A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion

Vedic tradition

• Ganesha is historically related to Book.

  Dowson GANESA seats Ganesa as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles who is invariably invoked at the commencement of books (and said to have written down the Mahabharata) — book-opening kinship, not the elephant animal alone and not a Lots Animal Deck reprint.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Durga is used in Rite.

  Dowson Devi/Durga speech seats Durga as the inaccessible fierce form in whose honour the Durga-puja (and related Charak-puja barbarities) are held — named festival-rite use, not Kali as the black cremation-ground form alone.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Kali is used in Offering.

  Dowson seats Kali (with Syama ‘the black’) among Devi’s terrible forms to whom bloody sacrifices are offered — Kali sacrificial-offering use, not Durga-puja festival speech alone and not Kali-yuga as the Iron Age.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Lakshmi is historically related to Lotus.

  Dowson seats Lakshmi (Sri) rising from the churned ocean seated on a lotus, and Vishnu with Lakshmi seated on a lotus — lotus-born fortune kinship, not gold as bare metal and not Saraswati as speech.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Hanuman is historically related to Rama.

  Dowson HANUMAN/HANUMAT seats the celebrated monkey ally whose exploits for Rama (Lanka fire, herb-flight, spy and battle service) are favourite Hindu topics — Hanumat–Rama kinship, not Rama as the prince alone and not a bare monkey animal reprint.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

  historically related to · sourced · documented

• Kailasa is historically related to Paradise.

  Dowson seats Kailasa as Gana-parvata where Siva’s attendants dwell and as the mountain paradise of Kuvera with Kinnaras — Kailasa paradise kinship, not Meru as the cosmic axis alone and not Vaikuntha as Vishnu’s heaven.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Śakti is historically related to Vedic tradition.

  Dowson seats Sakti as the female energy of Siva (mild and fierce) whose worship the Puranas and Tantras develop — Hindu classical Sakti speech, not kundalini as the coiled form alone and not a pan-energy dump.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Prāṇa is historically related to Vedic tradition.

  Dowson PRANA seats ‘breath or life’ personified in the Atharva-veda with a hymn addressed to it (and Upanishadic prana breaths among the Rudras) — Vedic prana kinship, not qi as Chinese vapor-energy and not bare mood-breath.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Ashram is historically related to Vedic tradition.

  Dowson ASRAMA seats the four stages in a Brahman’s life (student, householder, forest hermit, renouncer) and hermitage retirement speech — classical asrama kinship, not matha as a monastic seat alone and not a Christian monastery dump.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

  historically related to · sourced · documented

• Damaru is historically related to Drum.

  Dowson’s Siva description seats a drum (damaru) in the shape of an hour-glass among Siva’s carried emblems — damaru drum kinship, not a generic drum dump and not Kagura suzu.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

  historically related to · sourced · documented

• Puja is historically related to Offering.

  Dowson names Durga-puja and Charak-puja as honour-rites in which sacrifices and offerings propitiate Devi’s fierce forms — puja offering kinship, not aarti as lamp-waving alone.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Trishula is historically related to Temple.

  Dowson’s Siva description seats the triśūla/trident called Pinaka in Siva’s hand in the same temple-image speech that places Nandi conspicuous before Siva’s temples — Shaiva trident-image kinship, not Poseidon’s fork and not Pinaka-as-bow flatten.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Valmiki is historically related to Book.

  Dowson RAMAYANA seats the oldest Sanskrit epic as written by the sage Valmiki — Valmiki authorship kinship toward the book, not Vyasa as identity and not the Ramayana text orphan under one id.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Ramayana is historically related to Rama.

  Dowson RAMAYANA seats ‘The Adventures of Rama’ as the Sanskrit epic of Rama-chandra — Ramayana–Rama kinship, not Valmiki the poet alone and not every exile tale.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

  historically related to · sourced · documented

• Vaikuntha is historically related to Paradise.

  Dowson seats Vishnu’s heaven as Vaikuntha (Vaikuntha-natha ‘lord of Vaikuntha (paradise)’) — Vaikuntha paradise kinship, not Swarga as Indra’s heaven and not Kailasa as Siva’s peak.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Varanasi is historically related to Pilgrimage.

  Dowson VARANASI seats the sacred city of Benares (also called Kasi) and repeatedly names Benares/Kasi among holy cities and pilgrimage speech — Varanasi pilgrimage kinship, not Mecca as another pole and not a generic riverside dump.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Panchatantra is historically related to Book.

  Dowson seats the Pancha-tantra as the larger older work of ethical tales and fables from which the Hitopadesa was compiled — Panchatantra book kinship, not fable as a genre word alone.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Sītā abduction is historically related to Rama.

  Dowson’s Ramayana narrative seats Ravana’s seizure of Sita and Rama’s recovery war — Sita-abduction episode kinship toward Rama, not Persephone’s Hellenic kore seizure and not the whole Ramayana text under one id.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Champaka is historically related to Tree.

  Dowson seats Champa as surrounded with champaka trees as with a garland (mala), naming the fragrant trees that may claim the city’s designation — champaka tree kinship, not Champa as kingdom dump alone.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Parijata is historically related to Tree.

  Dowson seats Parijata among the precious things churned from the ocean as a celestial tree, and recounts Krishna carrying the Parijata tree from Swarga — Parijata heaven-tree kinship, not kadamba as the monsoon tree and not bare jasmine as a Lots climb.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Kaustubha is historically related to Gold.

  Dowson seats Kaustubha as a celebrated jewel produced at the ocean churning and worn on Vishnu’s breast with the Sri-vatsa — jewel-material kinship toward goldsmith speech, not Syamantaka and not He Shi Bi.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

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• Khatvanga is historically related to Staff.

  Dowson seats the Khatwanga as Siva’s club with a skull at the end (also called Khinkira) among his carried emblems — khatvanga staff kinship, not kapala/kangling flatten and not the Solar-race prince Khatwanga alone.

  from John Dowson · A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, 1879

  historically related to · sourced · documented