Footnotes

Gurudev: A generic address to guru or teacher in Hinduism.

Nishada: A member of low caste in India.

Ganarajsabha: Court held by Indian prince or king.

Ekalavya: In the Mahabharata, Ekalavya was the son of Hiranyadhanu, the

chief of Nishada. He served under King Jarasandha's army as General. His
father Hiranyadhanu was the commander of the most powerful king of the
period, Jarasandha. Ekalavya held an indomitable will to master the art of
archery. He once stayed hidden in the forest while guru Drona was teaching the
Kaurava and Pandava brothers. After they had left for the ashram, Ekalavya
collected the mud on which his Guru walked, as a symbolic gesture of reverence
for his Guru's knowledge and footsteps. He went into the forest and fashioned a
statue of Drona under a big old well-grown tree. He began a disciplined
program of self-study over many years. Accepting the statue as his guru, he
practiced before it every single day.

One day when Drona and his students were going out into the forest, Arjuna
saw a dog that was unable to bark due to an amazing construction of arrows in
and all around his mouth. This construction was harmless to the dog but
prevented the dog from barking. Drona was amazed but also distressed: as he
had promised Arjuna that he would make him the greatest archer in the world.
Wondering who such a fine archer could be, Drona and his students investigated
and came upon Ekalavya. Upon seeing Drona, Ekalavya came and bowed to
him.

Drona asked Ekalavya where he had learned archery. Ekalavya replied "under
you, Guruji", and showed Drona his statue while explaining what he had done.
Drona then reminded Ekalavya that to truly be Drona's pupil, Ekalavya would
have to pay gurudakshina. Readily, Ekalavya offers to do anything for Drona.
Thereby, Drona asks Ekalavya to cut off his right thumb as GuruDakshina.
Happy and smiling, Ekalavya cuts off the thumb and present it as Gurudakshina
to Dronacharya.
Dronacharya: Droṇa (Sanskrit: द्रोण, romanized: Droṇa), also referred to as
Dronacharya (Sanskrit: द्रोणाचार्य, romanized: Droṇācārya), was royal preceptor
to the Kauravas and Pandavas. He was a friend of Guru Sukracharya, the guru
of Asuras, including Mahabali. He was the son of the sage Bharadwaja and a
descendant of the sage Angirasa. He was a master of advanced military arts,
including the divine weapons or Astras. He was also the second commander-in-
chief of kaurava army from 11th day to 15th day. He failed 4 times in capturing
Yudhisthira (11th, 12th day, 14th day when Arjuna was busy fighting to kill
Jaydratha and 14th night). He was beheaded by Dhrishtadyumna when he was
meditating to release his soul on the battlefield.[1] It was said that Drona was an
incarnation of Lord Brihaspati. He was Guru of Pandavas,Kauravas , jaydrath
and aswathama.

Aswatthama: In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, Ashwathama (Sanskrit:

अश्वत्थामा, romanized: Aśvatthāmā) or Drauni is the son of guru Drona and the
grandson of the sage Bharadwaja. Ashvatthama is a Maharathi[1] who fought
on the Kaurava side against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. He became a
Chiranjivi (immortal) due to a curse given to him by Krishna.

Nishada: A tribe mentioned in ancient Indian texts, such as Ramayana and

Mahabharata. As mentioned in 'Ramayana', the main profession of Nishaadas
was fishing and hunting.

Prithu: Prithu is "celebrated as the first consecrated king, from whom the earth
received her (Sanskrit) name Prithvi." The birth of Prithu is without female
intervention and, thus, is untouched by desire and ego. To end the famine by
slaying the earth and getting her fruits, Prithu chased the earth (Prithvi) who
fled as a cow

Guha: Guha was the King of Nishaadas and a dear friend of Ramachandra.
Ramachandra calls him 'aatmasamam' which literally means equal to his soul or
among his best friends. One also finds praise of the Nishadaas by Ramchandra
for the contribution of Nishaada leader Guha in the internal and external
security of the Ayodhya Kingdom. The Ayodhya Kanda of the Ramayana states
that the Nishaada king helped Rama cross the Ganges River at Shringverpur on
his way to exile along with Sita and Lakshmana.

Shringverpur: Shringverpur is described in the epic Ramayana, as the capital

of the kingdom of Nishaadas. According to Ayodhya Kanda of the Ramayana,
Rama crossed the river Ganges at Shringverpur on his way to exile along with
Sita and Lakshmana.

Ramachandra: Ramachandra, the seventh incarnation or avatar of Vishnu, one

of the most widely worshipped Hindu deities, the embodiment of chivalry and
virtue. His story is told briefly in the Mahabharata and at great length in the
Ramayana.

Dhritarashtra: In the Mahabharata, Dhritarashtra was the son born to

Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika. He was fathered by Vyasa. Since
Dhritarashtra was born blind, his brother Pandu ruled the kingdom for him.
After Pandu's death, he became king of Hastinapura. The blind king of
Hastinapura was father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari. These
children came to be known as the Kauravas.

Dhrupad Raja: Drupada, also known as Yajnasena (father of Draupadi), was

the son of King Prishata and was the Panchala king. His capital was known as
Kampilya. Dhrupad and Drona studied together under the tutelage of Sage
Agnivesha. See Footnotes section(**) for details

Parashuram: Parashurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, was born to the

Brahman sage Jamadagni and the princess Renuka, a member of the Kshatriya
class. He is married to Dharani, an incarnation of Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu.
He is present in the Ramayana due to the conflict with Ramachandra (the
protagonist of the Ramayana) over Lord Shiva's broken bow. He is present in
the Mahabharata as the Guru of Bhisma, Drona, Rukmi and Karna.

Mahendraparvata: Mahendraparvata or Mahendragiri is a mountain situated

amongst the Eastern Ghats at an elevation of 1,501 metres (4,925 ft). It is
regarded as the abode of Parashuram, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Bharadwaj: Bharadwaj was one of the revered Vedic sages (maharishi) in

Ancient India. He was a renowned scholar, economist, grammarian and
physician. He is one of the Saptarishis (seven great sages). In the epic
Mahabharata, Bharadwaj was the father of Dronacharya, the preceptor to
Pandava and Kaurava princes.

Jamadagni: According to Hindu legends, Jamadagni is one of the Saptarishi

(Seven Great Sages Rishi). He is the father of Parashurama, the sixth
incarnation of Vishnu. He was a descendant of the sage Bhrigu. Jamadagni had
five children with wife Renuka, the youngest of whom was Parashurama, an
incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Growing up he studied hard and achieved erudition
on the Veda. He acquired the science of arms without any formal instruction.

Vrata: It is a Sanskrit word that means "vow, resolve, devotion", and refers to
pious observances such as fasting and pilgrimage found in Indian religions such
as Jainism and Hinduism.

Acharya: A generic address to a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such

as religion, or any other subject. see 'Guru'.

Mahattan: a holy person or sage

Andarmahal: the inner part of a house.

Guru: Often referred as Gurudev, it is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide,

expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. The Guru is an ancient and
central figure in the traditions of Hinduism. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is
more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential figure to the disciple
(or shisya in Sanskrit, literally seeker [of knowledge or truth]) or student, with
the guru serving as a "counselor, who helps mold values, shares experiential
knowledge as much as literal knowledge, an exemplar in life, an inspirational
source and who helps in the spiritual evolution of a student". A guru is also
one's spiritual guide, who helps one to discover the same potentialities that the
guru has already realized. Guru thus has a historic, reverential and an important
role in the Hindu culture.

Dhrupad: see 'Dhrupad Raja'

Panchala: The Panchala kingdom was one of the historical Mahajanapadas or

great kingdoms of ancient India (c. 30th to 4th centuries BC). It was annexed
into the Nanda Empire during the reign of Mahapadma Nanda. In the
Mahabharata, the Panchala kingdom extends from the Himalayas in the north;
to the Charmanwati river; with the Kuru, Surasena and Matsya kingdoms to the
west; and the Naimisha Forest to the east. Later, Panchala was divided into
Southern Panchala (centered at Kampilya, ruled by King Drupada, the father-in-
law of Pandavas); and Northern Panchala (centered at Ahichatra, ruled by
Ashwathama, the son of Dronacharya). The Ganges River separated the two
Panchalas.

Ashwatthama: In the Mahabharata, Ashwatthama is the son of Dronacharya

and the grandson of the sage Bharadwaj. Ashwatthama ruled the northern region
of Panchala, being subordinate to the rulers of Hastinapura. He was a warrior
who fought on the Kaurava side against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War.
He became a Chiranjivi (immortal) due to a curse given to him by Lord
Krishna.

Sharadvati Kripi: In the Mahabharata, Kripi is the wife of Drona and sister of
Kripa or Kripacharya. She is also known by the name of Sharadvati. Kripi and
her brother, Kripa, were adopted by the Rajguru of King Shantanu. Her actual
parents were Saradvan and Janapadi. She married Dronacharya, and had a son
named Ashwatthama.

Agnivesha: Agnivesha is a legendary rishi (sage), reputedly one of the earliest

authors on ayurveda (Indian medicine). Dronacharya was one of his pupils and
learnt the use of Agneyastra, a arm emitted flames inextinguishable through
normal means, and mastered the skill of archery.

Ashram: An ashram is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian tradition.

In ancient India, shisyas or disciples lived along with the Guru, the teacher, in
the ashram and received training from him in specific fields of knowledge and
helped him in his everyday life, including carrying out mundane daily
household chores.

*Parashurama was foretold to appear at a time when overwhelming evil

prevailed on the earth. The Kshatriya class, with arms and power, had begun to
abuse their power, take what belonged to others by force and tyrannise people.
He corrected the cosmic equilibrium by destroying the Kshatriya warriors
twenty-one times (for, each time, their wives survived and gave birth to new
generations) and filled five lakes with their blood. The legend that the Kshatriya
were destroyed by Parasurama, as a punishment for their tyranny is thought by
some scholars to reflect a long struggle for supremacy between priests and
rulers.

**Dhrupad and Drona studied together under the tutelage of Sage Agnivesha.
They become great friends and Dhrupad assures Drona that once he becomes
king, he will share half of his kingdom with Drona. While Dhrupad becomes a
king after the death of his father, Drona lives a life of poverty. Drona
approaches Dhrupad for help; Dhrupad, now conscious of the difference of
status between them, refuses to acknowledge Drona's friendship and shuns
Drona, calling him a beggar.

Drona is later employed by Bhishma to train the Kuru princes. After the military
education of the Kauravas and the Pandavas ends, as his gurudakshina, Drona
asks the princes to defeat and capture Drupada. Firstly, all the Kauravas attack
Drupada, but Drupada defeats all the Kauravas . Then the Pandavas led by
Arjuna defeat Drupada, binding him in ropes and bringing him to Drona. Drona
sets Drupada free, but retains half of the kingdom that had been promised to
him.

Humiliated, Dhrupad seeks vengeance but he realizes that he cannot match

Drona's might. So, Dhrupad performed the Putrakameshti yagna, a special ritual
performed in front of sacred fire in Hinduism for the sake of having a son, who
could slay Drona. From the fire of the yagna, twins Dhrishtadyumna and
Draupadi are born. Years later, Draupadi married Arjuna and later, Drupada was
killed by Drona in the Kurukshetra War before Dhrishtadyumna beheaded
Drona.

Treta Yuga: According to Hindu philosophy, the Yugas denote four distinct
ages of mankind. Currently we are in the Kali Yuga. The Treta Yuga is the
Sanskrit name given to the second of the four Yugas. Translated, the term
means "three collections." The Treta Yuga lasted for 1,296,000 years and saw
important events such as the appearance of agriculture and mining. Three
avatars of Lord Vishnu were said to appear during this Yuga: Vamana,
Parashurama and Rama as the fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations, respectively.
During this era, the power of mankind was diminished as people became less
spiritual and more focused on material possessions. Wars broke out frequently
and climate changes became common place, giving rise to deserts and oceans.

Despite these seemingly negative effects, the Treta Yuga also brought
knowledge of universal magnetism. This knowledge allowed humans to
understand the forces of nature and the true nature of the universe.

Each one of the distinct Yugas is linked to one of the four universal powers of
maya and gives mankind the chance to understand this power and bring it under
control.

Dwapara Yuga: In Hinduism and yogic philosophy, Dwapara Yuga is the third
age of the world cycle of yugas. The term comes from the Sanskrit, dwapara,
meaning “two ahead,” and yuga, meaning “age” or "era."
Dwapara Yuga is the age in which humanity shows its first significant decline
in righteousness. Dwapara Yuga is followed by Kali Yuga, which leads to the
destruction of the world and then the creation of a new cycle of the four yugas.
The prevailing belief is that the world is in Kali Yuga, but some scholars have
argued Dwapara Yuga is the current era.
Also called the Bronze Age, the Dwapara Yuga saw the decline of morality and
of the spiritual practice of yoga. As people drifted farther from the Divine, they
became more competitive, zealous, deceitful and pleasure-seeking. The standard
of living decreased during this yuga, but science flourished. Dwapara Yuga was
also the age of the events in the epic, "Mahabharata," including the incarnation
of Krishna and his role in the battle against evil. Dwapara Yuga ended when
Krishna left Earth to return to his eternal home.
In chronological order, the yugas are:

 Satya Yuga – Also known as Krita Yuga, this is the age of truth, virtue
and righteousness. Everyone was said to have practiced yoga for spiritual
understanding.
 Treta Yuga – This is the age of mankind and represents a one-quarter
decline in spirituality and the spiritual practice of yoga.
 Dwapara Yuga – In this age, spirituality continues to decline, virtue and
sin show up in equal measure.
 Kali Yuga – The age of conflict, Kali Yuga is described as one quarter
virtue and three-fourths sin.