ī
The first of the Apsaras, ancestor of the lunar dynasty, into which the P
ā
ṇ
ḍ
avas and the Kauravas were born
U
ṣ
as
Dawn
Uttar
ā
Extreme; daughter of Vir
ā
ṭ
a, wife of Abhimanyu
Uttarakuru
A fabulous and inaccessible country in the far north
V
ā
c
The goddess Word
rāc
Word, voice (Latin:
rox
)
Va
ḍ
av
ā
The Submarine Mare: from her mouth issues a blaze of heat,
rāḍarāgni
, that ends up consuming the waters of the ocean
Vaijayanta
Indra’s standard
Vai
ś
ā
l
ī
The ancient city of the Liechave clan, in Bihar
Vai
ś
ampáyana
A
ṛṣi
, disciple of Vy
ā
sa
rajra
Thunderbolt; supreme weapon forged by Tva
ṣ
ṭ
ṛ
for Indra
Vaku
ḍ
a
Place where the last of the
Ś
ā
kyas find refuge
Vala
Cave; the rock that conceals the Cows and the Waters
V
ā
lakhilyas
A race of
ṛṣis
the height of a thumb, born from Praj
ā
pati’s hair: Hymns 49–59 of the eighth book of the
Ṛ
g Veda are attributed to them
Var
ā
ha
Boar; third
avatāra
of Vi
ṣ
ṇ
u
V
ā
r
ā
ṇ
as
ī
The capital of the kingdom of K
ā
ś
ī
, whence derived the Hindi Ban
ā
ras, later anglicized to Beuares
V
ā
ra
ṇ
ā
vata
City where the P
ā
ṇ
ḍ
avas live before fleeing the burning of the lacquer house
Varg
ā
Name of an Apsaras
rarṇa
Color, caste
Varu
ṇ
a
All-embracing; one of the
Ā
dityas
Var
ū
thin
ī
Name of an Apsaras
rasatīrarī
Overnight waters; used in the
soma
rites
Vasi
ṣ
ṭ
ha
Born from the seed of Mitra and Varu
ṇ
a squirted into a bowl. one of the Saptar
ṣ
is, author, as tradition has it, of the seventh
maṇḍala
of the
Ṛ
g Veda
V
ā
sto
ṣ
pati
Lord of the Place. Lord of the Sacrificial Residue; one of the names of Rudra
V
ā
suki
Snake, one of the kings of the N
ā
gas, used by the Devas and the Asuras in the churning of the ocean
Vasus
Group of eight divinities, including Soma, Agni, and V
ā
yu; with the
Ā
dityas, the Rudras, and the A
ś
vins, they make up the thirty-three Vedic gods
rārātā
Favorite One: the second in rank of the king’s wives
V
ā
yu
Wind; the god who generates Bh
ī
ma through his union with Kunt
ī
Vedas
A collection of texts including the books of hymns, the Br
ā
hma
ṇ
as, the Ara
ṇ
yakas, the Upani
ṣ
ads, and the S
ū
tras. They are divided into the
Ṛ
g Veda, S
ā
ma Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda (the latter is sometimes excluded, in which case one speaks of the Three Vedas)
veda
Knowledge
vedi
Altar
Ve
ṇ
uvana
Bamboo Wood, one of the Buddha’s favorite parks
ri
-
Prefix indicating separation and pervasiveness
Vicitrav
ī
rya
Son of
Ś
ā
ṃ
tanu and Satyavat
ī
, husband of Ambik
ā
and Amb
ā
lik
ā
Videhas
A people in northeast India
Vidura
Son of Vy
ā
sa and one of Ambik
ā
’s maids, uncle of the P
ā
ṇ
ḍ
avas and the Kauravas
Vijay
ā
Maid of P
ā
rvat
ī
Vikrampur
A city in Bengal
Vimalakau
ṇ
ḍ
inya
Son of
Ā
mrap
ā
l
ī
rīṇā
A musical instrument with strings, emblem of Sarasvat
ī
Vinat
ā
Daughter of Dak
ṣ
a, sister of Kadr
ū
, mother of Garu
ḍ
a and Aru
ṇ
a; according to the
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa
, 3.2.4.1. Kadr
ū
and Vinat
ā
were two
māyūs
, “magic forms,” evoked by the Devas to conquer the
soma
Vin
ā
yaka
Without husband; epithet of Ga
ṇ
e
ś
a, born from P
ā
rvat
ī
alone
Vip
ā
ś
ā
A river in the Punjab
ripras
Vibrant; epithet of the
ṛṣis
V
ī
rabhadra
Terrifying manifestation of
Ś
iva
viraha
Separation
virāj
A Vedic meter of four lines of ten syllables
Vir
ā
ṭ
a
King of the Matsyas (Fishes), father of Uttar
ā
V
ī
ri
ṇ
ī
Wife of Dak
ṣ
a
Vir
ū
ḍ
haka
King of the Kosalas
Vi
ṣ
ṇ
u
All-pervasive One; from
riś
, “to enter,” or
vy-aś
, “to penetrate,” “to pervade.” “For he penetrates in everything” (
Vāyu Purāṇa
, 5.36). One of the
Ā
dítyas
visṛj
-
To expand, to emit
Vi
ś
v
ā
mitra
Friend of everyone; one of the Saptar
ṣ
is; according to tradition, author of most of the third and fourth
maṇḍala
of the
Ṛ
g Veda
Vi
ś
var
ū
pa
Omniform One; another name of Tva