Matsya-Purana (Sanskrit) One of the 18 principal Hindu Puranas, said to have been communicated to the seventh manu, Vaivasvata, by Vishnu in the form of a fish (matsya). It consists of over 14,000 slokas, but many of its chapters duplicate the Vishnu- and Padma-Puranas, and much of its material is drawn from the Mahabharata.

(See also: Matsya-Purana, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Markandeya-Purana (Sanskrit) One of the 18 principal Puranas of ancient India, named from its supposed author Markandeya. It expounds the nature of Krishna and explains some of the incidents of the Mahabharata. It differs from many of the other Puranas in that its 9000 verses are largely narrative, rather than containing arguments of a sectarian character.

(See also: Markandeya-Purana, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Nara (Sanskrit) [cf Sanskrit nri, Zend nar, Greek aner Latin nero]

A man; in the Mahabharata and the Puranas, sometimes used as an equivalent for cosmic Purusha -- the primordial universal Man, or the hierarchical essence pervading the solar system often associated with Narayana, both being considered as cosmic rishis.

The Bhagavad-Gita makes a poetic identification of Arjuna or the human monad with Nara, and Krishna or the Logos with Narayana -- this distinction showing the same suggestive difference in the human sphere that exists between Nara and Narayana in the cosmic.

In the plural, used in the Mahabharata and Puranas for a class of mythological beings closely allied with the gandharvas and kinnaras. Naras are described as being "Centaurs, men with the limbs of horses and human bodies" (SD 2:65n).

(See also: Nara, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

smriti: (Sanskrit) "That which is remembered; the tradition."

Hinduism's nonrevealed, secondary but deeply revered scriptures, derived from man's insight and experience. Smriti speaks of secular matters - science, law, history, agriculture, etc. - as well as spiritual lore, ranging from day-to-day rules and regulations to superconscious outpourings.

1)    The term smriti refers to a specific collection of ancient Sanskritic texts as follows: the six or more Vedangas, the four Upavedas, the two Itihasas, and the 18 main Puranas. Among the Vedangas, the Kalpa Vedanga defines codes of ritual in the Shrauta and Shulba Shastras, and domestic-civil laws in the Grihya and Dharma Shastras. Also included as classical smriti are the founding sutras of six ancient philosophies called shad darshana (Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta).

2)    In a general sense, smriti may refer to any text other than shruti (revealed scripture) that is revered as scripture within a particular sect. From the vast body of sacred literature, shastra, each sect and school claims its own preferred texts as secondary scripture, e.g., the Ramayana of Vaishnavism and Smartism, or the Tirumurai of Saiva Siddhanta. Thus, the selection of smriti varies widely from one sect and lineage to another.

See: Mahabharata, Ramayana, Tirumurai.

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

Itihasa -

(1) history in general.

(2) a book which contains instructions on dharma, artha, kama, and moksa, and narrations of ancient events (dharmartha-kama-moksanam upadesa-samanvitam purva-vrta katha-yuktam itihasam pracaksate). This definition is quoted in Gaudiya-Vaisnava-abhidhana.

(3) the fifth Veda. According to both sruti and smrti, the Itihasa and the Puranas are considered the fifth Veda. Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.12.39) states, itihasa-puranani pancamam vedam; and (1.4.20) , itihasa puranan ca pancamo veda ucyate. In his commentary on (1.4.20) , Jiva Gosvami quotes the Mahabharata (Moksa-dharma 340.21) , vedan adhyapayamasa mahabharata-pancaman iti, "Vyasa taught the Vedas along with the fifth of their number, the Mahabharata.”

Similarly in Manu-smrti (3.232) it is said, akhyananitihasams ca. In his Manu-vartha-muktavali commentary on this sloka, Kulluka Bhatta (a celebrated commentator on Manusmrti from the twelfth century) states, itihasan mahabharatadin, "The word itihasan refers to the Mahabharata and other literature.” These references establish that the word itihasa specifically refers to the Mahabharata.

Within the Mahabharata is found the Bhagavad-Gita, which is accepted as the essence of all the Vedas even by Sri Sankaracarya, who states in the introduction to his Gita commentary, tad idam gita-sastram samasta-vedartha-sarasangraha- bhutam, "This gita-sastra is the essence of the purport of all the Vedas.” This further confirms that the itihasa is part of the body of Vedic literature. Sruti itself (Chandogya Upanisad 7.1.2) declares that the Itihasa and Puranas are the fifth Veda among the body of Vedic literature, itihasam puranam pancamam vedanam vedam.

(See also: Itihasa, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Vyasa:

Vyasa(deva) (also known as Krishna Dvaipayana; Badarayana, another name for Vyasa and father of Sukadeva Gosvami): [see also Vedas] The incarnation of Lord Krishna, the original compiler of the Vedas, Puranas, Vedanta-sutra and Mahabharata to mankind. (Apantaratama, an old name of Vyasadeva (SB C6:15, 12-15)). Son of Satyavati (daughter of a fisherman) and Parasara Muni (SB C9:22, 21-24)

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

Hiranyaksha hiranyaksa (Sanskrit) (from hiranya golden + aksha eye)

Golden eye; one of the principal daityas (titans), twin brother of Hrianyakasipu. In the Mahabharata, he dragged the earth to the depths of the ocean, and because of this was slain by Vishnu in his third avataric manifestation of the Varaha-avatara (the boar incarnation). His progeny is said to number 77 crores, or 770 millions.

"Hiranyaksha is the ruler or king of the fifth region or Patala, a Snake-god" (SD 2:382n).

(See also: Hiranyaksha, hiranyaksa, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Harivamsa, Harivansa (Sanskrit) The lineage of Hari, or Krishna. A celebrated poem of 16,374 verses, generally regarded as a part of the Mahabharata, but believed by some to be of much later date than the greater epic. It treats of the adventures of the family of Krishna, being divided into three parts: an introduction that traces the dynasty; the life and adventures of Krishna; and the conditions occurring during the kali yuga and the future condition of the world.

(See also: Harivamsa, Harivansa, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Hiranyaksha hiranyaksa (Sanskrit) (from hiranya golden + aksha eye)

Golden eye; one of the principal daityas (titans), twin brother of Hrianyakasipu. In the Mahabharata, he dragged the earth to the depths of the ocean, and because of this was slain by Vishnu in his third avataric manifestation of the Varaha-avatara (the boar incarnation). His progeny is said to number 77 crores, or 770 millions.

"Hiranyaksha is the ruler or king of the fifth region or Patala, a Snake-god" (SD 2:382n).

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

Kauravas (Sanskrit) The adjectival noun of Kurus, the opponents of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata. In a similar way Pandavas is derived from Pandu (light-colored, pale, blond). As light has always been taken as a synonym of spirit, some writers have argued that the Kauravas represent the material or evil forces, and the Pandavas the spiritual and light forces, both in cosmic and human natures; yet such analogies can be pressed too far. There was good and bad on both sides in the famous Indian epic.

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

Jaras (Sanskrit) (from the verbal root jri to become old)

The becoming old, decay, old age; a hunter in the Mahabharata who accidentally wounded Krishna and caused his death. Mystically, it may be described as that vital cyclic power of constant movement in manifested beings by which youth becomes maturity and then old age, then producing infancy, youth, maturity, and old age again.

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

Angara, Angaraka (Sanskrit) (from the verbal root ag to move tortuously, wind (cf agni); or from the verbal root ang to go)

The planet Mars; also charcoal, as being a latent seat of fire. Ara is another name of the planet Mars (cf Greek Ares) as well as of the planet Saturn. In the Mahabharata Angaraka is variously listed as one of the world guardians; a planet; and one of the 108 names of the sun (vB 2:51, 228).

(See also: Angara, Angaraka, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Anugita (Sanskrit) (from anu after, alongside + gita sung, chanted, song from the verbal root gai to sing, intone)

After-song; chapters 16-92 of the Asvamedhika-parvan, 14th book of the Mahabharata that deals with the asvamedha (horse sacrifice) conducted by Yudhishthira, a rite that stems from the Vedic period.

Like the Bhagavad-Gita, the Anugita is a discourse between Krishna and Arjuna, an "after-song" in which Krishna gives a fuller unfolding of teaching with many mystical allusions.

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

Apava (Sanskrit) (from Ap water)

Water-mover; associated with Narayana, "he who moves in or on the waters of space," and hence with Vishnu and Brahma. In the Harivamsa, Apava performed the office of Brahma: dividing himself into male and female he produced Vishnu, who produced Viraj, who in turn brought the first manu, Manu Svayambhuva, into being. This manu then brought forth the ten prajapatis, the progenitors of the manifested world (cf VP 1:7). In the Mahabharata, a name of the prajapati Vasishtha.

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

Bhagavad-Gita (Sanskrit) (from bhagavat illustrious, sacred, holy, lord (one of Krishna's titles) + gita song)

The noble song, the Lord's song; a portion of the Bhagavad-Gita Parvan, one subsection of the Bhishma Parvan, itself one of the principle sections of the Mahabharata. The Bhagavad-Gita consists of a dialogue in which Krishna and Arjuna have a discussion upon the highest spiritual philosophy. Krishna in this instance is the inner instructor or monitor, the higher self, advising the human self or Arjuna.

(See also: Bhagavad-Gita, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Astra (Sanskrit) Missile, weapon; in the war between the Pandavas and Kurus in the Mahabharata, in addition to the regular weapons (astras), others are mentioned: mantra-astras (weapons made powerful by mantras); divya-astra (weapons received from higher beings); and agneyastras (weapons of fire).

Likewise racial remnants of the earlier Atlanteans (commonly called Rakshasas) employed the power of hallucination (maya); this is also described in the Ramayana.

See also ASHTAR

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

Harivamsa, Harivansa (Sanskrit) The lineage of Hari, or Krishna. A celebrated poem of 16,374 verses, generally regarded as a part of the Mahabharata, but believed by some to be of much later date than the greater epic. It treats of the adventures of the family of Krishna, being divided into three parts: an introduction that traces the dynasty; the life and adventures of Krishna; and the conditions occurring during the kali yuga and the future condition of the world.

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

Dharma (Sanskrit) (from the verbal root dhri to bear, support)

Equity, justice, conduct, duty; right religion, philosophy, and science; the law per se; the rules of society, caste, and stage of life. Secondarily, an essential or characteristic quality or peculiarity, approaching closely to the meaning of svabhava.

Also a sage who married ten or thirteen daughters of Daksha, a judge of the dead; the personification of law and justice. In the Mahabharata, the father of Yudhishthira, chief of the Pandavas.

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

Draupadi (Sanskrit) The wife in common of the five Pandava princes and brothers. In the allegory of the Mahabharata, she stands for the terrestrial life of the personality and, as such, she is made very little of and is allowed by Yudhistthira to be insulted and even taken into slavery during a wager at a game of dice. Yudhishthira was the eldest of the Pandava brothers and Draupadi's chief lord. In this relation he represents the higher ego.

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

Devapi (Sanskrit) (from deva god + api friend)

Friend of the god; a rishi mentioned in the Rig-Veda as the son of Rishti-shena. In the Mahabharata and the Puranas he is described as a son of King Pratipa of the Kurus, who resigns his kingdom and retires into the woods, where he is still alive, awaiting with the sage Maru, at Kalapa or Katapa, the coming of Maitreya Buddha, the avatara who will come at the close of the kali yuga, according to legend.

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

Vasudeva (Sanskrit) The son of Vasudeva -- Krishna. The Mahabharata, however, gives another explanation why Krishna was given this name: as the divinity is present, or has its dwelling (vasana), in all beings, so does Krishna, for he issued as a Vasu from a divine womb. This reference to Krishna is not so much to the imbodied human semblance of the divinity, but to the divinity itself working in and through this imbodiment.

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

Naimisha (-aranya)

A sacred forest located exactly in the center of the universe, where the discus of Lord Vishnu once struck the earth. At the beginning of Kali-yuga, the chief sages of the universe assembled there to perform a thousand-year-long Soma sacrifice to counteract the bad effects of the age. During the sacrifice they heard Puranas and epics from Ugrashrava Suta, including the Mahabharata and Srimad-Bhagavatam.

(See also: Naimisha, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)