A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

W
war
(vigraha)
Hindu history, from the Vedas
onwards, is replete with stories of wars,
climaxing in the Great Bhärata War,
with which the KALI YUGA, the age of
strife, began. Wars of defence and of
conquest were considered the legitimate
occupation of K•atriyas (the warrior
class). Conventions of fair warfare
included the rule that only K•atriyas
were to engage in warfare, that noncombatants
should be spared, that no
one was to attack another from behind,
at night, or in a position in which he
could not defend himself. Wars according
to chivalric conventions were called
dharmayuddha and seen as a means to
win fame and a good afterlife; wars in
which these conventions were violated,
or which were caused by greed and lust,
were called kuflayuddha or asurayuddha.
Warfare was developed as one of
the traditional sciences, and received the
attention of many writers on statecraft
(ärtha ÿästra). Battles were usually initiated
with long rituals and prayers, and
wars were regarded as ‘sacrifice’.
ancestors is part of daily ceremonies,
the rivers are considered sacred and
must not be polluted. Gaögä (Ganges)
water, especially, said not to putrefy, is
taken away by pilgrims and used as
medicine and for libations, especially in
connection with the last rites.
wheel (cakra)
An ancient solar symbol, used also to
denote universality of domination or
teaching. A universal monarch is a
cakravartin, and the cakra is a popular
symbol for the DHARMA as well.
CIRCUMAMBULATION is the customary
form of worship of an object.
Whitney, William Dwight
(1827–94)
The first professor of Sanskrit at Yale
University, long-time president of the
American Oriental Society, he published
a Sanskrit grammar which is still used,
and wrote many essays on language.
His translation of the Atharvaveda was
published posthumously (1905).
water
Besides its practical uses, water was
always important in Hindu RITUAL:
daily ritual ablutions are prescribed,
additional ablutions were done to atone
for sins, the sprinkling of water
(tarpaæa) for the benefit of deceased
Wilkins, Sir Charles
(1750–1836)
A member of the Indian Civil Service, he
was the first Englishman with a substantial
knowledge of Sanskrit. His
Sanskrit Grammar (1779) was pathbreaking,
and his translation of the