Witness Dictionary

A Christian theological definition of Argumentum ad judicium according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Argumentum ad judicium

See also: Argumentum ad judicium , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

A Christian theological definition of Great White Brotherhood   according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Great White Brotherhood

See also: Great White Brotherhood   , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

A Christian theological definition of Argumentum ad populum according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Argumentum ad populum

See also: Argumentum ad populum , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

Orissa

Orissa is an eastern state belonging to the Indian sub-continent. The city of Bhubaneswar (temple city of India) is the state capital.

During the medieval times, the state corresponding roughly with now-a-days Orissa passed under the various names such as: Utkala, Kalinga, and Odra (Udra) Desa. The state boundaries varied from time to time and were sometimes much larger. These land names are associated with peoples. The Okkala or Utkala, the Kalinga, and the Odra or Oddaka were mentioned in literature as tribes. Ancient Greeks knew the latter two as Kalingai and Oretes. Eventually the names got identified with the territories. The land was inhabited by semi-Hinduized tribes (shabaras) in the hinterland, a group of farming Brahmins (halua brahmuna) who practised invincible Tantra method near Jajpur area (the place of Goddess Biraja), and people of other castes and trades as well. For centuries before and after the birth of Christ, Kalinga was a formidable political power, extending from the Ganga river to the Godavari river. Approximately between the 11th and 16th centuries the name was twisted; the name Odra Desa was gradually transformed into Uddisa, Udisa, or Odisa, which in English became Orissa. The language of Odisa came to be known as Oriya.

Kalinga was already famous at the dawn of Indian history. Buddhist sources refer to the rule of King Brahmadutta in Kalinga at the time of the Buddha's death. In the 4th century BC the first Indian empire builder, Mahapadma Nanda, conquered Kalinga, but the Nanda rule was short-lived. In 260 BC the Mauryan emperor Ashoka invaded Kalinga and fought one of the greatest and most bloody wars of ancient history. He then renounced war, became a Buddhist, and preached peace and non-violence in and outside India. In the 1st century BC the Kalinga emperor Kharavela conquered vast territories that collectively came to be called the Kalinga empire.

Kalinga became a maritime power beginning in the 1st century AD, and its overseas activities culminated in the 8th century with the establishment of the Shailendra empire in Java. Orissa was ruled during the 8th, 9th, and 10th centuries by the powerful Bhauma-Kara dynasty and in the 10th and 11th centuries by the Soma dynasty. The Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneshwar, the greatest Shiva monument of India, was initiated by the king Yayati.

Medieval Orissa enjoyed a golden age under the Ganga Dynasty. Its founder, Anantavarma Chodagangadeva (1078-1147), ruled from the Ganges to the Godavari with "Cuttack" city as the state capital. He began the construction of the temple of Jagannaatha (Lord of the Universe) at Puri. Narasimhadeva 1 (1238-64) built the Sun Temple (Surya Mandira) of Konarka, one of the finest and best creations of Hindu architecture all over the world. In the 13th and 14th centuries, when much of India was overrun by the Muslims, independent Orissa remained a citadel of Hindu religion, philosophy, art, and architecture. The "Veera Kalinga Putras" (brave sons of Kalinga) were the last to give up, till it was conquered by betraying.

The Gangas were succeeded by the Surya dynasty. Its first king, Kapilendradeva (1435-66), won territories from his Muslim neighbours and greatly expanded the Orissa kingdom. His successor, Purushottamadeva, maintained these gains with difficulty. The next and the last Surya king, Prataparudradeva, became a disciple of the naamayogi avataar Chaitanya mahaprabhu, the great medieval saint, and became a pacifist. After his death (1540) Orissa's power declined, and in 1568, when King Mukundadeva was killed by his own countrymen, Orissa lost its independence to the Afghan rulers of Bengal.

The Mughal emperor Akbar conquered Orissa from the Afghans in 1590-92. When the Mughal Empire fell in 1761, part of Orissa remained under the Bengal nawaabs, but the greater part was snatched by the Marathas. The Bengal sector came under British rule in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey; the Maratha sector was conquered by the British in 1803. Although after 1803 the British controlled the entire Oriya-speaking area, it continued to be administered as two units. It was not until April 1, 1936, that the British heeded calls for unification on a linguistic basis and constituted Orissa as a separate province; 26 Oriya princely states, however, remained outside the provincial administration. After the independence of India in 1947, all these princely states except Saraikela and Kharsawan (which merged with Bihar) became part of Orissa.

Geography:

The state can be broadly divided into four natural divisions: (1) the northern plateau, (2) the eastern ghats, (3) the central tract, and (4) the coastal plains. The northern plateau (in the northern part of the state) is an extension of the forest-covered, lightly settled, and mineral-rich Chot-Nagpur plateau centred in southern Bihar. The eastern ghats, extending roughly parallel to the coast, are remnants of a very ancient line of hills in eastern peninsular India; rising to heights of 3,600 feet (1,100 metres), the eastern ghats are forest-covered, provide a home for a variety of wildlife, and are populated by several tribal groups. The central tract comprises a series of plateaus and basins occupying the inland area west and north of the Eastern Ghats; the plateau areas provide scant resources, but several of the basins--notably the Kalahandi, Balangir, Hirakud, and Jharsuguda--have the soil and the irrigation facilities to support local agriculture. The coastal plains are formed of alluvial soils deposited by the many rivers flowing to the Bay of Bengal; locally the area is known as the Baleshwar Coastal Plain to the northeast, the Mahanadi delta in the centre, and the Chilika Plain to the southwest. The coastal plains are heavily populated, have extensive irrigation, and are devoted almost entirely to the growing of rice during the rainy season.

The main rivers are the Subarnarekha, Burabalang, Baitarani, Brahmani, Mahanadi, Rushikulya, and Vamsadhara. Notable mountain ranges are the Mahendra Hill (Giri; rising to 4,924 feet [1,501 metres]), the Malaya Hill (3,894 feet [1,187 metres]), and the Megasini (3,822 feet [1,165 metres]). Orissa's Chilika Lake is the biggest saltwater lagoon in India.€€€

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

A Christian theological definition of Middle Knowledge according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Middle Knowledge

See also: Middle Knowledge , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

A Christian theological definition of Synoptic Gospels according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Synoptic Gospels

See also: Synoptic Gospels , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

A Christian theological definition of Sanctify, Sanctification according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Sanctify, Sanctification

See also: Sanctify, Sanctification , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

Banga

Banga is another name for ancient Bengal (West Bengal).

It is a historic region in the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent, generally corresponding to the area inhabited by speakers of the Bengali language and now divided between the Indian state of West Bengal and the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Bengal formed part of most of the early empires that controlled northern India.

From the 8th to the 12th century, Bengal was under the Buddhist Pala dynasty, based in neighbouring Bihar. After about 1200 it was governed by semi-independent Muslim rulers, and from 1576 it belonged to the Mughal empire. When Mughal power declined in the 18th century, a separate dynasty emerged in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Its rulers, known as the nawabs of Bengal, soon came into conflict with the British, who had established themselves at Calcutta in western Bengal (1690) and who took possession of the nawabs' realm in 1757-64. Bengal was thenceforth the base for British expansion in India. From 1773 its governor-general was the chief executive of British India; from 1834 he bore the title "governor-general of India." Assam was joined to Bengal from 1838 to 1874. In 1854 the government of India was separated from that of Bengal, though Calcutta remained India's capital until 1912. With the end of British rule in 1947, West Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa became part of the Republic of India. East Bengal went to Pakistan, but in 1971 it became the independent state of Bangladesh.€€€

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

Yantra

Yantra is a type geometrical diagram or object, used Tantra (tantric worship). They are made of various metals (e.g., copper, silver, gold, astadhatu - an alloy of 8 different metals - etc.) or dried leaves of a special plant (bhoja patra). -origin is from Sanskrit, literally 'device for holding or fastening'. In tantric method of spiritualism (tantric sadhana) an "Yantra" often represents the body of the deity related to that sadhana.

e.g., Shunya yantra, Bhubaneswari yantra, Bagalamukhi yantra

It also literally means - A Machine.€€€

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

Dharma

Indian (Bharat) expression for the "eternal law of the cosmos", "inherent property in the nature of the things". -Origin Sanskrit, literally 'decree, custom, or property of something'. From spiritual point of view it means - characteristics of truth, honesty, and justice - Also it is often used in the sense of "religion", e.g. Christian religion, Hindu religion (dharma) etc. [The word is accepted in New English Oxford Dictionary].€€€

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

Guru

Guru is often used for a Hindu spiritual teacher or Guide.

Also the word is used for each of the ten first leaders of the Sikh religion.

The word Guru comes from Sanskrit guru 'weighty, grave' (compare with Latin gravis). It means "with weightage (a big importance)".

Also it is often (correctly from spiritual point-of-view) interpreted as being derived from two root words Gu (meaning darkness), and ru (dispeller or remover). A real Guru (sad-Guru) is an awakened human who transmits higher consciousness to the disciples and devotees - to take them from an ordinary path to the path-of-truth. An aspirant who is accepted by a Guru and who is considered to be worthy to be initiated is called shisya (disciple).

From the spiritual point of view -The Guru is as good as the God. It has been said that:

Guru Brahmaa, Guru Vishnu, Gurudeva Maheswara

Guru saakhsaat Parambrahma, tasmayi Shri Gurave Namoh.

Guru himself is Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva-

And is representative of the Supreme-Soul, hence regards and obligations to Guru.

When we offer respects to the guru, we are offering respects to God. In Baba Buddhanath Das's words, the Supreme-God becomes invisible in the living world and makes the Guru visible. Hence, for realizing God's mercy, it is required that we learn to offer respects to God through God's representative. The origin is from Sanskrit. [The word is introduced in New English Oxford Dictionary].€€€

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

Shri-khsetra

Another name for "Puri", Orissa, India.

The holy town "Puri", situated in the East-coast of India in the state of Orissa is called as Shri-khsetra. The word "Shri" in "Sanskrit" is used to render importance, respect, and weightage to anything. The temple of Shri-Jagannath (Jagannath is a form of Lord Vishnu) is called as "Shri-Mandir", and the place (Puri) is called as "Shri-Khsetra".€€€

(See also: Shri-khsetra , Hinduism, Yoga, 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

Soniaji, Hinduism is Not Just Ramayana

Today, one major Indian political party talks about Hindutva, while the other seems confused about its strategy. Mrs Sonia Gandhi and the Congress have been hauled over the coals by the media for flirting with 'soft Hindutva'. But nobody seems to have noticed that the two parties are essentially squabbling over a trivialised interpretation of phenomenology, whereas the vast treasures of ontology found in Hinduism are lying around, waiting to be claimed.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Soniaji, Hinduism is Not Just Ramayana!

This is the last part of the very personal journey of Awakening shared by the Author and teacher Kiara Windrider.

Ever since I can remember stories of holy men and women in the mountaintops and forests of India living in enlightened states of divine union have fascinated me. I looked to them with admiration and some envy, recognizing the longing deep in my heart to achieve a similar state of enlightenment, yet convinced I did not have the discipline nor stamina required to spend years in a cave hidden away from the world seeking this most precious of all pearls. In this article, Kiara Windrider share his experience from his personal journey and quest for Awakening.

Read more here: » Enlightenment: Journey into Awakening (part 3)

Hinduism Lexicon on A

From aadheenam to axis.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Hinduism Lexicon on A