Writing on Hinduism necessitates the use of non-English words that occur often need to be explained. This glossary explains words beginning with M to P.
Madhu: One of the two demons arising from the wax of Vishnu. Both were killed by Vishnu and the fat from their bodies used to create the earth.
Madhuban: A grove in the region of Braj on the banks of the River Yamuna, where the Supreme God permanently resides. Madhuban became famous during the Krishna avatar when it was the chosen place for the dance of Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavan and the liaisons of Krishna and Radha.
Mahabharata: The great 18 day war between the Pandavas and their cousins the Kauravas. Krishna sided with the Pandavas because their cause was right and ensured their victory. The epic written by Veda Vyasa that describes the events leading to the war, the war itself and the aftermath of the war. It is the longest epic in the world.
Mahakaleshwar: Oneof the twelve Jyotirlingas, or ancient temples dedicated to Shiva, situated in the ancient city of Ujjain. Mahakaleshwar is the avatar of Shiva as the Lord of Time and Death. Shiva once defeated the enemies of the King of Ujjain and thereafter took up permanent residence in the city.
Mandakini: Mandakini is one of the rivers that arise in the Himalayas and ultimately joins other streams to form the Ganga. Its source is the Charabari glacier near Kedarnath. It is fed by the Vasukiganga and then joins the Alaknanda. Alaknanda then joins the Bhagirathi River to form the Ganga.
Mallikarjuna: Another name for the Shri Sailam Jyotirlinga because it is believed that both Parvati (Mallika) and Shiva (Arjun) reside there.
Mansarovar: Lying in modern day Tibet, Mansarovar is the highest lake in the world. The name literally means "Lake of the Mind", which is apt because it was created by Brahma using his mental powers. To the north of the lake is Mount Kailas, which is the abode of Shiva and Parvati. The river Sindhu (Indus) flows westward from the lake and the river Brahmaputra flows eastward thereby pertitioning the Indian subcontinent from the rest of the world.
Manu: There are many Manus in Hindu mythology. The most common one is Svayambhava Manu who was created by Brahma as the first human and is the progenitor of the human race. Manu married Shatrupa and had three daughters and two sons whose descendents populated the earth.
Marichi: A sage created by Brahms from his mind. Marichi married Kala, the daughter of Kardam and Devahuti. He was the father of sage Kashyap and the maternal grandfather of the Ganga.
Marisha: The daughter of the apsara Pramlocha and sage Kandu, who married the Prachetas and gave birth to Daksha.
Meru: A sacred mountain believed to be the center of the earth. It is the abode of Brahma. Meru is 450,000 km high and is in Jambudvipa, which is named as one of the continents in Hindu mythology.
Mitra: An early Vedic deity, who lost importance in later years.
Mohini: The alluring woman who duped the demons with her beauty and gave the nectar of immortality to the demi-Gods. She is an avatar of Vishnu. Vishnu again assumed to form of Mohini to kill the demon Bhasmasura. The famous classical Indian dance form Mohini-Attam is based on the dance duel between Mohini and Bhasmasura. Lord Ayappa who is worshipped in South India was born from the union of Shiva with Mohini.
Monism: The belief that there exists one single basic entity and that the plurality we observe is a manifestation of that single entity.
Monotheism: One of the central beliefs of Hinduism is that there is one God who is without characteristic or form.
Murti: One of the daughters of Daksha and Prasuti who was married to Dharma. She gave birth to the sages Nara and Narayan, who were an incarnation of Vishnu.
Nabhi: The eldest son of Agnidhra and Purvachitti, the apsara.
Nagas: A race of serpent people who can, at will, assume the form of humans and snakes. They live in Patala, which is one of the layers of the underworld. They are the guardians of the waterways.
Nagchandreshwar: Nagchandreshwar is the avatar of Shiva with the serpents (nag) around his neck and the moon (chandra) in his matted locks.
Nageshwar: Oneof the twelve Jyotirlingas, or ancient temples dedicated to Shiva, situated near the holy city of Dwarka. Nageshwar is the avatar of Shiva as the Lord of the Cobras. Shiva defeated the demon Daruka to save his devotee Supriya.
Nagpanchami: This festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the bright half (Shukla paksha) of the Hindu month of Sravana. Snakes are worshipped in various ways on this day.
Naimisharanya: The forest of Naimisharanya was one of the holiest places in ancient India, chosen by Brahma himself. It was where Veda Vyasa taught his disciples the Vedas and Puranas and where Suta Goswami narrated the Bhagavata Purana for the sages. It is near modern day Lucknow on the banks of the river Gomti.
Nandi: Nandi is the Bull deity who is the vahana and also the highest attendant of Shiva. No one can reach Shiva unless he first pleases Nandi.
Nara & Narayan: The two sages who are renowned for their meditation at Vadrikashram in the Himalayas. They were an avatar of Vishnu. Narayan created the apsara Urvashi by rubbing a flower against his thigh. Mountain ranges in the Garhwal are named after them.
Narada: One of the sages that Brahma produced using his mental powers. Narada is sometimes the mischievous celestial messenger and at other times the epitome of devotion.
Narayan: Another name of Vishnu.
Narayanastra: The weapon of Narayan from “astra” meaning weapon.
Narmada: A river in central India that is considered holy by the Indians. The source is at Amarkantak Hill and the river flows eastward into the Arabian Sea.
Natya Shastra: An ancient text on drama attributed to sage Bharat, which spells out various elements of drama much like Aristotle’s Poetics.
Nishada: A lawless tribe that usually lives in forests and hills away from civilized society. The tribe has its origin in Bahuka who was created from the evil king Vena’s dead body.
Nyaya Sutra: The branch of Hindu thought that deals with logic.
Om: The primeval cosmic sound that pervades the entire universe.
Omkareshwar: One ofthe twelve Jyotirlingas, or ancient temples dedicated to Shiva, situated on an island in the Narmada River. Shiva assumed this incarnation to bless the Vindhya Mountains. Omkareshwar is the Lord of Aum, the primeval sound that pervades the universe.
Paganism: A religious belief characterized by a pantheon of deities largely representing the forces of nature. Ancient civilizations initially had no explanations for natural phenomenon, so it was believed that divine forces were responsible for them. Though ancient paganism originated from the fear of natural forces, it soon evolved to a celebration and even a reverence of nature. People do not abuse the entities they worship.
Pandavas: The collective name for the five sons of Pandu, who fought on the side of righteousness in the Mahabharata War. They were Yudhishthir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadeva.
Pandu: The son of Vichitraveerya and Ambalika and the father of the five Pandavas.
Param Atma: Literally the Universal Soul, Param Atma is synonymous with God, Brahm and Purusha.
Parashara: He sired Veda Vyasa through Satyavati. Parashara was the son of Shakti and Adashyanti and the grandson of Vasishtha and Arundhati. He wrote the Parashara Smriti, which is the code of conduct to be followed in Kaliyuga.
Parashurama: The axe wielding sixth avatar of Vishnu, whose purpose was to exterminate the kshatriya race that had become arrogant and irreligious.
Parikshit: The grandson of Arjun and the son of Abhimanyu. He inherited the throne of Hastinapur from his grand-uncle Yuddhishthir. He was cursed by a sage to die of a snake bite in a week because he had offended the sage. The curse was fulfilled, but before that he heard the Bhagavata Purana from Sukhdev and overcame his fear of death. He was succeeded by his son Janmajeya.
Parvati: The daughter of Himavat, the king of the Himalayan mountains, and the apsara Mena, Parvati married Shiva after performing severe penances. She has many avatars including Kali, Gauri and Durga.
Pashupatastra: The infallible divine weapon of Shiva, named after his epithet Pashupati or Lord of the beasts.
Patanjali: The author of the Yoga Sutra.
Pisachas: A race of spirits that haunt cemeteries and torment people. They are the souls of the dead that cannot get eternal rest because their descendants have not performed the funerary rites.
Pitraloka: A region in heaven where the souls of the ancestors dwell.
Pitras: These are the ancestors whose souls have obtained eternal rest because their descendants have performed the funerary rites as required.
Prachetas: The ten sons of Prachinabarhi were collectively known as the Prachetas. They were extremely pious and Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva appeared in person before them. They married Marisha, who bore them Daksha as a son.
Prachinabarhi: A descendant of Prithu. His given name was Barhishat. Prachinabarhi was the name he assumed on becoming king. He was the father to the Prachetas. Prachinabarhi was advised by Narada not to look upon rituals and sacrifices as an end in themselves. He have up his mortal form at Kapila’s ashram at Ganga Sagara.
Prakriti: The category of the cosmos, which through the will of Purusha, results in the manifestation of the world of appearances. All living beings and inanimate objects that we can perceive through our senses are there because of Prakriti.
Pramlocha: An apsara who seduced the sage Kandu and bore him a daughter Marisha.
Prasuti: The daughter of Swayambhav Manu and Shatrupa who was married to Daksha. Her daughter Sati was the incarnation of Shakti and was married to Shiva.
Prithu: A king in the lineage of Swayambhav Manu. He was an incarnation of Vishnu. He was created by the sages from Vena’s dead body so that the kingdom would have a ruler. He is known for his just rule. Prithu once chased the earth, who had taken the form of a cow, because she was not yielding enough food. He is also known for the several Ashwamedha sacrifices he conducted. His consort Arci was created with him from Vena’s body.
Prithvi: The Earth, who is given the status of a demi-God. Prithvi literally means “of Prithu”. The Earth obtained this name because she was milked by Prithu in order that she may yield her bounty.
Priyavrata: The younger son of Swayambhav Manu.
Puranas: The scriptural texts that contain the mythologies of Hinduism. There are 18 major Puranas. They were written in the Epic period.
Puranic: Pertaing to or as mentioned in the Puranas.
Pururava: The founder of the Lunar dynasty. Pururava was the grandson of Soma (the Moon deity) and the son of Buddh and Ila. He was known for his romance with Urvashi.
Purusha: Purusha is the eternal, omnipresent, indestructible, unchanging entity that is the essence of everything in the universe. It is variously called Param Atma and Brahm. In simpler terms Purusha is the metaphysical term for God.
Purvachitti: The apsara who was sent by Brahma to marry Agnidhra and bear his children.
Pushkar: A holy town dedicated to Brahma. The only temple in the world that is dedicated to Brahma is in Pushkar.
Putrikadharma: A form of marriage that literally means “the duty of a daughter”. If a couple does not have any sons then under this form of marriage if a son is born to their daughter, that child is adopted by the couple as their son.
The other Glossary Lists are available at
