Antarā (Antara) is one of the Apsarā(s) ( Apsara, Celestial beauties) born of the womb of Muni, daughter of Dakṣa (Daksha), and sired by Kaśyapa (Kasyapa) Prajāpati (Prajapati; Lord of the people).

Antara was the son of Pṛthiśravā (Prithusrava), in the lineage of Kroṣṭu (Kroshtu), son of Yadu. This Antara, in his previous birth, was known as Yajña (Yajna), the son of Uśanā(Usana). King Antara had a son called Marutta.

After the war of Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra) when Yudhiṣṭhira (Yudhishthira)was unwilling to become the king, Draupadī (Draupadi) encouraged him, by recalling his previous achievements and powers. In this context, she said — “You have conquered the islands across the sea and also many islands between the seas, along with several others localities”. This islands located between the […]

Antarātmā (Antaratma; the inner self) is one of the Aṣṭottara Saharsanāma (Ashtottara Sahasranama; Thousand and eight names) of God Śiva (Siva). In Upaniṣad (Upanishad), it is said that the Supreme Self resides in the shape of a big finger, in the hearts of every living being as Jīvātmā (Jivatma; the soul of living beings)– aṅguṣṭhomātraḥ […]

The name of Manu’s son was Aṅga (Anga). Antardhāmā (Antardhama)was the son of Aṅga. Havirdhāmā (Havirdhama), son of Antardhāma is hailed as a Prajāpati (Prajapati; Ruler of the people).

See Śuci – 1 (Suchi – 1)

Antardhāna (Antardhana) is the favourite weapon of Kuvera, the god of wealth. After receiving the Pāśupata (Pasupata) weapon from Śiva (Siva), and immediately before visiting Indraloka (the celestial abode of Indra), Arjuna received this weapon from Kuvera. This weapon, says Kuvera, enhances the confidence and the physical glow of the one who applies the same, […]

Antardhāna (Antardhana) is the son of king Pṛthu (Prithu). A son named Havirdhāna (Havirdhana) was born of the womb of his wife Śikhaṇḍinī (Sikhandini), and sired by Antardhāna. According to Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana), Vijitāśva (Vijitaswa) was the original name of this son of Pṛthu. He received the lessons of Antardhāna (the art of disappearing from the […]

Antargirya is a locality situated towards the east of Bhārata (Bharata; India).

Antarhitātmā (Antarhitatma) is one of the Sahasranāma (Sahasranama; Thousand Names) of God Śiva (Siva). The term Antarhita may have two meanings — first, Antarhita may denote what lies within. In the thought of Upaniṣad (Upanishad), God Śiva or Paramātmā (the Supreme Self) resides as jīvātmā (jivatma; the internal spirit within the corporeal forms of all […]

Antarī (Antari) is one of the sites of pilgrimage, situated on the bank of Gaṅgā (Ganga), upon the mountain located towards the south of Sumeru Parvata.

The ethereal space between he Martyaloka (the earthly abode)and the Svargaloka (heavenly abode), as conceptualised in Purāṇa(s) (Purana; Mythological Scripture) is called Antarīkṣa (Antariksha). Antarā means ‘in between’, and the dhātu (dhatu; verb-root) ‘Īkṣ’ means ‘too see’. The sky, comprising of clouds and the atmosphere — that is seen as lying between the earth and […]

Ṛṣabha(Rishabha) was born as a partial incarnation of God Viṣṇu(Vishnu) , in the lineage of Agnīdhra (Agnidhra), king of Jamvudvīpa (Jamvudwipa). Antarīkṣa was one of the sons sired by Ṛṣabha, and born of the womb of Jayantī (Jayanti). He was the younger brother of Rājarṣi (Rajarshi; a king wth the attributes of a sage) Bharata. […]

The place where Indra, king of gods, came out, tearing off the kukṣi (kukshi; the side of body where the arm joins the torso) of Vṛtrāsura (Vritrasura), was located in between the rivers Gaṅgā (Ganga) and Yamunā (Yamuna). The corpse of the powerful demon fell there. The name of this sacred place is Antarvedī (Antarvedi).

Antavāsa (Antavasa) was one of the tribes or races whom Duryodhana saw, while they came with gifts for Yudhiṣṭhira (Yudhishthira) during his Rājasūya yajña (rajasuya yajna; a great sacrifice-ritual performed by an emperor). They are placed in the same row with Auṣnīka (Aushnika) and Romaka.

A son born of the womb of a Niṣāda (Nishada) woman, and sired by a Caṇḍāla (Chandala) man, is defined as Antevasāyī (Antevasayi). Such people had to live in śmaśāna (smasana; cremaion-ground) and other wretched, deserted places, and even people of other ‘lowly’ communities used to look down upon them — niṣādī cāpi cāṇḍālāt putramantevasāyinam […]

Yadu, the eldest son of Yayāti (Yayati), had five sons. According to the reading of Matsyapurāṇa (Matsyapurana), Antika was one of these five sons of Yadu.

Twelve Somapāyī (Somapayi; consumer of Somarasa) Bhārgava (Bhargava; son of Bhrigu) gods were born of the womb of Devī (Devi), wife of Maharṣi (Maharshi; Great Sage) Bhṛgu, and sired by the sage. Antya was one of these gods.  

The term Antyaja generally mean people who are born as hybrids from the so-called lower-varṇa(s) (varna; caste) such as the Śūdra (Sudra). In Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), there are mentions of soldiers belonging to Antyaja varṇaand Nīlakaṇṭha, the commentator has said that the communities like Kaivarta and Bhilla, who dwell at the peripherry of a state, are […]

Sage Śvetāśvetara (Swetaswetara) initiated king Suśīla (Susila) in the sannyāsīvrata (sannyasivrata; the sacred life of a recluse) belonging to the branch of Vedic tradition he himself belonged to. The Vedic branch is called Antyāśrama (Antyasrana).

Antyāyana (Antyayana) is one of the twelve gods born of the womb of Devī (Devi), and sired by Maharṣi (Maharshi; Great Sage) Bhṛgu (Bhrigu). In Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana), he is referred to as Anyāyata.

One of the one hundred appellations of Viṣṇu (Vishnu). The term aṇu (anu) suggests molecule or molecular nature of a thing. Upaniṣadas (Upanishada), while describing the nature of brahma, has countless times referred to Him as aṇuparimāṇa (anuparimana) or ‘molecular in size’ and even ‘smaller than a molecule’ — aṇoraṇīyān mahatomahīyān.  Muṇḍakopaniṣada (Mundakopanishada) observes that […]

Anu was the second son sired by King Yayāti (Yayati) to Śarmiṣṭha (Sarmishtha).  When Yayāti, cursed of acquiring untimely senility by Śukrācārya (Sukracharya), requested each of his sons to exchange his youth with the king’s old age, Anu directly refused this plea of his father. He said that old men, like infants and lowly people, eat whenever […]

Anu was an ancient king-turned-sage. According to Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana), he was one of those few people who were familiar with the full extent of Viṣṇu’s (Vishnu) powers and influences. 

Anu was son of Kuruvaśa (Kuruvasa) of the Vṛṣni (Vrishni) clan. He sired Puruhotra (or Purumitra), who was the grandfather of the famous Vṛṣni warrior Sāttvata (Sattwata). 

Anu was son of Vilomā (Viloma) in the line of Andhaka of the Vṛṣṇi (Vrishni) clan. He was a friend of Tumburu, a noted gandharva (a kind of demigods) musician. This ancestor of Vasudeva apparently was also known as Ānakadundubhi (Anakadundubhi). But the Bengali edition of Viṣṇupurāṇa (Vishnupurana) identifies the son of Viloma as Bhava.  This […]

Anu was one of the disciples of the great sage Laugākṣī (Laugakshi). 

Anubandhya is the name of the animal sacrifice performed at the end of Somayāga (Somayaga) after the abavṛt (abavrit) bathing. The animal should be preferably a barren cow or a bull in case of unavailability of a barren cow.  R.N. Dandekar informs that the sacrificial animal was bound to a post or peg from the […]

When adhwaryu (adhwaryu) offers an oblation to the sacrificial fire, hotā (hota) recites the yājyā (yajya) hymn and then utters the ritualistic chant word bauṣaṭ (baushat). Then, uttering agne vīhi (“Agni, please eat”), he utters bauṣaṭ once again. This second utterance of bauṣaṭ is known as anubaṣaṭkāra (anubashatkara). During Iṣṭiyāga (Ishtiyaga) the primary sacrifice is followed by […]

One of the sons sired by Kaśpa Prajāpati (Kasyapa Prajapati) to Danu, the daughter of Dakṣa (Daksha). 

one of the prominent sages belonging to the Caraka (Charaka) branch of Kṛṣṇayajurveda (Krishna-yajurveda; the black Yajurveda). 

Anucakra (Anuchakra) was one of the two warrior aides donated by Prajāpati Tvaṣṭā (Prajapati Twashta) to Skanda Kārtikeya (Kartikeya), when the latter was installed as the general of the divine army by the gods with the goal of killing Tārakāsura (Tarakasura). Each of them also gave him a few of their own followers to help […]

Harita is one of the gaṇa (gana; groups) in which the gods would be categorised in the twelfth manvantara (manwantara; epoch) when Sāvarṇi (Savarni), son of Rudra would be Manu or the overlord. Of the ten deities belonging to this group, Anucara (Anuchara) is one. 

Anūdara(Anudara) is one of the hundred sons of Kaurava Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Dhritarashtra). The name also reads as Anūdaya (Anudaya).

From his two arms, Pāñcajanya (Panchajanya) Agni (a form of the Fire-god) created two sounds, namely udātta (udatta) and anudātta (anudatta). Udātta is prākṛta svara (prakrita swara; the primary sound) to be employed during recitation of the Vedic hymns, whereas in the textual parts of Brāhmaṇa (Brahmana) it is considered vaikṛta svara (vaikrita swara; sound deformed […]

Anudṛka (Anudrika) is one of the forty-nine marut (a group of lesser deities). These forty-nine deities collectively called marut were sired by Kaśyapa Prajāpati (Kasyapa Prajapati) to Diti. 

A partof of Sabhāparva (Sabhaparva) of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) is called Anudyūta (Anudyuta) or Anudyūtaparva (Anudyutaparva). In this episode the second game of dice is described, a game in which the Pāṇḍavas (Pandava) lost their kingdom for a long exile in the forests. 

When Kṛṣṇa (Krishna) was going back to Dvārakā (Dwaraka) after the war of Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra) [we find this episode in Āśvamedhikaparva (Aswamedhikparva) of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata)], Arjuna took him aside and said, “Kṛṣṇa, you lectured me on the essence of Gītā (Gita) at the beginning of the great war in order to clear away my confusions. But […]

Anugoptā (Anugopta) is one of the many Viśvedevas (Viswedeva). 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 of gods. The thirty […]

Anugraha is son of Bhautya Manu. 

Aṇuha (Anuha) was a son of Vibhrāja (Vibhraja), a king of the Nīpa (Neepa) dynasty. His wife was Kīrti [Kirti; some texts mention her as Kṛtvī (Kritwi) or Kīrtimatī (Kirtimati) as well], daughter of Śukadeva (Shukadeva) and granddaughter of Vedavyāsa (Vedavyasa). With Kīrti, Aṇuha sired Brahmadatta who became famous as rājarṣi (rajarshi; a sagely king).  In […]

See Anuhlāda (Anuhlada).

Anujībī (Anujibi) are those subordinates of a king who depend on the king for their livelihood. An entire chapter of Matsyapurāṇa (Matsyapurana) is dedicated in the discussion of how they should behave in front of the king and behind him, and what their conduct towards ministers, bureaucrats, princes and other near and dear ones of […]

Anukārī (Anukari) is an appellate of Śiva-Mahādeva (Siva-Mahadeva). Etymollogicaly the term means a person who mimics certain topic or a course of actions. Śiva, the benevolent deity and benefactor of devotees, mimics the desires of his devotees; in other words, he makes the desires of his devotees come true in order to please the devotees. That is […]

Anukarmā (Anukarma) is one of the many Viśvedevas (Viswedeva). 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 of gods. The thirty […]

The very first chapter of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) is called Anukramaṇikā-parva (Anukramanika-parva) or Anukramaṇī (Anukramani). The Sanskrit root kram signifies ‘to move in an order’. Therefore Anukramaṇikā-parva signifies the introductory chapter which recounts the order in which the narrative of Mahābhārata  is retold. However, according to some, this chapter of Mahābhārata is peripheral and of minor importance. On Vyāsa’s […]

There is a segment in Ādiparva (Adiparva) of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) which deals with the gist of all the major events in their sequential order. This segment, retelling the important points of the epic in one hundred and fifty verses, is known Anukramaṇikādhyāya (Anukramanikadhyaya). This, from a modern perspective, can be called the introductory ‘contents section’ of Mahābhārata. Vyāsa […]

Anukṛṣṇa (Anukrishna) is a sage belonging to the Caraka (Charaka) branch of Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda (Krishna Yajurveda; Black Yajurveda). 

Anukūla (Anukula) is one of the one thousand names of Viṣṇu (Vishnu). 

In the sixth Manvantara, when Cākṣuṣa (Chakshusha) Manu was the ruler of the Manvantara, the gods were classified into several gaṇa(s) (gana; genus). Ādya (Adya) was one of those gaṇa(s). Anumantā (Anumanta) was one of those gods. In Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana) these gods of Cākṣuṣa Manvantara have been referred to as Sādhya (Sadhya).