| Art History 207~~Fall 1998 |
| Terminology |
| "N-R" |
| naga |
A serpent, associated with water; carries complex connotations in Buddhism and Hinduism (female = nagini).
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| Nandi |
Shiva's bull; his 'vehicle,' and a sign of his aspect as source of fertility and strength.
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| Nirvana |
The 'blowing out,' that is the ultimate state of non-existence to be striven for in Buddhism; comes to be represented as a kind of glorious 'Heaven.'
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| nat mandir |
The hall for dance or music in north Indian temples.
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| nataraja |
The aspect of Shiva as a Cosmic Dancer (Shiva Nataraja).
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| Parvati |
The consort of Shiva, sometimes referring to his female aspect.
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| pradakshina |
The practice of clockwise circumambulation around a sacred place, as around the stupa or temple.
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| prana |
Life-breath, controlled breath as the essence of life.
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| raga |
Musical form, the basis of the great tradition of Indian music (female form = ragini).
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| Ramayana |
One of the great epic poems originally written in Sanskrit, by the late Vedic period.
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| rath(a) |
A cart for carrying an image; comes to refer to small shrines for Hindu images.
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| reka |
The specific form of the Orissan deul, i.e. heavy and broad-shouldered.
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| Rigveda |
Main and first book of the Vedas; succeeding books included Sama, Yajur, Atharva.
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| rishi |
A wise person, one who has withdrawn from society to seek enlightenment.
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| Rudra |
The very ancient form in which Shiva first appeared during the Vedic period.
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Please send any comments or questions to:
strubles@aaa.uoregon.edu
Web site created and maintained by Stephanie Struble for Professor Esther Jacobson,
"History of Indian Art" (ArH 207), Fall 1998, Department of Art History, University of Oregon.