Monthly Archives: May 2007

The battle of chatur-iShavaH

Posted on May 30, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Our powerful and vicious bhrAtR^ivya-s were bearing down on us in the battle of 4 arrows. But indra has conferred victory on us by sending his mAyA to cloud them and placing the vajra behind us! You two heroes who … Continue reading →

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The code of the aShTAkSharI vidyA

Posted on May 30, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

It is well-known that the atharva vedic tradition provides the vidhi for one of the great rites of kumAra- the skanda yAga promulgated by gopatha. But known only to a select few, who maintain the continuity with the divyaugha via … Continue reading →

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Jx evades a mAraNa

Posted on May 29, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Whenever we have executed that loop by instinct, thus far, some vighna has invariably come our way. This time again the mudgara-like blow of the trailokya-stambhinI caused us new trouble. But we received a signal to press on, undaunted. Jx … Continue reading →

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The paschimaugha of the mAnavaugha of the kaumaras

Posted on May 26, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

We were told that there was the lost temple of the pashchimaugha. After the end of the gupta-s the pashchimaugha seems to have declined in public prominence over time in the north-west, but is known to have continued quietly until … Continue reading →

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The repeated instinctive response

Posted on May 18, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Many years ago, when we were still in the country founded by our ancestors, it was a very quiet evening, and the yoga kept things in proper condition. We really did not want to be there, instead wanting to indulge … Continue reading →

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The devAlaya at mAlinIthan

Posted on May 14, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

One of the remarkable forgotten devAlaya-s of the eastern fringes of pragjyotiSha is that of mAlinIthan in the modern state of Arunachal Pradesh. ekanetra and me were rummaging through some old grainy photos collected by his sachiva during his expedition … Continue reading →

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shri bhadreshvara and the kings of champAvatI

Posted on May 13, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The two li~Nga-s in the ruins of the garbhA-gR^iha of the bhadreshvara complex The nandin and the bali pItha-s a another site on the bhadreshvara complex The vidyeshvara-s on the massive walls of the bhadreshvara complex We know little of … Continue reading →

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The tusk of svapna-sa~NketA

Posted on May 13, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

After the third vIra had broken forth the vairi-s turned their attention towards the 4 other distant vIra-s. Two of them were protected by the spells of the taittirIyaka, the bull amongst the kuNDinas. The rAhu which seized us like … Continue reading →

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The yaudheya-kuShAna conflict

Posted on May 12, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

A yaudheya coin with kumAra and a yaudheya style image showing a li~nga, kumAra and revatI devI. One of the murky aspects of Indian history is the overthrow of the Hinduized Iranian rulers, the Kushanas and the mahA-kShatrapa-s. We know … Continue reading →

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On the sautrAmaNI

Posted on May 6, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The celebrated sautrAmaNI rite, which is one of the rare shrauta rites in which oblations of beer are offered is a conservative one that goes back to the early vedic period. The key oblations are readied thus are prepared thus … Continue reading →

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Empedocles and vasiShTha : Agrigentum and Mithila

Posted on May 2, 2007 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

τέσσαρα γὰρ πάντων ῥιζώματα πρῶτον ἄκουε·Ζεὺς ἀργὴς Ἥρη τε φερέσβιος ἠδ’ ἈιδωνεύςΝῆστίς θ’, ἣ δακρύοις τέγγει κρούνωμα βρότειον. And first the fourfold root of all things hear!—White gleaming Zeus, life-bringing Hera, Aidoneus,And Nestis whose tears bedew mortality. Hayasthanika of great … Continue reading →

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