A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

77 grace
ered exemplary: they forsook their husbands
and neglected their families in
order to be with Kø•æa. They are the
subject of numerous stories and songs.
go-püjä (‘cow-worship’)
Part of the ceremonies performed during
mattupoögal in Tamilnãdü. (See
also PO¢GAL.)
gopura (‘cow fortress’)
Entrance towers to South Indian temples.
Gorakhnätha
(between 900 and 1225 CE)
A great yogi and miracle worker about
whom many legends circulate in India;
founder of the Näflhapanthis, a sect of
Ÿaivas who practise extreme forms of
asceticism. One branch, the Käæphatas,
derive their name from the initiation
practice of piercing the ear-lobes with a
double-edged knife and inserting an
iron ring. They have centres in many
towns in North India. Gorakhnätha’s
teachings are contained in works attributed
to him: Siddha-siddhänta-paddhatï,
Gorak•aÿataka, and Gorakhbodha.
All teach Haflha-yoga. The aim
of the practice is to become the equal
of Ÿiva.
Gorakhpur
Town in Uttar Pradesh, named after
Gorakhnäflha, the headquarters of the
Näflhapanthis. It also is the home of the
Gïtä Press, established in 1923 by
Hanuman PrasadPODDAR, the largest
publisher of Hindu religious literature
in Hindï and Sanskrit, publishing a
Hindï-language religious monthly,
Kalyäæ, with a circulation of over
200,000.
goÿälä
See COWS.
Gospel of Ramakrishna
English translation of a transcript of
discourses and conversations by
Paraƒahamsa RAMAKRISHNA recorded
by one of his disciples, known
as M.
gosvämi (‘Lord of cows’)
An honorific title given to the first six
disciples of CAITANYA designating their
authority as teachers. They were RÜPA
and his brother Sanätana, their nephew
Jïva, GOPÄLA BHAfifiA, Raghunätha
Bhaflfla and Raghunätha Däsa, who all
wrote authoritative works. Their
descendants claim ownership of important
temples in Vøndävana.
gotra (‘clan’)
Important (smallest) CASTE unit, within
which marriages are severely restricted
or forbidden. (See also JÄTÏ.)
Govardhana
A mountain in Braja. Kø•æa persuaded
the cowherds of Braja to worship
Govardhana instead of Indra. Indra,
enraged, sent a deluge, which threatened
to drown all people. Kø•æa supported
the mountain on his little finger
for seven days and thus sheltered and
saved the people of Braja. Kø•æa is
therefore called Govardhanadhära,
the ‘upholder of Govardhana
mountain’.
Govinda
An epithet of KØÆŒA.
(‘finder of the cows’)
Govinda Bhä•ya
See VIDYÄBHÜÆANA BALADEVA.
grace
See KØPÄ; ANUGRAHA.