Glossary of Hinduism Terms - K

K

• Kacha (कच): Grandson of sage Angiras and son of Brihaspati, who went to seek knowledge under Sukracharya as a brahmacharin. Devayani, the preceptor's lovely daughter, fell in love with him. The Asuras (demons) suspecting him of wanting to steal the secret of reviving the dead, killed him a number of times. But due to Devayani's love for him, her father brought him back to life every time he was killed. Ultimately the secret was learnt by the devas who then succeeded in defeating the asuras.
• Kagola (कगोल): A disciple of the great sage and teacher of Vedanta, Uddalaka. Although virtuous and energetic, he lacked the intelligence needed to master the Vedas. He was also the father of Ashtavakra, whose legendary crookedness was a result of his twisting in the womb whenever Kagola made a mistake in reciting the Vedas.
• Kaikeyī (कैकेयी): She was the youngest of King Dasaratha's three wives and a queen of Ayodhya. She was the mother of Bharata.
• Kailāsh (कैलास): It is a peak in the Gangdisê mountains, the source of rivers in Asia—the Indus River, the Sutlej River, and the Brahmaputra River—and is considered as a sacred place in four religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bön faith. The mountain lies near Lake Manasarowar and Lake Rakshastal in Tibet.
• Kaitabh (कैतभ): Kaitabh is an asura associated with Hindu religious cosmology. He along with his companion, Madhu, originated from one of the ears of God Vishnu. Kaitabh and Madhu were designed to annihilate Brahma.
• Kālayāvan (कालयावन): Kālayāvan was an asura who surrounded Mathura with an army of thirty million monstrous friends. Then Krishna departed to build a city of Dwārkā amidst sea, transported all his people to this city and left them in Dwārkā. Then Krishna returned and slew Kālayāvan.
• Kāl-Purush (काल-पुरुष): The time-man, Bengali name of Orion.
• Kali (कलि): Kali was a demon, the personified spirit of the Fourth yuga who possesses Nala.
• Kalī Yuga (कली युग): Kalī Yuga (lit. Age of Kali, also known as The Age of Darkness), is one of the four stages of development that the world goes through as part of the cycle of Yugas, as described in Hindu scriptures, the others being Dwapara Yuga, Treta Yuga, and Satya Yuga.
• Kālī (काली): A dark, black aspect of the mother-goddess Devi whose consort is Shiva.
• Kālindī (कालिन्‍दी): Kālindī was daughter of the Surya (Sun) who marries Lord Krishna while he was ruling at Dwarka, Kālindī is also another name for the river Yamuna in northern India.
• Kāliyā (कालिया): Kāliyā was the name of a poisonous hydra or Nāga living on the bank of Yamuna River. Kāliyā was quelled by Krishna and sent to his abode in Ramanaka Dwīpa.
• Kāl nāginī (काल नागिनी): A serpent who kills Lakshmindara, the son of Chand Sadagar who was a merchant-prince of Champaka Nagar.
• Kalki (कल्कि): The tenth Avatar of Vishnu who is yet to come and will appear as a man on a horse at the end of Kali Yug.
• Kāma (काम): Best understood as aesthetics, the definition of Kama involves sensual gratification, sexual fulfillment, pleasure of the senses, love, and the ordinary enjoyments of life regarded as one of the four ends of man (purusharthas).
• Kāmadeva (कामदेव): Kāmadeva is the Hindu god of love. He is represented as a young and handsome winged man who wields a bow and arrows.
• Kamboja s (कम्बोज): Enemies of the Kauravas whom Karna had defeated
• Kāmadhenu (कामधेनु): Kamadhenu was a divine cow believed to be the mother of all cows. Like her child Nandini, she could grant any wish for the true seeker. Kamadhenu provided Vasishta with his needs for the sacrifices. Kamadhenu (kama-dhenu, 'wish-cow'), was a miraculous cow of plenty who could give her owner whatever he desired.
• Kampilya (कम्पिल्‍य): Capital of the Panchala Kingdom ruled by Drupada.
• Kamsa (कंस): Maternal Uncle of Sri Krishna and son of Ugrasena, also son-in-law of Jarasandha, whom Sri Krishna killed.
• Kamyaka Forest (काम्यक वन): Kamyaka forest is mentioned in Mahabharata being situated at the head of the Thar desert, near the lake Trinavindu was situated on the western boundary of the Kuru Kingdom, on the banks of the Saraswati River. It lay to the west of the Kurukshetra plain.
• Kanika (कणिक): Minister of Sakuni.
• Kanka (कंक): Assumed name of Yudhishthira at Virata's court.
• Kaṇva (कण्‍व): Father of Shakuntala.
• Kanyā pūjā (कन्या पूजा):A Hindu custom to worship virgin girls as a symbol of the pure basic creative force.
• Kapila (कपिल ऋषि): A Vedic sage credited as one of the founders of the Samkhya school of philosophy. He is prominent in the Bhagavata Purana, which features a theistic version of his Samkhya philosophy.
• Karkotaka (कर्कोटक): The naga who bit Nala at the request of Indra, transforming Nala into a twisted and ugly shape.
• Kartavirya Arjuna (कार्तवीर्य अर्जुन): Kārtavīrya Arjuna was King of Mahishamati, kshatriya of Ramayana period believed to have a thousand arms. He had beheaded Jamadagni, father of Parashurama. In revenge, Parashurama killed the entire clan of Kartavirya Arjuna. Ravana was comprehensively defeated and was put to humiliation by him.
• Kausikam (कौसिकम्): A sage who learnt from Dharmavyadha the secret of Dharma, of performing one's duty.
• Karma (कर्म): A Sanskrit term that comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect.
• Karma Yoga (कर्म योग): The practise of disciplining action. Karma yoga focuses on the adherence to duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. It states that one can attain Moksha (salvation) by doing his duties in an unselfish manner.
• Karṇa (कर्ण): A matchless warrior, son of the Sun god and Kunti. Disciple of Parasurama. Also son of Radha, his foster-mother, and was known as Radheya.
• Kārtavīrya (कार्तवीर्य): A great warrior who defeated Ravana, King of Lanka.
• Kārtikeya (कार्तिकेय): Commander of the armies of the devas, A god born out of a magical spark created by Shiva, his father. His brother is Ganesha.
• Kashyapa (कश्‍यप): An ancient sage, father of the Devas, Asuras, Nagas and all of humanity. He is married to Aditi, with whom he is the father of Agni and the Savitrs. His second wife, Diti, begot the Daityas. Diti and Aditi were daughters of King Daksha and sisters to Sati, Shiva's consort. One of Dashratha's counsellors also.
• Kauravas (कौरव): Kaurava is a Sanskrit term, that means a descendant of Kuru, alternate name of sons of Dhritarashtra.
• Kausalyā (कौसल्‍या): She was the eldest of King Dasaratha's three wives and a queen of Ayodhya. She was the mother of Rama.
• Kekaya (केक‍य): A brave warrior on the Pandava side into whose chariot Bhima got during the fighting on the sixth day. Usinaras, the Sibi, the Madras, and the Kekayas were the direct descendants of Yayati's son Anu.
• Kesava (केसव): One of the names of Sri Krishna.
• Keshinī (केशिनी): Wife of Sāgara
• Ketama (केतम): Another chief whose head was cut off by Drona.
• Ketu (केतु): Ketu is generally referred to as a "shadow" planet. It has a tremendous impact on human lives and also the whole creation. Astronomically, Ketu and Rahu denote the points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere.
• Khaṇdavaprastha (खाण्डवप्रस्‍थ): The ancient capital from where the ancestors of Pandavas, Nahusha and Yayati ruled. The Pandavas rebuilt the ruined city and erected palaces and forts and renamed it Indraprastha.
• Khandava Vana (खांडववन):Khandava Vana was an ancient forest mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, inhabited by Naga tribes. It lay to the west of Yamuna river, in modern day Delhi territory. Pandavas cleared this forest to construct their capital city called Indraprastha.
• Khara (खर): Khara was younger brother of Rāvana who was slain by Rama.
• Kichak a (किचक): Sudeshna's brother, commander-in-chief of Virata's army, who made advances to Sairandhri (Draupadi). He was invited to meet her at night at the ladies dancing hall and was met instead by Valala (Bhima) dressed up as a female who killed him (Kichaka).
• Khir (खिर): The grand son of Krishana.
• Kinnars (किन्‍नर): Human birds with instruments of music under their wings.
• Kirāta (किरात): Huntsman, The non-Aryan aborigines of the land. They are mentioned along with Cinas for Chinese. Kiratas are believed to be of Tibeto-Burman origin.
• Kirmira (किर्मीर): Kirmira was a Rakshasa, the brother of Bakasura, who lived in the Kamyaka Forest, and used to terrorize the Rishis who inhabited that forest. He ran into the Pandavas when they began their exile in the Kamyaka forest. Upon learning that Bheema was present, who had slain his brother Bakasura, the Rakshasa then challenged the Pandava to fight. After a fierce battle, Bhishma choked Kirmira to death.
• Kishkindhā (किष्किन्‍धा): Kishkindhā was the kingdom ruled by a Vanara King Sugreeva, the younger brother of Bali, during the Ramayana period. This was the kingdom where he ruled with the assistance of his most intelligent minister, Hanuman.
• Kosala (कोशल): Kosala was an ancient Indian Aryan kingdom, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Oudh. Its capital was Ayodhya, where Rama was born.
• Kripa (कृपा): The concept of Divine Grace in Hinduism, especially in Bhakti Yoga.
• Kripāchārya (कृपाचार्य): Aswathama's uncle who advocated a combined assault on Arjuna in battle as against Karna's boast that he could take him on single-handed.
• Krishṇa (कृष्‍ण): The eighth avatar of Vishnu, one of the most worshipped by many Hindus. Krishna is famous for his lecture to Arjuna written in the Bhagavad Gita.
• Krishna-Dwaipāyana (कृष्‍ण द्वैपायन): Another name of Sage Vyasa.
• Krishna Janmashtami (कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी): A Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, an avatar of Hindu deity Vishnu.
• Krauncha (क्रौंच): Curlew-heron.
• Krauncha-Vyuha (क्रौंच व्‍युह): military formation on a pattern supposed to resemble a heron with outstretched beak and spreading wings. In ancient Indian practice, armies were arrayed for battle in formations of definite patterns, each of which had a name such as Chakra, or Kurma or Krauncha, or Makara according to a real or fancied resemblance.
• Kritavarma (कृतवर्म): A notable Yadava warrior fighting on the side of Kaurava forces.
• Kshatriya (क्षत्रिय): One of the four fundamental colours (Varnas) in Hindu tradition, consisting of the warriors, soldiers and rulers of society.
• Kshatradharma (क्षात्रधर्म): This is a form of spiritual practice that involves "Protection of the seekers and destruction of the evildoers". In other words, it is the duty of fighting against evil as told by lord Krishna to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita.
• Kubera (कुबेर): One of the gods of wealth and riches.
• Kuchasthala (कुचस्‍थल): A city where Krishna stayed the night on his way to the court of Dhritarashtra.
• Kumāra (कुमार): Son of Shiva and Parvati who conquered and slew the demon Taraka.
• Kumbha (कुम्भ): Kumbha was a rakshasa who led a host against the monkeys when Hanumana fetches healing herb.
• Kumbhakarna (कुम्भकर्ण): Brother of Ravana, King of Lanka, who was asleep most of the time because of the curse of Brahma.
• Kundalpur (कुण्‍डलपुर): Capital of Raja Bhismak who was father of Rukmini, the wife of Krishna.
• Kundinapura (कुण्‍डिनपुर): Capital of Vidarbha.
• Kuntī (कुंती): Mother of Pandavas, Daughter of Sura also known as Pritha. She was given in adoption to the king's childless cousin Kuntibhoja and was named Kunti after her adoptive father.
• Kunti-Madri (कुंती-माद्री): Queens of King Pandu who gave birth to three and two sons known as the Pandavas in the forest where he spent many years for having committed some sin. The sons were known as Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva.
• Kurma (कुर्म): Tortoise, The second Avatar of Vishnu where he took the form of a tortoise.
• Kurujangala (कुरुजाङ्गल): An ancient kingdom of India, in the north near the Yamuna and Ganges rivers. The main cities of the region are Hastinapura and Indraprastha. Its kings are sometimes called the Kurus. On a modern map of India, this kingdom roughly forms most of the Haryana state. Indraprastha (now known as Delhi the capital of India) was its capital.
• Kurukshetra (कुरुक्षेत्र): Plain of, scene of great battle between the Pandavas and Kurus for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in a battle in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of the rival clans. The location of the battle was Kurukshetra in the modern state of Haryana in India.
• Kurus (कुरु): The name of an Indo-Aryan tribe and their kingdom in the Vedic civilization of India. Their kingdom was located in the area of modern Haryana. Bhisma was their guardian.
• Kusha (कुश): Kusha and his twin brother Lava are the children of the Hindu God Rama and his wifeSita, whose story is told in the Ramayana
• Kusasthala (कुसस्थल): one of the provinces asked by Pandavas,