Glossary

This section contains: people and places mentioned in this World Wide Web site, as well as Literature mentioned in this World Wide Web site.

Aadhithya. Son of Adhithi, or Lord Sun.

Arjuna. Krishna's disciple, in the dialogue of the Bhagavath Geetha ;the third of the five Paandhava brothers. See Mahaabhaaratha .

Ashvapathi. Lord of horses, brother-in-law of Dashara.

Ashvatthaama. Son of Dhrona .

Bhagavath Geetha. Literally, the Song of God. The portion of the Mahaabhaaratha that is a dialogue between Arjuna , one of the Paandhavas , and Krishna .

Bhaarath. India; Indian; descendent of King Bhaarath, the first emperor of India.

Bheema. Second of the five Paandhava brothers , who was named for his size and strength. See Mahaabhaaratha .

Bheeshma. The guardian of the Kauravas and Paandhavas . Remarkable for wisdom and unflinching devotion to God. Fought on the side of Kauravas; noted for death on a bed of arrows, while thinking of God. See Mahaabhaaratha .

Brahma. The Creator in the trinity Brahma , Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer).

Brindhaavan. The forest of Brindha. The lands and forests where Krishna played in his childhood.

Dharmaja. The eldest of the Paandhava princes ; also called Yudhishthira.Born to Kunthee by the grace of Dharmaraaja, the Lord of Death, and named for adherence to dharma . See Mahaabhaaratha .

Dhraupadhee. The wife of the five Paandhava brothers. See Mahaabhaaratha .

Dhrishthadhyumna. Brother of Dhraupadhee .

Dhritharaashthra. Father of the Kauravas ; bold one.

Dhrona. Teacher of archery and war tactics for the Paandhavas and Kauravas .

Dhuryodhana. The chief (and eldest) of the evil-minded sons of Dhritharaashthra ; hard to combat.

Ganga (Ganges). Holiest and most famous river in India. Said to be a celestial river that was brought down to Earth by King Bhageeratha.

Geetha. Literally, song. Short for Bhagavath Geetha .

Gita. Alternative spelling of Geetha .

Godhaavaree. Second largest river in India; which divides north and south India.

Gopaala. Cowherd boy. A name for Lord Krishna .

Hanumaan. Son of the Wind God and a great "devotee servant" of Raama ; Hanumaan was half man and half monkey.

Hari. God; destroyer of sins; another name for Vishnu .

Hiranyakashipu. An atheist, whose son was the great devotee Prahlaadha .In a previous incarnation as Narasimhadheva, Krishna killed Hiranyakashipu.

Ikshvaaku. Son of Manu , ancestor of Raama 's dynasty.

Indhra. Lord of the dhevas (celestials).

Janaka. A self-realized king; father-in-law of Lord Raamachandhra.

Jathaayu. The Kite King (a kite is a large eagle-like bird), who fought against Raavana while abducting Seetha ( Raama 's wife).

Karna. Half-brother of the Paandhavas (son of Kunthee ).

Kauntheya. Son of Kunthee (who is Arjuna's mother).

Kauravas. The family that fought the Paandavas . See Mahaabhaaratha .

Keshava. "Slayer of the demon Keshi"; another name for Krishna .

Krishna. The Avathaar of Vishnu in the Dhwaapara era or yuga .

Kubera. The Lord of Wealth.

Kuchela. A poor braahmana classmate of Krishna .

Kumbhakarna. Younger brother of Raavana , who slept for six months at a time.

Kunthee. Mother of the Paandhava s, wife of Paandu Raja.

Kurukshethra. The battlefield where the Paandhavas and Kauravas fought.

Maadhava. God (another name for Krishna ); Master of illusion ( maayaa ), Lord of Lakshmi.

Madhava. Alternative spelling of Maadhava .

Madhusuudhana. "Killer of the Madhu demon" -another name for Krishna .

Mahaabhaaratha. An ancient epic in poetry form by the sage Vyaasa ,which describes the conflict between the five Paandhava brothers and their cousins, the 100 Kaurava brothers. Arjuna isone of the Paandhava brothers. The Mahaabhaarata contains the Bhagavath Geetha .

Manu. The father of mankind; the author of the codes of righteous conduct (Dharma Shasthras).

Nandhakumaara. "(adopted) son of Nandha" -another name for Krishna .

Naraayana. The primal person, the Lord Himself.

Naaradha. The sage-bard who traveled the world chanting Naraayana .Famous for creating disputes.

Narasimha. Man-lion. One of the ten Avathaars of Vishnu .

Paandhavas. The family of 5 brothers that fought the Kauravas :Dharmaraaja, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadheva. See Mahaabhaaratha .

Paartha. "Son of Earth (Prithvee)" -a name for Arjuna .

Parashuraama. One of the ten Avathaars of Vishnu .

Pathanjali. (2nd centry B.C.) Author of the Yoga Suuthras, which form the foundation of the yoga system of Indian philosophy.

Prahlaadha. Son of the demon king Hiranyakashipu. As a boy, he was beaten, trampled, and cast into fire and water. But, he saw only God everywhere, and repetition of the Name saved him. Once, Prahlaadha asserted that God was everywhere, and Naraayana appeared in his man-lion form from within a pillar.

Prema Sai. The third in the triple incarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba, and Prema Sai Baba. (This will be expanded at a later date.)

Puraana. Any of a number of collections of epics, legends, and lore embodying the principles of the ancient, eternal religion and ethics. There are 18 Puraanas, the most famous being the Raamaayana and the Mahaabhaaratha .

Raama. The Avathaar of the Thretha era, the second in the cycle of four (we are in the fourth, the Kali yuga).

Raamaayana. The great epic that narrates the story of Raama .

Raavana. Lord of demons and king of Lanka, who abducted Seetha (the wife of Raama ).

Rathnaakara. The wayside robber who, because of the teaching of sages, repented and became Valmeeki , the author of the Raamaayana .

Saraswathi. A river in India.

Shabari. An outcast devotee who waited years for the dharshan of Raama .

Shakthi. Female consort of Shiva: Shiva and Shakthi are inseparable aspects of the one Reality. Shiva is the spiritual substratum and Shakthi is the phenomenon, the great universal power or energy, Mother Nature..

Shirdi Sai Baba. The first of the triple incarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba, and Prema Sai Baba. (This will be expanded at a later date.).

Shiva. The Destroyer in the trinity of Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver),and Shiva.

Suurdhaas. A great blind devotee of Krishna .

Suurya. The sun god, the father of time. A name for the sun.

Thrishanku. King for whom Sage Vishwaamithra created another heaven.

Upanishaths. A set of ancient, highest philosophical treatises, mostly in dialogue form. Their principle message is the unity of Brahman and the Aathma .

Urvashi. One of 4 celestial dancers in the court of Indhra .

Vaasudheva. "Son of Vasudheva " -another name for Krishna .

Valmeeki. The saint-poet who wrote the Raamaayana .

varna. Caste.

Vasudheva. Father of Krishna .

Vedas. Alternative spelling of Vedhas .

Vedhas. The entire body of ancient sacred revelations of truth, chief among which are four books, the Rigvedha, the Saamavedha, the Atharvanavedha and the Yajurvedha.

Venkata. Another name for Vishnu .He is installed in Thirupathi.

Vidhura. Brother and chief minister of Dhritharaashthra .

Viraatha. King of Matsya and father-in-law of Abhimanyu (son of Arjuna ).The Paandhavas lived incognito in the service of Viraatha for a year.

Vishnu. The Preserver in the trinity Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu, and Shiva (the Destroyer).

Vyaasa. Compiler of the Vedhas and author of the Mahaabhaaratha .

Yamuna. A tributary of the river Ganges (Ganges).