A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

V
vac
(‘speech’, ‘word’)
In the Øgveda (Väksükta) personified as
a goddess, through whom everything is
created, and through whom the ØÆIS
receive their inspiration.
Väcaknavï
Upani•adic female philosopher, who
challenged YAJÑAVÄLKYA.
Väcaspati Miÿra (ninth century)
A versatile Advaitin writer, known as a
sarvatantrasvatantra (independent commentator
on all systems of philosophy).
He wrote commentaries on Ÿaökara’s
Brahmasütrabhä•ya (the Bhämatï), on
the Säƒkhyakärikäs (the Vaiÿäradï), on
the Yoga Sutras (the Yogabhäsya), and
on the Nyäya Sütras (the
Nyäyavärttika). He held that the individual
human beings were the seat of
ignorance.
Vaõagalai
The northern school of ŸRÏVAIÆŒAVISM,
preferring the Sanskritic tradition over the
Tamilian. Its headquarters are in
KÄÑCÏPURAM. It is also known as the ‘monkey
school’, from its insistence that a person,
in order to be saved by God, has to
co-operate actively, like the young of a
monkey, which must cling to its mother if
it wants to reach safety in a fire
(märkatanyäya). (See also VEDÄNTA-DEŸIKA.)
väda-väda (‘disputation’, ‘dialogue’)
One of the traditional methods of
engaging scholars from other schools of
thought.
vähana (‘vehicle’)
Usually an animal carrying a god, e.g.
Vi•æu has the bird GARU¥A as his vahana,
väcika japa
The repetition of a MANTRA (1) with
words, i.e. audibly (in contrast with
mänasa japa, which entails mental repetition
only).
Garuda, the vähana (vehicle) of Vi•æu.