Select Glossary
Acharya: Honorific for a Guru or teacher
Agniastra: Missile with the destructive power of Agni, the Fire God
Agneya: Fiery weapon of Agni, the Fire God
Akshahridaya: Mantra which endows winning expertise in gambling
Akshauhini: Consists of 109,350 infantry, 65, 610 cavalry, 21, 870 chariots & 21, 870 elephants
Amaravati: City of the Gods
Amrita: Nectar of immortality
Antardhana: Weapon of Kubera, the God of Wealth
Apsara: heavenly nymph
Arani: Flintwood used to start sacrificial fires
Astra: Celestial weapon of great power
Ashrama: Hermitage
Ashwamedha: Horse sacrifice
Asuras: Demons; evil counterparts of the Devas
Avatar: Incarnation of God
Bhargavastra: Missile of Parashurama, the Brahmin-warrior God
Bibhatsu: One of Arjuna’s 10 names, meaning ‘one who is fair and ethical in conduct’
Brahmastra: A celestial weapon of unstoppable power, forged by Brahma, the Creator, himself
Brahmin: Uppermost in the Hindu caste hierarchy – it was considered an unforgiveable crime to kill a Brahmin
Brahmashira: Divine missile famed for its matchless destructive power
Chakravyuha: Complex wheel formation used by Drona at Kurukshetra
Chakra-shakut vyuha: Carriage wheel-shaped battle formation
Chakshushi: Secret science of the Gandharvas that gave them divine vision, enabling them to perceive whatever they wished in the three worlds, thereby elevating them to the status of the Gods
Danavas & Daityas: Evil creatures who were destroyed, along with the
Asuras, in the famed clash between the Devas and the Asuras
Danda: Yama’s weapon – the divine noose
Devadatta: Arjuna’s conch
Dharma: Code of ethical conduct that upholds morality & righteousness
Dhananjaya: One of Arjuna’s 10 names, meaning ‘one who brings prosperity wherever he goes’
Dhanurveda: Skill with weaponry
Devas: Gods
Dvapara: In Hindu tradition, Dvapara yuga (age) is characterized by a marked deterioration/erosion of moral values, leading to an increase in death, strife and misery
Gandeeva: Arjuna’s bow, gifted to him by Agni, the Fire God
Ganga: Holy River Goddess
Guru: Preceptor
Gurukula: Place of learning
Gurudakshina: Preceptor’s fee
Hrishaba: Musical note
Jishnu: One of Arjuna’s 10 names, acquired when he took a deadly oath
Kalakeyas: Inhabitants of Hiranyapuri, a Danava stronghold made arrogant by a boon of invincibility granted by Brahma; eventually destroyed by Arjuna
Karma: Hindu philosophy refers to the consequences of actions in past & present lives, that determines the good or bad of present & future lives
Kavacha & Kundala: Armour & earrings
Kiriti: One of Arjuna’s 10 names, given to him when Indra presented him with a golden diadem
Kshatriyas: Warrior caste, ranked after the Brahmins in Hindu hierarchy
Lingam: Phallic representation of Shiva, the Great God
Lokapalas: Indra, Varuna, Kubera & Yama – revered as Guardians of the Universe
Madhava: Powerful celestial weapon
Maharathi: Accomplished warriors were accorded this honourable title
Maharishis: Great sages
Mantra: Sacred chant
Nagas: Serpent people
Nishada: A lowly caste tribe whose chief pursuits were hunting & fishing
Paashupata: Shiva’s favorite weapon, which conjured up weird, unearthly beings, capable of annihilating entire armies
Padmasana: Yogic lotus position
Panchajanya: Krishna’s conch
Partha: One of Arjuna’s 10 names, derived from Pritha, his mother Kunti’s other name
Phalguna: One of Arjuna’s 10 names – so called as he was born under the star, Phalguni
Pratismriti: Powerful means of accomplishing one’s heart’s desires – if one is worthy
Prayavrata: Vow to refrain from food & drink unto death
Prayopaveshana: Sanctified way of giving up one’s life by fasting
Rajasuya: Sacrifice that enables the performer to call himself Emperor
Rakshasas: Demons
Rishis: Revered sage
Sabha: Grand hall or assembly room
Sairandhri: Maid skilled in the cosmetic arts
Sammohana: Missile capable of inducing deep sleep
Samsaptakas: Considered suicide squads, these warriors would take a deadly oath to conquer or die trying
Sanjivani: Secret art of bringing the dead back to life
Saptarishis: Seven great seers: Bhrigu, Angira, Atri, Gautama, Kashyap, Vashishtha, and Agastya, renowned for their great deeds, accomplished through the power of meditation
Sarpasatra Yajna: Sacrifice to destroy snakes
Savyasachi: One of Arjuna’s 10 names, meaning ‘ambidextrous’
Shakti: One of Indra’s weapons of unlimited power
Sthanu: One of Shiva’s names, meaning ‘stoical’
Suchi-vyuha: Needle-shaped battle formation
Sudharshana Chakra: Vishnu, the Protector’s divine discus & weapon of choice
Suta: Lowborn
Sutaputra: Son of one who is lowborn
Swetavahana: One of Arjuna’s 10 names, meaning ‘rider of a divine chariot’
Swargalokha: Heaven – abode of the Devas
Swayamvara: An ancient tradition wherein suitors assembled in a grand hall and the bride would choose her husband from amongst them
Tapas: Severe penance
Teerthayatra: Pilgrimage of purification
Vahana: Vehicle
Vaishnava: Sacrifice of great power once performed by Vishnu, and also by Duryodhana, while the Pandavas were in exile
Vaishnava: Missile imbued with the power of Vishnu, which none could withstand
Vajra: Indra’s favorite weapon, shaped like a thunderbolt
Varunastra: Missile imbued with the power of Varuna, presiding deity of the water bodies
Varunapasha: Weapon of Varuna, God of the Waters
Vavavya: Weapon imbued with the power of Vayu, God of Wind
Vijaya: One of Arjuna’s 10 names, meaning ‘undefeated’
Vishosana: Divine weapon of great power
Vishwaroopam: Cosmic form of Lord Vishnu
Vyuha: Battle formation
Yajna: Sacrificial rite
Yaksha: Demi-God who submits to the authority of Kubera
Select Bibliography
Bonnefoy, Y. (1993). Asian Mythologies. (W. Doniger, trans.) Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Chaturvedi, D. K. (2006). Tales from the Mahabharat. New Delhi: Diamond Pocket Books
Chinmoy, S. (1988). Tales from the Mahabharatha. Citadel Books
Devadhar, CR. (2006). Vikramorvasiyam of Kalidasa. Mumbai: Motilal Banarsidass
Dhand, A. (2008). Woman as fire, woman as sage: Sexual ideology in the Mahabharatha. Albany: State University of New York Press
Iyer, N.S. (2007). Musings on Indian writing in English. (Vol. 3). New Delhi: Sarup and Sons
Katha, A. C (2010). Mahabharata (Set of 3 volumes). Bombay: Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd
Lang, A. (2006). Custom and Myth. Na: Bibliobazaar
Mani, V. (2002). Puranic Encyclopaedia: A comprehensive work with special reference to the epic and puranic literature. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass
Menon, Ramesh. (2006). The Mahabharata: A modern rendering. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse
Rajagopalachari, C. (2006). Mahabharata (47th ed.). Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Roy, P. C. The Mahabharatha of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa. (Vol. 1). Kolkata: Oriental Publishing Co
Sarma, B. (2008). Vyasa’s Mahabharatam. Kolkata: Academic Publishers
Uberoi, M. (1996). The Mahabharatha. Delhi: Ratna Sagar P. Ltd
Vogel, J.P. (2005) . Indian serpent lore or the Nagas in Hindu legend and art. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing
Vyasa, K.D. (2008). The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa. (K.M. Ganguli, Trans.) Middlesex: Echo Library
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