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 Anirviṇṇa (Anirvinna) twice. 

One of the names of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as mentioned in Viṣṇusahasranāmastotra (Vishnusahasranamastotra; the hymn recounting one thousand names of Viṣṇu). 

While describing the reigns of the notable rulers of the Kali era (kaliyuga), Bhāgavatpurāṇa (Bhagavatpurana) mentions that in kaliyuga the kngdom of Magadha would be ruled by a lowly-born (śūdra; sudra) king called Bali after the fall of the Śuṅga (Sunga) and Kaṇva (Kanwa) dynasties in Magadha. Aniṣṭakarmā (Anishtakarma) was a scion of this lineage, the son of Aṭamān (Ataman) and […]

A river. Anitabhā (Anitabha) has been mentioned along with two other rivers, namely Rasā (Rasa) and Kubhā (Kubha) in a verse of Ṛgveda (Rigveda) in which the composer calls rain down on the Earth – rasānitabhā kubhā krumurmā vaḥ sindhuni.  The river has been identified as Kandia, the river flowing through the north-west region of modern day […]

A name of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as recounted in Viṣṇu-sahasranāmastotra (Vishnu-sahasranamastotra; a hymn recounting one thousand names of Viṣṇu). 

A name of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as recounted in Viṣṇu-sahasranāmastotra (Vishnu-sahasranamastotra; a hymn recounting one thousand names of Viṣṇu). 

Aniyama is one of the one thousand names of Viṣṇu (Vishnu). 

Añjali (Anjali) is a gesture made during worship. This gesture demands both palms to be joined together to pay respect in the form of praṇāma (pranama). There is a warning that one who offers praṇāma to the gods with one hand has that hand of his severed in the afterlife. 

Añjalikāśrama (Anjalikasrama) is a place of pilgrimage of great holy significance. Residing here in a bare lifestyle (like, eating only rice and herbs and wearing nothing but bark-clothes) imparts to one the holy benefits of visiting the pilgrimage of Kanyākumārikā (Kanyakumarika; Cape Comorin) — śākabhakṣaścīravāsāḥ kumārīrvindate daśa. Its site is near the pilgrimage of Kokāmukha (Kokamukh). 

The art of gaining mastery over raging elephants was known by the name of añjalikāvedha (anjalikavedha). Droṇaparva (Dronaparva) of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) informs that Bhīma (Bhima) was adept in this subject. In Droṇaparva once we see Bhagadatta, the king of Prāgjyotiṣpura (Pragjyotishpura), destroying Bhīma’s horse and chariot. Bhīma, who knew the technique of controlling elephants, fearlessly ran up to […]

An elephant famous in Purāṇas (Purana). He was fathered by the great elephant Airāvata (Airavata) to Abhramū (Abhramu) and lived in the netherworld (pātāla; patala). He was born in the lineage of another famous elephant Supratīka (Supratik). Rāmāyaṇa (Ramayana) categorises him as one of the dighastī (dighasti). [See Dighastī] In the battle of Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra) […]

Name of a famous elephant and his lineage. Brahmā (Brahma) transplanted a part of the divine embryo (aṇḍa; anda) preserved in his belly into the womb of Irāvatī (Iravati). From this she gave birth to the elephants. One of the four sons of Irāvatī, the Prime Mother of the elephants, was Añjana. It is evident that he […]

Son of Kuṇi [Kuni (or Kṛti; Kriti)], a descendant in the Nimi lineage. His son’s name was Ṛtujit (Ritujit). Wilson, citing Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana) attempts to identify this Kuṇi with Śakuni; but in that case the name of his son in Vāyupurāṇa does not match with Ṛtujit.

Son of the elephants Sāma (Sama) and Añjanāvatī (Anjanavati). He was one of the major representative of elephants in classical Indian culture after whom a breed of elephants were named. But Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana) and Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa (Brahmandapurana) are different in opinion regarding this topic. 

A mountain. One of the most famed mountains and landmarks in Indian classical culture. [See Añjanaparvata – 1; Añjanaparvata – 2; Añjanaparvata – 3]

One of the snakes born by Kadru to Sage Kaśyapa (Kashyapa). 

Saramā (Sarama), the Prime Mother of the dogs, gave birth to two offspring, namely Dullolaka and Laloha. The black-complexioned dogs born in the bloodline of Dullolaka are collectively known as Añjana (Anjana). 

A kind of kohl. There can be six types of añjana (anjana): sauvīra (sauvira), yāmuna (yaamuna), tuttha, mayūragrīvaka (mayuragrivaka), darvikā (darvika) and meghanīla (meghanila) — sauvīraṃ yāmunaṃ tutthaṃ mayūra-yāmunaṃ tathā/ darvikā meghanīlaśca añjanani bhavanti ṣaṭ. Ayurveda has use of all these six types of kohl. Sauvīra is the sap of a plant; yāmuna, a certain stone; meghanīla, a metallic element; and mayūragrīvaka, a gemstone. Kohl […]

Upon being cursed, apsarā (apsara) Puñjikasthalā (Punjikasthala), daughter of the Water-god Varuṇa (Varuna), was born as the daughter of Kuñjara (Kunjara), the vānara (vanara; monkey) king [here ‘monkey’ must be read in terms of the ethnic group of people who used to wear the totem of monkey] and married off to another vānara king, Keśarī (Kesari). This […]

A sacred mountain. By virtue of its great sanctity, the name of the mountain is mentioned together with that of another holy mountain Citrakūṭa (Chitrakuta). 

Añjanaparvā (Anjanaparvaa) was the son of Ghaṭotkaca (Ghatotkacha) and the grandson of Bhīma (Bhima). When Ghaṭotkaca arrived with his enormous rākṣasa (rakshasa) legion to fight for the Pāṇḍavas (Pandava), he was followed by his son Añjanaparvā. Añjanaparvā was killed by Aśvatthāmā (Ashwatthama) in the battle of Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra). 

A mountain called Trikakuda or Traikakuda has been referred to more than once in Atharvaveda and other Vedic literatures. Maybe the name was inspired by a presence of three peaks of the mountain (Sanskrit kakuda means ‘hump’ or ‘projection’). Atharvaveda was the first book to call this Trikakuda Hills Añjanaparvata (Anjanaparvata) —devāñjana traikakudaṃ pari mā […]

Varāhamihira (Varahamihira), in his Bṛhatsaṃhitā (Brihatsamhita), refers to Añjanaparvata as an east country mountain range. As it has been mentioned in association with Magadha and such east country place names, the possibility of presence of a mountain range of that name in Eastern India at that time can not be entirely dismissed.  

According to Kiṣkindhyākāṇḍa (Kishkindhyakanda) of Rāmāyaṇa (Ramayana), Añjanaparvata (Anjanaparvata) and its surrounding area was the habitat of the vānara (vanara) people (the Sanskrit word means ‘monkey’. Surely this place was no ‘monkey kingdom’. It is supposed that this area was ruled by an ethnic group of people who used to wear the totem of and identified themselves […]

Yogic feat of a type. 

Añjanavatī (Anjanavati) was the daughter of Añjana the Elephant. She had two sons called Prathitāyu (Prathitayu) and Aja. Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa (Brahmandapurana) recounts their name as Pramāthi (Pramaathi) and Puruṣa (Purusha). They were two beautiful and strong beasts. 

Añjanī (Anjani) was the wife of Hemasadana, the king of Magadha. A son named Budha was born to the couple. 

Añjasī (Anjasi) is a river mentioned in Ṛgveda (Rigveda). In a hymn, Sage Kutsa, son of Aṅgirā (Angira), takes the name of this river together with two others: Kuliśī (Kulisi) and Vīrapatnī (Virapatni).  Manohar Lal Bhargava observes that the course of Añjasī stretched through the regions of Kailor, Kunjheri, Mauli, Manauli, Mota and Jansia; thereafter the […]

Añjiṣṭha (Anjishtha) is the name of one of the groups (gaṇa; gana) in which deities would be divided in the twelfth epoch (manvantara) in future, which would be lorded by the Manu Ṛtasāvarṇi (Ritasavarni) or Rudrasāvarṇi (Rudrasavarni). Again, Añjiṣṭha is the name of one deity in particular in that very gaṇa.

Añjiṣṭha (Anjishtha) is the name of one of the groups (gaṇa; gana) in which deities would be divided in the twelfth epoch (manvantara) in future, which would be lorded by the Manu Ṛtasāvarṇi (Ritasavarni) or Rudrasāvarṇi (Rudrasavarni). Again, Añjiṣṭha is the name of one deity in particular in that very gaṇa.

A great place of pilgrimage in the vicinity of the Avantī (Avanti) area. Any pilgrim who pays homage to the shrine of Rāma-Janārdana (Ram Janardan) at Aṅkapāda (Ankapad) does not have to visit Yamaloka. Balarāma (Balaram) and Kṛṣṇa (Krishna) took birth in the Yadu clan in order to cleanse the world of all evil. They […]

A site of pilgrimage situated on the southern bank of the holy river Narmada; it has been alluded to in Matsyapurāṇa (Matsyapurana) and Kurmapurāṇa (Kurmapurana). The piety obtained at this sacred site from ablution, charity, feasts and making sacramental offering to the manes has been described in Purāṇas. It is assumed that there is an idol of […]

The name of an idol of Śiva or a Śiva linga situated on the banks of Narmada. Those who visit this holy site of pilgrimage are cleansed of all their sins.  

Anna is one of the Sahasranāma (Sahasranama; Thousand Names) of God Viṣṇu(Vishnu).

Annāda (Annada) is one of the sons sired by Kṛṣṇa (Krishna), and born of the womb of Mitravindā (Mitravinda).

Annāda is one of the sons of the Agni (Fire )called Arka. According to the conception of Upaniṣad (Upanishad), Agni is the bhoktā (bhokta; consumer) of anna (edibles) or all kinds of āhutidravya (ahutidravya; things offered to fire). So he is also known as Annāda. It seems that this name of Agni is attributed to the […]

Annāda is one of the names of God Viṣṇu (Vishnu), as described in Viṣṇusahasranāmastotra (Vishnusahasranamastotra; The Hymn of Thousand Names of Vishnu).

Annaja is a locality situated at the valley of Vindhya Parvata (the mountain called Vindhya). Though in Mārkaṇdeyapurāṇa (Markandeyapurana) this place is mentioned as Annaja, in most of the other Purāṇa(s) (Purana; Mythological Scriptures), it is referred to as Anūpa (Anupa) or Aṇūpa. Scholar D.C. Sircar, delving into a comparative study of the reading maintained […]

Annakūṭa (Annakuta) is a parvata-tīrtha (mountain as a site of pilgrimage). Indra, king of gods, resides on this high mountain located in Mathurā (Mathura). Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa (Krishna) once performed a yajña (yajna) in this place, in order to receive blessings from Indra. In order to protect the locality from Indra’s wrath, he held the Govardhana […]

In Agnipurāṇa, while giving advice on the rituals to be performed by householders, from garbhādhāna ( planting the ̍seed̍ for procreation) to marriage, all rituals have been mentioned . After garbhādhāna, there are puṃsavana, sīmantannoyana, jātakarma, nāmakaraṇa, annaprāśana and cūḍākaraṇa, vratavandha or upanayana, samāvartana and vivāha– these are rituals to be performed in the life […]

Annatīrtha (Annatirtha) is a site of pilgrimage situated in Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra). Having a bath in this site, one may obtain the Sūryaloka (Suryaloka; the heavenly abode of the Sun-god). It is located near Sudina tīrtha.

Ānṛhavān was one of those rājarṣis (rajarshis; sagely kings) who were born as kṣatriya, but later achieved Brāhmaṇatva (Brahmanatva; the status of a Brahmana).

Antacāra (Antachara) is a locality located towards the north of Bhāratavarṣa(Bharatavarsha). It also refers to the inhabitants of this locality. They have been counted among the Mleccha tribes, without Aryan customs and codes of life and living.

Antaḥśirā (Antaḥśīlā) is a  river. It has been issued out of Vindhya Parvata (the mountain Vindhya).

The term ‘Anta’ means destruction or death. Yama is known as Antaka as he controls the death of all creatures. When Sāvitrī (Savatri), going to Yamaloka , prayed to Yama in order to get her husband’s life back, she addressed Yama as Antaka at that time. sarveṣāmeva bhūtānāṃ yasmādantakaro mahān tasmāt tvamantakaḥ proktaḥ sarvadevairmahādyute. [See […]

God Śiva(Siva) is also known as Antaka. He is the destroyer of creation, He consumes the universe as the all-devouring fire at the time of Pralaya (the mythological phemomenon of great disaster). So He is known as  Antaka.

Antaka is one of the names described in Viṣṇusahasranāmastotra (Vishnusahasranamastotra, Thousand Names of God Vishnu).

The reference to Antaka has come in the context of the milking of the earth, performed by Pṛthu (Prithu), son of Veṇa (Vena). When Pṛthu milked the earth in the form of a cow, Vaivastvata Yama, so of Vivasvāna (Vivaswana), became the calf, Antaka Yama became dogdhā (dogdha;one who milks), Svadhā — the food offered in […]

Antakāla (Antakala) is used to denote the entire devastating situation of a great disaster like the Pralaya (the great doom)– yathāntakālasamaye-samaye sughorāḥ susthyathā nṛpa.

Antakṛt (Antakrit) is one of the soldiers of Skanda-Kārtikeya (Kartikeya).