The Ramayana (110 page)

naraka
  Hell.

Narasimha
  The Manticore; an incarnation of Vishnu.

Narayana
  The Sleeper on eternity's waters, which are called the Naara; Vishnu.

Nilakanta
  The Blue-throated One; Siva.

nilgai
  A species of deer.

nirvana
  Moksha; liberation.

nishada
  An untouchable.

nyagrodha
  The pipal tree.

OM
  The primal, holy syllable; AUM.

oshadhi
  A healing herb.

paapa
  A sin.

paasa
  A noose.

paativratya
  Fidelity.

padadhuli
  Dust—or a spiritual emanation—from an honored person's feet.

padma
  A lotus.

padmaka
  A variety of tree.

Padmanabha
  Vishnu; “lotus-naveled.” Brahma is born in the lotus that sprouts from Vishnu's navel.

padmasana
  The lotus posture.

paduka
  Sandals.

padya
  Water for washing the feet.

pala
  A variety of tree often inhabited by spirits.

palasa
  A variety of tree.

panchabhuta
  The five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether.

Panchajanya
  Vishnu's conch shell.

Parabrahman Brahman
  The ultimate, undifferentiated Godhead.

Paramatman
  Supreme Soul; God.

Parasurama Bhargava
  The Ax-bearer; an incarnation of Vishnu.

parivrajaka
  A mendicant holy man.

Parvati
  Siva's wife; “Mountain-daughter.”

Patala
  The underworld; netherworld.

pativrata
  A devoted wife.

paurnima, purnima
  The full moon.

payasa
  A liquid sweet.

pinda
  An offering to the dead, usually consisting of rice balls.

pipal
  A holy tree.

pisacha
  An evil spirit.

Pitama, Pitamaha
  Grandsire. Often used for Brahma.

pitr
  An ancestor; “father.”

Pitriloka
  The realm of the manes.

pradakshina
  A walking around a person or thing in reverence.

pragvamsa
  In this case, one end of a cross-beam.

Prajapati
  A lord of the first races of men.

pralaya
  The deluge.

prana
  Life breath.

Pranava
  AUM.

prayaschitta
  Penance.

prayatna
  A difficult endeavor.

prayopavesha
  A fasting for a cause or boon.

preta
  A spirit.

puja
  Ritual worship.

Punarvasu
  The asterism under which Rama was born.

punnaga
  A tree.

punya
  Virtue; merit.

Purushottama
  Vishnu; “best among men.”

Pushkara
  A lake sacred to Brahma.

pushpaka vimana
  A Kubera's sky chariot, used by Ravana and later Rama.

Pushyami
  The asterism under which Bharata was born.

putrakama yagna
  A sacrifice for the birth of a son.

putrasneha
  Attachment or love for one's children.

raga
  A traditional musical scale of at least five notes.

Raghuvamsa
  The clan of Raghu, an ancient king.

Rahu
  A demon; “dragon's head.”

Rajarishi
  A royal seer; a king who is a sage.

rajasuya
  A great sacrifice of emperors.

raksha
  Protection; protective amulet.

rakshasa
  A demon.

rakshasi
  A demoness.

Ramarajya
  Rama's rule.

ratha
  A chariot.

raudastra
  Rudra's astra.

reeksha
  A bear.

rekha
  A line of power.

Rik Veda, Rig Veda
  The first Veda.

rishi
  A sage.

ritvik
  A priest.

Rohini
  An asterism and a Goddess, the Moon's favorite wife.

Rudra
  Siva; also any of eleven fierce beings associated with Siva.

rudraksha
  Holy beads; “Siva's tears/eyes.”

sabha
  Court; hall.

Sachi
  Indra's consort.

Sadhya
  A minor divine being; a lesser God.

sakhi
  A female companion.

Sama
  A Veda.

samadhi
  Absorption in the Soul/God; mystical trance.

sambur
  A species of deer.

samsara
  The world of illusion.

sanatana dharma
  Eternal righteousness, justice.

Sanatkumara
  One of four original sages, born from Brahma's mind.

sandhi
  Conjunction; cusp.

sandhya
  Twilight.

Sankara
  Siva.

sannyasa
  The condition of being a hermit.

sannyasi
  A hermit.

sannyasini
  A female sannyasi.

Saptarishi
  Seven sages born from Brahma's mind.

sarabha
  A great mythical bird.

saras
  A lake.

sarasa
  A water bird.

Saraswati
  Goddess of learning; Brahma's consort.

sarathy
  A charioteer.

Saringa
  Krishna's bow.

satsangha
  Sacred, auspicious company.

Senapati
  General; “lord of the army.”

shakti
  Feminine power or weapon.

Shantam paapam
  “Evil, be still!”

Sharada
  Autumn.

Shastra
  Scripture.

shimshupa
  A kind of tree.

Shravana
  A lunar month between mid-July and mid-August.

siddha
  A self-realized being.

siddhi
  An occult power.

sirasasana
  A headstand as a yogic posture.

sishya
  A pupil; disciple.

Siva
  A God of the Hindu Trinity; the Destroyer.

sivalinga
  A phallic emblem of Siva.

sloka
  A sacred verse.

Soma
  The Moon God; also, lunar nectar.

srarddha
  A death ceremony.

sruti
  A tone or octave.

sruva
  A ladle.

stamba
  A post or pole.

sthula
  Gross; corporeal.

stotra
  Hymn.

Sudarshana chakra
  Vishnu's weapon, a blazing wheel.

sudra
  A member of the fourth Hindu caste.

Sukra
  Venus, guru to the Asuras.

sukshma
  Subtle; incorporeal.

sumangali
  A fortunate wife.

Surya
  The Sun God.

Suryanamaskara
  A yogic ritual for worshipping the sun at dawn.

suta
  A bard.

swaapana
  A weapon of sleep and dreams.

swamini
  A woman swami or saint.

swapna
  A dream.

Swarga
  Heaven.

swayamvara
  The ceremony at which a princess chooses her own husband.

taala
  A rhythm; beat.

tamas
  The third and grossest guna, or essence, in nature.

tandava
  Siva's dance of dissolution.

tantra vidya
  Black or occult arts.

tapasvin
  One who sits in tapasya.

tapasya
  A long period of penance, meditation, or austerity.

tapovana
  A grove of worship.

tarpana
  An offering of water for the dead.

tilaka
  An auspicious mark placed on the forehead.

timmingala
  A mythical whale-eating beast, possibly the giant squid.

tirtha
  Sacred place.

treta yuga
  The second great age.

trikalagyani
  One who sees the three times.

Trimurti
  The Hindu Trinity; Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva.

tripathaga
  Of three paths.

Tripura
  Three sky cities, built by Mayaa, which Siva brought down with a missile of fire.

trisula
  A trident.

Usanas
  The planet Venus; also, a male God, guru to the Asuras.

Uttara Phalguni
  One of the nakshatras or lunar asterisms.

vaastu shanti
  A rite for peace in a new dwelling.

vabdhi
  A singer, bard.

vabdya magadha
  Songs in praise of a king, with which he is awakened each morning.

vaidurya
  Lapis lazuli.

Vaikunta
  Vishnu's celestial city.

vairagya
  Detachment.

vaisya
  A member of the third Hindu caste, the traders.

vajapeya
  A sacrifice.

vajra
  Indra's thunderbolt.

valkala
  A fabric made of tree bark, worn by hermits.

Vamana
  The Dwarf; Vishnu's fifth Avatara.

vana
  Jungle; forest.

vana devata
  A forest god.

vanara
  A member of an ancient, magical race of monkeys; “dweller in the vana.”

vandhi
  A singer, bard.

vanika
  Wood.

Varaha
  A boar; Vishnu's third incarnation.

Varuna
  The God of the oceans.

vasantha
  Spring.

Vasu
  A class of Gods.

vayavyastra
  A wind weapon.

Veda
  Any of the four ancient collections of sacred Hindu prayers and hymns. There was originally only one Veda, which became four.

vedi, vedika
  An altar.

vetala
  A hunter.

vetali
  A huntress.

vidyadhara
  A magical being.

vikarni
  An astra.

vimana
  A sky ship.

vina
  An Indian stringed instrument, similar to a lute.

vina nadam
  The song of the vina.

vishalyakarani
  A potent herb of healing.

Vishnu
  A God of the Hindu Trinity; the Preserver.

Viswakarman
  The divine artisan.

vrata
  A vow

vyuha
  A battle formation.

yaama
  Yama's astra.

yaga, yagna
  A sacrifice.

yagnapashu
  A sacrificial beast.

yagnashala
  An enclosure for a sacrifice.

yajaka
  One who undertakes a yagna.

Yajus Veda, Yajur Veda
  A Veda.

yaksha
  A forest spirit.

Tama
  The God of death.

yamala
  A tree.

yantra
  An occult symbol.

yatra
  A journey, often with religious significance.

yatudana
  A demonic being.

yoga
  “Union”; union with the Self, with God.

yogi, yogin
  One who, through yoga, is united with his higher Self or with God.

yogini
  A female yogi.

yojana
  A measure of distance; “league.”

yoni
  A vagina or vaginal emblem.

yuddha
  A war.

yuga
  An age.

yuganta, yugantara
  A conjunction of two ages; time of change.

yuga sandhi
  The cusp between two yugas.

yuvaraja
  A crown prince; heir apparent.

 

North Point Press

A division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux

18 West 18th Street, New York 10011

Copyright © 2001 by Ramesh Menon

Introduction copyright © 2003 by Ramesh Menon

All rights reserved

Originally published in 2001 by Writers Club Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, as
The Ramayana: A Modern Translation

Published in 2003 by North Point Press

First North Point Press paperback edition, 2004

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Valmiki.

       [Ramayana. English]

       The Ramayana / Ramesh Menon.