In the ancient times, the areas inhabited by the people belonging to the lower castes were referred to as acyutasthala (achyutasthala). It is a common adjective. In Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) the areas specified as acyutasthala were deemed uninhabitable. yugandhare dadhi prāśya ūṣitvā cācyutasthale tadvadbhūta laye snātvā saputrā vastumarhasi. Inhabiting acyutasthala requires one to perform special ārādhanā […]

Agnikuṇḍatīrtha (agnikundatirtha) is the name of a place of pilgrimage located along the banks of the river Sarasvatī (Saraswati).

Aindrī (Aindri) was one of the epitomes of Ṣakti (Sakti) of Indra, the King of the gods. Devī Aindrī (Devi Andri) arrived at the battlefield to help Devī Caṇḍikā (Devi Chandika) when she was fighting with Śumbhāsura (Sumbhasura). Aindrī (Aindri) was one of the eight manifestations of Ṣakti (Sakti) of Devī Bhagavatī (Devi Bhagavati). She […]

Pināka (Pinaka), the bow of Śiva (Siva),  is also known as ‘Ājagava’ (Ajagava). This is called ‘Ajakava’, ‘Ajakāva'(Ajakava)  or ‘Ajagāva’. The way the word ‘Ajakava’ has been analysed in Śabdakalpadruma, seems to indicate that the ‘ka’ has been transformed into ‘ga’ through linuisic evolution. The Puraṅa-scholars  state that ‘aja’ refers to Viṣṇu (Visnu) who is […]

The eleventh lunar day of a bright fortnight. It is highly felicitous to worship Viṣṇu (Vishnu) on this day, and hence, it is known as akhaṇḍa ekādaśī (akhanda ekadashi).

Alepakatīrtha (Alepakatirtha) is the name of a tīrtha (tirtha; site of pilgrimage). Śiva(Siva) is the presiding deity of this tīrtha. Worshipping Śiva here, one may get relieved of sins.

In Vāmanapurāṇa (Vamanapurana), Amlunadī (Amlunadi) has been mentioned as a sacred river. Referring to this river as a sacred site of pilgrimage, it is said that all sins can be removed by taking a bath in this river. Vāmaṇapurāṇa (Vamanapurana) further mentions that water remains in this river only in the monsoon season.

A holy place of pilgrimage devoted to lauding the greatness of Sage Nārada (Narada). In Vanaparva of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), Yudhiṣṭhira (Yudhisthira) was asked to visit this site of worship falling within the ambit of Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra). It is situated to the east of the holy place at Saraka— sarakasya tu pūrveṇa nāradasya mahātmanaḥ. kuruśreṣṭha śubhaṃ […]

This pilgrimage site is situated at Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra), on the western side of the river Yamuna. Located here are temples of abode dedicated to Brahmā (Brahma) and Mahādeva (Mahadeva). Rudrāṇī (Rudrani) occupies the west, and Padmanābha (Padmanabha) occupies the north of this holy place. It has been referred to as sarvadevatīrtha (sarvadevatirtha, or the place […]

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 […]

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.

Āpagā (Apaga) is a river; and there is a pilgrimage site named after this river. In Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) it is said that the river is located about one krośa (krosa, about two miles) away towards the east of Mānuṣatīrtha (Manushatirtha, the pilgrimage site called Manusha). It is hailed as a site of great virtue. It […]

Kūrmapurāṇa (Kurmapurana) has further divided Caturāśrama (Chaturasrama, the four phases of life) in three types, according to the variance amongst Vaiṣṇava (Vaishnava), Brāhma(Brahma) and Śaiva (Saiva). The four āśrama(asrama) emerged from the mind, eyes, ears, and skin of God Nārāyaṇa (Narayana). For the Brāhmaṇa (Brahmana), the four āśrama — Brahmacarya (Brahmacharya), Gārhasthya (Garhasthya), Vānaprastha(Vanaprastha) and […]

Aśvatīrtha (Aswatirtha) is a sacred site of pilgrimage located on the bank of Gaṅgā (Ganga), near Kanvakuvja. While visiting several sites of pilgrimage, Pāṇḍava(s)(Pandavas) came here. When Ṛcīka (Richika), belonging to the lineage of Bhṛgu (Bhrigu), wanted to marry Satyavatī (Satyavati), daughter of king Gādhi (Gadhi), the king demanded from him as the bride’s dowry […]

Aśvinikumāratīrtha (Aswinikumaratirtha) is a tīrtha(tirtha; site of pilgrimage) located in Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra), blessed with the grace of the twin Aśvinikumāra. In Vanaparva of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), there is a mention of going to this tīrtha from Koṭitīrtha(Kotitirtha).Visiting this tīrtha, one may become more beautiful. It is thought that this tīrtha is located in the place called […]

Ātreyī(Atreyi) was the wife of a Brāhmaṇa (Brahmana) called Vitamanyu. She gave birth to a son called Upamanyu, sired by Vitamanyu. The poor Brāhmaṇi ( Brahmani; the Brahmana woman) could not feed the son with milk, and gave him dough-water instead. Upamanyu never knew how real milk tested. One day he went for an invitation […]

Atri was one of the six supreme patriarch ṛṣi (rishi; sage) — like Marīci (Marichi) and Aṅgirā (Angira) — who were born at the onset of the Creation. Many legends are associated with the birth of these six prime sages, and the great sage Atri is no exception. The foremost of these legends is that all […]

Devāpi(Devapi) was the eldest son of King Pratīpa (Pratipa), belonging to  Kuruvaṁśa ( Kuruvamsa; the genealogical line of Kuru). He was the elder brother of Śāntanu (Santanu). Iṣṭaka(Ishtaka) was the younger one of the two sons of Devāpi.

Oghavatī (Oghavati) is an ancient, sacred river of India. Oghavatī is one of the seven manifestations of Sarasvatī (Saraswati)– rājan saptasarasvatyo yābhirvyāptamidaṃ jagat āhūtā valavadbhirhi tatra tatra sarasvatī. suprabhā kāñcanākṣī ca viśālā ca manoramā sarasvatī coghavatī sureṇurvimalodā. People of both Ārya (Arya; Aryan)and Mleccha (Mleccha; foreigners) communities live on the water of Oghavatī. At the […]

Ṛṇamocanatīrtha (Rinamochanatirtha) is a sacred site of pilgrimage in Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra). This is located nearby the river Sarasvatī (Saraswati).

Utpalāvatī (Utpalavati) was a pious river whose source was in the Malaya Parvata. But according to the Vāmana Purāṇa (Vamana Purana), the source of the river Utpalāvatī (Utpalavati) lied in the Śuktimāna (Suktimana) Parvata. Though there was a mention of the river Utpalāvatī (Utpalavati) in the Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), among the editions of the epic which […]