A great river on the land of Plakṣadvīpa (Plakshadweepa). The water of this river is pure and a bearer of puṇya (punya) [here, piety].

One of the seven rivers running through each of the seven separate parts of the land of Plakṣadvīpa (Plakshadweepa). This river flows through Bhadravarśa (Bhadravarsha).

According to Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagabata Purana), Vāstu (Vastu) is one of the sons of Vasu, daughter of Dakṣa (Daksha). Āṅgirasī (Angirasi)is Vāstu’s wife. Visvakarmā (Viswakarma) was born of Āṅgirasi’s womb, sired by Vāstu.

A dānava (danava; a type of demon) born of Danu, daughter of Dakṣa (Daksha), and fathered by Kaśyapa Prājapati (Kashyapa Prajapati).

There were eight gaṇa (gana; groups) of deities in the epoch of Vaivasvata.  Other than the seven gaṇa Āditya (Aditya), Vasu, Rudra, Sādhya(Sadhya), Viśva (Vishva), Marut, Bhṛgu (Bhrigu), the eighth was Aṅgirogaṇa (Angirogana). They are the descendants of Aṅgirā (Angira).

While making offerings to the Ādityas (aditya) in Ṛgveda (Rigveda), Aṃśa has been mentioned as one of the many Ādityas — imā gira ādityebhyo ghṛitasnuḥ śṛiṇotu mitro/ aryamā bhago na stubijāto baruṇo dakṣo aṁśaḥ. Twelve ādityas were created after being cast from the mouth of Sun god Sūrya of Vivasvān— mukharāgaṁ tu yat pūrbat mārtaṇḍasya mukhacyutam. Aṃśa […]

Tuṣita was one of the major groups (gaṇa; gana) into which the gods were divided during the reign of Svārociṣa Manu (Swarochisha Manu). Aṁśa (Ansha) was one of the gods included in this gaṇa.

Aṃśu (Angshu) literally means ray or glow of light. According to Ṛgveda (Rigveda), when a certain portion part or aṃśa of the sacrificial moon-plant or somlatā (somlata) is grounded, what we have is known as aṃśu. Therefore, aṃśu is that which flows from the moon— pra syandasvba soma biśbebhiraṁśubhiḥ.  The word aṃśu literally refers to the moon, […]

Aṃśu (Angshu) is one of the one thousand and eight names of Śiva (Shiva). Annotator Nīlakaṇṭha (Nilakantha), while defining the meaning of Aṃśu, has said— aṁśurddevatābhedaḥ. Since Mahādeva (Mahadeva) also assumes the form of Aṃśu who is one of the many Ādityas (Adityas), Mahādeva is also known as Aṃśu.  

One of Kṛṣṇa’s (Krishna’s) childhood playmates.

Aṃśu (Angshu) was the son of Purumitra of the Jyāmaghar (Jyamaghar) clan which descended from the Yadu clan. He was the father of Satvata (Satwata), who founded the Bṛiṣñi (Brishni) Andhaka clan. But the Bengali version of Viṣṇupurāṇa (Vishnupurana) has identified him as Puruhotra’s son, Aṃśa (Angsha).

Bharata and Śatrughna (Shatrughna) were at their maternal uncle’s home when King Daśaratha (Dasharatha), their father, passed away. Bharata, who was in a hurry to return to Ayodhyā (Ayodhya) from Kekaya, crossed River Yamuna and reached a village named Aṃśudhāna (Angshudhan) after navigating through a great forest. River Gaṅgā (Ganga) flowed past this village but […]

According to some Purāṇas (Puranas), all but four of the sixty thousand sons born of King Sagara’s first wife perished by the fire of Sage Kapila’s wrath. Pañcajana (Panchajana)(Pañcavana or Panchabana according to Vāyupurāṇa or Vayupurana) was one of the sons of King Sagara who survived. Śivapuraṇa (Shivapurana) states that Pañcajana became king after Sagara. Aṃśumāna (Angshuman) was Pañcajana’s […]

Aṃśumāna (Angshumana) was one of the many kings present at Draupadī’s (Draupadi’s) Svayamvara (Swayamvara) ceremony. However, not much information is available on his lineage in Mahābhārata (Mahabharata). In the  Karṇaparva (Karnaparba) phase of the Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra) war, Sañjaya lists the names of warriors killed so far. Among those names we find the name of Bhoja […]

One among the many Lords of the Universe or Viśvadeva (Vishwadeva). In Ṛgveda (Rigveda), Viśvedevāḥ (Vishwedevah) is a deity addressed in many hymns. The meaning of Viśvedevāḥ is taken to be ‘all gods’. Yāska (Yaska), the first and renowned lexicographer of Vedic literature, writes in Nirukta that Viśvedevāḥ means all gods —Viśvedevāḥ sarve devāḥ, that is, the entire pantheon […]

One of the names of the Sun-god, as well as a describing epithet attributed to him. A verse in Bhagavadgīta (Bhagavadgita) says raviraṃśumān (ravi is another name of the Sun). Śrīdharasvāmī (Sridharaswami) has mentioned in an annotation that the Sun is aṃśumān (angshuman) among the enlightening rays — jyotiṣaṃ prakāśakānāṃ madhye aṃśumān/ viśvavyāpiraśmiyukto rabiḥ sūryo’ham.

Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) at one place refers to Aṃśumāna (Angshumana) as the lord of the entire world of herbs or creepers— vīrudhāmaṃśumantañca (virudhamangshumantanchak). Hence it appears that this Aṃśumāna is definitely the Moon or Soma, who is widely known as the lord of medicinal herbs— puṣñāmi coṣadhī sarbāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ. Apart from this, the description of Soma […]

Matsyapuraṇa (Matsyapurana) refers to Aṃśumāna (Angshumana) as one of the horses that pulled the Moon’s chariot.

During ancient times, there was a noble sage known as Kauśika (Kaushika). He had seven sons who committed the sin of slaughtering cows and as a result, were born, in their next birth, to a family of hunters. Thereafter, they were born as ruddy geese on the waters of the Mānasa (Manasa) Sarovara. One of […]

The primary and smallest physically perceivable unit of measurement of length was aṅgula (angula) or aṅguli (anguli) — tāsām āyāma-viṣkaṃbhān sanniveśāntarāṇi ca/cakrustadā mahāprajñaṃ mitvā mitvāntano’ṅgulaiḥ. When the sunrays enter a dark room through a narrow chink in the window one can see thousands of dust particles floating around in the luminescent stream of sun light, […]

The sagely king Hiraṇyanābha (Hiranyanabha), one of the most important disciples of the great sage Sukarmā (Sukarma), learnt five hundred Yajurveda saṁhitā (samhita) from Sukarmā, and taught his disciples the same. Aṅgulīya (Anguliya) is Hiraṇyanābha’s chief disciple.

It is imagined in the Mahabharata that the all-pervasive entity (puruṣa) resides in each body bearing the size of a thumb. Prādesamatra Purusa having taken shelter in subtle body transmigrates. Highly elevated yogis only can see the self (Pratyagatma) — Aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo’ntarātmā Liṅgasya yogena sa yāti nityam. Tamīśamīḍymanukalpamādyaṃ Paśyanti mūḍā na virajamānam. Yoginastaṃ prapaśyanti bhagavantaṃ […]

It has been mentioned in Purāṇas (Puranas) that in the first stage of creating the populace of the Earth, Dakṣa (Daksha) was born out of the right thumb of Prajāpati Brahmā (Prajapati Brahma)  — *aṅguṣṭhād brahmaṇo jajñe dakṣaḥ kila śubhavrataḥ. *dakṣo’ṅguṣṭhat svayambhūvaḥ. Brahmāpurāṇa (Brahmapurana) mentions that Dakṣa’s wife was created out of the left thumb […]

A particular ethnic group. A type of the Kirāta (Kirata) tribe. 

One of the seven varṣaparvata (varshaparvata; principal mountains) in the mythical land of Śākadvīpa (Sakadweepa), one is Śyamaparvata (Syamaparvata; the Syama Mountains). Matsyapurāṇa (Matsyapurana) identifies the country at the foothills of Śyamaparvata as Anīcaka (Anichaka) or Anīcakavarṣa (Anichakavarsha; the land or country called Anīcaka). Etymologically the adjective anīca (anicha) means ‘not low’ or ‘high’. Such an interesting name of the […]

See Anīcaka (Anichaka).

A south country locality mentioned in Padmapurāṇa (Padmapurana). 

Anīha (Aniha) was a scion of the great Ikṣvāku (Ikshvaku) dynasty, the son of Devānīka (Devanika), grandson of Kuśa (Kusa) and great-grandson of Rāmacandra (Ramachandra). He sired a son called Pāriyātra (Pariyatra). 

Anīka (Anika) was one of the sons of the first Sāvarṇi (Savarni) Manu, the lord of a future manvantara (manwantara; epoch). 

Ānīkaṭa (Anikata) is one of the localities in the western part of India, as mentioned in Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa (Markandeyapurana). However, in the other Purāṇas (Purana; Mythical Scriptures), the place is referred to under different names. In Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana) it is named Kālītaka (Kalitaka), in Brāhmāṇḍapurāṇa (Brahmandapurana), the place is called Kuntala, and in Vāmanapurāṇa (Vamanapurana) it […]

Anīkavān (Anikavan) was the eldest son of Tarka, a form of Agni, the Fire-god. 

Nārada (Narada), while describing the court of Kuvera to Yudhiṣṭhira (Yudhishthira), mentions Aniketa, a yakṣa (yaksha; one kind of demigods expert in magic, music and martial arts and guard of wealth) follower of Kuvera. According to his description, Aniketa keeps himself always immersed in Kuvera’s service. Etymologically the word aniketa means ‘one without a roof and […]

A prominent nāga (naga; serpent) sired by Kaśyapa Prajāpati (Kasyapa Prajapati) to Kadrū (Kadru), daughter of Dakṣa (Daksha). 

A rākṣasa (rakshasa; a type of demon) sired by Mālī (Mali) to Vasudā (Vasuda), a gandharva (a kind of demigod) woman. Mālī was a brother of Sumālī (Sumali), grandfather of the rākṣasa king Rāvaṇa (Ravana) of Laṅkā (Lanka). Anila was one of the advisors of Vibhīṣaṇa (Vibhishana). 

The Sanskrit verbal root an etymologically signifies the verb ‘to breathe’ or ‘to live’. The breathing air (prāṇavāyu; pranavayu) which sustains man to life is specifically called anila. In Īśopaniṣada (Isopanishada), during a discussion on death, we come across a famous verse which says – vāyuranila mṛtaṃ yathedaṃ bhasmāntaṃ śarīram. This verse talks about the breathing air getting […]

One of the one thousand and eight names of Śiva-Mahādeva (Siva-Mahadeva). In Śivasahasranāmastotra (Sivasahasranamastotra; the hymn recounting one thousand names of Śiva) he has been hailed as Anila twice. Anila in Sanskrit means ‘air’. Upaniṣadas (Upanishadas) consider air as one of the manifestations of brahma, the Supreme Being. According to Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣada (Swetaswatara Upanishada), when a person engrossed in […]

One of the names of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as mentioned in Viṣṇusahasranāmastotra (Vishnusahasranamastotra; the hymn recounting one thousand names of Viṣṇu). In this text Viṣṇu has been hailed as Anila twice. 

One of the eight Vasu (collectively called aṣṭavasu; ashtavasu); father of Manoja and Avijñātagati (Avijnatagati). 

Anilābha (Anilabha) is a name of Śiva-Mahādeva (Siva-Mahadeva).      [See Anila – 4]

Aṇimā (anima) is the name of a yogic feat which enables a performer to decrease his size and even become molecular in appearance as per his wish.    [See Aṣṭasiddhi] 

Māṇḍavya (Mandavya) was a Puranic hermit, wise and honest, calm and composed. One day when he was engaged in performing austere tapasyā (tapasya) by stretching his arms up and observing the vow of silence under a tree in  his hermitage, a band of thieves entered his hermitage with a load of stolen goods. They were […]

One of the sons of Garuḍa (Garurha), the mount of Viṣṇu (Vishnu). 

Animiṣa (Animisha) is one of the names of Śiva (Siva). The Sanskrit word nimiṣa (nimisha) or nimeṣa (nimesha) means ‘to bat the eyelids’ as well as ‘the time it takes to bat the eyelids’. Therefore, literally animiṣa refers to the one who does not bat his eyelids or never closes his eyes. Śiva as the father and […]

Animiṣa (Animisha) is one of the names of Viṣṇu (Vishnu). The Sanskrit word nimiṣa (nimisha) or nimeṣa (nimesha) means ‘to bat the eyelids’ as well as ‘the time it takes to bat the eyelids’. Therefore, literally animiṣa refers to the one who does not bat his eyelids or never closes his eyes. Viṣṇu as the protector […]

We find Anindita used twice in Aṣṭottarasahsranāmastotra (Ashtottarasahasranama; a hymn recounting one thousand and eight names) of Śiva (Siva) as one of his epithets. Literally the word means ‘the impeccable one’. Śiva as the Supreme Being manifest is beyond the reach of all negative qualities like fault and sin, which are attributes of the mortals. By virtue of […]

One of the names of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as mentioned in Viṣṇusahasranāmastotra (Vishnusahasranamastotra; the hymn recounting one thousand names of Viṣṇu). In this text Viṣṇu has been hailed as Anirdeśyavapu (Anirdesyavapu) twice. 

Aniruddha was a grandson of Kṛṣṇa (Krishna) and son of Pradyumna. He took training of martial arts from Arjuna, the third Pāṇḍava (Pandava) brother. When the Pāṇḍavas had scarcely got the kingdom of Indraprastha, along with many other kings and noblemen, Kṛṣṇa’s progeny also visited King Yudhiṣṭhira (Yudhishthira) there. Some of them stayed back at the city to receive […]

A Vṛṣṇi (Vrishni) warrior present at svayamvara (swayamvara) of Draupadī (Draupadi). The Aniruddha present there with Kṛṣṇa’s (Krishna) family has been described as prādyumni (pradyumni; Pradyumna’s son). While recounting the names of other Vṛṣṇi warriors, the narrator mentions this Aniruddha separately. Therefore it appears that he is decidedly not the same as Aniruddha the grandson of […]

A king who put a ban on eating flesh in the month of Āśvina (Ashwina; the solar month in Indian calendar corresponding with September-October). His name has been mentioned at par with those of the famous kings of Sūryavaṃśa (Suryavamsa; the Solar Dynasty) and Candravaṃśa (Chandravamsa; the Lunar Dynasty). 

One of the names of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as mentioned in Viṣṇusahasranāmastotra (Vishnusahasranamastotra; the hymn recounting one thousand names of Viṣṇu). In this text Viṣṇu has been hailed as Aniruddha twice.