A group of ten goddesses from the Tantric Hindu pantheon, consisting of Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshvari, Chhinnamasta, Bhairavi, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala. They are revered in Shaktism, Shaivism and Vajrayana Buddhism and denote a turning point in the rise of Bhakti cults within Shaktism in the early eighteenth century. The creation of the Mahavidyas is outlined in the Mahabhagvata Purana, attributed to Vyasa.
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A concept in Jainism that pertains to omniscience or the attainment of supreme wisdom. It is the last in the…
A body of religious texts composed in Sanskrit and considered the oldest scriptures in Hinduism. There are four primary texts…
A form of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Shadakshari Lokeshvara is associated with Tibetan Buddhism. He is typically depicted in white…
Celestial figure of a young, beautiful woman in Indian art and mythology, often associated with nature. The Sanskrit term madanika…
Rishabha Deva is the first of the twenty four Jaina Tirthankaras (great spiritual teachers). In Jaina mythology, he was the…
A Buddha in human form, they attain enlightenment once they perform their allotted task on Earth and are released from…
Another name for one of the mortal Buddhas, it literally translates to "the lion of the Shakyas," the clan to…
An epithet for the Hindu god Shiva where he is represented as an ascetic, sitting with his legs crossed and…