Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,941

Date uploaded in London – 3 July 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx 

WORDS BEGINNING WITH “P”

Paila- one of the four disciples of Veda Vyasa. The other three are Sumantu, Jaimini and Vaiśampāyana. Paila (पैल) was taught Ṛig Veda; Bahvṛca (Ṛig Veda). He taught it to Indrapramati and to Bāṣkala; Paila was invited for the Rājasūya of Yudhiṣṭhira.

***

Panchalam – paanchaalam-  Modern Punjab; Land of Five Rivers

Panchali -paanchaali- Draupadi; daughter of Drupada who ruled Punjab.

***

Panchatantra – 2000 year old animal stories/ fables of India written by Vishnusarma in Sanskrit . it has five principles taught to princes for a successful rule. It was translated into Persian and then spread throughout the world. It has thousands of quotations on ethics. The five principles are

Book 1 – Mitra-bheda (on causing dissention among friends)

Book 2 – Mitra-lābha ( The Winning of Friends)

Book 3 – Kākolūkīyam (Story of Crows and Owls)

Book 4 – Labdhapraṇāśam (On losing what you have gained)

Book 5 – Aparīkṣitakārakaṃ ( On hasty Actions)

The tales highlight themes of cleverness, the consequences of actions, and various life truths, making Panchatantra a significant influence on storytelling traditions, and serving as a source for adaptations in children’s literature.

Its adaptation is known as Stories of Bidpai. Fables of Bidpai is a collection of moral tales that use animal characters to convey important lessons. These stories are part of a tradition that includes the famous work Kalila wa-Dimna, emphasizing the timeless nature of storytelling in imparting wisdom.

***

Pandava – paandava –

The five sons of king Pandu of Hastinapura are called Pancha Pandavas. They are

Yudhisthira – in Tamil Dharman.

Bhima – in Tamil Veeman

Arjuna –

They were born to Kunti.

Nakula – twin brother ; born to Maadri.

Sahadeva -twin brother ; born to Maadri.

They fought with their cousins Kauravas after 13-year banishment to forest and won the kingdom. The full story is in the longest epic in the world called Mahabharata.

***

Pandya – paandya – Rulers of South Tamil Nadu from third century BCE. They were the patrons of Tamil language. There were three Tamil Sangams (Tamil Academies) during their rule. Their association with Agastya Rishi is mentioned by Kalidasa, the greatest poet of India. They ruled from Madurai until 13^th century CE when the Muslims invaded Madurai. After Muslim’s capture of Madurai, Vijayanagara rulers invaded Madurai and dethroned them.

***

Pandu- paandu-

Father of five Pandavas. He was born to king Vichitravirya’s widow Ambalika through Vyasa. As his older brother Dhritarashtra was born blind, he ruled the kingdom from Hastinapura . He married Kunti and Madri ; once he went to the forest for hunting and saw two mating deer. He shot them with arrow; but they were not deer but Kindama rishi in deer hide; they were enjoying conjugal pleasure. Kindama rishi cursed Pandu before dying that Pandu would die if he enjoys conjugal pleasure. A few years later on an enchanting spring day he approached Madri ignoring Kindama rishi’s curse. He died immediately. Madri holding herself responsible for his death left her two children Nakula and Sahadeva to be cared by Kunti and died by entering the funeral pyre.

***

Pandit/ Pundit

A pandit (or pundit) is an honorary title given to a Hindu scholar, teacher, or wise man who is highly educated in Sanskrit, philosophy, religion, or law. In everyday use, it can also refer to a Hindu priest who performs rituals, or a highly skilled master of a traditional art, such as Indian classical music.

In Kashmir Brahmins are called Pandits. Original inhabitants. Jawaharlal Nehru, First Prime Minister of India was also a Pandit.

***

Panini-paanini– World’s first grammarian. He lived in 7^th century BCE according to Goldstucker. He authored the Ashtadhyayi (Eight Chapters), an exhaustive text containing nearly 4,000 sutras (rules) that define the morphological and phonetic structure of classical Sanskrit. Scholars appreciate his work for his scientific approach and crispiness. Patanjali who came several hundred years after Panini, wrote a monumental commentary known as Mahabhashyam.  Together with Panini and Patanjali another grammarian Katyayana Vararuchi are praised as Three Great Munis (Rishis).

Vakyakaram Vararuchim, Bhashyakaram Patanjalim

Paninim Sutrakaram cha pranatosmi Munitrayam

He lived before Buddha and other great philosophers of sixth century BCE. Though he mentioned several great grammarians before his time, we don’t know anything about them

Panini mentioned the grammarians before his time: Upavarsha, Parasarya, Karmanda, Sakatayana, Apitali and Sakalya.

Western linguists wonder how a person can write a grammar in such a scientific way at that period. Most of the world was uncivilised at that time. But India had produced wealthy literature, quantitatively and qualitatively very high. Only when there is vast literature one can write a grammar.

In Kashmir, a king passed an order that everyone must learn Ashtadhyayi and those who passed in it were awarded 1000 gold coins each!

***

Parasara

Parāśara (पराशर) is the son of Śakti and grandson of Vasiṣṭha and Arundhatī, he was born to Śakti and Adṛśyantī./ Matsya/ Satyavati Their son was Vyasa.

Genealogy. Descending in order from Viṣṇu—Brahmā -Vasiṣṭha—Śakti—Parāśara.

Millions of Hindus recite Vishnu Sahsranamam everyday where the genealogy is given as follows:

vyāsaṃ vasiṣṭha naptāraṃ śaktēḥ pautramakalmaṣam ।
parāśarātmajaṃ vandē śukatātaṃ tapōnidhim

***

Parijata – paarijaata-

This mythical (Parijata) tree rose of the milk ocean when Devas and Asuras churned it to get Amrita. Indra took it and planted it in his garden. “Its bark was gold, and it was embellished with young sprouting leaves of a copper colour, and fruit stalks bearing numerous clusters of fragrant fruits.”

 Once Narada brought a flower of this tree to Dwaraka and presented it to his friend Krishna. He waited to see to which of his wives Krishna gave the flower. The flower was given to Rukmini, and Narada went straight to Satyabhama and made a show of sorrow. On her enquiring why he was not in good cheer, the sage told Satyabhama, that he had presented Krishna with a flower of the Parijata tree thinking that she was her favourite wife and he would present it to her, but was grieved to find that Krishna had given it to Rukmini. 

Satyabhama’s jealousy was roused and she asked Narada what could be done to spite Rukmini. The sage advised her to ask Krishna to bring the Parijata tree itself from heaven and plant it near her house. After giving this advice, he went back to the celestial region and told Indra to guard the Parijata tree carefully as thieves were about.

When Krishna saw Satyabhama in angry mood he asked her the reason. She told him, “You pretend that I am your favourite wife, but treat me as Rukmini’s handmaid she said, and asked him what made him present the Parijata flower to Rukmini. Then Krishna asked her what he could do in expiation. She wanted possession of the tree. Krishna immediately proceeded to Amaravati, Capital City of Indra’s Empire. Krishna stole into Indra’s grove and started uprooting the tree. The king of the gods came upon the scene and caught the thief red-handed but seeing who his despoiler was, he allowed him, after some show of resentment, to take the tree to Dwaraka, Capital city of Krishna’s empire. 

Botanical Information: Two different plants are known as Parijata one is Coral Jasmine (Pavala Mallikai in Tamil) and another is Baobab Tree in Uttar Pradesh.

***

Parikshit

Posthumous son of Abhimanyu. He was the only descendent of the Pandavas. When he was in the womb of Uttara, he was saved from the Brahmastra fired by Ashwattama.

Once when Parikshit went to forest for hunting. When he was thirsty, he went to the hermitage of Shamika rishi and asked for water. The rishi was in deep meditation and did not respond. Thinking that the Rishi was pretending, Parikshit placed a dead snake around the neck of the seer. When Shrungi, son of Shamika came to know this, he cursed that king Parikshit would die on the seventh day at the hands of Takshaka Naga. Despite heavy security in the palace , Takshaka hid himself in a fruit basket taken into the palace and killed him.

(Actually it was a long going fight between Krishna and tribal Nagas from the days of Kaliaya Mardhan and Khandava forest burning. It was settled and a peace agreement was signed during Janamejaya’s rule who massacred tribal nagas in the name of Sarpa Yajna. Two rishis Jaratkaru and Astika facilitated the peace agreement. Brahmins recite a mantra thrice a day referring to this peace agreement in Narmadaiyai Namah ……………………….. mantra facing North).

To be continued……………………..

Tags – HINDU DICTIONARY IN ENGLISH AND TAMIL 76; இந்து மத கலைச்சொல் அகராதி- 76 , Parasara, Paila, Parikshit

Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,924

Date uploaded in London –27 June 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx 

Picture – Lord Krishna in Yaga Fire

Purananuru wonders-35, Tamil Encyclopedia-75; One Thousand Interesting Facts -Part 75

Item 586 Taittriya Upanishad

Purananuru Verse two

Puranānūru 2, Poet Muranjiyur Mudinākanār sang to Cheraman Perunchōtru Uthiyan Cheralathan,
Your nature is like the five elements – the earth filled with sand,
the sky raised above the earth, wind that blows in the sky, fire that
sweeps up the wind, and water that differs from that fire.

Earth

Wind /Air

Sky/ Vacuum

Fire

Water

Due to Tamil prosody the order is changed from the Taittriya Upanishad which is more scientific. The same verse mentioned also Brahmins’ Four Vedas, Brahmins’ Three Fires, Himalaya and Pothiyam Mountains, Mahabharata battle and so,  we are sure the poet was well versed in Sanskrit scriptures. And his name is Mr Nagarajan!

Here is the Mantra from Taittriya Upanishad

Taittiriya Upanishad (Brahmananda Valli, Chapter 2, Section 1) of the Krishna Yajurveda

It outlines the creation of the universe, explaining how all elements and life emerged sequentially from the Supreme Brahman (the ultimate cosmic reality).

तस्माद्वा एतस्मादात्मन आकाशः सम्भूतः ।
आकाशाद्वायुः । वायोरग्निः । अग्नेरापः ।
अद्भ्यः पृथिवी । पृथिव्या ओषधयः ।
ओषधिभ्योऽन्नम् । अन्नात्पुरुषः ॥

Tasmād-vā etasmād-ātmana ākāśah sambhūtah |
Ākāśād-vāyuh | Vāyor-agnih | Agner-āpah |
Adbhyah prithivī | Prithivyā oshadhayah |
Oshadhibhyo-‘nnam | Annāt-purushah ||

“From that (Supreme) Atman, space (Akasha) was born. From space, air (Vayu). From air, fire (Agni). From fire, water (Apah). From water, earth (Prithivi). From earth, herbs and plants (Oshadhayah). From plants, food (Annam). From food, the human being (Purushah).”

Space – air—fire—water—earth- -plants—food- man .

This is what scientists also tell us. Big Bang happened in Space. Then Atmosphere (air) was formed; fire subsided and oceans formed; water receded and land appeared; plants appeared and animals and men came.

****

Item 587  Origin of Vahanas and Flags

Many foreign scholars dated Hindu Puranas around Gupta Dynasty which is definitely after Sangam Tamil literature. They are wrong. Because they don’t know Tamil they bluffed and Hindu scholars of British Rule period also followed them. But the Puranic stories, Epic paintings, Hindu Vahanas, Hindu Flags are in 2000 year old Tamil literature. So Puranas are older than Sangam Tamil literature. 

Just a few examples:

Palmyra tree flag of Balarama ,

Garuda/ eagle flag of Vishnu ,

Piniukha vahana of Muruga/Skanda ,

Are mentioned by Nakkirar in verse 56.

We have got more references to fish flag of Manmata in Paripatal .

It is a well known fact that chera choza pandya also had flags with bow, tiger and fish pictures.

****

Picture – Rama Duta Anjaneya in Yaga Fire

Item 588 Vishnudasan praised

Yaagaas , Yajnaas = Fire sacrifices

n Purananuru 166, poet Avur Mulan kizar praises one Brahmin called Vinnan Dayan.

Vinnan Daayan is the tamilized Sanskrit name Vishnu dasa. Poets surname shows that he was from the caste of agriculturists.

He got gifts, probably, after attending the Yajna . This shows that even non Brahmins attended yagas and received prizes.

The verse begins with a praise for Lord Shiva. He says Vishnu dasa was a great devotee of Lord Shiva whose mouth is always reacting Vedas .

He praised Brahmins mastered Four Vedas And Six ancillary subjects. We know that it includes grammar, astrology, etymology etc.

He also said Brahmins rejected the atheists’ argument and established One Dharma.

While praising Brahmins like this he says Vishnu dasa came in the family of who did 21 types of Yagas.(see the explanation at the bottom)

This is the one which helps us to understand RV I-164-3.

Dirgatamas, the blind poet of Rig Veda, used lots of numbers.

He says

THE SEVEN WHO ON THE SEVEN WHEELED CAR ARE MOUNTED HORSES, SEVEN IN TALE, WHO DRAW THEM ONWARD.

SEVEN SISTERS UTTER SONGS OF PRAISE TOGETHER, IN WHO THE NAMES OF THE SEVEN COWS ARE TREASURED… RV 1-164-3

Commentators interpreted the Seven as seven swaras of music, seven meters in

Prosody, seven rays of sun etc.

The three sevens may mean 3×7 Yagas. The Vedic hymn might have meant two types of cows like the Tamil poem.

Here is another mantra with Number Seven,

KNOWING THE LAW, THE SEVEN STRONG FLOODS FROM HEAVEN, FULL OF GOOD THOUGHT, DISCERNED THE DOORS OF THE RICHES.

SARAMA FOUND THE CATTLE S FIRM BUILT PRISON WHERE BY THE RACE OF MAN IS STILL SUPPORTED – RV 1-72-8.

Here also the seven floods from heaven is not explained satisfactorily.

Three Sevens are all not explained by the Vedic commentators.

So we have to review all the sevens in the verses. Sangam Tamils commentaries may help us to clear the vagueness.

****

Picture- Hindu Women gathering flowers for Gods.

Item 589

27 Yagas in Purananuru

What is 3 X 7 ?

In the commentary of Puram 166,

The doyen of Tamil literature Dr U V Swaminatha Iyer listed all the 21 yagas..

They are broadly divided into three sevens and they are

Soma Yajnas 7

Havir yajnas 7

Paga Yajna  7.

(I have given all the 21 names in my Tamil article.)

What is  2 X 7 ?

And in another Tamil line of the verse two (2×7)  sevens come. These are ghee made from the milk of seven domestic cows and ghee made from the milk of seven wild cows.

****

Item 590

Special Dress for Yaga in Puram 166

Later the poet added that the Brahmin ladies who assisted Vishnu dasa wore special head ornaments and the gentleman wore deer skin.

Sangam Age Tamils were very familiar with the Himalayas and the Ganges river because of Kalidasa’s works. Of the 1500 images and similes of Kaliadsa, Sangam poets have used at least 200 similes. Avur Mulankizar wished the king to live a “long life like the Himalayas”.

When he praised the wife of Vishnu dasa he praised their chastity and their beauty. He added two interesting points also,

She is a woman of few words.

And she did what he said.

Here we are reminded of the saying of Greek philosopher Democritus, who said,

FEWSNESS OF WORDS IS AN ORNAMENT TO A WOMAN- Democritus.

Vishnudasa performed the Yagas, Fire Ceremonies, where

His use of Ghee (clarified butter) shamed Water

His lot of Yagas shamed the Numbers

His Spread of fame shamed the Earth

(such was his great ness, says the poet.)

****

Tags- Purananuru wonders-35, Tamil Encyclopedia-75, One Thousand Interesting Facts ,Part 75, Flags, Vahanas, Yagas, Tattriya Upanishad, item 590

To be continued ……………………….

Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,915

Date uploaded in London –25 June 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx 

Part 73

N words continued…………………….

Nakkirar

A controversial and challenging Tamil poet of Sangam age. His clashes with Lord Shiva and others are in the stories of Tiru Vilaiyatal Purana and Tiru Murugatruppadai in Tamil . Tiru Murugu. Is a Sangam age work, that is 2000 years old. His poems are in Purananuru in praise of Hindu Gods. His controversy was documented by Appar (600 CE) in one of his poems, and so he must have lived at least 300 or 400 years before Appar.

***

Nalangu

A Tamil Post Wedding Ceremony to reduce the stress and strain of a wedding ceremony. It is full of fun and frolicks.

Both the bride and bridegroom are asked to take part in various competitive games. One example: a ring is placed in a pot full of water. When they are asked to GO, both dip their hands into the water pot; whoever takes the ring first is the winner; the winner’s family and friends jump with joy making big noise.

Both of them are asked to roll a coconut, powder a few Pappads in the air with both hands; both parties tease or mock at the other group with  some songs; they are like song caricatures of the bride or bride groom family.

An example : bride groom has Hitler moustache or pot belly; bride has a fake plait; hair is not long enough.

Nalangu is a traditional South Indian and Tamil post-wedding ceremony involving the application of sacred pastes and the playing of games to help the couple relax. As documented in ancient texts, this ritual aims to reduce stress and foster bonding between families.

In some communities it is done before the wedding. The bride and others are applied with turmeric paste. Participants also, particularly women, apply the turmeric paste on their feet and hands..

Something similar to North Indian Hindu ceremonies like Mehandi and Sangeet ceremonies.

***

Naalvar – The Four

The Great Four Saivite Saints; Naalvar means The Four persons; they are Appar alias Tirunavukkarasar, Sambandar (Tiru Gnana Sambanthar), Sundarar and Manikkavasagar (maanikkavaasakar); latest research shows that the last one lived at least 100 years before Appar, a contemporary of Mahendra varman, the greatest Pallava king (600 CE).

***

Namam ( naamam )

It is a symbol on the forehead of Vishnu devotees. They are three vertical lines in the shape of English letter Y or U. between the thick white lines a straight red line is drawn in the middle. Tamil Vaishnavites wear Dvaadasa Naamams on 12 places in the body that is comparable to Saivite Brahmins 12 placed Vibhuti (holy ash).

Y shaped Naamam- symbol of Tenkalai sect of Tamil Viashnavites; those who sing Tamil hymns of Alvars (Tamil Vaishnavite Saints)

U shaped Naamam- symbol of Vadakalai sect of Tamil Viashnavites; those who sing Sanskrit hymns of Vedanta Desikan.

Then= south ; Vada = north .

Even the Naamam on temple elephants will show one to which sect the temple belongs.

But when it comes to big temples like Titupati Balaji temple or Srirangam Ranganatha Temple, common devotees don’t bother about the sectorial divisions. But there are extremists in both sects who take the symbol cases up to the highest court in the country.

Vaishnavite Gurus/Acharyas called Jeeyars are very ardent followers of their respective sects and its practices.

***

Nammazvaar

One of the greatest Vaishnavite saints known in Tamil as Alvars (aazvaar).

Tamil Vishnu devotees believe that he composed Vedas in Tamil; his poems are great and meaningful. He was born in Alvar Titunagari in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. Like Buddha attained wisdom under the Peepal/Bodhi tree, Nammalvar  (nammaazvaar) attained wisdom under a Tamarind tree. Like Tansen’s tamarind tree, this tamarind also attained fame and worshipped until this day.

Following Thirumangai Alvar who composed 1,361 verses, Nammalvar is the second most prolific contributor, having composed exactly 1,296 verses across four works (most notably the Tiruvaymoli). They are part of Naalayira Divya Prabandham (the canonical collection of 4,000 Alvar hymns).

***

Nayanmar or Nayanar (naayanmaar or Naayanaar)

Sixty three Tamil saints and mystics are called Nayanmar or Nayanars. They were ardent followers of Lord Siva. Their stories are sung by Sekkizar in Periya Puranam in Tamil. They revived and spread Bhakti movement between fifth and ninth centuries. They belong to all castes. Of them three are women.

We know the date of Sambandar, the greatest of the 63 saints. He lived around 650 CE. Kannappa Nayanar who was a hunter gave his eye to Lord Siva and attained Mukti/liberation. Woman saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar became famous and worshipped in southeast Asian countries too. Of the Four Great Saivite Saints, Manikkaavasagar is left out and not included in the list of 63. This problem has been debated until this day without a definite conclusion. But his poems are included in the Saivite Tirumurais (Scriptures or Hymns on Lord Siva). Indirect references show that he lived before 600 CE.

****

Narada

A great rishi who undertook frequent trips between heaven and earth.

Narada Muni is portrayed as the quintessential traveller, a supreme devotee of Vishnu, and the “first investigative journalist” of the cosmos. He was a messenger of divine wisdom, an Inter Galactic Traveller. He delivered essential philosophical lessons and stories of devotion to many.

He visited the Pandavas a number of times specially during the period of their banishment in the forest and gave them good advice. About righteous conduct and harmonious living. He illustrated his points by appropriate anecdotes  from past history/puranas. He also tried to persuade Dhritarashtra  to keep his son Duryodhana  in check and make peace with the Pandavas.

Nārada (नारद) was one of the twelve, who knew the dharma ordained by Hari; a celibate; an attendant of Hari; was taught the bhāgavata by the father; and he gave it in his turn to Vyāsa. Wherever he  goes he will create a problem and that will bring something good; end justifies means was his policy.

He was in the company of Bharata when he recited the Nāṭyaveda, according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 35.

He was a celebrated Devarṣi (deified saint or divine sage). He is one of the ten mind-born sons of Brahmā, being supposed to have sprung from his thigh (Manusmṛti 1. 35). He is represented as a messenger from the gods to men and vice versa and as being very fond of promoting discords among gods and men; hence his epithet of Kalipriya or kalahapriya. He is said to have been the inventor of the lute or Vīṇā. He is also the author of a code of laws which goes by his name.

In Tamil literature, he was referred to in Tamil epic Silppadikaram as Naradar Veenai (Veena of Narada). He always travelled with his Veena singing the glory of Vishnu.

Many people born later also had his name. So we find many books in his name. But the original Narada is attributed with one famous book, Narada Bhakti Sutra.

Narada Bhakti Sutra has 84 aphorisms on the nature of Bhakti and the condition of Bhaktas/devotees. Swami Vivekananda has explained it in good English. (see my blogs for more details).

***

Narakasura

Asura killed by Lord Krishna and that day is celebrated as Deepavali (Diwali) in Tamil Nadu.

Narakasura was the son of Goddess earth, (referred to as Dharthi), by Lord Vishnu himself during his Varaha (boar) avatar. It was foretold that he would be destroyed by a later incarnation of Vishnu. His mother, the earth, sought the boon from Vishnu that her son should have a long life, and that he should be all powerful. Vishnu readily granted these boons.

Narakasura became evil, in association with another Asura named Bana. Drunk with power, as he knew himself to be unrivalled in prowess, he brought all the kingdoms on earth under his control. Next he turned his eyes towards Swargaloka/ heaven. Even the mighty Indra could not withstand the assault of this son of Vishnu and had to flee the heavens. Now Narakasura had become the overlord of both the heavens and earth. His reign of oppression was in full swing. His capital was in modern Assam

Once granted immense power, he built a seemingly impregnable fortress, terrorized the three worlds, stole divine treasures (such as the earrings of Aditi), and imprisoned 16,000 celestial princesses

Divine Intervention: The tormented devas sought the help of Lord Krishna to defeat Narakasura.

The Battle: Accompanied by his wife Satyabhama—who was the earthly incarnation of Bhudevi—Lord Krishna rode to Pragjyotishapura to confront the demon.

The Final Blow: Because of the boon that only his mother could kill him, Satyabhama took the bow and struck the decisive blow, paving the way for Krishna to sever Narakasura’s head with his Sudarshana chakra.

Liberation: Following Narakasura’s defeat, Krishna liberated the 16,000 captive women and married them to restore their societal honour.

Festival of Lights: The triumph of good over evil that day is spiritually commemorated as Deepavali (Diwali), specifically the day of Naraka Chaturdashi

Sanskrit phrase 60,000 0r 16,000 means a lot, uncountable, innumerable. Even in English we use a million dollar question etc

***

Nikhumba

Several rakshasas had this name. one of them is referred to in Ramayana .

According to Mahabharata, Nikhumba was the father of demons Sunda and Upasunda who killed each other in an intoxicated fight to get hold of apsara

Tilottama . he was a descendent of Hiranyakasipu.

According to Ramayana,

Nikumbha (निकुम्भ).—A very mighty Rākṣasa. Son of Kumbhakarṇa (Rāvaṇa’s brother) by his wife Vajramālā. He had an elder brother called Kumbha.

When Kumbha was killed in the Rāma-Rāvaṇa war Nikumbha rushed to the front line and fought fiercely, and he was killed by Hanūmān. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Canto 77).

Nikumbha (निकुम्‍भ): One of Ravana’s generals who led the rakshasas against the host of monkeys and was slain

When Indrajit, son of Ravana tried to do an all powerful Yaga to destroy Rama, timely intervention of Lakshmana spoiled it

According to Puranas

the “dreadful cave of Shatpura” is a foreboding site of deception and imprisonment famously linked to the powerful being Nikumbha.

According to ancient texts, Nikumbha—a powerful figure and lord of the Pisacas—used this cave to harbour captives. Its mythological significance centres around a few key details:

The Standoff: Nikumbha emerged from the dreadful cave wielding a thorn-covered club.

The Conflict: Upon stepping out, he was confronted in combat by Dhananjaya (Arjuna), who shot arrows from his Gandiva bow to block the thoroughfare.

Symbolism: The cave serves as an ominous backdrop for themes of entrapment and trickery during pivotal battles.

***

Nimi

Son of Dattatreya. He grieved greatly at the death of his son Shrimana and then he undertook various ritual for the eternal good of his son. It is said that this constituted the beginning of thee “Shraddha” ceremonies relating to death.

***

Nivatakavacha, Nivātakavacha

These innumerable Danavas/demons occupied a city which previously belonged  to Devas. Not being able to defeat the Nivatakavacha danavas, Indra sought the help of Brahma who said that Indra himself in another form would be able to defeat them. Thus it was when Arjuna  had come to the end of his five years stay in Swarga/heaven and was preparing to return to earth, Indra asked as a parting gift he should get rid of his enemies the Nivatkvachas.  Arjuna went to the abode of the Danavas with Matali as his charioteer and using various divine weapons obtained from heaven he defeated the  Nivatkvacha demons.

More  details

The nivatakavachas (Sanskrit: निवातकवच, romanized: Nivātakavaca, lit. ‘the impenetrable armoured ones’) are a sect of daityas, the children of Kashyapa and Diti, classified under the race of asuras in Hindu mythology. They are best known for their battles against Ravana and Arjuna, the latter of which caused their annihilation.[1]

Thirty million nivatakavachas were born in the daitya clan. Allied with the kalakeyas, they triumphed over the devas in battle. They are described to have been skilled in magic and warfare, wielding powerful weapons to defeat their foes.

From Ramayana

The nivatakavachas are said to have terrorised the world, living deep beneath the ocean, and residing in the city of Maṇimatī after securing boons from Brahma. In the Ramayana, Ravaṇa with his sons Meghanada, Atikaya, and with his army attacked these daityas, but found himself unable to defeat the sect after centuries of battle. The two sides finally formed an alliance after Brahma intervened.

From Mahabharata

In the Mahabharata, Indra sought the destruction of the nivatakavachas from his son, Arjuna, as his dakshina (honorarium). Describing the sect as his foes, he stated that the nivatakavachas lived in a fortress under the ocean, numbered thirty million, and were alike in shape, size, and prowess. To achieve this task, Indra sent his own charioteer, Matali, to drive Arjuna to the location of his foes. The devas offered Arjuna a conch named Devadatta, and Matali offered him ornaments that resembled his own. When the two reached the city of the daityas, they closed their gates, fearing that Indra himself had appeared to slay them. When Arjuna blew his conch, the nivatakavachas attacked him, loosing tridents, spears, and arrows upon him. Arjuna released arrows from his Gandiva, slaying the daityas in the thousands. The nivatakavachas rendered themselves invisible, and showered elemental attacks on Arjuna. The prince grew disheartened when he realised that he was unable to manoeuvre their attacks due to the intensity of their barrage.

Matali urged him to employ the thunderbolt missiles he had brought with him, which devastated the daityas, and defeated them. The daitya women sought shelter in their houses as Arjuna entered Maṇimatī, thinking that it looked better than the city of the devas. The charioteer explained that the city had previously belonged to the devas, but had been captured by the daityas following a boon granted to them by Brahma. Brahma assured Indra that the latter himself, in another form, would defeat the daityas, which had just transpired. He encouraged Arjuna to also lay waste to Hiranyapura, a neighbouring city of the danavas who opposed his father as well, which the prince achieved.

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Nara Narayana

Nara-Narayana are twin sages and a twin-brother avatar of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism, representing the eternal connection between humanity (Nara) and divinity (Narayana). Together, they represent human effort and divine grace working in harmony to uphold righteousness (dharma

The Name: In Sanskrit, Nara means “human being” or “eternal spirit,” while Narayana refers to the Supreme Being (Vishnu).

Divine Origins: They were born as the sons of Dharma (the god of righteousness) and Murti (the daughter of Daksha).

Life of Penance: The twins famously traveled to the Badari hermitage (modern-day Badrinath) in the Himalayas. They engaged in severe austerities and deep meditation to defeat evil and preserve world order.

Mahabharata Connection: Hindus believe Nara and Narayana reincarnated as the heroes Arjuna (human) and Krishna (divine guide) during the events of the Mahabharata.

Iconography: In traditional art, Nara is usually depicted with two hands and wearing deer skin, while Narayana is portrayed with four hands, holding a mace, discus, conch, and lotus.

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Narasimha

Narasimha is the fourth, half-man and half-lion avatar of Lord Vishnu, manifesting in the Satya Yuga to protect the devotee Prahlada by destroying the demon king Hiranyakashipu. By overcoming Hiranyakashipu’s invincibility boon at twilight on a threshold, this form symbolizes divine intervention that transcends conventional limitations to uphold dharma.

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Nalanda

Nalanda was an acclaimed university, a large Buddhist monastery in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar) in India. The site is located about 95 kilometres southeast of Patna near the town of Bihar Sharif, and was a centre of learning from the fifth century CE to1200 CE. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 The highly formalized methods of Vedic learning helped inspire the establishment of large teaching institutions such as Taxila, Nalanda, and Vikramashila which are often characterised as India’s early universities. Nalanda flourished under the patronage of the Gupta Empire in the 5th and 6th centuries and later under Harsha, the emperor of Kannauj.The liberal cultural traditions inherited from the Gupta age resulted in a period of growth and prosperity until the ninth century. 

Muslims burnt the library

Historical consensus and primary records attribute the final destruction and burning of the Nalanda Mahavihara to a Turko-Afghan military general Bakhtiyar Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate in the late 12th century.

The Sacking (c. 1200 CE): During his conquests in northern and eastern India, Khilji famously led a marauding army that attacked and plundered several major Buddhist centers, including Nalanda, Vikramashila, and Odantapuri.

The Library Burning: Nalanda boasted a colossal collection of manuscripts housed in multi-story libraries known as Ratnasagara, Ratnadadhi, and Ratnaranjaka. The attackers set fire to the institution, with historical accounts stating the massive fires burned for three months.

While Khilji is widely cited for the fatal sacking and mass slaughter of the monks, historians and researchers point out that the destruction was not a one-time total evaporation:

Eyewitness Accounts: Tibetan monk Dharmasvamin visited the site in 1234 CE, nearly 40 years after Khilji’s campaign. He found the institution heavily ruined but still functioning, with a small fraction of about 70 monks being taught by a 90-year-old abbot.

Continuous Raids: Surviving monks and local patrons attempted to revive the university, but persistent raids by subsequent groups of Turkish soldiers over the following decades ultimately forced the permanent abandonment of the site

Tags- Nakkirar, Nalangu, Namam, Nalanda, Narasimha, Nivatakavacha, Narakasura, HINDU DICTIONARY IN ENGLISH AND TAMIL 73; இந்து மத கலைச்சொல் அகராதி- 73

To be continued……………………