Shiva, also known as Mahadeva or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.
Rudras refer to the forms of the god Rudra, whose traditions have since been associated with Shiva. They make up eleven of the thirty-three gods in the Vedic pantheon. They are at times identified with the storm deities referred to as Maruts, while at other times considered distinct from them.
Rudra is a Rigvedic deity associated with Shiva, the wind or storms, Vayu, medicine, and the hunt. One translation of the name is 'the roarer'. In the Rigveda, Rudra is praised as the "mightiest of the mighty". Rudra means "who eradicates problems from their roots". Depending upon the periodic situation, Rudra can mean 'the most severe roarer/howler' (could be a hurricane or tempest) or 'the most frightening one'. This name appears in the Shiva Sahasranama, and R. K. Sharma notes that it is used as a name of Shiva often in later languages. The "Shri Rudram" hymn from the Yajurveda is dedicated to Rudra and is important in the Shaivism sect. In Prathama Anuvaka of Namakam, Sri Rudram the "mightiest of the mighty" Rudra, is revered as Sadasiva and Mahadeva. Sadashiva is the Supreme Being, Paramashiva in the Mantra marga Siddhanta sect of Shaivism. Also, the name Shiva is used many times in the same Anuvaka for invoking Rudra.
Savitṛ, also rendered as Savitur, in Vedic scriptures is an Aditya of the Vedic primeval mother goddess Aditi. His name in Vedic Sanskrit connotes "impeller, rouser, vivifier."
Vayu, also known as Vata and Pavana, is the Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the Vedic scriptures, Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king of gods. He is mentioned to be born from the breath of Supreme Being Vishvapurusha and also the first one to drink Soma. The Upanishads praise him as Prana or 'life breath of the world'. In the later Hindu scriptures, he is described as a dikpala, who looks over the north-west direction. The Hindu epics describe him as the father of the god Hanuman and Bhima.
The Vishnu Sahasranama, is a Sanskrit hymn containing a list of the 1,000 names of Vishnu, one of the main deities in Hinduism and the Supreme God in Vaishnavism. It is one of the most sacred and popular stotras in Hinduism. The most popular version of the Vishnu Sahasranama is featured in the Anushasana Parva of the epic Mahabharata. Other versions exist in the Padma Purana, the Skanda Purana, and the Garuda Purana. There is also a Sikh version of the Vishnu Sahasranama found in the work Sundar Gutka.
The Devi Mahatmya or Devi Mahatmyam is a Hindu philosophical text describing the Goddess, known as Mahadevi or Adishakti, as the supreme power and creator of the universe. It is part of the Markandeya Purana.
The Isha Upanishad, also known as Shri Ishopanishad, Ishavasya Upanishad, or Vajasaneyi Samhita Upanishad, is one of the shortest Upanishads, embedded as the final chapter (adhyāya) of the Shukla Yajurveda. It is a Mukhya Upanishad, and is known in two recensions, called Kanva (VSK) and Madhyandina (VSM). The Upanishad is a brief poem, consisting of 17 or 18 verses, depending on the recension.
In Hindu mythology, Sarama is a mythological dog being referred to as the female dog of the gods, or Deva-shuni. She first appears in one of Hinduism's earliest texts, the Rig Veda, in which she helps the king of the gods Indra to recover divine cows stolen by the Panis asuras. This legend is alluded to in many later texts, and Sarama is often associated with Indra. The epic Mahabharata, and some Puranas, also make brief reference to Sarama.
Purusha Sukta is a hymn in the Rigveda, dedicated to the Purusha, the "Cosmic Being". It is considered to have been a relatively late addition to the scripture — probably, to accord theological sanction to an increasingly unequal Kuru polity — and is the only hymn to mention the four varnas in explicit, alluding to a hierarchical division of the society. The hymn is also found in the three other Vedas but in slightly different forms.
The Nāsadīya Sūkta, also known as the Hymn of Creation, is the 129th hymn of the 10th mandala of the Rigveda (10:129). It is concerned with cosmology and the origin of the universe.
Manyu is a war god in Vedic Hinduism. He is a deity referenced in the Rigveda, with hymns dedicated to him in the eponymous Manyu Sukta.
Mayabheda, (Sanskrit:मायाभेद:), means the breaching or removal of Avidya ("ignorance"). It means the destruction of the illusion caused by Maya which occurs coinciding with the gain/dawn of Right Knowledge, the knowledge of Brahman. The Rig Veda Sukta R.V.X.177 addressed to Mayabheda in its three Mantras in its own cryptic way serves this purpose. The central theme of this hymn is the discernment of Maya or illusion, the cause of material creation. Mayabheda is also one of the Rigvedic deities.
The Devīsūktam, also called the Aṃbhṛnīsūktam, is the 125th sūkta (hymn) occurring in the 10th mandala of the Ṛgveda. In the present day, the sūkta is popularly chanted during the worship of the Devī, in the daily rituals of temples, and also in various Vedic sacrificial ceremonies like iṣti, hōma, havana, etc. It is also chanted at the end of Devīmāhātmya. The Vedic hymn is an important basis for Shaktism.
Pratyangira, also called Atharvana Bhadrakali, Narasimhi, Simhamukhi, and Nikumbala, is a Hindu goddess associated with Shaktism. She is described to be the female energy and consort of Narasimha. According to the Tripura Rahasya, she is the pure manifestation of the wrath of Tripura Sundari. In the Vedas, Pratyangira is represented in the form of Atharvana Bhadrakali, the goddess of the Atharva Veda and magical spells. Narasimhi is part of the Saptamatrika mother goddesses.
The Rigveda or Rig Veda is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (sūktas). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (śruti) known as the Vedas. Only one Shakha of the many survive today, namely the Śakalya Shakha. Much of the contents contained in the remaining Shakhas are now lost or are not available in the public forum.
Avatsara is a rishi (sage) featured in the Rigveda. His name first appears in Sukta 44 of the Fifth Mandala.
V. R. Panchamukhi, is an Indian Economist and Sanskrit scholar. He was born on September 17, 1936, in Dharwad, Karnataka. He is the eldest son of Vidyaratna Shri R. S. Panchamukhi, an archaeologist and indologist and Sanskrit Scholar.
Krishnacharya Tamanacharya Pandurangi, also known by the pen name Viswamangala, was an Indian Sanskrit scholar and a notable Indologist. Pandurangi was unique among contemporary Sanskrit scholars, being simultaneously at home among both traditional and modern systems of education. In 1989, the Government of India honoured him with the Rashtrapati Award for his contributions to literature and research.
