The Brihaspati Project
Glossary of Hindu Terms

You have arrived at the Brihaspati Project's Glossary of Hindu Terms page.  The entries are organized alphabetically, and are rather short.  Please see the Links and Resources page for a list of other sites that have more information on specific entries than those listed below.

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A
Agni: Agni is one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire, the messenger of the gods, the acceptor of sacrifice. Agni is in everyone's hearth; he is the vital spark of life, and so a part of him is in all living things; he is the fire which consumes food in peoples' stomachs, as well as the fire which consumes the offerings to the gods. He is the fire of the sun, in the lightening bolt, and in the smoke column which holds up the heavens. The stars are sparks from his flame. He was so important to the ancient Indians that 200 hymns in the Rig Veda are addressed to him, and eight of its ten books begin with praises dedicated to him. (Encyclopedia Mythica)

aryans:

Avesta:


B
before the common era:

brahma:

Brahma:

Brahmanas:

Brahmans:

Bhrigu:

Brihaspati: Brihaspati is the lord of prayer in Hindu mythology. He is the celestial priest who is master of the Word who dispels darkness and destroys the enemies of the gods by his recitations of magical formulae. In his form as Brahmanaspati he helped create the universe with his chanting. He has seven mouths, seven rays emanate from him, and he rides on a chariot drawn by eight horses. He seems to be connected in some way to the sacrificial fire of the south which is lit for the honored ancestors, and because of this is sometimes confused with Agni, who also seems to be a sort of priest of the gods. He is also closely linked with Brahma, as both are regarded as the creators of the universe. He is considered to be the planet Jupiter. His consort is Tara.  (Enclycopedia Mythica)

Buddha:

Buddhism:


C
Chandra: Chandra was the original Indian god of the moon who was later merged with Soma. He was white in color, and drove the moon chariot across the sky with ten white horses. He was also a fertility god, for the dew which fell on the plants overnight and gave them life was seen as coming from the moon. Chandra was also prayed to when a couple wanted to have a child. He is sometimes called the father of Budha and Tara is named as one of his consorts. (Enclycopedia Mythica). 

D
Dasas:

Dravidians:

Dyaus-Pitar:


E

F

G
ganga:

H

I
Indo-Europeans:
Indo-Gangetic plain:

Indo-Iranians:

Indra: In Vedic times, Indra was the supreme ruler of the gods. He was the leader of the Devas, the god of war, the god of thunder and storms, the greatest of all warriors, the strongest of all beings. He was the defender of gods and mankind against the forces of evil. He had early aspects of a sun-god, riding in a golden chariot across the heavens, but he is more often known as the god of thunder, wielding the celestial weapon Vajra, the lightening bolt. He also employs the bow, a net, and a hook in battle. He shows aspects of being a creater god, having set order to the cosmos, and since he was the one who brought water to earth, he was a fertility god as well. He also had the power to revive slain warriors who had fallen in battle. (Encyclopedia Mythica)

Indus River:

Indus River Civilization:


J
Jainism:

K

L

M
Mahavira:

Maruts: The Maruts were minor storm deities who in Vedic times were the sons of Rudra and the attendants of Indra. There number is variously given as two, twenty-seven, or sixty. They were aggressive and violent in character. They were the drivers of the clouds, the bringers of wind, the fellers of trees, and the crushers of mountains. They sometimes accompanied Indra into battle, and attended him at his court. (Enclycopedia Mythica


N

O

P
panjab:

Prajapati:


Q

R
Rg Veda:

rita: Rta is a term which signifies the cosmic order of the universe. It is through rta that the sun rises and sets, that rivers flow, trees grow, and animals are born. It is the twelve-spoked wheel of the cyclical year. It is seen as the path one follows to a goal. A just and honorable man will always try to uphold rta. It is always advisable to act in accordance with rta, for then things will invariably go smoothly. Rta is therefore also seen as Truth. (Enclycopedia Mythica

Rudra: In ancient Vedic myth, Rudra ("howler") is the malignant god of storm and wind, and is also considered to have been the god of death. He is the personification of the uncultured nature. Rudra fires arrows of sickness at gods, men and animals. He is the father of the Maruts, who are occasionally called Rudras. His appearance and nature changes largely with the emerging of Hinduism. Rudra became a beneficent and beautiful god, the lord of the animals and the patron of hunters. His name changed into Shiva, and is since then one of the
most prominent deities of Hinduism. (Enclycopedia Mythica)


S
Sarasvati River:

Savitri:

shiva: The third deity of the Hindu triad of great gods, the Trimurti. Shiva is called the Destroyer, but has also the aspect of regeneration. As destroyer he is dark and terrible, appearing as a naked ascetic accompanied by a train of hideous demons, encircled with serpents and necklaces of skulls. As auspicious and reproductive power, he is worshipped in the form of the Linga, or phallus. (Enclycopedia Mythica)

soma (drink): As a drink, Soma is the ambrosia of the gods. It was due to this influence that they could rise above all obstacles to achieve their goals. Indra was a great drinker of the substance; before his confrontation with Vritra, he drank rivers of it to gain the strength needed to overcome the fearsome dragon. Agni also consumed it in large amounts. Soma was what gave the Vedic gods their immortality. It was also a drink for mortals, a golden-hued nectar which was derived from the Soma plant, which may be a species known as ephedra vulgaris to botanists. This drink brought hallucinations and ecstasy to those who consumed it. It helped warriors to overcome their fears in battle, and it helped poets to become inspired to create. Soma was a bridge between the mortal world and that of the gods. This drink is the same as Haoma in Persian mythology. (Enclycopedia Mythica)

Soma (god): As the moon, Soma became equated with the god Chandra, who originally was the moon deity. The moon was considered the cup which held the drink Soma for the gods, and one reason that the moon waxed and waned was due to this fact. When the moon waned, it was because the gods were drinking down all the Soma; as it waxed, the god was re-creating himself, only to be consumed again once the cup was again full. As the Vedic age ended and the Brahmans asserted themselves, the power of the gods no longer came from Soma but instead from sacrifices made by humans; Soma came more and more to be just a god of the moon. (Enclycopedia Mythica)

Surya: In India, he corresponds to the Greek Helios - he is the special god who dwelt in the body of the sun. Surya is described as the husband of dawn, as well as her son. (Enclycopedia Mythica)


T

U
Upanishads:

Usas: The goddess of the dawn in Hindu myth, and the breath of life in the Vedas. (Enclycopedia Mythica)


V
Vac: "Speech". The Hindu goddess of speech and eloquence, and the mother of the Vedas. Later she was identified with Sarasvati. (Enclycopedia Mythica)

varna:

Varuna: Though he only has about a dozen hymns addressed to him in the Rig Veda, Varuna seems to be one of the most important of the Vedic gods. In pre-Vedic times, he was the supreme lord of the cosmos, the keeper of divine order, the bringer of rain, the enforcer of contracts. He is called omnipotent and omniscient;
he is responsible for the sun to move in the sky, for day and night to stay separate, and for the earth to keep its form; he watches the flight of every bird, is present at every gathering, and knows every thought. (Enclycopedia Mythica

Vayu: An early deity of the wind or wind spirit in Hindu myth. Allied to him are the Maruts, the storm devils. (Enclycopedia Mythica

Vishnu:

vrita: Vritra was one of the asuras, perhaps the most powerful of them all. His name means "Enveloper." He was a dragon or serpent who was said to be so huge that his coils surrounded mountains, and his head touched the sky. He was the bringer of drought, and his chief enemy was Indra. (Enclycopedia Mythica)


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Last Udpated January 15, 2005.
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