AKASHAGARBHA

The Bodhisatwa Akashagarbha is also known by the name of Khagarbha. Both “Kha” and “Akasha” mean ‘the sky’ and Akashagarbha is the Bodhisattva who lives in the domain of Sky. Akashagarbha is green in complexion, displaying all kinds of jewels in his right hand. In the left hand, he holds the Chintamani jewelry, which is capable of fulfilling all wishes as the meaning of the word signifies.

AKASH BHAIRAV

Bhairav is one of the many forms of Mahadeva, or Shiva, also known as the destroyer and the regenerator. He takes the form of Bhairav for specific roles. The form of Bhairav that Shiva takes, depicts terror and therefore looks ferocious. There are many forms of Bhairav and Akash Bhairav is just one of his sixty-four forms.  Akash Bhairav always has his face looking skywards, hence the name Akash Bahirav (Akash means Sky). The popular belief about Akash Bhairav is that whoever or whatever meets his sight would perish instantly. Therefore, nobody dare look at his eyes. The reason why his eyes are always looking up towards the sky is for the sake of protecting or preventing all living and non-living things of the world from destruction. All other forms of Bhairav also depict fierce features.

AIRAVATA

Airavata is the immortal elephant of the celestial world, dignified in its being and tasked with specific roles.  He moves around heaven as the vehicle of Indra, the King of the Gods. Airavata, as popularly believed, was produced from the ocean or the seas as mentioned in the texts.  It is known as sagar manthan or the churning of the seas.  It was during the great churning of the seas by the Gods that they found many vital substances including amrit or ambrosia, the vital drink for immortality.

AGRICULTURE

Seven of every 10 Nepalese are still engaged in agriculture and it accounts for over 40 percent of the country’s Gross Development Product. The country’s tropical and Himalayan geography with its diverse climatic conditions makes it suitable for a diverse modalities of agronomical development.

Rolling fields and neat terraces can be seen all over the Terai flatlands and the hills of Nepal. Large tracts of land are under cultivation even in heavily populated and urbanised parts of the country, including the including Kathmandu Valley, where large tracts of land are devoted to farming. Rice, being Nepal’s staple food, is the preferred crop.  Around three million tons of different kinds of rice are produced annually.

Other major crops are maize and wheat, which are also used as staple or alternate staple diet in Nepal and produced in regions where these have a market. Millet and barley are also grown. Besides food grains, Nepal also produces different lintels, beans and vegetables besides fruits and cash crops like sugarcane, oil seeds, tobacco, jute, cotton and tea.

Being a predominantly agricultural country with a huge potential for further development, agriculture also sustains other sectors of commerce, while still being the backbone of the country’s economy. 

AGNI

Agni, the fire or personification of fire is an important object of worship since the times of the Vedas. Agni continues to be a much-worshipped deity since those days. Agni is considered as the mediator or the link between men and Gods. As the protector deity of men and their homes, and as witness of all their actions, fire is invocated at all solemn occasions. There are 49 different forms of Agni.

Agni has a complex family history with many a myth woven around this popular, familiar and powerful deity. Having two iron tusks, Agni is capable of swallowing all his enemies. By puranic version, his wife is Swaha from who he had three sons and 45 grandsons. All 49 Agni’s represent 49 different kinds of fire. Agni is clad in black, having smoke for his standard and carrying a javelin (or spear). Some of the other names of Agni are Anala, Pavaka, Dhum-ketu (having smoke for his sign), Sapta-jivha (having seven tongues), Vahini etc.

ADWARYU

ADWARYU 

Vedas are known as divine scriptures or pronouncements in great details. Not authored by any man those scriptures are surviving through generations and after generations by means of Shruti and Smriti. Shruti means to listen and to pick up the contents where as Smriti means to memorize them and pass on through generations after generations. There are four important Vedas namely Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharbaveda. Those who are specialized in of those particular Vedas are known by different appropriate titles.  Adwaryu is the title given to those who always recite Yajurveda, 

ADINATH LOKESWAR

Adinath and Lokeswar are different aspects or different names of Avalokiteswar. Lord Adinath is often mentioned as Adinath Avalokiteswar (also see Avalokiteswar). Adinath is described as adinath for being the earliest and the eternal lord. The name Lokeswar suits him for his being the saviour and the lord of the universe, As avalokiteswar he keeps a watch around the clock to ensure the safety of  mankind and all creatures. This is why Lord Adinath is associated with compassion or Karuna (Sanskrit for compassion).

The beautiful ideal of compassion, the theoretical concept, practice and posture of Karuna are what make this God so popular. Karuna is the wonder drug that cures the depressed of their disease, relieving millions of helplessly suffering souls. Mahayana Buddhists recognized him as an “all compassionate god” or Karunamaya of all suffering souls of the world. For this reason, he is held in high esteem by his devotees – the honour he is held is inscripted in history as well as mythology. He is generally regarded as a public service-minded god, one who has  fully dedicated himself to the tremendous task of liberating the suffering souls of the world.

This deity is one of the 108 different forms of Avalokiteswar as seen, presented and conceptualised in various contexts. Adinath happens to be one of the most widely worshipped of Avalokiteswara’s different form, other popular forms being Bungam Avalokiteswara (Rato Matsyendranath) and Seto Padmanpani Avalokiteswara (Seto Matsyendranath).

ADITYA

Aditya is the popular name of the Sun God who is also known by other names like Rabi, Bhaskar, Bhanu, Divakar and Dinkar. The most popular term used to address the Sun God is Surya in Nepal. See Surya. Sunday is the day of Aditya.

ADIBUDDHA

The Adibudhha is the original Buddha, the Buddha from eternity and the supreme being. The Buddha is described as the one who is free from all influences, free from greed and free of all vices besides being the one who has shattered all doubts, darkness and ignorance. 

Adibuddha is considered as the one without a beginning and without any end; infinite and self-created; revealing himself in the form of a flame issuing out of a lotus.

He is the exalted one who, for the sake of the universe along with abodes of Gods, set the wheel of doctrine rolling. Among the conquerors, he is the conqueror of the self and thus the greatest or the ultimate of them all. Swayambhu, Vajradhara, Samantabhadra are known as the different forms of Adibuddha. The Adibuddha is Swayambhu because of his being the self-created one.

According to the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools of Buddhism, the Buddhist pantheon is headed by Adibuddha who is supposed to be the first Buddha or the earliest one. In Nepal, he is worshipped as Swayambhu  (the self-created one). The presiding stupa of Kathmandu is devoted to him. In reality, he is the idea, the essence and the very concept of Buddhahood.

ACHYUTA

Achyuta is the supreme preserver among the trinity of Gods in the Hindu pantheon.  The trinity, namely, Shiva, Bramha and Vishnu, preside over the pantheon of Hindu Gods. Achyuta is the alternative name of Vishnu. It is also spelt as Bishnu. For more details, please see Vishnu.