Shruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Git ...

Including:

• Rigveda - Text
• Rigveda - Books
• Rigveda - Translations
• Rigveda - Internal evidence
• Rigveda - Hindu tradition
• Rigveda - More recent Indian views
• Rigveda - Editions
• Rigveda - Translations
• Rigveda - Bibliography

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Shruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Gi ...

Including:

• Ramayana - Timeline
• Ramayana - Synopsis
• Ramayana - Book I: Bal Kand or The Book of Youth
• Ramayana - Book II: Ayodhya Kanda or The Book of Ayodhya
• Ramayana - Book III: Aranya Kanda or The Book of the Forest
• Ramayana - Book IV: Kishkindha Kanda or The Book of Kishkindha the kingdom of monkeys
• Ramayana - Book V: Sundara Kanda or The Book of Sundara another name of Hanuman
• Ramayana - Book VI: Yuddha Kanda or The Book of War
• Ramayana - Book VII: Uttara Kanda or The Book Beyond
• Ramayana - Lessons from the Ramayana
• Ramayana - Literary works inspired by the Ramayana
• Ramayana - Sugriva's cave of Hampie

Read more here: » Ramayana: Encyclopedia - Ramayana

Shruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Gita Govinda Hatha Yoga Pradipika This is an article about the Yoga Sutras of ...

Including:

• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Introduction
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Authorship
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Philosophical Roots and Influences
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - The Eight Limbs of Raja Yoga
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Bibliography
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Appendix: English Translation of the Yoga Sutras
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Book I : Consciousness and Superconsciousness Samadhi Pada
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Book II : Ways To Attain Yoga Sadhana Pada
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Book III : Powers Vibhuti Pada
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Book IV : Liberation Kaivalya Pada

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It’s the sixteenth purana. During the period of mahapralaya, Lord Vishnu had taken Matsya avatar (fish incarnation) to save the seeds of all lives and Manu. Matsya Purana contains a comprehensive description of Manu and Matsya avatar. General contents of this Purana are the following: Description of the greatness of Narasimha incarnation. Description of all the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Greatness of fasting like Anant Tritiya and the places of pilgrimage like Prayag. Tales of Chandra ...

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The Chinas or Ciñas are a people mentionned in ancient Indian sources at the beginning of our era, such as the Manu Smriti, the Mahabharata as well as in the Puranic literature. They are believed to have been the Chinese. In the epic of the Mahabharata, the Cinas appear together with the Kiratas among the armies of king Bhagadatta of Pragjyotisa (Assam). In the Sabhaparvan, the same king is said to be surrounded the Kiratas, and the Cinas. Also in the Bhismaparvan, the army of Bhagadatta is said to consist ...

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Earliest reference to Angas occurs in Atharava Veda (V.22.14) where they find mention along with the Magadhas, Gandharis and the Mujavatas, all apparently as a despised people. The Jaina Prajnapana ranks the Angas and the Vangas in the first group of Aryan peoples. According to Buddhist texts like Anguttara Nikaya, Anga was one of the sixteen great nations (solas Mahajanapadas) which had flourished in central and north-west India in sixth century BCE. Anga also finds mention in the Jaina Bhag ...

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The Maha Avatara (Great Avatars) of Vishnu are usually said to be ten and this is popularly known as the Dasavatara (dasa (dasha) in Sanskrit means ten). The first four of the ten avatars have appeared in the Krita Yuga (the first of the four Yugas or Ages that comprise one Mahayuga - for more details please read the section above on Lord Brahma). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth incarnation in the Dwapar Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The ...

See also:

Avatar, Avatar - Teachings and significance, Avatar - The ten Avatars or Dasavatara, Avatar - The 24 Avatars of the Puranas, Avatar - Types of avatars, Avatar - The Ninth Avatar: Balarama or Buddha?, Avatar - Symbolism, Avatar - List of other people considered to be avatars, Avatar - Other Uses

Read more here: » Avatar: Encyclopedia II - Avatar - The ten Avatars or Dasavatara

Many claim that the ten avatars represent the evolution of life and of mankind on earth. Matsya, the fish, represents life in water. Kurma, the tortoise, represents the next stage, amphibianism. The third animal, the boar Varaha, symbolizes life on land. Narasimha, the Man-Lion, symbolizes the commencement development of mammals. Vamana, the dwarf, symbolizes this incomplete development of human. Then, Parashurama, the forest-dwelling hermit armed with an axe, connotes completion of the basic development of humankind. The King Rama signals m ...

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Avatar, Avatar - Teachings and significance, Avatar - The ten Avatars or Dasavatara, Avatar - The 24 Avatars of the Puranas, Avatar - Types of avatars, Avatar - The Ninth Avatar: Balarama or Buddha?, Avatar - Symbolism, Avatar - List of other people considered to be avatars, Avatar - Other Uses

Read more here: » Avatar: Encyclopedia II - Avatar - Symbolism

The Maha Avatara (Great Avatars) of Vishnu are usually said to be ten and this is popularly known as the Dasavatara (dasa (dasha) in Sanskrit means ten). The first four of the ten avatars have appeared in the Krita Yuga (the first of the four Yugas or Ages that comprise one Mahayuga - for more details please read the section above on Lord Brahma). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth incarnation in the Dwapar Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The ...

See also:

Avatar, Avatar - Teachings and significance, Avatar - The ten Avatars, or Dasavatara, Avatar - The 24 Avatars of the Puranas, Avatar - Types of avatars, Avatar - The Ninth Avatar: Balarama or Buddha?, Avatar - Symbolism, Avatar - List of other people considered to be avatars, Avatar - Other Uses

Read more here: » Avatar: Encyclopedia II - Avatar - The ten Avatars, or Dasavatara

Besides the ten traditional avatars of Hinduism, some other Indian Hindus are considered to be avatars by themselves or by others. Some of these include: Chaitanya (1486-1534) is claimed to be an avatar of Krishna by the Gaudiya Vaishnavism sect. He is also known as the 'Golden Avatar'. His appearance is predicted in the latter texts of the Srimad Bhagavatam. For more information, see Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology. Ayya Vaikundar (1809-1851) According to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the religious book of Ayyavazhi, Lord Vaikunda ...

See also:

Avatar, Avatar - Teachings and significance, Avatar - The ten Avatars or Dasavatara, Avatar - The 24 Avatars of the Puranas, Avatar - Types of avatars, Avatar - The Ninth Avatar: Balarama or Buddha?, Avatar - Symbolism, Avatar - List of other people considered to be avatars, Avatar - Other Uses

Read more here: » Avatar: Encyclopedia II - Avatar - List of other people considered to be avatars

The philosophy reflected in the Hindu epics is the doctrine of the avatar (incarnation of Vishnu or God as an animal or a human form). The two main avatars of Vishnu that appear in the epics are Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, and Krishna, the advisor of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata. Unlike the superhuman devas (gods) of the Vedic Samhitas and the abstract Upanishadic concept of the all-pervading Brahman, the avatars in these epics are intermediaries between the Supreme Being represented as eithe ...

See also:

Avatar, Avatar - Teachings and significance, Avatar - The ten Avatars or Dasavatara, Avatar - The 24 Avatars of the Puranas, Avatar - Types of avatars, Avatar - The Ninth Avatar: Balarama or Buddha?, Avatar - Symbolism, Avatar - List of other people considered to be avatars, Avatar - Other Uses

Read more here: » Avatar: Encyclopedia II - Avatar - Teachings and significance

Indo-Aryan migration - Rig Veda. The Rigveda is by far the most archaic testimony of Vedic Sanskrit. It describes a pastoral or nomadic, mobile culture, still centered on the Indo-Iranian Soma cult and fire worship. The purely nomadic and/or pastoral character of the Rig Vedic people is however disputed. The mobile nature of the Vedic religion is illustrated by the laying out of the ritual precinct as part of the ritual, rather than the existence of fixed temples. This holds for the invitation of Indra to the Som ...

See also:

Indo-Aryan migration, Indo-Aryan migration - Overview, Indo-Aryan migration - History, Indo-Aryan migration - Linguistics, Indo-Aryan migration - Philology, Indo-Aryan migration - Rig Veda, Indo-Aryan migration - Vedic and Puranic King lists, Indo-Aryan migration - Puranas, Indo-Aryan migration - Avesta and Airyanem Vaejah, Indo-Aryan migration - Archaeology, Indo-Aryan migration - Indus Valley Civilization, Indo-Aryan migration - Vasishta head, Indo-Aryan migration - Pottery, Indo-Aryan migration - West Asia, Indo-Aryan migration - Astronomical data, Indo-Aryan migration - Physical Anthropology, Indo-Aryan migration - Genetics and Archaeogenetics

Read more here: » Indo-Aryan migration: Encyclopedia II - Indo-Aryan migration - Philology

Vishnu-Purana Visnu-Purana (Sanskrit) One of the most celebrated of the 18 principal Puranas, conforming more than any other to the definition of pancha-lakshana (five distinguishing marks) assigned as being the character of a complete Purana by Amara-Simha, an ancient Sanskrit lexicographer. It consists of six books: the first treats of the creation of the universe from cosmic prakriti, and the peopling of the world by the prajapatis or spiritual ancestors; the second book gives a list of kings with many geographical and astronomical details; the third treats of the Vedas and caste; the fourth continues the chronicle of dynasties; the fifth gives the life of Krishna; and the sixth book describes the dissolution of the world, and the future re-issuing of the world after pralaya.

(See also: Vishnu-Purana, Visnu-Purana, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

The new books that appeared afterwards were called Smriti. Smrti literature includes Itihasas (epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata), Puranas (mythological texts), Agamas (theological treatises) and Darshanas (philosophical texts). The Dharmashastras (law books) are considered by many to form part of the smrti. From time to time great law-givers (eg Manu, Yajnavalkya and Parashara) emerged, who codified existing laws and eliminated obsolete ones to ensure that the Hindu way of life was consistent with both the Vedic spirit a ...

See also:

Hindu scripture, Hindu scripture - The Vedas, Hindu scripture - The Upanishads, Hindu scripture - Post-Vedic Hindu scriptures, Hindu scripture - The Bhagavad Gita, Hindu scripture - The Puranas, Hindu scripture - Other Hindu texts

Read more here: » Hindu scripture: Encyclopedia II - Hindu scripture - Post-Vedic Hindu scriptures

Many a Hindu has said that the most succinct and powerful abbreviation of the overwhelmingly diverse realm of Hindu thought is to be found in the Bhagavad Gita. Essentially, it is a microcosm of Vedic, Yogic, Vedantic and even Tantric thought of the Hindu fold. Composed between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC, the Bhagavad Gita (literally: Song of the Lord) is a part of the epic poem Mahabharata and is revered in Hinduism. It is not limited to Vaishnavs, as some people incorrectly assume, since it is accepted by Tantrics and non-denominational ...

See also:

Hindu scripture, Hindu scripture - The Vedas, Hindu scripture - The Upanishads, Hindu scripture - Post-Vedic Hindu scriptures, Hindu scripture - The Bhagavad Gita, Hindu scripture - The Puranas, Hindu scripture - Other Hindu texts

Read more here: » Hindu scripture: Encyclopedia II - Hindu scripture - The Bhagavad Gita

While the Upanishads are indeed classed within the fold of the "Vedas," their actual importance to Hindu thought has far exceeded that of possibly any other set of Hindu scriptures, and even resulted in the Bhagavad Gita, which is a self-proclaimed yoga upanishad. Thus, they deserve a look that is independent from the samhitas and brahamans, whose excessive ritualism the Upanishads famously rebelled against. They form Vedanta and ...

See also:

Hindu scripture, Hindu scripture - The Vedas, Hindu scripture - The Upanishads, Hindu scripture - Post-Vedic Hindu scriptures, Hindu scripture - The Bhagavad Gita, Hindu scripture - The Puranas, Hindu scripture - Other Hindu texts

Read more here: » Hindu scripture: Encyclopedia II - Hindu scripture - The Upanishads

[Purana]]s include the Khasas in the ancient Janapada list and place them in the parvatashrayin (mountainous) division of Puranic Bhuvanakosha. e.g. Ato deshanpravakshyami parvatashrayinashcha ye || NiharastusHamargashcha KuravasTunganh Khasah | — (Brahmanda Purana 27.62-63). Markendeya Purana associates the Khasas with the tribes of Udichya or north division (Markendeya 58.48-52; Vayu: I..45.135). Puranas attest that river Sita (Yarkand) flowed through the country of ...

See also:

Khasas, Khasas - Antiquity and Origin, Khasas - Iranian Aryan tribe, Khasas - Khasas in Epic literature, Khasas - Khasas in Puranic literature, Khasas - Khasas in Brhatsamhita, Khasas - Degraded Kshatriyas, Khasas - Foreign references on Khasas, Khasas - Geographical Distribution, Khasas - Khasas Kambojas in Bengal, Khasas - Miscellaneous, Khasas - Epilogue

Read more here: » Khasas: Encyclopedia II - Khasas - Khasas in Puranic literature

Shruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras See also:

List of sutras, List of sutras - Sutras primarily associated with Hinduism, List of sutras - Vedanga, List of sutras - Vedanta, List of sutras - Hindu philosophy, List of sutras - Sutras primarily associated with Buddhism, List of sutras - Pali sutras, List of sutras - Mahayana sutras, List of sutras - Vajrayana sutras, List of sutras - Other Sutras

Read more here: » List of sutras: Encyclopedia II - List of sutras - Sutras primarily associated with Hinduism

The linguistic facts of the situation are little disputed. However, linguistic data alone cannot determine whether this migration was peaceful or invasive. Different linguists have argued for either, or for a combination of both, on extra-linguistic grounds. Most of the languages of northern South Asia belong to a single language family, the Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-European family of languages. The languages of South India belong to a different language family, the Dravidian languages, which has not been proven to be linked wi ...

See also:

Indo-Aryan migration, Indo-Aryan migration - Overview, Indo-Aryan migration - History, Indo-Aryan migration - Linguistics, Indo-Aryan migration - Philology, Indo-Aryan migration - Rig Veda, Indo-Aryan migration - Vedic and Puranic King lists, Indo-Aryan migration - Puranas, Indo-Aryan migration - Avesta and Airyanem Vaejah, Indo-Aryan migration - Archaeology, Indo-Aryan migration - Indus Valley Civilization, Indo-Aryan migration - Vasishta head, Indo-Aryan migration - Pottery, Indo-Aryan migration - West Asia, Indo-Aryan migration - Astronomical data, Indo-Aryan migration - Physical Anthropology, Indo-Aryan migration - Genetics and Archaeogenetics

Read more here: » Indo-Aryan migration: Encyclopedia II - Indo-Aryan migration - Linguistics

The Indo-Aryans were nomadic or at least peripatetic, following their herds of cows around from pasture to pasture. Consequently they had no permanent settlements; the RgVeda only mentions temporary huts. These leave no archaeological record. So it is only to be expected that the migrations left no archaeological traces. The Huns are a comparable instance. No one doubts that the Huns actually invaded parts of western Europe on more than one occasion. Yet -- because the Huns were nomads -- they left no archaeological ...

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Indo-Aryan migration, Indo-Aryan migration - Overview, Indo-Aryan migration - History, Indo-Aryan migration - Linguistics, Indo-Aryan migration - Philology, Indo-Aryan migration - Rig Veda, Indo-Aryan migration - Vedic and Puranic King lists, Indo-Aryan migration - Puranas, Indo-Aryan migration - Avesta and Airyanem Vaejah, Indo-Aryan migration - Archaeology, Indo-Aryan migration - Indus Valley Civilization, Indo-Aryan migration - Vasishta head, Indo-Aryan migration - Pottery, Indo-Aryan migration - West Asia, Indo-Aryan migration - Astronomical data, Indo-Aryan migration - Physical Anthropology, Indo-Aryan migration - Genetics and Archaeogenetics

Read more here: » Indo-Aryan migration: Encyclopedia II - Indo-Aryan migration - Archaeology

Brian E. Hemphill and Alexander F. Christensen's study (1994) of the migration of genetic traits does not support a movement of Aryan speakers into the Indus Valley around 1500 BC. According to Hemphill's study, "Gene flow from Bactria occurs much later, and does not impact Indus Valley gene pools until the dawn of the Christian era." Kenneth Kennedy (1984), who examined 300 skeletons from the Indus Valley civilization, concludes that the ancient Harappans “are not markedly different in their skeletal biology from the present ...

See also:

Indo-Aryan migration, Indo-Aryan migration - Overview, Indo-Aryan migration - History, Indo-Aryan migration - Linguistics, Indo-Aryan migration - Philology, Indo-Aryan migration - Rig Veda, Indo-Aryan migration - Vedic and Puranic King lists, Indo-Aryan migration - Puranas, Indo-Aryan migration - Avesta and Airyanem Vaejah, Indo-Aryan migration - Archaeology, Indo-Aryan migration - Indus Valley Civilization, Indo-Aryan migration - Vasishta head, Indo-Aryan migration - Pottery, Indo-Aryan migration - West Asia, Indo-Aryan migration - Astronomical data, Indo-Aryan migration - Physical Anthropology, Indo-Aryan migration - Genetics and Archaeogenetics

Read more here: » Indo-Aryan migration: Encyclopedia II - Indo-Aryan migration - Physical Anthropology

The separation of Indo-Aryans proper from Proto-Indo-Iranians has been dated to roughly 2000 BC–1800 BC. The Nuristani languages probably split in such early times, and are either classified as remote Indo-Aryan dialects, or as an independent branch of Indo-Iranian. It is believed Indo-Aryans reached Assyria in the west and the Punjab in the east before 1500 BC: the Indo-Aryan Mitanni rulers appear from 1500, and the Gandhara grave culture emerges from 1600. This suggests that Indo-Aryan tribes would have had to be present in the area of t ...

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Indo-Aryan migration, Indo-Aryan migration - Overview, Indo-Aryan migration - History, Indo-Aryan migration - Linguistics, Indo-Aryan migration - Philology, Indo-Aryan migration - Rig Veda, Indo-Aryan migration - Vedic and Puranic King lists, Indo-Aryan migration - Puranas, Indo-Aryan migration - Avesta and Airyanem Vaejah, Indo-Aryan migration - Archaeology, Indo-Aryan migration - Indus Valley Civilization, Indo-Aryan migration - Vasishta head, Indo-Aryan migration - Pottery, Indo-Aryan migration - West Asia, Indo-Aryan migration - Astronomical data, Indo-Aryan migration - Physical Anthropology, Indo-Aryan migration - Genetics and Archaeogenetics

Read more here: » Indo-Aryan migration: Encyclopedia II - Indo-Aryan migration - Overview