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ASTIKA
An ancient sage, son of Jarat-karu by a sister of the great serpent
Vasuki. He saved the life of the serpent Takshaka when Janamejaya
made his great sacrifice of serpents, and induced that king to
forego his persecution of the serpent race.
ASURA
'Spiritual, divine.' In the oldest parts of the Rig. veda
this term is used for the supreme spirit, and is the same as the
Ahura of the Zoroastrians. In the sense of' god' it was applied to
several of the chief deities, as to Indra, Agni, and Varuna. It
afterwards acquired an entirely opposite meaning, and came to
signify, as now, a demon or enemy of the gods. The word is found
with this signification in the later parts of the Rig-veda,
particularly in the last book, and also in the Atharva,. veda. The
Brahmanas attach the same meaning to it, and record many contests
between the Asuras and the gods. According to the Taittiriya
Brahmana, the breath (asu) of Prajapati became alive, and
"with that breath he created me Asuras. "In another part of the same
work it is said that Prajapati " be- came pregnant. He created
Asuras from his abdomen." The Satapatha Brahmana accords with the
former statement, and states that "he created Asuras from his lower
breath." The Taittiriya. Aranyaka represents that Prajapati created
" gods, men, fathers, Gandharvas, and Apsarases II from water, and
that the Asuras, Rakshasas, and pisachas sprang from the drops which
were spilt. Manu's statement is that they were created by the
Prajapatis. According to the Vishnu Purana, they were produced from
the groin of Brahma (prajapati). The account of the vayu purana is:
"Asuras were first produced as sons from his (Prajapati's) groin.
Asu is declared by Brahmana to mean breath. From it these
beings were produced; hence they are Asuras." The word has long been
used as a general name for the enemies of the gods, including the
Daityas and Danavas and other descendants of Kasyapa, but not
including the Rakshasas descended from Pulastya. In this sense a
different derivation has been found for it: the source is no longer
asu, `breath,' but the initial a is taken as the negative
prefix, and a-sura signifies 'not a god; hence, according to
some, arose the word sura, commonly used for 'a god.' See
Sura.
ASURl One of the
earliest professors of the Sankhya philosophy.
ASWALAYANA
A
celebrated writer of antiquity. He was pupil of Saunaka, and was
author of Srauta-sutras, Grihya-sutras, and other works upon ritual,
as well as founder of a Sakha of the Rig-veda. The Sutras have been
published by Dr. Stenzler, and also in the Bibliotheca Indica.
ASWA-MEDHA
'The sacrifice of a horse.' This is a sacrifice, which, in Vedic
times, was performed by king’s desirous offspring. The horse was
killed with certain ceremonies, and the wives of the king had to
pass the night by its carcase. Upon the chief wife fell the duty of
going through a revolting formality which can only be hinted at.
Subsequently, as in the time of the Maha-bharata, the sacrifice
obtained a high importance and significance. It was performed only
by kings, and implied that he who instituted it was a conqueror and
king of kings. It was believed that the performance of one hundred
such sacrifices would enable a mortal king to overthrow the throne
of Indra, and to become the ruler of the universe and sovereign of
the gods. A horse of a particular colour was consecrated by the
performance of certain ceremonies, and was then turned loose to
wander at will for a year. The king, or his representative, followed
the horse with an army, and when the animal entered a foreign
country, the ruler of that country was bound either to fight or to
submit. If the liberator of the horse succeeded in obtaining or
enforcing the submission of all the countries over which it passed,
he returned in triumph with the vanquished Rajas in his train; but
if he failed, he was disgraced and his pretensions ridiculed. After
the successful return a great festival was held, at which the horse
was sacrificed, either really or figuratively.
ASWA-MUKHA
'Horse faced.' See Kinnara.
ASWA-PATI
'Lord
of horses.' An appellation of many kings.
ASWATTRAMAN.
Son of Drona and Kripa, and one of the generals of the Kauravas.
Also called by his patronymit Drauniyana. After the last great
battle, in which Dur-yodhana was mortally wounded, Aswatthaman with
two other warriors, Kripa and Krita-varman, were the sole survivors
of the Kaurava host that were left effective. Aswatthaman was made
the commander. He was fierce in his hostility to the pandavas, and
craved for revenge upon Dhrishta-dyumna, who had slain his father,
Drona. These three surviving Kauravas entered the pandava camp at
night. They found Dhrishta-dyumna asleep, and Aswatthaman stamped
him to death as he lay. He then killed Sikhandin, the other son of
Drupada, and he also killed the five young sons of the pandavas and
carried their heads to the dying Dur-yodhana. He killed Parikshit,
while yet unborn in the womb of his mother, with his celestial
weapon Brahmastra, by which he incurred the curse of Krishna, who
restored Parikshit to life. On the next morning he and his comrades
fled, but Draupadi cIamoured for revenge upon the murderer of her
children. Yudhi-shthira represented that Aswatthaman was a Brahman,
and pleaded for his life. She then consented to forego her demand
for his blood if the precious and protective jewel which he wore on
his head were brought to her. Bhima, Arjuna, and Krishna then went
in pursuit of him. Arjuna and Krishna overtook him, and
compelled him to give up the jewel. They carried it to Draupadi, and
she gave it to Yudhi-shthira, who afterwards wore it on his
head.
ASWINS,
ASWINAU (dual), ASWINI KUMARAS
Horsemen. 'Dioskouroi. Two Vedic deities, twin sons of the sun or
the sky. They are ever young and handsome, bright, and of golden
brilliancy, agile, swift as falcons, and possessed of many forms;
and they ride in a golden car drawn by horses or birds, as
harbingers of Ushas, the dawn. "They are the earliest bringers of
light in the morning sky, who in their chariot hasten onwards before
the dawn and prepare the way for her." -Roth. As personifications of
the morning twilight, they are said to be children of the sun by a
nymph who concealed herself in the form of a mare; hence she was
called Aswini and her sons Aswins. But inasmuch as they precede the
rise of the sun, they are called his parents in his form Pushan.
Mythically they are the parents of the Pandu princes Nakula and
Sahadeva. Their attributes are numerous, but relate mostly to youth
and beauty, light and speed, duality, the curative power, and active
benevolence. The number of hymns addressed to them testify to the
enthusiastic worship they received. They were the physicians of
Swarga, and in this character is called Das and Nasatyas, Gadagadau
and Swar -vaidyau ; or one was Dasra and the other Nasatya. Other of
their appellations are Abdhi. jau, 'ocean born;' Pushkam -srajau,
'wreathed with lotuses;' Badaveyau, sons of the submarine fire,
Badava. Many instances are recorded of their benevolence and their
power of healing. They restored the sage Chyavana to youth, and
prolonged his life when he had become old and decrepit, and through
his instrumentality they were admitted to partake of the libations
of soma, like the other gods, although Indra strongly opposed them.
(See Chyavana.) The Aswins, says Muir, "have been a puzzle to
the oldest commentators, "who have differed widely in their
explanations. According to different interpretations quoted in the
Nirukta, they were "heaven and earth," "day and night," "two kings,
performers of holy acts." The following is the view taken of them by
the late Professor Goldstucker, as printed in Muir's Texts,
vol v. :-
"The myth of
the Aswins is, in my opinion, one of that class of myths in which
two distinct elements, the cosmical and the human or historical,
have gradually become blended into one It seems necessary,
therefore, to separate these two elements in order to arrive at an
understanding of the myth. The historical or human element in it, I
believe, is -represented by those legends, which refer to the
wonderful cures affected by the Aswins, and to their performances of
a kindred sort; the cosmical element is that relating to their
luminous nature. The link, which connects both, seems to be the
mysteriousness of the nature and effects of the phenomena of light
and of the healing art at a remote antiquity. That there might have
been some horsemen or warriors of great renown, who inspired their
contemporaries with awe by their wonderful deeds, and more
especially by their medical skill, appears to have been also the
opinion of some old commentators mentioned by Yaska [in Nirukta],
for some 'legendary writers,' he says, took them for `two kings,
performers of holy acts,' and this view seems like-wise borne out by
the legend in which it is narrated that the gods refused the Aswins
admittance to a sacrifice on the ground that they had been on too
familiar terms with men. It would appear, then, that these Aswins,
like the Ribhus, were originally renowned mortals, who, in the
course of time, were translated into the companionship of the
gods...
"The luminous character of the Aswins can scarcely be matter
of doubt, for the view of some commentators, recorded by Yaska,
according to which they are identified with 'heaven and earth,'
appears not to be countenanced by any of the passages known to us.
Their very name, it would seem, settles this point, since Aswa, the
horse, literally 'the pervader,' is always the symbol of the
luminous deities, especially of the sun. ...
"It seems to be the opinion of Yaska that the Aswins
represent the transition from darkness to light, when the
intermingling of both produces that inseparable duality expressed by
the twin nature of these deities. And this interpretation, I hold,
is the best that can be given of the character of the cosmical
Aswins. It agrees with the epithets by which they are invoked, and
with the relationship in which they are placed. They are young, yet
also ancient, beautiful, bright, swift, &c.; and their negative
character, the result of the alliance of light with darkness, is, I
believe, expressed by dasra, the destroyer, and also by the
two negatives in the compound nasatya (na + satya) ; though
their positive character is again redeemed by the ellipsis of
'enemies, or diseases' to dasra, and by the sense of
nasatya, not untrue, i.e., truthful."
ATHARVA,
ATHARVAN
The fourth Veda. See Veda.
ATHARVAN
Name of a priest mentioned in the Rig-veda, whore he is
represented as having "drawn forth" fire and to have "offered
sacrifice in early times." He is mythologically represented as the
eldest son of Brahma, to whom that god revealed the Brahma-vidya
(knowledge of God), as a Prajapati, and as the inspired author of
the fourth Veda. At a later period he is identified with Angiras.
His descendants are called Atharvanas, and are often associated with
the Angirasas.
ATHARVANGIRASAS
This name belongs to the descendants of Atharvan and Angiras, or to
the Angirasas alone, who are especially connected with the
Atharva-veda, and these names are probably given to the hymns
of that Veda to confer on them greater authority and holiness.
ATMA-BODHA.'Knowledge
of the soul' A short work attributed to Sankaracharya. It has been
printed, and translation of it was published in 1812 by Taylor.
There is a French version by N eve and an English translation by
Rear in the Indian Antiquary, vol v.
ATMAN,
ATMA.
The soul the principle of life. The supreme soul.
ATREYA.
A patronymic from Am A son or descendant of Atri; a people so
called.
ATRI
'An
eater.' A Rishi, and author of many Vedic hymns. A Maharshi
or great saint, who in the Vedas occurs especially in hymns composed
for the praise of Agni, Indra, the Aswins, and the Viswa-devas. In
the epic period he is considered as one of the ten Prajapatis or
Lords of creation engendered by Manu for the purpose of creating the
universe; at a later period he appears as a mind-born son of Brahma,
and one of the Seven Rishis who preside over the reign of
Swayambhuva, the first Manu, or, according to others, of
Swarochisha, the second, or of Vaivaswata, the seventh. He married
Anasuya daughter of Daksha, and their son was Durvasas.
"-Goldstucker, In the Ramayana an account is given of the
visit paid by Rama and Sita to Atri and Anasuya in their hermitage
south of Chitrakuta. In the Puranas he was also father of Soma, the
moo and me ascetic Dattatreya by his wife Anasuya. As a Rishi
he is one of the stars of the Great
Bear.
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