Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online
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Subject: Asian Studies
Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism presents the latest research on all the main aspects of the Hindu traditions. Its 438 essays are original work written by the world’s foremost scholars on Hinduism. The encyclopedia presents a balanced and even-handed view of Hinduism, recognizing the divergent perspectives and methods in the academic study of a religion that has ancient historical roots with many flourishing traditions today. Including all essays from the heralded printed edition, Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism is now to be regularly updated with new articles and available in a fully searchable, dynamic digital format.
Subscriptions: see brill.com
Edited by: Knut A. Jacobsen (Editor-in-Chief), University of Bergen, and Helene Basu, University of Münster, Angelika Malinar, University of Zürich, Vasudha Narayanan, University of Florida (Associate Editors)
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Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism presents the latest research on all the main aspects of the Hindu traditions. Its 438 essays are original work written by the world’s foremost scholars on Hinduism. The encyclopedia presents a balanced and even-handed view of Hinduism, recognizing the divergent perspectives and methods in the academic study of a religion that has ancient historical roots with many flourishing traditions today. Including all essays from the heralded printed edition, Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism is now to be regularly updated with new articles and available in a fully searchable, dynamic digital format.
Subscriptions: see brill.com
Vratas
(5,511 words)
The term
vrata, meaning “vow” or “votive ritual,” refers to a specific type of Hindu religious observance. A
vrata is, essentially, “a religiously sanctioned votive observance, that is, a rite performed at a particular time with a particular desire in mind” (McGee, 1987, 17). Alternatively,
vrata may be defined as a type of vow or promise directed toward a deity and associated with a ritual practice (McDaniel, 2003, 29). Adherents of various religious traditions in South Asia, including Christianity, Jainism, and Islam, perform religious vows (Harman & Raj 2006), but the Sanskrit term
v…
Date:
2020-05-18