Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature

GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY Adinath Ama Amshuvarman Anna Annapurna Arjun Bagmati Bahun Bajai/Bajyai Bajiya Banyan Bara Hakim Betel Bhadrakal! a name of Shiva, or of an aspect of the Buddha worshipped at a particular temple in Chobhar village to the south of Kathmandu mother a Nepali king from the LichhavT period one-sixteenth of 1 rupee in old Indian and Nepali currency the goddess of plenty, whose name means "filled with grain" the warrior on the battlefield at Kurukshetra during the war described in the Mahabharata epic to whom Krishna delivered the famous sermon on dharma, which is preserved in the Bhagavad Glta a holy river in the Kathmandu Valley that flows past the temple of Pashupatinath (colloquial) Brahman grandmother a serf or bonded laborer; sometimes used as a term of abuse a tree, b'icus indica "big officer"—a title given to a senior official in government service the leaf of the piper betel tree (see pan) the name of a temple to the fearsome aspect of the goddess Durga in Kathmandu 311 312 GLOSSARY Bhairav Bhalu Bhanjyang BhavanI BhrikutT Bigha Birta Bishnumati Bodhisattva Brahma Brahman Carram board Chautara Chi! Chilaune Chiura Chobhar Dal Damai a fearsome aspect of Shiva that appears frequently in Ncwar iconography bear a pass or col a name of the spouse of the Hindu god Shiva daughter of the king Amshuvarman, who was sent to Tibet to marry King Songsten Gampo during the seventh century a measurement of area, approximately five-eighths of an acre a grant of land made by the central government to one of its officers or as a reward for services rendered a river that flows through the western quarter of Kathinandu a being who has achieved nirvana, "enlightenment," but has returned to the world to work for the spiritual deliverance of others the third great deity in the trinity of Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma; the creator of the universe the priestly caste at the apex of the traditional Hindu hierarchy a popular game played with counters on a wooden board a stepped brick platform built around the base of a tree (usually a pipal or a banyan) where travelers may rest an expression of disgust or contempt a particular species of tree whose bark causes itching and irritation if touched pounded dry rice husks; a common staple in Nepal a village to the south of Kathmandu near the gorge through which the Bagmati River makes its exit from the central valley lentils the name of an artisan caste of tailors who rank fairly low in the caste hierarchy GLOSSSARY 313 Dasain Dharamshala Dhobl DidI Dware Gandharva Ganesh Ganga Garam masala Gautam Buddha Ghee Gurkha Guru Hakim J°g' JoginI Kanchi Kasal Kasthamandapa Khola a great annual festival held on the tenth day of the light fortnight of the month of Ashvin (SeptemberOctober ) in honor of the goddess Durga. Thousands of buffaloes and other animals arc ritually slaughtered, and their meat is distributed. Dasain continues for several days, and Nepalis traditionally return to their ancestral villages during the holiday to visit their families. a simple hoste! for Hindu pilgrims washerman "elder sister," but often appended to the name of a woman who is older than the speaker, although not old enough to merit the titles dmd or bajai (q.v.) a village official who can arrest offenders and try petty cases a celestial musician the elephant-headed god, a son of Shiva, who removes obstacles to new ventures and brings good luck the sacred river Ganges of northern India a blend of various spices used in North Indian cuisine the historical Buddha Shakyamuni a cooking oil derived from butter a Nepali who serves, or has served, in the army or, more particularly,in the armies of Britain or India; a word derived from the name of the central Nepali town of Gorkha a teacher or religious mentor an officer or boss see yogi a female yogi or jogl; a female ascetic; a nun a relationship term, "youngest girl," used to address or refer to any young woman who is significantly junior to oneself or to a servant girl a caste of butchers a large temple in the center of old Kathmandu (The name "Kathmandu" was probably derived from the name of this temple, which is said to be the oldest in the city and to have been built from the wood of a single tree.) a river or stream 314...