DICTIONARY OF RAMAYANA, Part 5 - N to O

DICTIONARY OF RAMAYANA

Part  5 - N to O

N

Nagas-  Semi-divine beings resemble serpants in shape - can  Take the human form at will.

Nagpas- Rope of snakes- Meghnad tied Rama ana Lakshmana  with it and Garuda came and ate all the snakes and made  them free.

Nahusha - A king- cursed by sage Agastya to take the form of a  Python.

Naimisaranya- The modern Nimsar in Oudh-abode of sadhus and muni.

Namaskara - Salutation.

Nandigram- A hut where Bharat spent fourteen years when Rama  was in exile.

Nal and Neel -  Engineers who helped Rama in constructing the bridge  Ramsetu  - one hundred  Yojan in length and Ten Yojan in Breadth over the ocean.

Narada – The chief of sages- Son of Brahma born of the pitcher- Devrishi- always carriesVeena in his hand - cursed by Daksh Prajapati  not to stay at one place for a long time - cursed  Vishnu   to be separated  from his wife and only monkeys would help- the reason of  Vishnu to be born as Rama.

Narantak - killed by Angad.

Narmada-  A river in Vindhyagiri.

Narayana -A name for the majestic four-armed form of the  Personality of Godhead-he presides over  the Vaikunth  planets.

Natraj - Lord Shiva.

Navdha   Bhakti  -Nine forms of devotion:                  

  1. Hearing of the Lord’s praises and  stories;  2. Kirtana-chanting His name ;

  3. Smarna-fixing one’s thought                         4. Padmaseva- Adoring His feet;

  5. Archana- Worshipping an image of the Lord;   6. Vandana- Making obeisance to Him;

 7. Dasya-Offering devout service to the Lord;   8. Sakhya- Cultivating friendship with Him;

  9. Atmanivedana- Offering oneself to the Lord;

Nectar - Amrit – was churned out of the ocean by the joint efforts  of  gods and the demons.                                                                                                    Neel and Nal- Sons of  Vishwakarma- Engineer helped Rama   constructing the Bridge on the Ocean named Ramsetu - Neel killed Mahoder brother of Ravana-slain Prahast.He was guarding the East gate.

Nikumbh   Son of  Kumbhkaran - brother of Kumbh- killed by Hanuman.

Nikumbhla-  A Temple where Meghnad went for Tapasya and  Lakshmna followed him.

Nilgiri  - It is in the far North even beyond Sumeru - has four  Charming and delightful peaks- on each stood one  gigantic tree- a banyan, a peepal ( the sacred bo-tree a Plaska ( the Indian Fig tree )and a mango tree.

Nimi - Ancestors of Janak.

Nimiraj-  King Janak- Tirhutraj.

Nirrti -  God of Death.

Nishachar-  Demon- cannibals, could change their forms.

Nishadraj Guha - A boatman.

Niyam-  Religious Observations – Five

1.  Shauch ( External and Internal Purity );        2. Santosha ( Contentment ); 

3. Tapas ( Religious Austerity );

4  Swadhyaya ( Study and Recitation of  the Vedas and Muttering  or the chanting of the Divine Name);

5.  Ishwara – Pranidhana ( self-surrender to and meditation on God).

Nrisimh - Incarnation of Vishnu- the half-man, half –lion – killed  Hiranakshpu.

O

Ocean- Bed of the ocean was dug by King Sagara hence it is known   by the name of Sagara. King Sagara was an ancestor of Sri  Rama and thus the deity presiding over the ocean as a  forefather of the Lord- Rama waited for three days for the  ocean to answer Lords’s prayer .  By churning of the Ocean with the help of Vasukinag ( serpant ) and Mandrachal Mountain-came  out:-

1)     Amrit (nectar ),   2)  Vish ( poison ),  3) Lakshmi ( Goddess of Wealth ),  4)  Dhanvantri ( doctor  of medicine ),  5) Kamdhenu   ( cow who gives  whatever is asked for ),  6) Airawat (elephant of god Indra ), 7) Kaustubh Jewels ( Vishnu ),  8) Uchhaishrva ( horse).  9) Varuni (Beautiful lady), 10 )Kalpvriksh (a magical Tree) 11) Moon  and 12) Precious Gems.

Continued…….