KA-TANTRA A Sanskrit grammar by Sarva-varman. Edited by Eggeling for the Bibliotheca Indica. 

KATA-PRU `Worm.’ A class of beings similar to or identical with the Vidya-dharas.

KATHA Name of a Upanishad (q.v.). It has been translated by Dr. Roer in the Bibliotheca Indica.

KATHAKA A school or recension of the Yajur-veda, occupying a position between the Black and the White. It is supported to be lost.

KATHARNAVA `See of stories.’ A compilation of miscellaneous stories in four books; the first two are the originals of the Hindi Baital Pachisi and Singhasan Battisi.

KATHA-SARIT-SAGARA `The ocean of the rivers of stories.’ A collection of popular stories by Soma-deva-bhatta of Kashmir, made about the beginning of the twelfth century A.D. It is drawn from a larger work called Brihat-katha. The text has been printed and in part translated by Brockhaus.

KATYAYANA An ancient writer of great celebrity, who came after Panini, whose grammar he completed and corrected in what he called Varttikas, `supplementary rules and annotations.’ He is generally identified with Vararuchi, the author of the Prakrita Prakasa. Max Muller places him in the second half of the fourth century B.C.; Goldstucker in the first half of the second century B.C.; Weber about twenty-five years B.C. Besides his additions to Panini’s Grammar, he was the author of the Srauta-sutras, which bear his name, and of the Yajur-veda Pratisakhya. His Sutras have been edited by Weber. A story in the Katha-sarit-sagara makes him the incarnation of a demigod named Pushpa-danta. A Katyayana was author also of a Dharma-sastra.

KATYAYANI A name of Durga. See Devi.

KAUMARA The creation of the Kumaras (q.v.).

KAUMODAKI The mace of Krishna, presented to him by Agni when engaged with him in fighting against Indra and burning the Khandava forest.

KAUNDINYA An ancient sage and grammarian. He offended Siva, but was saved from that god’s wrath by Vishnu: he was hence called Vishnu-gupta, `saved by Vishnu.’

KAUNTEYA Son of Kunti. A metronymic applicable to Yudhi-shthira, Bhima, and Arjuna, but commonly applied to Arjuna.

KAURAVAS Descendants of Kuru. A patronymic especially supplied to the sons of Dhrita-rashtra. See Maha-bharata.

KAUSALYA (mas.), KAUSALYA (fem.) Belonging to the Kosala nation. There are several women known by this name. The wife of Puru and mother of Janamejaya. The wife of Dasa-ratha and mother of Rama (See Dasa-ratha.) The mother of Dhrita-rashtra and the mother of Pandu both were known by this name, being daughters of a king of Kasi.

KAUSAMBI The capital of Vatsa, near the junction of the Ganges and Jumna. An inscription found at Karra on the Ganges mentions that place as being situated in Kausambi-mandala, the circle of Kausambi; but General Cunningham identifies the place with the village of Kosam, said to be still called Kosambi-nagar on the Jumna, about thirty miles above Allahabad. It is the scene of the drama Ratnavali.

KAUSHITAKI 1. A sakha of the Rig-veda. 2. (Kaushitaki) the name of a Brahmana, an Aranyaka, and a Upanishad. (See those terms). The Brahmana has been published with a translation by Professor Cowell in the Bibliotheca Indica.

KAUSIKA A devotee mentioned in the Maha-bharata as having gone to a hell of torment for having pointed out to robbers a road by which they pursued and killed some persons who fled from them.

KAUSIKAS Descendants of Kusika (q.v.). In one of the hymns of the Rig the epithet is given to Indra.

KAUSIKI The river Kosi in Bihar, but there were more rivers than one bearing this name. Satyavati, mother of Jamadagni is said to have been changed into a river of this name.

KAUSTUBHA A celebrated jewel obtained at the churning of the ocean, and worn by Vishnu or Krishna on his bosom.

KAUTILYA Another name of Chanakya, the minister of Chandra-gupta. See Chanakya.

KAUTSA A rationalistic philosopher, who lived before the days of Yaska the author of the Nirukta. He regarded “the Veda as devoid of meaning, and the Brahmanas as false interpretations.” Yaska replied to his objections.

KAUTUKA-SARVASWA A modern farce, in two acts, by a Pandit named Gopi-natha. “It is a satire upon princes who addict themselves to idleness and sensuality, and fail to patronise the Brahmans.” – Wilson.

KAVASHA, KAVASHA-AILUSHA Son of Ilusha by a slave girl. He was author of several hymns in the tenth book of the Rig-veda. The Aitareya Brahmana relates that the Rishis were performing a sacrifice on the banks of the Saraswati, and that Kavasha was with them; but they drove him from among them because he was the son of a slave, and therefore unworthy to drink the water of the Saraswati. When he was alone in the desert, a prayer was revealed to him by which he prevailed over the Saraswati, and its waters came and surrounded him. The Rishis saw this, and knowing that it was by the special favour of the gods, they admitted him to their society.

KAVI-RAJA Author of a poem of studied ambiguity called Raghava-Pandaviyam (q.v.).

KAVYA-DARSHA `Mirror of poetry.’ A work on the Ars Poetics by Sri Dandi. It has been printed in the Bibliotheca Indica.

KAVYA-PRAKASA A work on poetry and rhetoric by Mammata Bhatta of Kashmir. It has been printed at Calcutta.

KAVYAS, KAVYAS A class of Pitris; according to some they are the Manes of men of the third caste.

KAVAVYA The son of a Kshatriya by a Nishada female, who is related in the Maha-bharata to have risen by virtue, knowledge, and devotion from the state of a Dasyu to perfection.

KEDARESA, KEDARA-NATHA A name of Siva. Name of one of the twelve great Lingas. It is a shapeless mass of stone at Kedara-natha in the Himalayas. See Linga.

KEKAYA See Kaikeya.

KELI-KILA A demigod attendant upon Siva.

KENA, KENOPANISHAD Name of a Upanishad (q.v.) translated by Dr. Roer for the Bibliotheca Indica.

KERAKAS  One-footed men who live in forests, according to the Maha-bharata.

KERALA The country of Malabar proper on the western coast.

KESAVA `Having much or fine hair.’ A name of Vishnu or Krishna.

KESI,KESIN In the Maha-bharata, a demon who fought with and was defeated by Indra. In the Puranas, a Daitya who took the form of a horse and attacked Krishna, but was killed by that hero’s thrusting his arm into his jaws and rending him asunder.

KESINI Wife of Visravas and mother of Ravana; also called Kaikasi.

KESI-DHWAJA Son of Krita-dhwaja. Kesi-dhwaja “was endowed with spiritual knowledge,” and he had a cousin, Khandikya, who “was diligent in the way of works and was renowned for religious rites.” There was contention and hostilities between them, and Khandikya was driven from his dominions. But they subsequently became useful to each other and friendly. Khandikya by his practical religion enabled Kesi-dhwaja to make atonement for the killing of a cow, and Kesi-dhwaja initiated Khandikya in the mysteries of spiritual meditation (yoga).

KETU The descending node in astronomy, represented by a dragon’s tail; also a comet or meteor, and the ninth of the planets. He is said to be a Danava, and son of Viprachitti and Sinhika. He is also called A-kacha, `hairless;’ Aslesha-bhava, `cut off;’ Munda, `bald.’ See Rahu.

KHANDAVA, KHANDAVA-PRASTHA A forest and country on the banks of the Yamuna, which the Pandavas received as their moiety when Dhrita-rashtra divided his kingdom. In it they built the city of Indra-prastha and made it their capital. The forest was consumed with fire by the god Agni assisted by Krishna and Arjuna.

KHANDIKYA See Kesi-dhwaja.

KHARA A man-eating Rakshasa, wife of Kasyapa, and mother of Yakshas and Rakshasas, called after her Khasutmajas.

KHASAS, KHASAKAS, KHASIKAS An outlying or border people classed with the Sakas and other northern tribes. Professor Wilson thought that traces of them might be sought among the barbarous tribes on the north-east of Bengal, the Khasiyas.

KHATWANGA (also called Dilipa). 1. A prince of the Solar race. In a battle between the gods and the demons he rendered great assistance to the former, who desired him to ask a boon. He begged that he might know the duration of his life, and the answer was, “Only an hour.” He hastened to the world of mortals, and by earnest prayer he became united with the supreme being, Vishnu. “Like unto Khatwanga will there be no one upon earth, who, having come from heaven and dwelt an hour amongst men, became united with the three worlds by his liberality and knowledge of truth.” – V.P. 2. A club; the club of Siva; it is also called Khinkhira and Pansula.

KICHAKA Brother-in-law of the king of Virata, who was commander of the forces and general director of the affairs of the kingdom. He made love to Draupadi, and was slain by Bhima, who rolled his bones and flesh into a ball, so that no one could tell how he was killed.

KIKATA A country inhabited by people who were not Aryans; it is identified with Magadha or South Bihar.

KILATAKULI (Kilata + Akuli.) Two priests of the Asuras, who, according to the Satapatha Brahmana, exercised a special influence between Manu and an “Asura-slaying voice.”

KIM-PURUSHA `What man?’ An indescribable man; one of a low type, partaking of the nature and appearance of animals. In later times it is synonymous with Kin-nara. Name of a region between Himavat and Hema-kuta. (See Jambu-dwipa.) Also of a king of the latter region.

KIN-NARAS `What men?’ Mythical beings with the form of a man and the head of a horse. They are celestial choristers and musicians, dwelling in the paradise of Kuvera on Kailasa. They sprang from the toe of Brahma with the Yakshas, but according to others, they are sons of Kasyapa. They are also called Aswa-mukhas Turanga-vaktras, `horse-faced,’ and Mayus.

KIRATARJUNIYA. A poem descriptive of the combat between Siva in the guise of a Kirata or mountaineer and the Pandu prince Arjuna. The story is first told in the Maha-bharata, and has been worked up in this artificial poem of eighteen cantos by Bharavi. Part of it has been translated into German by Schutz. There are several editions of the text. See Arjuna. 

KIRATAS Foresters and mountaineers living in the mountains east of Hindustan. (There is a tribe in the Central Himalayas called Kirantis.) They are described in the Ramayana as “islanders, who eat raw fish, live in the waters, and are men-tigers” (men below and tigers above, according to the commentator). Their females are described as “gold-coloured and pleasant to behold,” and as having “sharp-pointed hair-knots.” They are perhaps the Cirrhadae placed on the Coromandel Coast by classic writers.

KIRITIN `Crowned with a diadem.’ A title of Indra and also of Arjuna.

KIRMIRA A monster Rakshasa, brother of Vaka. He opposed the entrance of the Pandavas into the Kamyaka forest, and threatened that he would eat Bhima. A furious combat ensued, in which Bhima and he hurled large trees at each other, but the demon was at length strangled and had all his bones broken by Bhima.

KISHKINDHYA A country in the peninsula, thought to be in the Mysore, which was taken by Rama from the monkey king Bali, and given back to his brother Su-griva, the friend and ally of Rama. The capital city was Kishkindhya.

KOHALA An ancient sage, to whom the invention of the drama is attributed; also a writer on music.

KOSALA A country on the Sarayu river, having Ayodhya for its capital. The name is variously applied to other countries in the east, and in the south, and in the Vindhya mountains. It probably widened with the dominions of its rulers, and part of Birar is called Dakshina-Kosala, the Southern Kosala.

KOTAVI, KOTARI, KOTTAVI `A naked woman.’ A mystical goddess, the tutelary deity of the Daityas, and mother of Bana the demon. The name is sometimes applied to Durga.

KRAMA-PATHA      See Patha.

KRATU One of the Prajapatis, and sometimes reckoned among the great Rishis and mind-born sons of Brahma. (See Rishi.) The Vishnu Purana says that his wife Samnati brought forth the 60,000 Valikhilyas, pigmy sages no bigger than a joint of the thumb.

KRAUNCHA 1. A pass situated somewhere in the Himalayas, said to have been opened by Parasu-rama with his arrows to make a passage from Kailasa to the southwards. The Vayu Purana attributes the splitting of the mountain to Karttikeya. Indra and Karttikeya had a dispute about their respective powers, and agreed to decide it by running a race round the mountain. They disagreed as to the result, and therefore appealed to the mountain, who untruly decided in favour of Indra. “Karttikeya hurled his lance at the mountain and pierced at once it and the demon Mahisha.” 2. A confederate of the demon Taraka, against whom Karttikeya led the gods and triumphed. 3. One of the seven Dwipas. See Dwipa.

KRAVYAD `A flesh-eater.’ A Rakshasa or any carnivorous animal. In the Veda, Agni is in one place called a Kravyad of terrible power. Fire is also a Kravyad in consuming bodies on the funeral pile. See Agni.

KRIPA Son of the sage Saradwat, and the adopted son of King Santanu. He became one of the Privy Council at Hastinapura, and was one of the three surviving Kuru warriors who made the murderous night attack upon the camp of the Pandavas. He was also called Gautama and Saradwata. See Kripa and Maha-bharata.

KRIPA, KRIPI Wife of Drona and mother of Aswatthaman. The sage Saradwat or Gotama so alarmed Indra by his austerities that the god sent a nymph to tempt him. Though she was unsuccessful, two children were found born to the sage in a tuft of grass. King Santanu found them and brought them in a tuft of grass. King Santanu found them and brought them up out of compassion (Kripa), whence their names, Kripa and Kripa. The children passed as Santanu’s own. Drona was a Brahman and Santanu a Kshatriya: the myth makes Kripi a Brahmani, and so accounts for her being the wife of Drona. The Vishnu Purana represents them as children of Satya-dhriti. Grandson of Saradwat by the nymph Urvasi, and as being exposed in a clump of long grass

Previous    Next