ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Hinduism's Online Lexicon - A-z Dictionary B backbiting: Speaking maliciously or slanderously about a person who is absent. Badarayana: (Sanskrit) Author of the Brahma Sutras. See: Brahma Sutra. balipitha: (Sanskrit) "Offering place." An inverted lotus-shaped stone atop a pedestal situated near the temple flagpole, dhvajastambha. Here devotees are to leave all negative thoughts as they enter the temple. bard: A singer or reciter of epic poems.

Basavanna: (Sanskrit) A 12th-century philosopher, poet and prime minister who reformed and revived Vira Saivism in Karnataka. See: Vira Saivism. Batara: A name of Siva used in Indonesia. See: Siva. Baudhayana Dharma Shastra: (Sanskrit) A book of laws associated with the Krishna Yajur Veda and governing studentship, marriage, household rituals, civil law, etc. It is followed by brahmins of Southwest India. See: Dharma Shastra, Kalpa Vedanga.

bce: Abbreviation for "before common era," referring to dating prior to the year zero in the Western, or Gregorian calendar, system. Thus, 300 bce was 300 years before the turn of the millennium. Cf: ce. Being: When capitalized being refers to God's essential divine nature--Pure Consciousness, Absolute Reality and Primal Soul (God's nature as a divine Person). Lower case being refers to the essential nature of a person, that within which never changes; existence. See: Siva.

benediction: A blessing, especially a spoken one. See: blessing. benevolence: Inclination to do good; charitable, kindly. See: yama-niyama. benign: Good, kindly, doing no harm. See: ahimsa. beseech: To ask of someone earnestly. To solicit with fervor. bestow: To offer as a gift. See: dana. betoken: To indicate, show; offer as a sign of the future. Symbolize. betrothal: Mutual pledge to marry; engagement. In Sanskrit, vagdana or nishchitartha. See: samskaras of adulthood.

bewilder: To baffle or confuse through something complicated or involved. bhaga: n (Sanskrit) "Good fortune; happiness." A God of the Rig Veda; Lord of wealth, prowess and happiness. See: purushartha, Rig Veda, wealth. Bhagavad Gita: n (Sanskrit) "Song of the Lord." One of the most popular of Hindu writings, a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the brink of the great battle at Kurukshetra.

In this central episode of the epic Mahabharata (part of the sixth book), Krishna illumines the warrior-prince Arjuna on yoga, asceticism, dharma and the manifold spiritual path. See: Itihasa, Mahabharata.