A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

51 cosmology
Cokamela (1293–1338)
HARIJAN saint from Mangalredha
(Mahärä•flra), a devotee of Viflflhal (a
Mahratti form of Vi•æu); he had to pray
outside the shrine because of his OUT-
CASTE status, and suffered many humiliations,
but was also recognized for his
piety and his inspired songs. After his
death he was interred at PANDHARPUR
beside NÄMADEVA. He is the author of
many popular devotional songs
(abhangs) in Marathi.
Colas
Prominent dynasty in South India (c.
319–1297). The Colas were mostly
adherents of ŸAIVISM; they patronized
the arts and religion. They also built,
over the centuries, extensive irrigation
systems that are still functional. Famous
temples such as the Rajeÿvara temple in
TANJORE owe their existence to Cola
munificence. Cola bronze images, especially
of Ÿiva NÄfiARÄJA, are famous for
their craftsmanship and high artistic
quality.
confession
Confessing breaches of the moral code
is one of the ways of atonement
(PRAYAŸCITTA) for most lighter infringements.
consciousness, also caitanya,
cetana, cit
One of the key concepts in Hindu
thought. Advaitins identify the very
essence of the person with consciousness,
others consider it an essential
attribute. BRAHMAN is often defined as
sat–cit–änanda (being–consciousness–
bliss). The Upani•ads teach four stages
of consciousness, corresponding to different
perceptions of reality: jägarita
sthäna (waking state: corresponding to
the perception of multiple entities different
from the perceiving subject);
svapna sthäna (dream state: perception
of mind-generated objects, different
from the subject); su•upti (dreamless
deep sleep: no perception of difference
between object and subject); turïya (‘the
fourth state’, lucid trance, awareness
without any subject–object split).
Coomaraswami, Ananda
(1877–1947)
Born in Ceylon (Ÿrï Laöka) to a
Ceylonese father and a British mother,
and trained in London as a geologist,
Coomaraswami became best known as
a rediscoverer of Indian art, especially
of ancient and classical Indian painting.
He wrote Indian Drawings (1910);
Indian Drawings: Second Series (1912);
Rajput Painting (1916). He developed
broad interests in Indian culture in general,
evident in a great number of essays
dealing with Indian mythology and history
(The Dance of Ÿiva, 1918, Why
Exhibit Works of Art?, 1943) and a
monumental History of Indian and
Indonesian Art (1927).
cosmology
Hinduism does not possess a uniform
and commonly accepted cosmology.
Cosmology, however, was always very
important. In the Vedas we find a tripartition
of the universe into an upper,
middle and lower sphere: to each were
assigned eleven deities. The moon was
believed to be the resting place for the
deceased ancestors. In the Puräæas we
find an elaborate division of the universe
into a series of concentric continents
surrounded by oceans – all of
immense size. The Puräæas also speculate
that besides the universe inhabited
by us there are countless other universes.
The world we inhabit is not seen as the
best of all worlds but as the only place
where people can work out their salvation.
Hindus also operated with
immense time-frames in the context of a
periodic creation and annihilation of