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The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism
James G. Lochtefeld, Ph.D.
The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. New York
To teachers whose gift of learning I can never fully repay. To students whose learning has taught me, and whose friendship has enriched me. To Fiona, Vera, and Gavin, who put life back into perspective every day, although they have yet to know this. To Rachel, who has made all of this possible.
Published in 2002 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. 29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010 Copyright © 2002 by James G. Lochtefeld First Edition All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lochtefeld, James G., 1957– The illustrated encyclopedia of Hinduism/James G. Lochtefeld. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8239-2287-1 (set) ISBN 0-8239-3179-X (volume 1) ISBN 0-8239-3180-3 (volume 2) 1. Hinduism Encyclopedias. I. Title. BL1105.L63 2002 294.5'03—dc21
Manufactured in the United States of America
Staff Credits Editors: Margaret Haerens, Michael Isaac, Christine Slovey Editorial Assistant: Rob Kirkpatrick Book Design: Olga M. Vega Cover Design: MaryJane Wojciechowski Production Design: Erica Clendening, Beverly Fraser, Christine Innamorato, MaryJane Wojciechowski
99-27747 CIP
Table of Contents
Volume One Introduction
vi
How to Use This Book
xiii
Contents by Subject
xiv
Entries A–M
1–450
Volume Two Entries N–Z
451–786
Note on Transliteration
787
Pronunciation Guide
788
Bibliography
795
Index
807
Photo Credits
875
About the Author
876
v
Introduction As you drive through the cornfields of northern Illinois, just north of the town of Aurora, you may see a massive brick building that seems out of place. It stands three or four stories high with an elaborate facade depicting pillars and cornices. Topped by towering spires with flapping banners, it looks as if it belongs to another world. In a sense it does—the architectural style comes from southern India, and the building itself is a Hindu temple. I was there late on a Sunday morning, and the parking lot was about half full. There were cars from as far away as Michigan. The building’s main entrance was a little below ground level, and as is common with Hindu temples outside of India, the lowest level had a lobby, a kitchen, and a large meeting room that was comparable to the “church basements” of its Christian counterparts. The lobby was furnished austerely, with folding tables and chairs. There were a few people sitting near the kitchen, drinking tea and chatting informally. By the staircases leading upstairs to the temple room were rows of simple shelves, fronted by low benches. I removed my shoes, as is customary before entering a temple, both to preserve the temple and to signify that one is walking on holy ground. The staircase marked the threshold between two regions, the outer and the inner world. Upstairs, the temple was richly decorated. The presiding deity was Venkateshvara, a form of the god Vishnu, whose image was placed in the center of the temple, the most important space. Yet, as in most Hindu temples, there were images of deities from throughout the pantheon: Ganesh, Shiva, Subrahmanya, other forms of Vishnu, different forms of the Goddess, and various subsidiary deities. Most of the images were carved from black South Indian granite and polished to a mirrorlike finish. Many were housed in small shrines built out of white marble. The primary function of a Hindu temple is to ser