Mahaabhaarat


 
Glossary A - M

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Glossary - A-M

Aakaashvaanee
Aakaashvaanee is said to be the Divine announcement about anything - bad, good, future event, or guidance, just anything. In this one does not see anybody speaking, just he hears.

Aat-taayee
There are six types of Aat-taayee: (1) who sets fire, (2) who gives poison, (3) who takes up weapon with bad intentions, (4) who robs wealth, (5) who takes somebody's farms, (6) who takes other's wife; all are called Aat-taayee and there is no sin to kill any of them.

Abhimantrit
Abhimantrit means to make something holy, or workable by using Mantra. In this process a thing is given a super power to do a certain task by taking water in hand and reading Mantra; or by reading only Mantra. Most special weapons are used like this - by taking an ordinary arrow, reading Mantra over it and given special power to it. In this way water can also be Abhimantrit to cure a disease.

Aindraagni
According to this ordinance, Dakshinaa should be a 100,000 animals, such as cows or horses. In the case of this particular Shoodra, that ordinance (without its Mantra) was followed, and a 100,000 Poorn-Paatra were substituted for cows or horses of that number.

Akshauhinee
An army has four wings - Charioteers, elephant riders, infantry (who walk on foot) and cavalry (who fight on horses). One Akshauhinee army contains 21,870 Rath (chariots), 21,870 elephants, 109,350 infantry (soldiers on foot), and 65,600 cavalry (horse riders). This makes up one Akshauhinee army. [from Mahaabhaarat] Paandav had 7 Akshauhinee army and Kaurav had 11 Akshauhinee army. Kaurav army included Shree Krishn's one Akshauhinee Naaraayanee army also.  (see also Senaa)

Ashwamedh Yagya
Ashwamedh Yagya is done when a king is certain about his supremacy over other rulers.
 In this Yagya a horse is released from the king to go around all kingdoms. If the king accepts the defeat, he lets the horse go and gives some gifts to the ruling king, but if he doesn't then he captures the horse and fights with the king who has released the horse.

Bahedaa
Bahedaa is a fruit. It is one of the three ingredients of a famous Aayurvedic medicine Triphalaa (Harad - Hareetakee, Bahedaa and Aamalaa - Amalaakee).

Battle
For without battle, he cannot extend his kingdom and acquire wealth to give away and meet the expenses of sacrifices.

Brahmchaaree
Celibacy. Not getting married, not having sexual relationship with anybody. Sanakaadi Muni, Hanumaan, Naarad, Bheeshm, Ved Vyaas' son Shuk Dev Jee, Dadheechi all are Baal Brahmchaaree.

Chakravartee Raajaa
Chakravartee Raajaa means Ek-Chhatra Raajaa, means the sole king of the whole Prithvi.

Dakshinaayan
While revolving around the Sun, the Sun is towards north of Equator during the period of January 23 to June 23 for six months; while he is in south of Equator during the period of September 23 to December 23.  When the Sun is in the north of the Equator it is called Uttaraayan (towards north) which is Devtaa's day; and when he is towards the south of the equator, it is called Dakshinaayan (towards south) which is Devtaa's night. It is believed in Hindu Religion that dying in Dakshinaayan is not good. That is why, although Bheeshm fell in Dakshinaayan, because he had the Var of Ichchhaa Mrityu, he could retain his soul till the Sun's position was Uttaraayan.

Four Kinds of Arms
The science of arms (Dhanurved) classes arms under four heads - Mukt, Amukt, Muktmukt and Yantramukt. A Mukt weapon is one that which is hurled from the hand - as a Chakra (disc). An Amukt weapon is hurled not from the hand - it is used as a sword. A Muktmukt weapon is that which is sometimes is hurled and sometimes is not hurled - as a Gadaa (mace). A Yantramukt weapon is shot from a machine as an arrow or a ball. All Mukt weapons are called Astra, and all Amukt weapons are called Shastra.
[Taken from Mahabharata Footnotes p m05181.htm]

Gauree Poojan
In India it is a tradition that a girl asks the blessings of Paarvatee Jee for her everlasting Suhaag (that her husband should live more than her age) before her actual marriage ceremony. It is common in some or the other way in almost all communities of India. This is called Gauree Poojan. Seetaa's Gauree Poojan is mentioned in Maanas; Subhadraa was abducted Arjun while she went for Gauree Poojan. Rukminee was also abducted after her Gauree Poojan.

Ghadee  see   Time

God
A Braahman who is conversant with Ved, himself is God. A Shoodra though incompetent to read Ved and utter Ved Mantra has Prajaapati for his God whom he can worship with rites other than those that are laid down in Ved. Braahman have Agni for their God and Kshatriya have Indra for their God, 

Gwaalin
Wife of a cow-herd.

Homogeneity
Sanyam (control of Indriyaan) is the homogeneity. This is the state before creation, when there exists nothing except a homogenous mass or Brahm alone.

Ichchhaa Mrityu
Means "death at will". This Var was given to Bheeshm Pitaamah by his father. It meant that when he wanted then only he could die. The death wouldn't come to him without his will.

Immobile Creatures
There are five species of immobile - (1) trees (like banyan, Peepal); (2) shrubs (growing from a clamp underneath); (3) creepers (plants that grow on the soil but need some support to twine around); (4) Vallee (plants that creep on earth and live for a year only (such as gourds, pumpkin etc); and (5) Trin (such as grass, and all plants that are stemless having only their barks and leaves).

Janasthaan
Janasthaan is the castle-gateway to Lankaa. Lankaa is a city built within its castle-walls and it has no countryside or villages at least, annexing it. If Jansthaan is ruined, Lanka is also going to be ruined soon, because none could crossover the bulwark-like-Jansthaan so far. "Hey Raajan, when Raakshas in Jansthaan are ruined, your kingship is also in danger...' 'many...not one or two, many Raakshas that are guarding Lanka from Jansthaana are now dead...' Then Raavan might ask "what is it Khar doing then?"  'Khar is also dead...' including Dooshan and Trishiraa. In fact Lankaa was built on the mountain with an escarpment.

Jayamaalaa  see   Varmaalaa

Kalp  see   Time

Kos   see   Distance

Kurukshetra
It was called Kurukshetra because Kuru, the common ancestor of Kaurav and Paandav, did Tap here; and since then many ascetics have lived there.

Lakshman's Line

Manvantar   see   Time

Moh
Moh means intense love, or an intense desire not to part from a certain thing, or to desire for a thing which is inaccessible to a person.

 

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta On 5/27/04
Contact:  mahaabhaarat@yahoo.com
Modified on 12/11/06