Gorakshanatha, Siddha Siddhanta.

(See also: Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Mahanarayana Upanishad: (Sanskrit) A philosophical text of the Krishna Yajur Veda.

(See also: Mahanarayana Upanishad , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Devikalottara Agama: (Sanskrit) One recension (version) of the Sardha Trishati Kalottara Agama, (Sanskrit) a subsidiary text of Vatula Agama. (Sanskrit) Also known as Skanda Kalottara. (Sanskrit) Its 350 verses are in the form of a dialog between Karttikeya and Siva and deal with esoterics of mantras, initiations, right knowledge, faith and worship of Siva.

See: Saiva Agamas.

(See also: Devikalottara Agama , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Svayambhuva Sutra (Svayambhuva Sutras): (Sanskrit) A subsidiary text of the Saiva Agamas.

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

Siva Samhita: (Sanskrit) Text from the Gorakshanatha school of Saivism, ca 1700. In 212 sutras it discusses anatomy, asanas, energy, breathing and philosophy. It is available in various languages and widely studied as a valuable overview of yoga practice.

(See also: Siva Samhita , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Sanskrit [from Sanskrit sanskrita or samskrita]

The ancient sacred language of the Aryans, originally the sacred or secret language of the initiates of the fifth root-race. The Sanskrit language possesses voluminous and valuable works in prose and in verse, some of which, like the Vedas, date back, in the opinion of certain scholars, to the years 30,000 BC or even far beyond. Almost every phase of philosophic thought, expressed and studied in the West, is represented in one form or another in ancient Hindu literature. Besides this, these old Sanskrit writings are replete with recondite subjects dealing with the wondrous potentialities of the human spirit and mind, the building and destruction of worlds and universes, etc.

The Sanskrit language, derives from one of the earliest of the Aryan tongues, a lineal descendant of an Atlantean progenitor.

"In ancient times in India, and in the homeland of the Aryans before they reached India by way of Central Asia, this very early Aryan speech was used not only by the Aryan populace, but in the sanctuaries of the Temples was taken in hand and developed or composed or builded to be a far finer vehicle for expressing abstract religious and philosophic conceptions and thoughts. This tongue thus composed or developed by initiates of the Aryan stock, because of this formative work upon it was finally given the name Sanskrita, signifying an original natural language which had become perfected by initiates for the purpose of expressing far more subtle and profound distinctions than ordinary people would ever find needful. So great was the admiration in which the Sanskrit language thus perfected was held, that it was commonly said of it that it was the work of the Gods, because it had thus become capable of expressing godlike thoughts: profound spiritual subtleties and philosophical distinctions. Thus it was that Sanskrit is really the mystery-language of the initiates of the Aryan race; as the Senzar of very similar history was the mystery-language of the later Atlanteans; and is still used as the noblest mystery-language by the Mahatmas.

"Sanskrit was not known as a spoken tongue to the Atlanteans in their prime, but in the degenerate or later times of Atlantis, when the earliest Aryans already had appeared on the scene of history, this early Aryan speech above alluded to, was already in existence; and the Aryan initiates were then in the course of perfecting it as their temple-language or mystery-tongue . . . Thus Sanskrit was not spoken among the Atlanteans, nor can it therefore be called an Atlantean language; although its verbal roots of course go back to earliest Atlantean times, but only its verbal roots" -- G. de Purucker

"The Vedas, Brahmanism, and along with these, Sanskrit, were importations into what we now regard as India. They were never indigenous to its soil. There was a time when the ancient nations of the West included under the generic name of India many of the countries of Asia now classified under other names. There was an Upper, a Lower, and a Western India, even during the comparatively late period of Alexander; and Persia (Iran) is called Western India in some ancient classics. The countries now named Tibet, Mongolia, and Great Tartary were considered by them as forming part of India. When we say, therefore, that India has civilized the world, and was the Alma Mater of the civilizations, arts, and sciences of all other nations (Babylonia, and perhaps even Egypt, included) we mean archaic, pre-historic India, India of the time when the great Gobi was a sea, and the lost 'Atlantis' formed part of an unbroken continent which began at the Himalayas and ran down over Southern India, Ceylon, and Java, to far-away Tasmania" (Five Years of Theosophy 179).

Blavatsky states that Sanskrit has never been known nor spoken in its true systematized form except by the initiated Brahmins. This form of Sanskrit was called -- as well as by other names -- Vach, the mystic speech, which resides in the sounds of the mantra. "The chanting of a Mantra is not a prayer, but rather a magical sentence in which the law of Occult causation connects itself with, and depends on, the will and acts of its singer. It is a succession of Sanskrit sounds, and when its strings of words and sentences is pronounced according to the magical formulae in the Atharva Veda, but understood by the few, some Mantras produce an instantaneous and very wonderful effect" (BCW 14:428n). This Vach, or the mystic self of Sanskrit, was the sacerdotal speech of the initiated Brahmins and was studied by initiates from all over the world.

"It is admitted that, however inferior to the classical Sanskrit of Panini, the language of the oldest portions of Rig Veda, notwithstanding the antiquity of its grammatical forms, is the same as that of the latest texts. Every one sees -- cannot fail to

See and to know -- that for a language so old and so perfect as the Sanskrit to have survived alone, among all languages, it must have had its cycles of perfection and its cycles of degeneration. And, if one had any intuition, he might have seen that what they call a 'dead language' being an anomaly, a useless thing in Nature, it would not have survived, even as a 'dead' tongue, had it not its special purpose in the reign of immutable cyclic laws; and that Sanskrit, which came to be nearly lost to the world, is now slowly spreading in Europe, and will one day have the extension it had thousands upon thousands of years back -- that of a universal language. The same as to the Greek and the Latin: there will be a time when the Greek of Aeschylus (and more perfect still in its future form) will be spoken by all in Southern Europe, while Sanskrit will be resting in its periodical pralaya; and the Attic will be followed later by the Latin of Virgil. Something ought to have whispered to us that there was also a time -- before the original Aryan settlers among the Dravidian and other aborigines, admitted within the fold of Brahmanical initiation, marred the purity of the sacred Sanskrita Bhasha -- when Sanskrit was spoken in all its unalloyed subsequent purity, and therefore must have had more than once its rise and fall. The reason for it is simply this: classical Sanskrit was only restored, if in some things perfected, by Panin. Panini, Katyayana, or Patanjali did not create it; it has existed throughout cycles, and will pass through other cycles still" (Five Years of Theosophy 419-20).

See also DEVANAGARI

(See also: Sanskrit , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Viveka Chudamani: (Sanskrit) "Crest jewel of

discrimination." A famous text by Shankara (788-820) on

discipline and discrimination between the real and the

unreal as the way to God.

(See also: Viveka Chudamani , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Shunya Sampadane: (Sanskrit) "Gaining of Nothingness."

A primary text of Vira Saivism (ca 1550) consisting of debates and writings of the Siva Sharanas. Shunya: "the void, the distinctionless absolute;" sampadana: "attainment, realization, enlightenment."

(See also: Shunya Sampadane , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Yoga Sutras: classical text of Patanjali on Yoga

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

Tattva Prakasha: (Sanskrit) "Illumination of the categories."

Text of 76 verses by the philosopher-king Bhoja Paramara which systematized and consolidated monistic Saiva Siddhanta in the 11th century.

(See also: Tattva Prakasha , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

puranas:

hindu mythological texts

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

The Process Of Knowledge: An object excites the senses. The mind arranges the sense-impressions into a percept. Egoism refers it to the Self. Intellect forms the concept. It converts the percept into a concept and presents it to the Purusha. Then there is knowledge of the object.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Knowledge: Of Vedic Philosophy - The Process Of Knowledge

The Eighteen Puranas: There are eighteen main Puranas and an equal number of subsidiary Puranas or Upa-Puranas. The main Puranas are: Vishnu Purana, Naradiya Purana, Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Garuda (Suparna) Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Matsya Purana, Kurma Purana, Linga Purana, Siva Purana, Skanda Purana and Agni Purana.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Eighteen Puranas: The Eighteen Puranas: in the Hindu Scriptures

The Nyaya or Hindu logic was founded by Gautama Rishi, who is also known by the names Akshapada and Dirghatapas. The Nyaya and the Vaiseshika are analytic types of philosophy. The word Nyaya signifies going into a subject, i.e., investigating it analytically. In this sense of analysis, the word Nyaya is exactly opposed to Sankhya, synthesis. The Nyaya is sometimes called Tarka-Vidya or the Science of Debate, Vada-Vidya or the Science of Discussion. Tarka is the special feature of the Nyaya.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Nyaya: Hindu Philosophy - The Nyaya

Persian Heritage In Hindu Traditions

Many would be surprised to learn that no ancient Hindu temple was dedicated to Rama - neither in Ayodhya nor anywhere else.

There had been many old temples and shrines devoted to Vishnu and Shiva and a few to Brahma, Ganesh, Kartikeya, Hanuman, Kubera, Nagas, Kali and Durga as well as a huge number honouring numerous local tribal deities. Only 180 years ago Raja Ram Mohan Roy coined the word 'Hindu' to describe the huge variety of faiths and sects with similar but not identical philosophies, myths and rituals.

Read more here: » Islam and Hinduism: Persian Heritage In Hindu Traditions

Knowledge of Ancient Indian History and Culture: The Mahabharata contains also the immortal discourse of Bhishma on Dharma, which he gave to Yudhishthira, when he was lying on the bed of arrows. The whole Mahabharata forms an encyclopaedia of history, morals and religion unsurpassed by any other epic in the world.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Ancient Indian History and Culture: Knowledge of Ancient Indian History and Culture in the Hindu Scriptures