Hinduism - What Is A Yuga In Hindu Cosmology?

 

A moniker for a unit of cosmic time that might have two meanings.

Traditional thinking is that time has no origin or conclusion, but rather rotates between cycles of creation and activity, followed by halt and silence.

The active period of each of these cycles is known as the Day of Brahma, while the calm phase is known as the Night of Brahma.

The Day of Brahma is split into a thousand mahayugas ("great cosmic eras"), each lasting 4.32 million years in cosmic time, and this is one probable definition of the term yuga.

The term is most often used to refer to the Krta Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga, which are the four yugas that make up a mahayuga.

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Hinduism - What Are The Yoga Sutras?

 

 

 ("yoga aphorisms") A collection of short sayings attributed to the sage Patanjali that serve as the basic texts for the Yoga school, one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy.

The sage Vyasa's commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is often read alongside the text, and it has been considered as an important component of the book.

The Yoga Sutras are split into four sections, each of which focuses on a different theme: 

1. The first part is about concentration (samadhi), 
2. the second part is about the mechanics of spiritual development (sadhana), 
3. the third part is about various attainments (vibhuti), including magical powers (siddhi), 
4. and the last part is about yogic isolation (kaivalya), which the text calls liberation.

The Yoga school is often considered the "practical" articulation of Samkhya theory, and the text presupposes the cosmology taught by the Samkhya school, another of the six schools.

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Hinduism - What Is The Concept Of Time In Hindu Philosophy?

 

Time has no origin or conclusion in ancient Indian cosmology. 

Instead, it alternates between creation and activity, followed by cessation and quietude, in a never-ending cycle pattern. 

As a result, the cosmos has no ultimate beginning or end—creation will always be followed by destruction, and then destroyed by a new creation. 

There are many distinct and sometimes conflicting methods for measuring cosmic time within the limits of this premise. 

The kalpa, or day of Brahma, is the most widely recognized unit of time, lasting 4.32 billion years. 

Although the cosmos undergoes recurrent renewals during this time, this is the final limit for the existence of the created world. 

The global dissolution (pralaya) occurs at the end of Brahma's day, when the world is entirely annihilated and reabsorbed into the deity Vishnu. 

Brahma's day is followed by an equal-length night, during which Vishnu is the sole living creature; the deity sleeps on the back of his snake couch, Shesha, which floats on the cosmic ocean's surface. 

A lotus grows from Vishnu's navel after Brahma's night is through. 

The deity Brahma emerges from the lotus, taking up the task of creation, and the circle of activity starts again. 

One of Brahma's titles is Svayambhu ("selfborn"), which refers to his spontaneous emergence at the beginning of each cosmic era. 

Unlike the Judeo-Christian notion of creation, Brahma does not create the world from nothing, but rather organizes and molds existing components into a unified and orderly universe. 

According to different theories, Brahma's day is divided into smaller parts. 

The four yugas, or cosmic eras, are by far the most popular scheme. 

The day of Brahma, according to this theory, is made up of one thousand mahayugas (“great cosmic ages”), each lasting 4.32 million years. 

The Krta yuga, Treta yuga, Dvapara yuga, and Kali yuga are the four component yugas of each mahayuga. 

Each one is shorter than the one before it, ushering in a more corrupt and perverted age. 

The four yugas are separated by a period of abrupt and spectacular rebirth at the start of the krta yuga, which is followed by a gradual and continuous fall. 

Although the kali yuga is the shortest of the four eras, it is also the period of greatest wickedness and depravity, during which any evil may be perpetrated. 

It is also, predictably, the time period in which we are now living. 

Things have become so terrible at the conclusion of the kali yuga that the only option is to destroy and recreate the planet, at which point the new krta period starts. 

Even though the kali yuga is the shortest, it lasts 432,000 years, and the yugas before it are two, three, and four times as long. 

The metals connected with each of the four yugas represent their progressive degeneracy: gold (krta), silver (dvapara), bronze (treta), and iron (iron) (kali). 

Another indicator is the human condition, which is believed to be becoming shorter, more wicked, and shorter-lived with each passing era. 

The four yugas paradigm provides little space in traditional Hinduism for the concept of development, since things will never be better than they are now, according to this theory. 

Rather than a utopian future, it idealizes a lost and unreachable past. 

The human and divine calendars are linked by an alternative method of calculating cosmic time, with one human year equaling a single day for the gods. 

The divine day is the six months when the sun travels north (uttarayana), and the divine night is the six months when it travels south (dakshinayana). 

A heavenly year will last 360 human years since an Indian solar year is 360 solar days. 

Brahma has a life span of 100 heavenly years, or 36,000 human years, after which the universe is destroyed and recreated. 

The Manvantaras, or Manu's ages, are a third system. 

The day of Brahma is divided into fourteen equal eras, each lasting little less than 309,000 years, according to this theory. 

Each era is distinguished by the divine sovereign (manu) who reigns at the time. 

None of these three systems are compatible, and there is no genuine attempt to reconcile them. 

This discrepancy suggests that their primary purpose was mythological, establishing a cohesive cosmic timeline and pattern rather than describing real occurrences. 

See cosmic time, calendar, and lunar month for many articulations of time in traditional Hindu culture.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is The Status Of The South African Hindu Diaspora?

 

 

South Africa is one of the nations having a sizable Hindu diaspora.

This is especially true in Natal province, where Hindus were initially imported as indentured agricultural workers, but Hindus also have a large presence across the nation.

South Africa is most recognized for being the location where Mohandas K.

Gandhi initially devised and polished his nonviolent resistance program, or satyagraha, which he used to help the Indian people there.

In modern times, the South African Hindu community, like many other Hindu diaspora communities, has relaxed religious links with India and is creating a Hindu religious life in a different geographical location.

In traditional Indian cosmology, space is one of the five elements, along with earth, fire, water, and wind.

Akasha, or "space," is defined as the space between or inside observable things on Earth, rather than "outer space." An "empty" pitcher, for example, was really full with space until it was displaced by some liquids.

This primitive perception of space was therefore closer to what we may call the "atmosphere," and it was even thought to have fluid-like qualities.

Each of the elements is connected with one of the five senses in certain philosophical traditions; in this case, akasha is related with hearing since it is said to transport sound from one location to another.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Rta In Hindu Cosmology?

Rta is the cosmic order and regularity that allows the rhythms of time and seasons to occur in orderly succession, according to the Vedas (the oldest and most authoritative Hindu texts).

According to the texts, rta had a moral dimension to it, which humans were obligated to support.

One such moral dimension was truth, which was seen as upholding the cosmos, while its polar opposite, anrta, came to be associated with deception.

Varuna, the Vedic god who was both the guardian of rta and the deity who punished untruth, usually by affliction with dropsy, was the link between the natural and moral worlds.

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Prakasha

  ("illumination") is a Sanskrit word that means "illumination." Prakasha is one of the bipolar oppo sites that are used to define the essence of all reality in Hindu tantra, a hidden, ritual-based religious activity, with its opposite half being reflection (vimarsha).

These two concepts are especially significant for the formation of the world, which is believed to occur when the ultimate Brahman's pure and radiant awareness (prakasha) becomes self-conscious via the reflection (vimarsha) of this original consciousness.

The absolute transforms from a single awareness into a dual divinity—the deity Shiva and his consort Shakti—whose ongoing interaction creates the universe.

Jaideva Singh, Pratyabhijnanahrdayam, 1982, is a good source of knowledge.

Also see cosmology.

Hinduism - What Is Mount Meru In Hindu Mythology?

 

Mount Meru is the center of the entire world, the pivot of the entire created order, and is located in the center of the continent of Jambudvipa, the innermost of the concentric landmasses that make up the visible world in traditional Hindu cosmology.

It is said to reach far into the heavens and have deep roots beneath the earth, with a divine city on its crest that is the home of the gods.

The Himalayan mountain Kailas is frequently associated with the mythical Meru.

As a result, despite its remote location, Kailas has long been an important pilgrimage site (tirtha).

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Hinduism - What Is Manvantara In Hindu Cosmology?

 

An instance/unit of cosmic time, Manvantara is the name of a civilizational era.

Traditional thought is that time has no origin or conclusion, but instead alternates between cycles of creation and activity, followed by cessation and quietude.

Each of these cycles lasts 4.32 billion years, with the active period known as Brahma's Day and the tranquil phase known as Brahma's Night.

Each Day of Brahma is split into fourteen equal eras, each controlled by one of the fourteen Manus, in one instance of cosmic time.

Manus are revered as the earth's sovereigns and are said to be semidivine creatures who are the forefathers of the human species.

We are now in the seventh age, with seven more to follow.

Vishnu, in the shape of the Fish avatar, rescued the Manu of this era, Vaivasvata, from pralaya (universal annihilation).

Vaivasvata is considered the Solar Line of Kings' progenitor.

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Hinduism - What Is Manas In Hindu Philosophy?

 (“mind”) Manas is one of the phases in the devolution of prakrti (primal matter), culminating in the world we see around us, in which human souls are subject to reincarnation, according to the metaphysics of the Samkhya school, one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy (samsara).

Manas develops from the ahamkar stage, which is characterized by a first feeling of Self and subjectivity.

The mind (manas) develops as a source of intellectual activity, which, when combined with this sense of subjectivity, gives rise to the concept of individual identity.

According to the Samkhyas, the growth of the individual's sense organs (jnanendriyas) and action organs (karmendriyas), as well as the subtle components (tanmatras) that are the source of the world's material things, occurs simultaneously with the formation of mental identity.

Manas became widely acknowledged as one of the five human sense organs, despite the fact that following philosophical systems essentially rejected Samkhya cosmology.

The manas detects mental items (ideas) in the same way as the eye and ears sense sight and sound, enabling the person to experience them.

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Hinduism - What Is A Mahayuga In Hindu Cosmology?

 

Mahayuga ia a cosmic time unit.

Time has neither origin or conclusion, according to traditional Hindu calculation, but instead alternates between cycles of creation and activity, followed by cessation and quietude.

Each of these cycles lasts 4.32 billion years, with the active period known as Brahma's Day and the tranquil phase known as Brahma's Night.

The Day of Brahma is split into one thousand mahayugas ("great cosmic eras"), each lasting 4.32 million years, according to one reckoning of cosmic chronology.

The Krta Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga are the four periods that make up each mahayuga.

Each one is shorter and more horrible than the one before it; towards the conclusion of the Kali Yuga, things have deteriorated to the point where the only solution is to destroy and recreate the world, at which point the next Krta Yuga starts.

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Hinduism - What Is The Kurmasana?

 

 (“tortoise-posture”) In Hindu iconography, one of the sitting positions (asanas) utilized in yoga; also a posture in which pictures of the deities are shown.

This position has the legs crossed with the feet tucked under the thighs and the crossed heels producing a hole around the scrotum, as described in commentaries on the Yoga Sutras.

The Kurmasana is occasionally shown at the foot of a statue by an actual sculpture of a tortoise, which serves as the basis on which the figure is set in Indian iconography.

This posture is described in modern yoga manuals as a sitting position in which the upper body is bent forward, with the arms extended sideways under the outstretched legs, giving the impression of a tortoise with a head, "shell" (the trunk), and four outstretched limbs.

Kurukshetra is the scene of the Mahabharata's final battle, which is the later of the two major Hindu epics.

This conflict is still spoken about as if it happened yesterday.

Kurukshetra is well known for its bathing (snana) facilities.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims go to a bathing pool during eclipses, when it is said to hold all of India's holy waters.

Kusha is one of the twin sons of Rama, the epic's protagonist, in the Ramayana, the earlier of the two major Indian epics.

Kusha is born in an unexpected manner after their mother, Sita, is exiled to the ashram of the guru Valmiki.

Sita brings her son Lava to the river to wash one day, and Valmiki realizes that the youngster has vanished, fearing that it has been kidnapped by a wild animal.

He constructs an identical kid out of kusha grass to spare Sita's motherly sentiments.

Sita's twin is given the name Kusha when he returns with Lava.

Lava and Kusha later accompany Valmiki to Rama's court at Ayodhya.

They first read the epic poem written by Valmiki, the Ramayana, at Rama's court.

Rama splits his kingdom between Lava and Kusha when he relinquishes his reign.

Kusha (also known as "Kusha Grass") is a kind of grass native to India.

Dvipa Kusha, or "Kusha grass," is the fourth of the seven concentric landmasses (dvipas) that make up the visible earth, according to legendary geography.

Also see cosmology.

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Hinduism - What Is The Krta Yuga In Hindu Cosmology?

 

Krta Yuga is an epoch in Indian history.

One of the cosmic time reckonings assigns a certain age to the Earth.

Traditional thinking holds that time has no origin or conclusion, but rather alternates between cycles of creation and activity, followed by cessation and qui etude.

Each cycle lasts 4.32 billion years, with the active period being known as the Day of Brahma and the tranquil phase being known as the Night of Brahma.

The Day of Brahma is split into one thousand mahayugas ("great cosmic eras"), each lasting 4.32 million years, according to one accounting of cosmic chronology.

The Krta Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga are the four yugas that make up each mahayuga.

Each of the four yugas is shorter than the one before it, ushering in a period that is more decadent and depraved than the one before it.

Things have grown so horrible towards the conclusion of the Kali Yuga that the only remedy is to destroy and recreate the world, at which point the new Krta period starts.

The Krta Yuga is the earliest of the four yugas, and it is also the longest, lasting 1,728,000 years.

It is also regarded as the best of all the yugas, with gold, the most expensive of all metals, as its emblem.

The side marked Krta was the one for the winning throw in an ancient Indian dice game, indicating the greatest available alternative.

People in the legendary descriptions of the Krta Yuga live exceedingly long lives, have enormous physical size, and are completely virtuous by nature.

 

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Hinduism - What Is Kalpavas? Who Are The Kalpavasis?

 

Kalpavas (meaning "dwelling for a kalpa") is a Sanskrit word that means "residence for a kalpa." During the annual Magh Mela event in Allahabad during the lunar month of Magh (January–February), a strict religious vow is made.

The confluence of two holy rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna, is where Allahabad is located.

The fundamental religious rite of the celebration is bathing (snana) at this point.

Although most visitors only remain for a few days during the festival, kalpavasis, or persons who have taken the kalpavas vow, stay for the full month.

Kalpavasis also promise to follow a rigorous ascetic lifestyle that includes daily baths in the Ganges, a limited diet, specific attire and worship, and participation at religious meetings known as satsang.

The ascetics from all over South Asia who come to bathe in the hallowed waters are the main players in the Kumbha Mela.

According to legend, the great philosopher Shankaracharya founded the Kumbha Mela to encourage regular meetings of educated and holy men as a way to reinforce, preserve, and disseminate Hindu religious ideas.

 

Kalpavasis: The Spiritual Heart of the Kumbh Mela

The Kumbh Mela, a colossal gathering of Hindu pilgrims, is renowned for its vibrant spectacle and profound spiritual significance. At the heart of this mega-event reside the Kalpavasis, a unique group of ascetics and devotees who embody the essence of spiritual dedication. The term "Kalpavasis" translates to "dwellers of the Kalpa," referring to the immense cycles of time in Hindu cosmology. These individuals immerse themselves in a rigorous spiritual retreat during the Kumbh Mela, renouncing worldly comforts and dedicating themselves entirely to divine pursuits.

Kalpavasis exemplify the highest ideals of Hindu spirituality, characterized by unwavering devotion and rigorous self-discipline. They embrace a life of austerity, often residing in simple shelters within the Kumbh Mela grounds. Their daily routine involves a strict regimen of spiritual practices, including early morning dips in the sacred river, hours of meditation, chanting of mantras, and rigorous fasting. This austere lifestyle is aimed at purifying the mind and body, culminating in the ultimate goal of spiritual enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Beyond their individual practices, Kalpavasis play a crucial role in fostering a strong sense of community within the Kumbh Mela. They often live in small groups, sharing resources and engaging in collective spiritual practices. This communal living fosters a supportive environment for spiritual growth and provides a powerful example of the transformative power of collective devotion.

The presence of Kalpavasis at the Kumbh Mela is of immense significance. They serve as living embodiments of Hindu ideals, inspiring millions of pilgrims with their unwavering devotion and selfless service. Many seek their blessings and guidance, considering them to be conduits of divine wisdom. Moreover, Kalpavasis play a vital role in preserving and transmitting the rich tapestry of Hindu traditions and values across generations.

Kalpavasis are an integral part of the Kumbh Mela, embodying the very essence of this extraordinary spiritual gathering. Their unwavering devotion, rigorous practices, and selfless service serve as an inspiration to millions, reminding us of the timeless values of renunciation, self-discipline, and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.

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Hinduism - What Is Kalpa In Hindu Cosmology?

 

The biggest unit of cosmic time is the Kalpa, which is equal to 4.32 billion years.

The kalpa is divided into a thousand mahayugas, each lasting 4.32 million years, according to one theory.

The kalpa, or Day of Brahma, is the oldest known unit of time, and it is used to calculate the length of the cosmic verse.

Following the completion of the kalpa, there occurs an equally lengthy "Night of Brahma," a time of global dissolution (pralaya).

 

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Hinduism - What Is Jambudvipa In Hindu Cosmology?

 (“rose-apple”) The first and innermost of the seven concentric landmasses (dvipas) that make up the visible earth, according to legendary geography.

Mount Meru, the center of the cosmos, is located in the heart of Jambudvipa.

Mount Meru is surrounded by mountain ranges, and the territory known as Bharata, the old name for the Indian subcontinent, is located south of Mount Meru in Jambudvipa.

Also see Hindu Cosmology.

 

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Hinduism - What Is The Golden Embryo In Hindu Cosmology?

 

One of the most ancient cosmological legends.

It initially occurs in the earliest Hindu sacred literature, the Rg Veda (10.121).

According to this story, the Golden Embryo was the beginning of the cosmos (Hiranyagarbha).

Prajapati, the creator of all things and ruler of all beings, sprang from the Golden Embryo.

The universe in this myth, like in most other Hindu cosmology stories, comes from a single source and is therefore an organic totality.

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Hinduism - What Are The Five Elements In Hindu Cosmology?

 

There are five primary elements in traditional Indian cosmology, four of which are identical to those found in medieval European conceptions: earth, fire, water, and wind (as moving air that is perceptible to human beings). 

The fifth element, akasha, has no obvious equivalent in European thought. 

It is often interpreted as "space," and it is thought to permeate the world around us, filling in the gaps. 

Each of these elements is related with a certain sense in Indian cosmology: earth with smell, fire with sight, water with taste, wind with touch, and akasha with hearing. 

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Hinduism - How Is The Earth Revered In Hinduism?

Earth is regarded as a deity in Hindu mythology. 

One of the most deeply ingrained components of Hindu culture is the belief that India is a holy territory, and many of India's mountains, rivers, and other physical features are regarded gods and goddesses. 

This faith extends to the planet itself. 

Earth is depicted as the goddess Prthivi in the Vedas, the earliest Hindu holy writings, who is praised for her fertility, nurturing ability, and firmness in maintaining all things. 

Prthivi is nearly invariably identified with Dyaus, a masculine deity associated with the sky whose name is a cognate version of Zeus in Greek mythology. 

The divine pair is thus formed, with the sky's rain feeding and revitalizing the land. 

In later mythology, the goddess Bhudevi ("Earth Goddess"), who is said to be one of the deity Vishnu's brides, takes the place of Prthivi. 

Bhudevi is less often associated with fertility and parenting; her major role is to serve as a supplicant for Vishnu's world-saving activities. 

Earth calls out to Vishnu for aid when the wicked grow oppressive or a demon gets too strong and disturbs the cosmic order, and Vishnu obligingly restores the cosmic equilibrium. 

The Boar avatar is an example of this, in which Vishnu frees Earth from her enslavement. 

See David R. Kinsley's Hindu Goddesses, 1986, for further details. 

The Earth is also one of the five elements in ancient Indian cosmology, the others being water, fire, wind, and akasha in their tangible form. 

Each of the elements is related with one of the five senses in certain philosophical traditions; in this example, earth is associated with scent. 

Earth is also linked to a number of body activities, including the disposal of solid wastes. 

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Hinduism - What Is Cosmology In Hindu Culture?

 

Cosmology. 

 There is no one cosmology in Hindu culture; rather, there are many distinct systems, each of which is well-established in its own right. 

The earliest model, known as the Purusha Sukta (“Hymn to the Primeval Man”), is found in the Rg Veda (10.90), the oldest Hindu sacred book. 

The earth and all living creatures were created as a consequence of the primordial man's sacrifice, according to this hymn (purusha). 

Different portions of his body morph into various elements of the physical world and conventional social groupings. 

Another Vedic metaphor is the Golden Embryo, which is the only thing that exists until it matures into Prajapati, the universe's creator. 

The Cosmic Egg is a third form found in later religious writings known as puranas, which are collections of mythology and legend. 

The Cosmic Egg, according to this picture, once housed the whole cosmos. 

The egg's component parts (shell, white, yolk, and membranes) become all of the earth's objects once cracked. 

The last and probably most well-known cosmological picture from the puranas is the deity Vishnu floating in the sea of cosmic dissolution (pralaya), resting on the back of his snake couch, Shesha. 

When the moment comes for creation, a lotus grows from Vishnu's navel and opens, revealing the deity Brahma, who begins the process. 

When the cosmic disintegration begins, Brahma is reabsorbed into Vishnu's body, and the process is reversed. 

Regardless of their symbols, all of these theories share the belief that the universe originated from a single source and that the whole cosmos is therefore an organic whole. 

Although there are many theories for the universe' genesis, there is more consensus on its geography. 

The cosmos is said to be divided into three tiers, each of which may have many layers. 

The visible world is the intermediate layer, wedged between the upper world's heavens (sometimes counted as seven) and the underworld's kingdoms. 

Some of the lesser worlds are regarded hells, while others are just considered other planes of existence. 

The visible world is frequently depicted as a series of concentric landmasses (dvipas) divided by seven seas (the saptasindhu), each of which is made up of a different material. 

Jambudvipa, the innermost of these landmasses, is centered on the legendary Mount Meru, which is frequently mistaken for Mount Kailas in the Himalayas. 

Mount Meru is likened to the central calyx of a lotus in ancient cosmology, since it sits at the heart of the cosmos. 

Mountain ranges encircle Mount Meru, having a distinct area in each of the cardinal directions. 

The area known as Bharata, the old name for the Indian subcontinent, is located south of Mount Meru. 

Bharata is considered to be better to the other three Jambudvipa areas since religious rites are only done properly in Bharata. 

As a result of its mythological geography, India is regarded as the center of the world and the ideal location to dwell if one want to pursue holy life. 

Classical Hindu Mythology, edited by Cornelia Dimmitt and J. A. B. van Buitenen, was published in 1978. 

Also see cosmic time. 

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Tantra Power & Polity

Tantric Power 

In the medieval era, kingship was shaped by historical circumstance and justified by textual tradition. 

The rise of feudal kingdoms and the increasing awareness of regional identity with the rise of important regional centers focused on temples and the development of region-specific styles of art and architecture characterize India's history in political terms from the early medieval period to the rise of the Delhi Sultanate. 

Kingdoms such as the Rastrakutas in the Deccan, an early form of the Rajputs known as the Gurjura-Pratiharas of Malava-Rajasthan, and the Palas of Bengal were engaged in bitter rivalry after the Gupta empire collapsed, and generally from the mid-eighth century. 

Kings and princes pursued policies of military adventurism, and an ideology of warfare developed, which shown them as divine beings, the king was the male consort of the Goddess's realm. 

During this time, Brahmans were granted land in exchange for legitimizing the new rulers and initiating a process of Sanskritization, in which local traditions and deities were absorbed into the overarching, Brahmanical paradigm. 

• The Candella clan of the Gond tribe, for example, is responsible for the renowned Khajuraho monuments. 

• They had significant authority and influence, and could, for example, restore their nominal Pratihara ruler, Mahipala, to his throne (c. 900). 

• The Chalukya and Cola empires (c. 870-1280 CE) succeeded the Pallavas as the most powerful dynasty in the Deccan, but it was the Pallavas who introduced the worship of the divine monarch to Southeast Asia in the kingdom of Fu-nan, which fell to the Khmers. 

• Indeed, Indie kingdoms flourished throughout Southeast Asia, with the Sailendras of Orissa's Indonesian empire reaching colonies as far as Bali and Java. 

An inscription from Cambodia dating from 1072 ce (Saka period 974) mentions the entrance of Tantras into the Khmer kingdom under the reign of Jayavarman II, with the continuing of writings from the left stream, which had been banned in India, in Cambodia and Java. 

These are known from the Sdok kak Thorn inscription in Cambodia. 

With the Cholas, we witness the rise of Tamil culture and the magnificent temple towns of Thanjavur (the Cola capital), Cidambaram, Darasuram, and Gangaikondacolapuram, whose Saiva temples show not just imperial strength but also a vibrant Brahmanical, Agamic civilization. 

Tantric culture, on the other hand, disappeared in Kashmir from about 1320 to 1819 ce, when the region was under nearly continuous Muslim control and the bulk of the people converted to Islam. 

The rulers of these medieval countries had a divine kingship philosophy, in which the monarch was a god or a manifestation of a deity. 

This resulted in the "feudalization of divinity," in which "the gods were seen as warriors and rulers of the world." 

• As reflected in the word deva, which may signify both deity and monarch, the king is not simply a'secular' ruler, but a divine king, a god incarnate. 

• The monarch, became the pinnacle of the social system associated with the sun, with the rest of society below. 

• The queen is associated with the ground, whereas officialdom is associated with lesser gods of the sky. 

• The commoners who lived underneath it were likewise a part of the overall system. 

The divinity of that kingship may be viewed as a problem of "reason" and "will" in the creation and re-formation of political communities in ancient India, according a "world ordering rationality." 

• The universe was ordered by kingship, and a world without a monarch (arajaka) was chaotic. 

• It's also important to note that the medieval Hindu kingdom was not the same as a European monarchy. 

• Rather, it was segmentary in nature, consisting of a pyramid of nested socio-political institutions. 

• The village was embedded inside the locality, the locality within the supralocality, and the supralocality within the kingdom, according to this structure. 

• Lesser monarchs paid ceremonial homage to higher, more powerful rulers within this hierarchy. 

• As a result, Tantric ideas of kingship are readily incorporated into an already established organization. 

Although the concept of divine kingship has been criticized, particularly in a postcolonial setting, it is necessary to keep it in mind in order to comprehend monarchy and its legitimization in the tantric context. 

• The king's duties, according to dharma literature, are to protect the people, to preserve social order via the preservation of caste boundaries, and to administer justice. 

• The monarch is also the patron of ritual, taking on the traditional vedic function of sacrificial patron (yajamana). 

• The king, according to Manu, is the guardian of caste (varna) and dharmic phases of life (asrama). 

However, according to the new tantric view of monarchy, the king is a divine warrior whose strength is drawn from the violent and sexual warrior goddesses adored as the retinue of a deity such as Bhairava, who is worshipped at a certain degree of revelation. 

• The king's authority was connected to the Goddess or goddesses' power, which was bestowed at coronation or via tantric initiations by specialized priests. 

• Indeed, these monarchs sought legitimacy from literary traditions via consecration and initiation, and sought power by connection with deities and the employment of their mantras. 

• Even in the Laws of Manu, where the monarch is seen as containing pieces of the gods, there are continuities with more ancient notions of kingship. 

• However, throughout the medieval era, a new concept of divinity emerged, as well as an aggressive, power-hungry lordship seeking legitimacy from religion. 

• The Goddess's erotic violence is contained inside the monarch and regulated via a scripturally and ritually legitimated governmental system. 

The 'ancient texts,' or Puranas, formally concerned with the five topics of cosmogony (sarga), the regeneration of the cosmos (pratisarga), the genealogy of populations (vamsa), the great epochs of Manu (manvantara), and the genealogy of kings, were the first to achieve this legitimacy and new concept of kingship (vamsdnucarita). 

• The Vimudharmottara-purdn  is an important text that illustrates this. 

• Pancaratra, or tantric Vaisnava doctrine, was represented in these scriptures. 

• Despite the fact that the scripture is not a Tantra, but rather the pinnacle of a 'scale of writings' within the Puranic, orthodox tradition, it reflects tantric Vaisnavism's theology. 

• Unlike the Puranas, few tantric writings express explicit concern for the nature of kingship. 

• While books like the Netra-tantra may come from courtly circles, they have a direct effect on the medieval concept of monarchy.

• As we've seen, the Tantras are concerned with daily and infrequent rituals, mantra creation, cosmology, symbol placement, and temple construction. 

Although orthodox Brahmans kept a safe distance from hazardous or defiling tantric mantras, the impact of a tantric philosophy of power is firmly entrenched in medieval notions of monarchy, and the Puranas themselves are inspired by Tantrism, Tantrism's influence on kingship stretches from India to Southeast Asia. 

The ceremonial diagram, the mandala, is at the core of the tantric concept of kingship, in which the god and his spouse are surrounded by a retinue of deities who are either emanations or belong to the same sphere, clan, or lineage. 

• The king of the clan Kulesvara and his spouse Kulesvarl, accompanied by deities such as the eight mothers, are the traditional paradigm.

• The monarch is the Kulesvara equivalent, and his queen, from whom he gets authority via sex, is the Kulesvari analogue. 

• Power passes from her to the monarch, then to the clan's deities, and finally to the rest of the community. 

• White has persuasively shown that the goddesses of clans and land are at the heart of this system, and that the development of alliances between ruling families is crucial to this concept. 

At one level, the king is identified with the high god Visnu or Siva, and thus transcends specific political alliances within the kingdom, whereas the tutelary goddesses represent ties to land and powerful ruling families, who 'ratified and energized the pragmatic religious life of the kingdom as a whole.' 

This mandalic form of monarchy can be observed in Nepal, where three gods are essential for royalty and from whom the king gets his power: the sovereign deity Visnu, the master of ascetics and of Nepal, Pasupati, and the hidden tantric goddess Taleju. 

• Indeed, the Goddess's power is based on monarchy among the Nepalese Newars. 

The king's consecration or anointing (abhiseka) is the most significant tantric ritual associated with monarchy, and the link between royal consecration and tantric initiation. 

• The jfayakhya-samhitd connects the anointing (abhiseka) of four classes of initiates with four types of political actors in an intriguing way.

• The samayin, putraka, sadhaka, and acarya processes include the rituals for anointing a military commander (senapati), a prime minister (mahamantrin), a prince (yuvarclja), and a king (yuvarclja) were modeled by (raja). 

The process of anointing is explicitly linked to a political institution, with the king similar to the master (acarya); just as the master embodies the deity revealed by the text, so does the monarch reveal the god. 

• At Viyajanagara, and an early monarch of Nepal, for example, there is historical proof that rulers were consecrated with tantric mantras, a tradition that lasted until modernity. 

• These tantric rituals of anointing during coronation with tantric mantras fit neatly into a divine kingship worldview, and merely added another layer of literary empowerment to the puranic system. 

The institution of kingship taps and controls the tantric deities' transgression violence and sexuality. 

It is clear from a number of sources such as Jayanthabhatta's play, Agamadambara, which we have cited that this layer of further empowerment was regarded with suspicion by the orthodox in the case of Kashmir, but it is also the case that kingship was supported by wholly orthodox Brahmans who used Puranas as their core texts, but whose theology was tantric, as in the case Some tantric scriptures deal specifically with kingship. 

• According to the Netra-tantra, the tantric instructor (acarya) must worship the eight mothers for the king's and kingdom's protection. 

• He should draw a 'lotus' pattern for appeasement, prosperity, good luck, the protection of ladies and sons, and the protection of the monarch from other rulers. 

• The instructor should utilize mantras for the king's health, protection from sickness, a good night's sleep, and proper digestion. 

The Isanasivagurudeva-paddhati includes some kingship content, and it is clear that its teachings are intended for both royalty and initiated Saivas. 

• This is evident in the scriptures on wars as well as the lengthy sections on temple construction and architecture. 

• Only kings go to battle with their armies, and although others may construct temples, it is kings who construct big, prominent temples that honor the god and therefore themselves. 

The scripture offers five birds associated with Siva's five acts and various mantric syllables in the chapter on combat defense. 

• These birds are also linked to five phases in a king's life: 

• childhood, 
• youth, 
• kingship, 
• old age, and 
• death, 

• Which are linked to five activities: 

• pleasure, 
• sacrifice, 
• marching to battle, 
• governing, 
• retirement or cessation of activity, and dying. 

• We may predict the favorable or bad result of a fight for a certain individual by studying the omens of birds, and that person should prepare appropriately by, for example, donning armor for excellent physical protection (suguptadeha) or dividing his riches if the augury is gloomy. 

The monarch becomes the tantric Brahman's counterpart via consecration. 

• The king's body is divinized in consecration, much as the practitioner's body becomes an indicator of a tradition-specific subjectivity, and the practitioner's body becomes an index of the broader societal body, as stated in the scriptures. 

• The king's physique, in a manner reminiscent of medieval Europe, is a symbol of the society's overall health. 

• In one sense, the king is the ideal householder, capable of achieving the goals of dharma in the projection of the people, artha in the pursuit of wealth and political success, and kama in the pursuit of pleasure, particularly sexual pleasure with courtesans; 

• In another, he is similar to the Brahman in mediating transcendent power and, indeed, becoming divinized himself. 

• The divine's violent and sensual force is absorbed by the monarch and transformed into political expansion and consolidation tactics. 

• The king's ceremonial anointing, in which power falls upon him, is a formal empowering in which he becomes divinized. 

• The king's body becomes divine, just as the practitioner's body becomes divine via initiation (and every day following that). 

• The king's body gets entextualized via tradition-specific mantras as a practitioner.

You may also want to learn more about Tantra, Tantra Yoga, and related Hindu Paths, Practices and Philosophies here.