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- Bhāskara-II’s polygons and an algebraic approximation for sines of pi by x
- Origins of the serpent cult and Bhāguri’s snake installation from the Sāmaveda tradition
- Two simple stotra-s, sectarian competition, and the Varāha episode from the archaic Skandapurāṇa
- The zombie obeys: a note on host manipulation by parasites and its ecological consequences
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- A catalog of attractors, repellors, cycles, and other oscillations of some common functional iterates
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- Some poems
- The Kaumāra cycle in the Skandapurāṇa’s Śaṃkara-saṃhitā
- Some notes on the runiform “Altaic” inscriptions and the early Turk Khaghanates: Orkhon and beyond
- Vikīrṇā viṣayāḥ: India and the Rus
- Alkaios’ hymn to the Dioskouroi: Hindu parallels
- Some notes on the Indo-European aspects of the Anatolian tradition
- The death of Miss Lizzie Willink
- Indo-European expansions and iconography: revisiting the anthropomorphic stelae
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Recent Posts
- Looking back at the goroga attacks and forward at geopolitical developments
- Khitans and Mongols: A story of deep and persistent connections-1
- The rise of the psychopath oligarchy
- The rise of yajña and Kauśika exceptionalism
- Tricakra
- Yantrasiddhi
- The dreadful apport
- Some ruminations on asteroids and meteoritic falls
- Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
- The Vyomavyāpin in the Pāśupata-tantra and a discursion on nine-fold Rudra-mantra-s
- Bhāskara-II’s polygons and an algebraic approximation for sines of pi by x
- Origins of the serpent cult and Bhāguri’s snake installation from the Sāmaveda tradition
- Two simple stotra-s, sectarian competition, and the Varāha episode from the archaic Skandapurāṇa
- The zombie obeys: a note on host manipulation by parasites and its ecological consequences
- Cārucitrābhisambodhi
- RV 10.78
- The turning of the yugacakra
- A sampler of Ramanujan’s elementary results and their manifold ramifications
- A catalog of attractors, repellors, cycles, and other oscillations of some common functional iterates
- The wink of the Gorgon and the twang of the Lyre
- Some poems
- The Kaumāra cycle in the Skandapurāṇa’s Śaṃkara-saṃhitā
- Some notes on the runiform “Altaic” inscriptions and the early Turk Khaghanates: Orkhon and beyond
- Vikīrṇā viṣayāḥ: India and the Rus
- Alkaios’ hymn to the Dioskouroi: Hindu parallels
- Some notes on the Indo-European aspects of the Anatolian tradition
- The death of Miss Lizzie Willink
- Indo-European expansions and iconography: revisiting the anthropomorphic stelae
- Geopolitical summary: March 2022
- Human retroviruses, sociology of science, and biographical ruminations
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Tag Archives: Hindu ritual
The rise of yajña and Kauśika exceptionalism
The extant Vedic ritual is bifurcated into two domains the gṛhya (the household rites and rites of passage) and the śrauta (large-scale/grand rituals). First, in operational terms, they are distinguished by the use of a single fire (the aupāsana) in … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged atharva veda, atharvaveda, bhrgu, Hindu, Hindu knowledge, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iran, Iranian, Rigveda, ritual, Samaveda, soma, soma ritual, Veda, Yajurveda
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Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
The dispiriting cloud cover lifted briefly on two nights (Wed 8/2/2023 and Fri 10/2/2023) finally giving us an opportunity to catch the latest Agni-putra-ketu in the welkin, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). On the first night, there was still some haze, … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, Life, Scientific ramblings
Tagged astronomy, Comet, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), Hindu knowledge, Hindu ritual
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Two simple stotra-s, sectarian competition, and the Varāha episode from the archaic Skandapurāṇa
The Ur-Skandapurāṇa (SkP) or the “archaic” Skandapurāṇa ( the Bhaṭṭārāi edition known as the Ambikā-khaṇḍa) is a Śaiva text with affinities to the Pāśupata branch of that tradition. Though it is aware of the mantra-mārga traditions like the Mātṛ-tantra-s and … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought
Tagged gods, Hindu, Hindu knowledge, Hindu ritual, indra, kumAra, narasimha, nR^isiMha, padma purana, purAna, purANas, rudra, saiva, shaiva, shiva, skanda, skandapurANa, vaiShNava, vamana, vamAna-purANa, varAha, viShNu
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The Kaumāra cycle in the Skandapurāṇa’s Śaṃkara-saṃhitā
Many khaṇḍa-s, māhātmya-s and saṃhitā-s attach themselves to the sprawling “Mega-Skandapurāṇa”. We use this term to distinguish it from the “Ur-Skandapurāṇa”, which was first published by Bhaṭṭārāi in the late 1980s and is now known to survive as three related … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought
Tagged gods, heathen, Hindu, Hindu ritual, karttikeya, kaumAra, kaumAra ritual, kumAra, kumArasaMbhava, mantra, purAna, purANas, rudra, saiva, shaiva, shiva, shiva purana, skanda, skandapurANa, tantra, tantras, viShNu
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Alkaios’ hymn to the Dioskouroi: Hindu parallels
In this note we shall see how even a short “sūkta” of the yavana Alkaios to the Dioskouroi (individually named Kastor and Polydeukes), the Greek cognates of the Aśvin-s, offers several parallels to the Hindu tradition in the Veda. In … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought
Tagged ashvins, Greek, Greek thought, Hindu knowledge, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Rigveda, Roman, Veda
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A note on Śrī, Viṣṇu and śṛṅgāra
yaḥ pūrvyāya vedhase navīyase sumaj-jānaye viṣṇave dadāśati । yo jātam asya mahato mahi bravat sed u śravobhir yujyaṃ cid abhy asat ॥ RV 1.156.2 Whoever repeatedly performs rituals to the wise one to the ancient and the new one, Viṣṇu, … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought
Tagged ancient Hindu thought, goddesses, gods, Hindu, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, religion, Rigveda, Veda, vedic, viShNu
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On the rise of the mātṛkā-s and the goddess Cāmuṇḍā
The roots of the mātṛkā-s in the śruti and the Kaumāra tradition The standard list of 7/8 goddesses known as the mātṛkā-s is a hallmark feature of the classical religion: Brāhmī, Māheśvarī, Kaumārī, Vaiṣṇavī, Vārāhī, Indrāṇī, Cāmuṇḍā, sometimes with the … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged bhairava, bhairava temple, erotic, evolution of religions, goddesses, gods, Hindu, Hindu ritual, kaula, kaumAra ritual, kumAra, mantra, mantra-sAdhana, mantra-shAstra, mathurA, mAtR^ikA, matsya purANa, religion, ritual, rudra, saiva, seven goddesses, shaiva, shakta, shatarudrIya, shiva, temple, twelve goddess
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Sneha, snowstorms, the sun and the moon in enigmatic ṛk-s
That the Indo-European homeland was a cold place with snow is evidenced by widespread survival of two hon-homologous words for snow. Recently, a discussion on one of these words, sparked by some linguist, landed on my timeline on Twitter. From … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged astronomy, atharva veda, atharvaveda, gods, Hindu, Hindu knowledge, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, indology, linguistics, Rigveda, Sanskrit, Veda, vedic, Yajurveda
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The strange case of the Āpastamba sprite
This is the second of the two stories that arose from incidents during the visit of Yaśaśravas, Somakhya’s cousin. With the autumnal vacations, Somakhya was having a good time with his visiting cousin, giving him lectures on the theory and … Continue reading
Agni as the divine commander in the Veda and the Purāṇa
With the Sākamedha-parvan with the oblations to Agni Anīkavat having just passed, we present a brief note on Agni as the general of the deva army. Agni is presented as the commander of the deva-s in the brāhmaṇa literature. For … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged agni, Aryan, atharva veda, atharvaveda, brahmana, gods, harivaMsha, Hindu, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, kaumAra ritual, purAna, purANas, Rigveda, ritual, soma ritual, Veda, vedic, Yajurveda
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Twin Āditya-s, twin Rudra-s
This note originated as an intended appendix to the article on Rudra and the Aśvin-s we published earlier. The first offshoot from that work, which we published separately, explored the links between Rudra, Viṣṇu and the Aśvin-s in the śrauta … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought
Tagged ancient Hindu thought, atharva veda, atharvaveda, evolution of religions, gods, Hindu, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, religion, Rigveda, saiva, Veda, vedic, Yajurveda
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Matters of religion: Varuṇāvasiṣṇavam, Agnāvasiṣṇavam and the vyahṛti-s
Like the clouds lifting after the monsoonal deluge to unveil the short-lived comforts of early autumn, the metaphorical pall over the nation cast by the engineer’s virus was lifting. Somakhya and Lootika were at the former’s parents’ house, relieved that … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought
Tagged atharva veda, atharvaveda, evolution of religions, goddesses, gods, Hindu, Hindu knowledge, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, marut-s, religion, Rigveda, rudra, Samaveda, skanda, Story, Veda, vedAnta, vedic, viShNu, Yajurveda
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A great statistician, and biographical, numerical musings on ancient game
Recently my friend brought it to my attention that C. Radhakrishna Rao had scored a century. Born in 1920 CE to Doraswamy Nayadu and A. Laxmikanthamma from the Andhra country, he is one of the great mathematical thinkers and statisticians … Continue reading
The phantoms of the bone-pipe
As Vidrum was leafing through some recent case studies to gather the literature for his own production, he received a call from his chauffeur. He had fetched Vidrum’s new car. Vidrum went out to take a look at it. As … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History, Life
Tagged bhairava, bhairava temple, death, ghost, ghosts, gupta, Hindu ritual, kaumAra ritual, mAtR^ikA, Rigveda, ritual, skanda, Story, upanisad, upaniShad, Veda, vedAnta
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Notes on miscellaneous brāhmaṇa passages from the Yajurveda
The upasthāna ritual is performed to let the sacrificial fire remain in residence after the primary oblations are complete. In the triple-fire śrauta rite this is done at the āhavanīya altar with several incantations specified in the saṃhitā-s of the … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged Hindu, Hindu knowledge, Hindu mathematics, Hindu ritual, religion, Rigveda, ritual, Veda, vedic, Yajurveda
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The roots of Vaiṣṇavam: a view from the numerology of Vedic texts
While glorified with a 1000 names in the famous stotra of the early Sātvata tradition of the Mahābharata, in the texts of an even earlier period the god primarily went under that name Viṣṇu. Indeed, even the litany of the … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged Hindu, Hindu ritual, Hindus, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, religion, vaiShNava, viShNu
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Matters of religion-3
Lootika seeing Somakhya contemplating something remarked: “That great clash of men is upon us, where, as the śruti says, our flag will be mingled with that of the enemy in close combat.” Somakhya: “It’s almost as if your mind is … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, Life
Tagged atharva veda, atharvaveda, Hindu, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, religion, Rigveda, ritual, Story, Veda, vedic, Yajurveda
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Matters of religion: the Vāyavīyaṃ Kaubera-vratam
The bus came to halt at the underground stop. Vrishchika of pretty tresses got off the bus and walked up the stairs to reach the over-bridge. She reached the middle of the bridge and stood there looking out expectantly at … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, Life
Tagged atharvaveda, evolution of religions, goddesses, gods, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, kubera, religion, Rigveda, rudra, shiva, Story, varuNa, vAyu, Veda, Yajurveda
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Śiva-gaṇa-s and Andhakāsura-vadha in the Vāmana-purāṇa
On Twitter, one of our acquaintances going by the name @GhorAngirasa had a discussion on the significance of the number 66 in śaiva tradition. That reminded us of an unfinished article where we had noted this number in the context … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged Hindu, Hindu ritual, indra, pAshupata, purAna, purANas, religion, shaiva, shiva, vamAna-purANa, viShNu
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A note on āmreḍita-s in the Ṛgveda and issues of word distribution
sa darśataśrīr atithir gṛhe-gṛhe vane-vane śiśriye takvavīr iva । janaṃ-janaṃ janyo nāti manyate viśa ā kṣeti viśyo viśaṃ-viśam ॥ RV 10.91.2 by Aruṇa Vaitahavya He, with visible auspiciousness, a guest in house after house, in forest after forest lurking like … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged grammar, Hindu, Hindu ritual, Hindus, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, linguistics, mantra, religion, Rigveda, ritual, Veda, vedic
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Matters of religion: “he becomes Naravāhanadatta”
Somakhya’s mother (SM) and Lootika’s mother (LM) ran into each other during their visit to the shrine of Rudra beside the river on a Monday evening. They sat at the platform below the vast aśvattha tree beside the subsidiary Viṣṇu … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought
Tagged Hindu, Hindu ritual, Japan, kubera, religion, Story, yakSha
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Matters of religion: discussion on vāyavya offerings
Somakhya and Lootika had revived the private one day rite in the manner of their ancestors as had been ordained by the youthful sage Śunaḥśepa Ājigarti. They were resting at the corner of their fire-room in the interval between the … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged Ape, Hanumat, Hindu ritual, indra, rAmAyaNa, religion, shastra, soma, Story, vAnara, vAyu, Veda
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An astronomical interpretation of the anaḍvān sūkta
This may be seen as a continuation of this note: Anatomy and heavens in the boomorphic universe. The anaḍvān sūkta is an enigmatic sūkta from the Atharvaveda which falls in the same class as other sūkta-s which describe a “boomorphic” … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History, Scientific ramblings
Tagged ancient Hindu thought, astronomy, Hindu, Hindu ritual, Indo-Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, indra, Pleiades, prajApati, Taurus, Veda, vedic
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The ponderous tale of the tombstones
“Since you are recording the diverse Vaidruma-s would you record the tombstone variation? While other matters like the sloths of South America, the megalithic culture of India, cave paintings, or even WW2 might be more interesting to the occasional reader … Continue reading
Posted in art, Life, Politics
Tagged Abrahamism, ancient Hindu thought, Anti-Hindu, Anti-India, bhairava, China, English tyranny, Hindu, Hindu ritual, history, Story
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The indrajAla-sUktaM and the atharvan military ritual
An atharvan military ritual for kShatriya-s headed to war involves deployment of AV-vulgate 8.8 or its cognate AV-P 16.29. The ritual is specified by the kaushika sUtra 16.9-20 and some details are provided by the atharvan commentators dArila and keshava. … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged atharva veda, atharvaveda, castor, Hindu ritual, indra, indra's web, indrajAla, kShatriya, net, rudra, shiva, trap, Veda, vedic, war
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The mayAbheda sUkta: a discursion
In the great pravargya ritual the mAhAvIra pot containing the milk of a cow and a goat, i.e. the gharma offering, is intensely heated until it starts glowing. When the pot starts glowing the hotar looks at it starts reciting … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged gandharva, gharma, Hindu, Hindu ritual, indra, mahAvIra pot, mAyA, mAyAbheda, prANa, pravargya, Rigveda, sun, Veda, yoga vAsiShTha; indrajAla
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Some notes on the shaiva temple celebrations and an excursus on the fishing, diving and hunting festivals of rudra
An integral aspect of the life of the post-Vedic Hindu community was participation in the temple celebrations. It was considered highly beneficial in the tAntrika tradition, both to the individual and the community, and helps explain the basic premises of … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought, History
Tagged festival, Hindu, Hindu ritual, idols, images, India, procession, ritual, saiva, shaiva, temple
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Macranthropy and the saMbandha-s between microcosm and macrocosm
May we first invoke indra that he might drive away the obstructions to the study: vajraM yash chakre suhanAya dasyave hirImasho hirImAn | arutahanur adbhutaM na rajaH || The thunderbolt, which he of golden mane and golden frame bore down … Continue reading
AtharvavedIya tArkShya yAga
We had earlier seen the mantra deployments relating to the vedokta Ashu-tArkShya vidhi. We shall now consider another tArkShya vidhi practiced by the knowers of the atharvaNa shruti. The day before the rite a pandal is put up and and … Continue reading
Posted in Heathen thought
Tagged agni, ariShTanemi, atharva veda, garuDa, Hindu ritual, oShadhi, ritual, tArkShya
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