Notes N-Z

Naag
If you want to know some of the names of famous Naag read them in "Story of Maatali".

Note 1
There are five senses - eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin. And their objects are to see, to smell, to hear, to taste and speak, and to feel.

Note 2
The sense seems to be that by renouncing desires, both actions and attributes are lost. Thus the souls is in the state of inaction, or perfect quietness and the absence of attributes - this is exactly the nature of Supreme Being. If emancipation is to be sought without killing one's desires - that is by the help of work (prayers and sacrifices), it is to be attained by extinguishing path by path - that is he has to proceed along a definite and prescribed route taking care of the portions of the route which he has already covered are not to be covered again.

Actions lead to the regions of bliss and emancipation, but the problem is that state is transitory, for when the Punya are exhausted, he has to leave those regions. He falls off from there and restarts his actions. So if permanent emancipation is to be attained, the process of restarting actions has to be stopped. (back to 5 prewar, 6vidurneeti5) 

Note 3
We have heard that this Var was applicable only for one day, and that one day was that day, that is why he could check those four Paandav. (back to 6 war, 17battle131)

Peace
Although Mahaabhaarat is the story of four generations, but mainly of the enmity between Kaurav and Paandav resulting only in 18 days of war, still at all places peace has been stressed at any cost like humiliation. Krishn left Mathuraa because of Jaraasandh, because He did not want war with him. Vidur, Bheeshm, Dhritraashtra all sensible people want peace. Yudhishthir himself who has suffered the most, also wants peace even with humiliation. Only Duryodhan, Karn, Dushaasan and Shakuni are for war

Praayashchit
Repentance. In Praayashchit, repentance is done by passing through some difficult situations from saying sorry or asking for forgiveness to kill oneself, for example: fasting for a day, or fasting for a week, staying in forest (as Paandu did), slavery to the person, etc. It is meant for purifying the soul.

Raajaa Nal

Ratio
It is a remarkable fact that the ratio between the diameter and circumference of a circle was roughly known to ancient Hindu. The circumference here is three and half times of the diameter. The next ratio is slightly less, being three and one-seventh.

Saatyaki and Bhoorishravaa
There was an ancient quarrel between these the families of Saatyaki and Bhoorishravaa. Shoorsen, the father of Vasudev and grandfather of Krishn, had a cousin named Sinee. There was once the Swayamvar for Devakee (the sister of Kans). Sinee went to that Swayamvar and abducted her to make her the wife of Vasudev. At that time Somdatt was the king in Kuru House. He was very powerful. Somdatt was the son of Baahleek (Shantanu's brother). He resented the act of Sinee and challenged him for fight. Sinee won. He caught Somdatt by hair and placed his foot on his chest. This was a great insult to Kuru House. He prayed to Bhagvaan and got a Var for a son who would do the same thing with one of the descendents of Sinee. He got Bhoorishravaa and Saatyaki was the grandson of Sinee. 

Shabd-Vedhee Vaan (Arrow)
Shooting the subject only at hearing its sound or voice, not by seeing it or him.

Shak Dweep
Probably this mythical account of Shak Dweep (of no king) is of some vague current in ancient India of some republic of Eastern Asia or Oceanic Asia (further east in Pacific). Hindu are accustomed to king form of government, not this.

Shikshaa
One of the six branches of Ved. Others are - Vyaakaran, 

Som
Som, also known as Chandramaa (Moon) is the Devtaa of all the herbal wealth of the world. he has daughter named Jyotsanaakalee who first chose the eldest son of aditi as her husband. Then she chose Varun's son named Pushkar.

Swayamvar
In olden days when girls grew up of marriageable age their father organized Swayamvar for them - Swayam = self, and Var = husband, means to select a husband herself. The king used to invite many kings and princes from various countries, and the girl, usually carrying Varmaalaa (a garland), used to get introduction of all candidates. Then to whoever she liked, she put the garland in his neck. Sometimes some prince very much wanted to marry her, but she did not put her Varmaalaa in his neck, then there could be a fight also.

Some Swayamvar are very famous in Indian history, for example: Draupadee's Swayamvar, Seetaa's Swayamvar, Sanyogitaa's Swayamvar (Prithvi Raaj Chauhaan had to abduct her, because her family members did not want to marry her to him)

Trees
There are five species of tree: (1) Trees are such as Peepal; (2) Gulm (shrub) such as Kush, Kasa growing from a clump underneath; (3) Creepers - all plants growing upon the soil but requiring some support to twine around; (4) Vallee - those that creep on the earth and live for a year only, such as the gourd, pumpkin etc; (5) Trin - such as grass and all plants that have no stem, but only barks and leaves.

Vaitarnee River
According to Garud Puraan the soul has to cross this river full of blood, bones, and all kinds of dirty things before arriving to Yam Lok. This River is said to flow in south direction. Everybody has to cross this.

Vardaan
Boon. Some good thing to be bestowed on somebody. Normally the God grants this to living being, but sometimes human beings also have so much power that thy can also bestow a boon. When God gives it, He gives according to the person's wishes, but when human beings bestow this, they give it with their own wish, such as Raajaa Shantanu gave the Ichchhaa Mrityu Vardaan to Bheeshm of his own.

Varmaalaa
This is a garland which is carried by the girl for whom the Swayamvar is organized. To whoever she chooses as her husband, she put that Varmaalaa in his neck.

Varun
Varun is the Devtaa of waters. He has a son named Pushkar.

Wealth  see  Dhan

Weapons
The science of arms (Dhanurved) classes arms under four heads: (1) Mukt, (2) Amukt), (3) Muktaakukt, (4) Yantramukt. A Mukt weapon is that which is hurled from the hand as a Chakra (disc); an Amukt weapon is not hurled from hand as a sword; a Yantramukt weapon is that which is shot from a machine as an arrow or a ball (like catapult). All Mukt weapons are called Astra, while all Amukt weapons are called Shastra.