APRICOT :: Medicinal and nonfood uses

Apricot Blossom

APRICOT

Medicinal and nonfood uses

Cyanogenic glycosides (found in most stone fruit seeds, bark, and leaves) are found in high concentration in apricot seeds. Laetrile, a purported alternative treatment for cancer, is extracted from apricot seeds. Apricot seeds were used against tumors as early as AD 502. In England during the 17th century, apricot oil was also used against tumors, swellings, and ulcers. In 2005, scientists in the Republic of Korea found that treating human prostate cancer cells with amygdalin induces programmed cell death in vitro. They concluded, "amygdalin may offer a valuable option for the treatment of prostate cancers".

A 2006 systematic review by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded: "The claim that [l]aetrile has beneficial effects for cancer patients is not supported by data from controlled clinical trials. This systematic review has clearly identified the need for randomised or controlled clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of [l]aetrile or amygdalin for cancer treatment." Given the lack of evidence, laetrile has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health evaluated the evidence separately and concluded the clinical trials of amgydalin showed little or no effect against cancer.For example, a 1982 trial of 175 patients found tumor size had increased in all but one patient.The authors reported, "the hazards of amygdalin therapy were evidenced in several patients by symptoms of cyanide toxicity or by blood cyanide levels approaching the lethal range."

The study concluded, "Patients exposed to this agent should be instructed about the danger of cyanide poisoning, and their blood cyanide levels should be carefully monitored. Amygdalin (Laetrile) is a toxic drug that is not effective as a cancer treatment".

In Europe, apricots were long considered an aphrodisiac, and were used in this context in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and as an inducer of childbirth, as depicted in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi.

Due to their high fiber to volume ratio, dried apricots are sometimes used to relieve constipation or induce diarrhea. Effects can be felt after eating as few as three.

Research shows, of any food, apricots possess the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids. Carotenoids as antioxidants may help to prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer. Although initial studies suggested antioxidant supplements might promote health, later large clinical trials did not detect any benefit and suggested instead that excess supplementation may be harmful. In traditional Chinese medicine, apricots are considered helpful in regenerating body fluids, detoxifying, and quenching thirst.

In Armenia, the wood of the apricot tree is used for making wood carvings such as the duduk, which is a popular wind instrument in Armenia and is also called the apricot pipe. Several hand-made souvenirs are also made from the apricot wood.

Apricot :: Kernels

APRICOT



Kernels
Main article: Apricot kernel

Seeds or kernels of the apricot grown in central Asia and around the Mediterranean are so sweet, they may be substituted for almonds. The Italian liqueur amaretto and amaretti biscotti are flavoured with extract of apricot kernels rather than almonds. Oil pressed from these cultivar kernels, and known as oil of almond, has been used as cooking oil. Kernels contain between 2.05% and 2.40% hydrogen cyanide, but normal consumption is insufficient to produce serious effects.

APRICOT :: KHUBANI

APRICOT

The apricot is a small tree, 8–12 m (26–39 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm (16 in) in diameter and a dense, spreading canopy. The leaves are ovate, 5–9 cm (2.0–3.5 in) long and 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip and a finely serrated margin. The flowers are 2–4.5 cm (0.8–1.8 in) in diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs in early spring before the leaves. The fruit is a drupe similar to a small peach, 1.5–2.5 cm (0.6–1.0 in) diameter (larger in some modern cultivars), from yellow to orange, often tinged red on the side most exposed to the sun; its surface can be smooth (botanically described as: glabrous) or velvety with very short hairs (botanically: pubescent). The flesh is usually firm and not very juicy. Its taste can range from sweet to tart. The single seed is enclosed in a hard, stony shell, often called a "stone", with a grainy, smooth texture except for three ridges running down one side

APRICOT :: fruits

The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.

NAG PANCHAMI

Krishna and the Kaliya Snake

 Nag Panchami is also connected with the following legend of Krishna. Young Krishna was playing with the other cowboys, when suddenly the ball got entangled in the high branch of a tree. Krishna volunteered to climb the tree and fetch the ball. But below the tree there was a deep part of the river Yamuna, in which the terrible snake Kaliya was living. Everybody was afraid of that part of the river. Suddenly Krishna fell from the tree into the water. Then that terrible snake came up. But Krishna was ready and jumping on the snake’s head he caught it by the neck. Kaliya understood that Krishna was not an ordinary boy, and that it would not be easy to overcome him. So Kaliya pleaded with Krishna: “Please, do not kill me.” Krishna full of compassion asked the snake to promise that henceforth he would not harass anybody. Then he let the snake go free into the river again. On Nag Panchami day the victory of Krishna over the Kaliya snake is commemorated. For this reason Krishna is known as “Kaliya Mardan”. Snakes are believed to like milk. As this is the day of the serpents, devotees pour milk into all the holes in the ground around the house or near the temple to propitiate them. Sometimes, a small pot of milk with some flowers is placed near the holes so that the snakes may drink it. If a snake actually drinks the milk, it is considered to be extremely lucky for the devotee. The festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm by all, especially women. As most rivers in India are in spate during the month of Shriven, poisonous snakes come out of their subterranean abodes and creep about in plenty all over the place. Many also float on flooded rivers running through the countryside. Mortality from snakebites must have been considerable to prompt people to worship the nagas to seek protection from them. Because of the fear, nagas were elevated to a divine status by the Hindus. The serpents are believed to have the capability to change their shape at will. When in human form, they are depicted as beautiful women and handsome men. Naga Panchami is observed indifferent ways in different parts of India. It is one of the most ancient fasts, and finds mention in the Puranas. It is believed to be one of the most auspicious days of the entire year. According to the Bhavishya Purana, when men bathe the snakes called Vasuki, Takshaka, Kaliya, Manibhadra, Airavata, Dhritarashtra, Karkotaka and Dhananjaya with milk on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of Shriven, they ensure freedom from danger for their families. In some parts of southern India, figures of snakes are drawn with red sandalwood paste on wooden boards, or clay images of snakes coloured yellow or black are purchased. These are then worshipped and offered milk. Snake charmers wander about with all sorts of snakes, to which people offer milk. The snake charmers are paid some money for allowing this Serpent worship developed gradually from the fear of serpents that must have taken a heavy toll on life, particularly at the beginning of the rainy season. In the Ashvalayana Grihyasutra, the Paraskara Grihyasutra and other Grihyasutras, a rite called Sarpabali or 'offerings to serpents' was performed on the full moon night of Shriven. However the reason that it was moved from the full moon night to that of the fifth night of the bright fortnight is not apparent. It may be due to the slight change in the time of the onset of the rains.

Nag Panchami :: Hindu festival

The Snake and the Farmer
    A farmer was ploughing his field. At the edge of the field there was an anthill which he inadvertently destroyed with the plough, and thus the young serpents that were hiding in it were killed. The mother snake had casually gone out. When she came back she could not find her young ones. At last she found them cut into pieces. She was furious and understood that the farmer had killed them. She was bent on taking revenge.
    At night when the farmer was sleeping with his wife and children, the snake came full of anger. She began to bite the feet of the farmer, and then one by one the feet of his wife and children. All began to cry. But the eldest daughter happened to be out of the house that night. Then the snake remembered that on the occasion of her wedding, the girl had gone to the house of her father-in-law. “I will not spare her either,” the snake resolved.
    The snake ran towards the neighbouring village. She stopped before the door of a house, and saw a young girl inside. She recognized her as the farmer’s eldest daughter. The snake went in determined to bite her. But then she saw the young girl with joint hands worshipping the snake she had made out of “gandh”, and the nine “nagkule” (young snakes). She had offered them “nagane” (gram soaked and parched), “lahya” (rice blown out by parching), and “durva” (grass sacred to Ganpati), and she was praying with great devotion, “O God Snake, don’t be angry if I have committed any mistake. Accept my worship. Look after my people at home and in my father-in-law’s house. Do not bite anyone. Forgive any fault we may have committed inadvertently.”
    With this the snake was pleased and came before the girl. She opened her eyes and got frightened at the sight of the snake. But the snake said, “Don’t be afraid. I shall not bite you. Tell me who you are and where your house is.” Then the snake knew well that the girl was the farmer’s daughter and felt very sorry for having killed all her people.

    The snake told the girl what had happened, but told her not to cry. She gave her some nectar and told her to sprinkle it on her dead people, and with this they all came back to life.

NAG PANCHAMI :: HINDU FESTIVALS

NAG PANCHAMI


Celebrated on : The fifth day of the Bright half of Shravan.


Religion : Hindu

On the fifth day of the bright half of Shravan people worship the snake, “nag”. The day is known as “Nag Panchami”. Naga Panchami is the festival of snakes celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Shriven. The festival falls during the rainy months and is believed to counter the increased possibility of a snake bite during this time. People visit temples specially dedicated to snakes and worship them. Shiva temples are also favoured places for veneration as snakes are considered dear to him. In South India, people craft images of snakes using cow dung on either side of the entrance to the house to welcome the snake god. Some go to worship the snake which is believed to be hiding in the holes of anthills. Or else a five hood snake is made by mixing “gandh” (a fragrant pigment), “halad-kumkum” (turmeric powder), “chandan” (sandal) and “keshar” (saffron) and placed on a metal plate and worshipped. This practice of worshipping the snake on this day is related to the following story.

Krisna

Later life


According to Mahabharata, the Kurukshetra war resulted in the death of all hundred sons of Gandhari. On the night before Duryodhana's death, Lord Krishna visited Gandhari to offer his condolences. Gandhari felt that Krishna knowingly did not put an end to the war, and in a fit of rage and sorrow, Gandhari cursed that Krishna, along with everyone else from yadu dynasty, will perish after 36 years.
At a festival, a fight broke out between the Yadavas, who killed each other. His elder brother, Balarama, then gave up his body using Yoga. Krishna retired into the forest and started meditating under a tree. The Mahabharata also narrates the story of a hunter who kills Krishna. The hunter Jara, mistook Krishna's partly visible left foot for that of a deer, and shot an arrow wounding and killing him mortally. Krishna's soul then ascended to heaven, while his mortal body was cremated by Arjuna.

According to Puranic sources, Krishna's death marks the end of Dvapara Yuga and the start of Kali Yuga, which is dated to February 17/18, 3102 BCE. Vaishnava teachers such as Ramanujacharya and Gaudiya Vaishnavas held the view that the body of Krishna is completely spiritual and never decays as this appears to be the perspective of the Bhagavata Purana. Krishna never appears to grow old or age at all in the historical depictions of the Puranas despite passing of several decades, but there are grounds for a debate whether this indicates that he has no material body, since battles and other descriptions of the Mahabhārata epic show clear indications that he seems to be subject to the limitations of nature. While battles apparently seem to indicate limitations, Mahabharata also shows in many places where Krishna is not subject to any limitations as through episodes Duryodhana trying to arrest Krishna where his body burst into fire showing all creation within him. Krishna is also explicitly described as without deterioration elsewhere.

Krisna :: Family

KRISNA  :: FAMILY

Krishna had a total of 16,108 wives, out of which eight were his princely wives and 16,100 were rescued from Narakasura, who had forcibly kept them in his harem, but all of them are considered to be incarnations of Goddess Lakshmi. It may seem that Krishna lusted for women but in reality it was not possible for another man to marry the 16100 princesses (rescuees) as they were held captive by Narakasura so Krishna (the rescuer) accepted their unanimous request to marry him and the Supreme lord accepted them as his wives, clearing them of any worldly blemish).

The first son of Queen Rukmini was Pradyumna, and also born of her were Charudeshna, Sudeshna and the powerful Charudeha, along with Sucharu, Chharugupta, Bhadracaru, Charuchandra, Vicaru and Caru, the tenth. Pradyumna fathered the greatly powerful Aniruddha in the womb of Rukmavati, the daughter of Rukmi. This took place while they were living in the city of Bhojakata.

The ten sons of Satyabhama were Bhanu, Subhanu, Svarbhanu, Prabhanu, Bhanuman, Chandrabhanu, Brihadbhanu, Atibhanu (the eighth), Sribhanu and Pratibhanu.

Samba, Sumitra, Purujit, Satajit, Sahasrajit, Vijaya, Citraketu, Vasuman, Dravida and Kratu were the sons of Jambavati. These ten, headed by Samba, were their father's favorites.

The sons of Nagnajiti were Vira, Candra, Asvasena, Citragu, Vegavan, Vrisha, Ama, Sanku, Vasu and the opulent Kunti.

Sruta, Kavi, Vrisha, Vira, Subahu, Bhadra, Santi, Darsa and Purnamasa were sons of Kalindi. Her youngest son was Somaka.

Madra's sons were Praghosha, Gatravan, Simha, Bala, Prabala, Urdhaga, Mahasakti, Saha, Oja and Aparajita.

Mitravinda's sons were Vrika, Harsha, Anila, Gridhra, Vardhana, Unnada, Mahamsa, Pavana, Vahni and Kshudhi.

Sangramajit, Brihatsena, Sura, Praharana, Arijith, Jaya and Subhadra were the sons of Bhadra, together with Vama, Ayur and Satyaka.

Diptiman, Tamratapta and others were the sons of Lord Krishna and Rohini.

KRISNA :: THE GREAT WARRIOR

Kurukshetra War and Bhagavad Gita


                                                           Krishna and Arjuna driving towards Bhisma

Main articles: Kurukshetra War and Bhagavad Gita



Once battle seemed inevitable, Krishna offered both sides the opportunity to choose between having either his army called narayani sena or himself alone, but on the condition that he personally would not raise any weapon. Arjuna, on behalf of the Pandavas, chose to have Krishna on their side, and Duryodhana, Kaurava prince, chose Krishna's army. At the time of the great battle, Krishna acted as Arjuna's charioteer, since this position did not require the wielding of weapons.
Upon arrival at the battlefield, and seeing that the enemies are his family, his grandfather, his cousins and loved ones, Arjuna becomes doubtful about the fight. He lost all his hopes and put down his Gandiv (Arjuna's bow). Krishna then advises him about the battle, with the conversation soon extending into a discourse which was later compiled as the Bhagavad Gita.

Krishna had a profound effect on the Mahabharata war and its consequences. He considered the Kurukshetra war as a last resort by voluntarily making himself as a messenger in order to establish peace between the Pandavas and Kauravas. But, once these peace negotiations failed and was embarked into the war, then he became a clever strategist. During the war, upon becoming angry with Arjun for not fighting in true spirit against his ancestors, Krishna once picked up a carriage wheel and converted it to a Chakra (discus) to challenge Bhishma when the latter injured him. Upon seeing this, Bhishma dropped his weapons and asked Krishna to kill him. However, Arjuna apologized to Krishna, promising that he would fight with full dedication here/after, and the battle continued. Krishna had directed Yudhisthira and Arjuna to return to Bhishma the boon of "victory" which he had given to Yudhisthira before the war commenced, since he himself was standing in their way to victory. Bhishma understood the message and told them the means through which he would drop his weapons—which was if a woman entered the battlefield. Next day, upon Krishna's directions, Shikhandi (Amba reborn) accompanied Arjuna to the battlefield and thus, Bhishma laid down his arms. This was a decisive moment in the war because Bhishma was the chief commander of the Kaurava army and the most formidable warrior on the battlefield. Krishna aided Arjuna in killing Jayadratha, who had held the other four Pandava brothers at bay while Arjuna's son Abhimanyu entered Drona's Chakravyuha formation—an effort in which he got killed by the simultaneous attack of eight Kaurava warriors. Krishna also caused the downfall of Drona, when he signalled Bhima to kill an elephant called Ashwatthama, the namesake of Drona's son. Pandavas started shouting that Ashwatthama was dead but Drona refused to believe them saying he would believe it only if he heard it from Yudhisthira. Krishna knew that Yudhisthira would never tell a lie, so he devised a clever ploy so that Yudhisthira wouldn't lie and at the same time Drona would be convinced of his son's death. On asked by Drona, Yudhisthira proclaimed

Ashwathama Hatahath, naro va Kunjaro va


i.e. Ashwathama had died but he was nor sure whether it was a Drona's son or an elephant. But as soon as Yudhisthira had uttered the first line, Pandava army on Krishna's direction broke into celebration with drums and conchs, in the din of which Drona could not hear the second part of the Yudhisthira's declaration and assumed that his son indeed was dead. Overcome with grief he laid down his arms, and on Krishna's instruction Dhrishtadyumna beheaded Drona.


When Arjuna was fighting Karna, the latter's chariot's wheels sank into the ground. While Karna was trying to take out the chariot from the grip of the Earth, Krishna reminded Arjuna how Karna and the other Kauravas had broken all rules of battle while simultaneously attacking and killing Abhimanyu, and he convinced Arjuna to do the same in revenge in order to kill Karna. During the final stage of the war, when Duryodhana was going to meet his mother Gandhari for taking her blessings which would convert all parts of his body on which her sight falls to steel, Krishna tricks him to wearing banana leaves to hide his groin. When Duryodhana meets Gandhari, her vision and blessings fall on his entire body except his groin and thighs, and she becomes unhappy about it because she was not able to convert his entire body to steel. When Duryodhana was in a mace-fight with Bhima, Bhima's blows had no effect on Duryodhana. Upon this, Krishna reminded Bhima of his vow to kill Duryodhana by hitting him on the thigh, and Bhima did the same to win the war despite it being against the rules of mace-fight (since Duryodhana had himself broken Dharma in all his past acts). Thus, Krishna's unparalleled strategy helped the Pandavas win the Mahabharata war by bringing the downfall of all the chief Kaurava warriors, without lifting any weapon. He also brought back to life Arjuna's grandson Parikshit, who had been attacked by a Brahmastra weapon from Ashwatthama while he was in his mother's womb. Parikshit became the Pandavas' successor.

Krisna :: The Prince of Mathura

THE PRINCE





On his return to Mathura as a young man, Krishna overthrew and killed his maternal uncle, Kansa, after avoiding several assassination attempts from Kansa's followers. He reinstated Kansa's father, Ugrasena, as the king of the Yadavas and became a leading prince at the court.] During this period, he became a friend of Arjuna and the other Pandava princes of the Kuru kingdom, who were his cousins. Later, he took his Yadava subjects to the city of Dwaraka (in modern Gujarat) and established his own kingdom there.
Krishna married Rukmini, the Vidarbha princess, by abducting her, at her request, from her proposed wedding with Shishupala. Krishna subsequently married 16,100 maidens who were held captive by demon Narakasura, to save their honour. of which eight were chief—collectively called the Ashta Bharya—including Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravrinda, Nagnajiti, Bhadra and Lakshana. Krishna killed the demon and released them all. According to social custom of the time, all of the captive women were degraded, and would be unable to marry, as they had been under the Narakasura's control. However Krishna married them to reinstate their status in the society. This symbolic wedding with 16,100 abandoned daughters was more of a mass women rehabilitation.] In Vaishnava traditions, Krishna's wives are forms of the goddess Lakshmi— consort of Vishnu, or special souls who attained this qualification after many lifetimes of austerity, while his queen Satyabhama, is an expansion of Radha.

Krishna displays his Vishvarupa (Universal Form) to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

When Yudhisthira was assuming the title of emperor, he had invited all the great kings to the ceremony and while paying his respects to them, he started with Krishna because he considered Krishna to be the greatest of them all. While it was a unanimous feeling amongst most present at the ceremony that Krishna should get the first honours, his cousin Shishupala felt otherwise and started berating Krishna. Due to a vow given to Shishupal's mother, Krishna forgave a hundred verbal abuses by Shishupal, and upon the one hundred and first, he assumed his Virat (universal) form and killed Shishupal with his Chakra. The blind king Dhritarashtra also obtained divine vision during this time to be able to see the Lord's form. Essentially, Shishupal and Dantavakra were both re-incarnations of Lord Vishnu's gate-keepers Jaya and Vijaya, who were cursed to be born on Earth, to be delivered by the Lord back to Heaven.

Krisna :; his childhood & youth

KRISNA


Childhood and youth



Nanda was the head of a community of cow-herders, and he settled in Vrindavana. The stories of Krishna's childhood and youth tell how he became a cow herder, his mischievous pranks as Makhan Chor (butter thief), his foiling of attempts to take his life, and his role as a protector of the people of Vrindavana.
Krishna killed the demoness like Putana, disguised as a wet nurse, sent by Kansa for Krishna's life. He tamed the serpent Kāliyā, who previously poisoned the waters of Yamuna river, thus leading to the death of the cowherds. In Hindu art, Krishna is often depicted dancing on the multi-hooded Kāliyā.
Krishna lifted the Govardhana hill and taught Indra, the king of the devas and rain, a lesson to protect native people of Vrindavana from persecution by Indra and prevent the devastation of the pasture land of Govardhan. Indra had too much pride and was angry when Lord Krishna advised the people of Vrindavana to take care of their animals and their environment that provide them with all their necessities, instead of worshipping Indra annually by spending their resources. In the view of some, the spiritual movement started by Lord Krishna had something in it which went against the orthodox forms of worship of the Vedic gods such as Indra. In Bhagavat Purana, Lord Krishna says that the rain came from the nearby hill Govardhana, and advised that the people worshiped the hill instead of Indra. This made Indra furious, so he punished them by sending out a great storm. Lord Krishna then lifted Govardhan and held it over the people like an umbrella.

The stories of his play with the gopis (milkmaids) of Vrindavana, especially Radha (daughter of Vrishbhanu, one of the original residents of Vrindavan) became known as the Rasa lila and were romanticised in the poetry of Jayadeva, author of the Gita Govinda. These became important as part of the development of the Krishna bhakti traditions worshiping Radha Krishna

Gopala Krishna, Protector of the cows

KRISHNA


Life


This summary is based on details from the Mahābhārata, the Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana. The scenes from the narrative are set in north India, mostly in the present states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat.

Birth

According to Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was born without a sexual union, but by divine "mental transmission" from the mind of Vasudeva into the womb of Devaki. Based on scriptural details and astrological calculations the date of Krishna's birth, known as Janmashtami, is 19 July 3228 BCE and departed on 3102 BCE. Krishna belonged to the Vrishni clan of Yadavas from Mathura, and was the eighth son born to the princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva.

Mathura (in present day Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh) was the capital of the Yadavas, to which Krishna's parents Vasudeva and Devaki belonged. King Kansa, Devaki's brother, had ascended the throne by imprisoning his father, King Ugrasena. Afraid of a prophecy that predicted his death at the hands of Devaki's eighth son, Kansa had the couple locked into a prison cell. After Kansa killed the first six children, and Devaki's apparent miscarriage of the seventh (which was actually a secret transfer of the infant to Rohini as Balarama), Krishna was born.

Since Vasudeva knew Krishna's life was in danger, Krishna was secretly taken out of the prison cell to be raised by his foster parents, Yasoda  and Nanda, in Gokula (in present day Mathura district). Two of his other siblings also survived, Balarama (Devaki's seventh child, transferred to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva's first wife) and Subhadra (daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini, born much later than Balarama and Krishna).

KRISHNA :: THE GOD

KRISHNA

The Sanskrit word in its origin language Kṛṣṇa is primarily an adjective meaning "black", "dark" or "dark-blue", sometimes it is also translated as "all attractive". It is cognate with Slavic čьrnъ "black".

As a feminine noun, Kṛṣṇa is used in the meaning "night, blackness, darkness" in the Rigveda. As a proper noun, Kṛṣṇa occurs in RV 8.85.3 as the name of a poet.

As a name of Vishnu, Krishna listed as the 57th name in the Vishnu Sahasranama. Based on his name, Krishna is often depicted in murtis as black or blue-skinned. Krishna is also known by various other names, epithets and titles, which reflect his many associations and attributes. Among the most common names are Mohan "enchanter of women or cowherdesses", Govinda, "finder of cows", or Gopala, "protector of cows", which refer to Krishna's childhood in Vraja (in present day Uttar Pradesh). Some of the distinct names may be regionally important; for instance, Jagannatha (literally "Lord of the Universe"), a popular deity of Puri, Orissa in eastern India and western China.

KRISHNA :: Hinduism

KRISHNA

Krishna (Sanskrit: कृष्ण Kṛṣṇa , pronounced [ˈkr̩ʂɳə] literally "black, dark blue" is a Hindu deity, worshipped as a "complete" avatar of the preserver-god, Vishnu.
Krishna is often described and portrayed as an infant or young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana, or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita. The stories of Krishna appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions. They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero and the Supreme Being. The principal scriptures discussing Krishna's story are the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana.
Worship of a deity of Krishna, either in the form of Vasudeva, Bala Krishna or Gopala, can be traced to as early as 4th century BC.Worship of Krishna as svayam bhagavan, or the Supreme Being, known as Krishnaism, arose in the Middle Ages in the context of the bhakti movement. From the 10th century AD, Krishna became a favourite subject in performing arts and regional traditions of devotion developed for forms of Krishna such as Jagannatha in Orissa, Vithoba in Maharashtra and Shrinathji in Rajasthan. Since the 1960s the worship of Krishna has also spread in the West, largely due to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Watermelon

Nutrition


A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight.[7] As with many other fruits, it is a source of vitamin C.
Watermelon, raw (edible parts)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 127 kJ (30 kcal)
Carbohydrates 7.55 g
- Sugars 6.2 g
- Dietary fiber 0.4 g
Fat 0.15 g
Protein 0.61 g
Water 91.45 g
Vitamin A equiv. 28 μg (4%)
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.033 mg (3%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.021 mg (2%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.178 mg (1%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.221 mg (4%)
Vitamin B6 0.045 mg (3%)
Folate (vit. B9) 3 μg (1%)
Vitamin C 8.1 mg (10%)
Calcium 7 mg (1%)
Iron 0.24 mg (2%)
Magnesium 10 mg (3%)
Phosphorus 11 mg (2%)
Potassium 112 mg (2%)
Zinc 0.10 mg (1%)
Percentages are relative to
US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database


The amino-acid citrulline was first extracted from watermelon and analyzed.[8] Watermelons contain a significant amount of citrulline and after consumption of several kilograms, an elevated concentration is measured in the blood plasma; this could be mistaken for citrullinaemia or other urea cycle disorders.
Watermelon rinds, usually a light green or white color, are also edible and contain many hidden nutrients[vague], but most people avoid eating them due to their unappealing flavor. They are sometimes used as a vegetable. In China, they are stir-fried, stewed or more often pickled. When stir-fried, the skin and fruit is removed, and the rind is cooked with olive oil, garlic, chili peppers, scallions, sugar and rum. Pickled watermelon rind is also commonly consumed in the Southern US.Watermelon juice can be made into wine.

Watermelon is mildly diuretic and contains large amounts of beta carotene. Watermelon with red flesh is a significant source of lycopene. Preliminary research indicates the consumption of watermelon may have antihypertensive effects.

Watermelon

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.), family Cucurbitaceae) is a vine-like (scrambler and trailer) flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind (exocarp) and fleshy center (mesocarp and endocarp). Pepos are derived from an inferior ovary, and are characteristic of the Cucurbitaceae. The watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon – although not in the genus Cucumis – has a smooth exterior rind (green, yellow and sometimes white) and a juicy, sweet interior flesh (usually deep red to pink, but sometimes orange, yellow and even green if not ripe).

PAAN :: pics

Paan

PAAN :: INDIA


In ancient India, women used to chew paan to acquire a redness on their lips and mouth, serving as a primitive lipstick. Some regarded Paan as a medicinal substance and an aphrodisiac drug. The practise of chewing Paan was adopted by Buddhism and thus the habit widened beyond India and moved to China, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand Cambodia, Malaysia, Sumatra and Bali. Paan is also identified as the cultural cause of high precancerous lesions or leukoplakia often leading to serious cancers in the oesophagus; Paan's ingredients are high in narcotic making it invariably addictive and thus detrimental. The habit of spitting out the chewed betel is also believed to aid the spread of diseases like tuberculosis.
Betel leaf used to make paan is produced in different parts of India. Some states that produce betel lead for paan include West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh. In West Bengal two types of betel leaves are produced. These are "Bangala Patta (Country Leaf)" and Mitha Patta (Sweet Leaf)". In West Bengal, Bangla patta is produced mainly in district of Dinajpur, Malda, Jalpaiguri, and Nadia. Mitha patta is produced in places such as Midnapur and South 24 Parganas.
The skilled paan maker is known as a paanwala in North India. In other parts, paanwalas are also known as panwaris or panwadis.







In the Indian state of Maharashtra the paan culture is widely criticised due to the cleanliness problems created by people who spit in public places. In Mumbai, there have been attempts to put pictures of Hindu gods in places (walls, etc.) where people commonly tend to spit, but success has been limited. One of the great Marathi artists P L Deshpande wrote a comic story on the subject of panwala (paan vendor), and a performed a televised reading session on Doordarshan during the 1980s in his unique style.

Paan is losing its appeal to farmers because of falling demand. Consumers prefer chewing tobacco formulations such as gutkha over paan. Higher costs, water scarcity and unpredictable weather have made betel gardens are no longer lucrative.

Paan in culture

Paan culture



Chewing the mixture of areca nut and betel leaf is a tradition, custom or ritual which dates back thousands of years from India to the Pacific. Ibn Battuta describes this practice as follows: "The betel is a tree which is cultivated in the same manner as the grape-vine; … The betel has no fruit and is grown only for the sake of its leaves … The manner of its use is that before eating it one takes areca nut; this is like a nutmeg but is broken up until it is reduced to small pellets, and one places these in his mouth and chews them. Then he takes the leaves of betel, puts a little chalk on them, and masticates them along with the betel."
It constitutes an important and popular cultural activity in many Asian and Oceanic countries, including Myanmar, Cambodia, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, and Vietnam. It is not known how and when the areca nut and the betel leaf were married together as one drug. Archaeological evidence from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines suggests they have been used in tandem for four thousand years or more.
Paan is a ubiquitous sight in many parts of India and Southeast Asia. It is known as beeda in Hindi and vetrrilai or thambulum in Tamil, killi or tambulam in (Telugu), sireh (in Malay language), sirih (in Indonesian), suruh (in Javanese), mark (ໝາກ) in Lao, and bulath (in Sri Lanka). In urban areas, chewing paan is generally considered a nuisance because some chewers spit the paan out in public areas – compare chewing gum ban in Singapore and smoking ban. The red stain generated by the combination of ingredients when chewed are known to make a colourful stain on the ground. This is becoming an unwanted eyesore in Indian cities such as Mumbai, although many see it as an integral part of Indian culture. This is also common in some of the Persian Gulf countries, such as the UAE and Qatar, where many Indians live. Recently, the Dubai government has banned the import and sale of paan and the like.

According to traditional Ayurvedic medicine, chewing areca nut and betel leaf is a good remedy against bad breath (halitosis), but it can possibly lead to oral cancer.

Paan :: different varieties

Paan ::  varieties

Tambaku paan

Betel leaf filled with powdered tobacco and spices

Paan supari / paan masala / sada paan

Betel leaf filled with a mixture of chopped or coarsely ground areca nuts and other spices

Meetha paan / sweet paan

Betel leaf with coconut, fruit preserves, gulkand (rose petal preserves, various spices. May also include maraschino cherry. Alternatively, South Asian sweet paan may contain candied fruits and/or candy-coated fennel seeds.

Trento / olarno paan

A mint-flavoured preparation served with potatoes

Bengali paan is known as deshi mahoba, and has a delicate flavour. Maghai paan and jagannath paan are the signature varieties of Varanasi.

The flavour and potency of paan depends, too, on the betel cultivar used, and the age of the plant at harvest. In South India, paan prepared from small and fragile leaves is called chigrlayele. In India, black paan leaves—ambadi and kariyele, which are thicker than the green leaves—are often chewed with tobacco.

Banarasi Paan

Paan :: famous Banarasi Paan

Paan, from the word pān (Hindi: पान ), is a stimulating, psychoactive preparation of betel leaf combined with areca nut and/or cured tobacco. Paan is chewed before spitting or swallowing. Paan has many variations. Slaked lime paste is commonly added to bind the leaves. Some South Asian preparations include katha paste or mukhwas to freshen the breath.

Paan is also known as a betel quid. It is mostly consumed in Asia, and elsewhere in the world by some Asian emigrants, with or without tobacco, in an addictive and euphoria-inducing formulation with adverse health effects.

Shiva

Bedeutung und Legende

Die hinduistische Ikonographie stellt Shiva meist mit weißer oder aschegrauer Haut dar – oft mit blauem Hals als Nilakanta, dann ist er der Retter, der das Gift des Urmeeres getrunken und dadurch das Universum gerettet hat. Auf seiner Stirn befinden sich das dritte Auge und drei waagerechte Aschestriche. Oft schlingt sich eine Schlange um seinen Hals, aus dem langen und offenem Haar ragt eine Mondsichel. Gelegentlich sieht man Wasser aus seinem Haar fließen, welches die Göttin Ganga (Gangesfluss) darstellt, die nach der Mythologie vom Himmel sprang, von seinem Haar aufgefangen wurde und dadurch sanft auf die Erde rann. Die meisten Darstellungen zeigen Shiva mit seinem Dreizack Trishul und der Sanduhrtrommel Damaru in der rechten Hand.
Shiva gilt als Vater von Ganesha, und verschiedene Puranas berichten in unterschiedlichen Versionen über dessen Ursprung. Nach einer Legende wurde Ganesha von Shivas Gattin Parvati während dessen Abwesenheit modelliert und zum Leben erweckt, damit sie eine eigene Wache habe, während sie badete. Ganesha, wie er später genannt wurde, verwehrte auch Shiva den Eintritt, und dieser schlug ihm im Zorn den Kopf ab. Aus Reue über die Tat erweckte er ihn wieder zum Leben, indem er einen Elefanten töten ließ und dem Knaben dessen Haupt aufsetzte.
Shivas Gattin war jedoch nicht immer Parvati. Es heißt, in erster Ehe sei Shiva mit Sati verheiratet gewesen. Durch seinen ungewöhnlichen Lebensstil als Asket geriet er jedoch in Konflikt mit Satis Vater Daksha, sodass das Ehepaar zu einem Opferfest nicht eingeladen wurde. Sati war in ihrem Stolz als Ehefrau so gekränkt, dass sie sich bei lebendigem Leib verbrannte, um die Ehre ihres Mannes wiederherzustellen. Danach wurde sie von der Erde verschlungen und unter dem Namen Parvati wiedergeboren. Shiva hatte sich unterdessen in eine ewige Meditation versenkt, aus der ihn nichts herausholen konnte. Um ihren Gemahl zurückzugewinnen, stand Parvati Millionen Jahre auf einem Bein, und Pflanzen wuchsen an ihr empor, sodass sie selbst zum Baum wurde. Ohne sie wiederzuerkennen, war Shiva von dieser Frau so gerührt, dass er aus seiner Trance erwachte und sie heiratete.

Einige Puranas bezeichnen Shiva als höchste Manifestation des Einen, weswegen er auch Mahadeva, „der große Gott“ genannt wird. Shiva gilt auch als Gott der Asketen, der auf seinem Berg Kailash in tiefste Meditation versunken verharrt. Er ist der Gott der Gegensätze: Bildet er einerseits mit Parvati und Ganesha die Heilige Familie, erscheint er andererseits als großer Asket. Verkörpert er einerseits die Zerstörung, sehen Gläubige in ihm gleichzeitig den allgegenwärtigen Gnädigen, der das schlechte Karma seiner Verehrer tilgt.


                                                                                                          Ling -Puja in einem Tempel

Shiva als Nataraja, tanzend auf dem Apasmara (Chola, 11. Jhd.)

Häufig wird Shiva als Nataraja, „König des Tanzes“ im kosmischen Tanz dargestellt, tanzend auf dem 'Dämon der Unwissenheit', Apasmara. Im Tanz zerstört Shiva die Unwissenheit und das Universum und erschafft es wieder neu. Hier drücken meist vier oder acht, gelegentlich auch mehr Arme seine kosmischen Tätigkeiten aus. Eine Hand deutet die Schutz gewährende Mudra (Handstellung) an, die andere die Gnade gewährende, während seine anderen beiden Hände die kleine Trommel und ein Feuer tragen. Da es keine einheitliche hinduistische Ikonographie gibt, kann auch die Interpretation dieser Darstellung sehr unterschiedlich sein. Das Feuer ist jedoch meist ein Hinweis auf Vernichtung. Ananda Coomaraswamy fasst die Symbolik des Nataraja in einem Essay zusammen: „The essential significance of Shivas Dance is threefold: First, it is the image of his rhythmic play as the source of all movement within the cosmos, which is represented by the arch: Secondly, the purpose of his dance is to release the countless souls of men from the snare of illusion: Thirdly the place of the Dance, Chidambaram, the Centre of the Universe, is within the heart.“








In einer volkstümlichen, sehr populären Form wird Shiva in Gestalt eines Linga (Zeichen, Symbol) verehrt, eines konisch geformten Steins, oft als Phallus interpretiert. Unterschiedlichen Volksüberlieferungen zufolge gibt es in Indien etwa sieben bis zwölf wichtige Naturheiligtümer, Jyotirlingas, in denen jeweils ein von der Natur geformter Lingam steht, wie etwa in einer Höhle in Armanath im Himalaya, wo sich in bestimmten Zyklen eine Eissäule bildet und wieder schwindet. Diese Plätze sind wichtige Wallfahrtszentren.

Die Verehrung Shivas in Form des Linga ist möglicherweise auf den Einfluss anikonischer Steinkulte zurückzuführen. Die Schöpferkraft wird hier durch den Linga (oft als stilisierter Phallus interpretiert) und der Yoni (oft als stilisierte Vagina interpretiert) dargestellt. An Festtagen übergießen Gläubige in einer feierlichen Zeremonie den Linga zunächst mit einer Mischung aus Milch und Honig (symbolisch für Amrita, Trank der Unsterblichkeit) und dekorieren ihn anschließend mit Blumen. Der Höhepunkt der Zeremonie versinnbildlicht die „Unio mystica“, die Vereinigung zwischen dem Göttlichen und dem Weltlichen, zwischen Atman und Brahman, oder im tantrischen Shivaismus die Vereinigung von Linga und Yoni. Die meisten Hindus jedoch verehren ein Linga nicht im Bewusstsein, einen Phallus vor sich zu haben. Das Wort Linga bedeutet „Zeichen“, ein Zeichen, in dem alle Formen sich auflösen. Shivaitische Schriften betonen immer wieder die Formlosigkeit des Göttlichen. Daher wird Shiva von seinen Gläubigen selten in personhafter, sondern hauptsächlich in symbolischer Form, dem Linga oder dem Dreizack, verehrt.
Der wichtigste Feiertag zu Ehren Shivas ist Shivaratri, die „Nacht Shivas“ (auch Mahashivaratri genannt), bei dem die Verehrung des Linga im Mittelpunkt steht.

SHIVA

SHIVA





Shiva (sans. शिव śiva [ɕɪʋʌ]; 'Glückverheißender') ist einer der wichtigsten Götter des Hinduismus. Im Shivaismus gilt er den Gläubigen als die wichtigste Manifestation des Höchsten.
Zusammen mit Shiva werden oft sein Reittier, Vahana, der Stier Nandi, seine Frau Parvati, seine Söhne Kartikeya bzw. Murugan (nord-/südindisch) oder Ganesha abgebildet. Die Dreiheit Shiva/Parvati/Ganesha gilt als göttliche Familie.

Als Bestandteil der „hinduistischen Trinität“ (Trimurti) mit den drei Aspekten des Göttlichen als Brahma, der als Schöpfer gilt, und Vishnu, dem Bewahrer, verkörpert Shiva das Prinzip der Zerstörung. Außerhalb der Trinität verkörpert er aber alles, Schöpfung und Neubeginn ebenso wie Erhaltung und Zerstörung. Shiva ist unter vielen verschiedenen Namen bekannt; im Shiva-Purana sind 1008 Namen angeführt, die sich jeweils auf ein Attribut von Shiva beziehen. Häufige Beinamen sind Mahadeva („Großer Gott“), Nataraja („König des Tanzes“), Bhairava, („der Schreckliche“), Mahesha („höchster Herr“), Nilakantha („der mit dem blauen Hals“, bezieht sich u. a. auf den Mythos vom Milchozean), Pashupati („Herr aller Wesen“), Rudra („der Wilde", „der Schreckliche“), Shankara („der segensreich Wirkende“) und Vishwanatha („Herr des Universums“) (vgl. Stotra).

SHIVA

The Pashupati seal

Seal discovered at Mohenjodaro shows a seated figure surrounded by animals, possibly Shiva,the Pashupati

A seal discovered during the excavation of Mohenjo-daro has drawn attention as a possible representation of a "proto-Shiva" figure. This Pashupati (Lord of animal-like beings) seal shows a seated figure, possibly ithyphallic, surrounded by animals. Sir John Marshall and others have claimed that this figure is a prototype of Shiva and have described the figure as having three faces seated in a "yoga posture" with the knees out and feet joined. However, this claim is not without its share of critics, with some academics like Gavin Flood  and John Keay characterizing them as unfounded.

Shiva :: historical development

SHIVA  ::  historical development




The worship of Shiva is a pan-Hindu tradition, practiced widely across all of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Some historians believe that the figure of Shiva as we know him today was built up over time, with the ideas of many regional sects being amalgamated into a single figure. As to the evolution of the concept of Shiva, writes Dr. Sailen Debnath, "The evolution of the concept of Shiva is the most fascinating one and Shiva’s place is unique among the Hindu pantheon. It is only Shiva again whose origin can be traced in the pre-Aryan period and whose worship pervaded to all nooks and corners of India, North and South equally. Shiva thus had non-Aryan origin and Aryan manifestations in different promiscuous forms including that of the Vedic Rudra (the power of destruction) though the original meaning has not yet been lost. Most probably the authors of the Indus Valley Civilization had the credit of developing the concept of Shiva as the source of all things in their known universe. The idea of Shiva had been associated with the flourishing of the Harappan culture; and significantly the name of the place was also after another name of Shiva, i.e. ‘Hara’ (Shiva) and ‘appa’ (papa or father) and jointly Harappa (Father Shiva).Among the seals excavated in the sites of the civilization the figure of Shiva augur prominently. It’s a matter of interest that even afterwards the culture too has been named “Harappan culture” by the historians trying to write its history. Thus in Shiva we find the unity of pre-Aryan, Aryan and post-Aryan religious development and an evolution of synthesis. In the name of Shiva culturally India stands together." How the persona of Shiva converged as a composite deity is not well documented. Axel Michaels explains the composite nature of Shaivism as follows:




Like Vişņu, Śiva is also a high god, who gives his name to a collection of theistic trends and sects: Śaivism. Like Vaişņavism, the term also implies a unity which cannot be clearly found either in religious practice or in philosophical and esoteric doctrine. Furthermore, practice and doctrine must be kept separate.

An example of assimilation took place in Maharashtra, where a regional deity named Khandoba is a patron deity of farming and herding castes. The foremost center of worship of Khandoba in Maharashtra is in Jejuri. Khandoba has been assimilated as a form of Shiva himself, in which case he is worshipped in the form of a lingam. Khandoba's varied associations also include an identification with Surya  and Karttikeya.

SHIVA -- etymology & other names

SHIVA  :: 

Etymology and other names

The Sanskrit word Shiva (Devanagari: शिव, śiva) is an adjective meaning "pure". As a proper name it means "The Auspicious One", used as a name for Rudra.[6] In simple English transliteration it is written either as Shiva or Siva. The adjective śiva, meaning "auspicious", is used as an attributive epithet not particularly of Rudra, but of several other Vedic deities.
The Sanskrit word śaiva means "relating to the god Shiva", and this term is the Sanskrit name both for one of the principal sects of Hinduism and for a member of that sect It is used as an adjective to characterize certain beliefs and practices, such as Shaivism.

Adi Sankara, in his interpretation of the name Shiva, the 27th and 600th name of Vishnu sahasranama, the thousand names of Vishnu interprets Shiva to have multiple meanings: "The Pure One", or "the One who is not affected by three Gunas of Prakrti (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas)" or "the One who purifies everyone by the very utterance of His name." Swami Chinmayananda, in his translation of Vishnu sahasranama, further elaborates on that verse: Shiva means "the One who is eternally pure" or "the One who can never have any contamination of the imperfection of Rajas and Tamas". Shiva is considered as the Hindu God who has no Aadi or Anta i.e. no birth/death.
Shiva's role as the primary deity of Shaivism is reflected in his epithets Mahādeva ("Great God"; mahā = Great + deva = God), Maheśhvara ("Great Lord"; mahā = Great + īśhvara = Lord), and Parameśhvara ("Supreme Lord").
There are at least eight different versions of the Shiva Sahasranama, devotional hymns (stotras) listing many names of Shiva. The version appearing in Book 13 (Anuśāsanaparvan) of the Mahabharata is considered the kernel of this tradition. Shiva also has Dasha-Sahasranamas (10,000 names) that are found in the Mahanyasa. The Shri Rudram Chamakam, also known as the Śatarudriya, is a devotional hymn to Shiva hailing him by many names.

SHIVA

SHIVA 



Shiva ( /ˈʃɪvə/; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, meaning "auspicious one") is a major Hindu deity, and is the Destroyer or Transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. He is regarded as the most powerful god in hinduism. Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power, he lives a life of a sage at Mount Kailash. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is the Supreme God and has five important works: creator, preserver, destroyer, concealer, and revealer (to bless). In the Smarta tradition, he is regarded as one of the five primary forms of God. Followers of Hinduism who focus their worship upon Shiva are called Shaivites or Shaivas (Sanskrit Śaiva). Shaivism, along with Vaiṣṇava traditions that focus on Vishnu and Śākta traditions that focus on the goddess Shakti, is one of the most influential denominations in Hinduism.
Shiva is usually worshipped in the abstract form of Shiva linga. In images, he is represented as immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava dance upon Apasmara, the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the Lord of the dance. He is also the father of the deities Ganesha, Murugan (Kartikeya), and Ayyappan (Dharma Sastha).

HINDUISM :: Smartism

SMARTISM

Smartism is a denomination of Hinduism that places emphasis on a group of five deities rather than just a single deity.The "worship of the five forms" (pañcāyatana pūjā) system, which was popularized by the ninth-century philosopher Śankarācārya among orthodox Brahmins of the Smārta tradition, invokes the five deities Ganesha, Vishnu,Shiva, Devī, and Sūrya. Śankarācārya later added Kumara (Muruga/Subrahmanya/Karttikeya) to these five, making six total. This reformed system was promoted byŚankarācārya primarily to unite the principal deities of the six major sects on an equal status.The monistic philosophy preached by Śankarācārya made it possible to choose one of these as a preferred principal deity and at the same time worship the other four deities as different forms of the same all-pervading Brahman.

HINDUISM :: View within Hinduism

SHIVAISM

Shiva temple, the main shrine of 9th century Prambanan temple dedicated to Trimurti, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia

Shaivites hold that, according to Shaiva Agama, Lord Shiva performs five actions - creation, preservation, dissolution, concealing grace, and revealing grace. Each of the five actions corresponds to a name and form of Shiva. Respectively, these first three actions are associated with Shiva as Sadyojata (akin to Brahma), Vamadeva (akin to Vishnu), Aghora (akin to Rudra). Thus, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra are not Deities different from Shiva, but rather are forms of Shiva. As Brahma/Sadyojata, Shiva creates. As Vishnu/Vamadeva, Shiva preserves. As Rudra/Aghora, he dissolves. This stands in contrast to the idea that Shiva is the "God of destruction." To Shaivites, Shiva is God and performs all actions, of which destruction is only but one. Ergo, the Trimurti is a form of Shiva Himself for Shaivas. Shaivites believe that Lord Shiva is the Supreme, who assumes various critical roles and assumes appropriate names and forms, and also stands transcending all these.

HINDU RELIGION :: Views within Hinduism

VAISHNAVISM

Vishnu with Lakshmi, on the serpent Ananta Shesha, as Brahma emerges from a lotus risen from Vishnu's navel.

Vaishnavism generally does not accept the Trimurti concept. For example, the Dvaita school holds Vishnu alone to be the supreme God, with Shiva subordinate, and interprets the Puranas differently. For example, Vijayindra Tîrtha, a Dvaita scholar interprets the 18 puranas differently. He interprets that the Vaishnavite puranas as satvic and Shaivite puranas as tamasic and that only satvic puranas are considered to be authoritative.

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a leading scholar of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, also distinguishes between Vishnu and Shiva, and states: "Similarly, by expanding Himself as Lord Shiva, the Supreme Lord is engaged when there is a need to annihilate the universe. Lord Shiva, in association with maya, has many forms, which are generally numbered at eleven. Lord Shiva is not one of the living entities; he is, more or less, Krishna Himself. The example of milk and yogurtis often given in this regard – yogurt is a preparation of milk, but still yogurt cannot be used as milk. Similarly, Lord Shiva is an expansion of Krishna, but he cannot act as Krishna... The essential difference is that Lord Shiva has a connection with material nature, but Vishnu or Lord Krishna has nothing to do with material nature."

Unlike most other Vaishnavite schools such as those of Ramanuja, Madhva and Chaitanya, Swaminarayan, guru of the Hindu Swaminarayan sects (includingBAPS),did not differentiate between Vishnu and Shiva; Swaminarayan, notably differs from practically all Vaishnavite schools in holding that Vishnu and Shiva are different aspects of the same God.; see also, verses 47, and 84 of Shikshapatri, a key scripture to all followers of the Swaminarayan faith.,Moreover, Swaminarayan followed a Smarta approach (see more detail on the Smarta view below) by instructing his followers to venerate all five deities of thePanchayatana puja with equal reverence