Trivikrama: Difference between revisions
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==Concordance, Etymology, History== |
==Concordance, Etymology, History== |
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This epithet refers to the three steps or strides of God Vishnu in the Rigveda. His three steps symbolise either three worlds or three planes: "In three places he planted his step, (one step on the earth, a second in the atmosphere, and a third in the sky) as Agni, Vayu, and Surya each after the other"<ref>[https://archive.org/details/originalsanskri02muirgoog Muir, John (1873)]. Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of the People of India (Vol. 4) (in Sanskrit). Harvard University. Trübner. pp. 64, 67, 87, 122</ref>, or the rising, culmination and setting of the Sun. The name is one of the forms of God Vishnu, who is depicted as having four arms, holding lotus flower, conch, wheel and mace. There are 24 forms based on the permutation of these four in to the four arms. The text Manasollasa |
This epithet refers to the three steps or strides of God Vishnu in the Rigveda. His three steps symbolise either three worlds or three planes: "In three places he planted his step, (one step on the earth, a second in the atmosphere, and a third in the sky) as Agni, Vayu, and Surya each after the other"<ref>[https://archive.org/details/originalsanskri02muirgoog Muir, John (1873)]. Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of the People of India (Vol. 4) (in Sanskrit). Harvard University. Trübner. pp. 64, 67, 87, 122</ref>, or the rising, culmination and setting of the Sun. The name is one of the forms of God Vishnu, who is depicted as having four arms, holding lotus flower, conch, wheel and mace. There are 24 forms based on the permutation of these four in to the four arms. The text Manasollasa (a 12th century manual by Someshwara used by sculptors for preparing statues) lists all the 24. Trivikrama is the 7th in the list with lotus in lower left arm, mace in the lower upper arm and wheel in the upper right arm. |
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In this context of footprints the 5th avatara (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu named Vamana is relevant. The story tells about the incarnation as a small boy being granted three steps of land by the demon king. The boy grows to a gigantic size one step encompassing the earth, the second the sky. The demon king offers his head to be used for the third step; Vamana puts the foot on his head and pushes him to the underworld. |
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=== Origin of Constellation === |
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[[File:SanTai stellarium.jpg|thumb|SanTai in Stellarium (CC BY Sun Shuwei (孙殳玮) based on the Xinyixiangfayao Star Map from Su Song (苏颂, 1020-1101 CE)).]] |
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Trivikrama, the Three Steps are a recognisable pattern of three close pairs of stars south of the seven bright ones in Ursa Major. |
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The |
The catalogue prepared in the context of the use for astrolabes lists the three pairs and the verse concludes as |
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इतीह युग्मत्रयमेवलोक्य त्रिविक्रमस्य प्रवदन्ति पादान् |
इतीह युग्मत्रयमेवलोक्य त्रिविक्रमस्य प्रवदन्ति पादान् |
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Revision as of 16:57, 10 August 2025
Trivikrama, literally meaning thrice conquered or Three Steps, is an Indian name. It is a super-constellation in Ursa Major that consists of three constellations of two stars each, Yugma (युग्म) and Yugmaka (युग्मक) (the "double stars" in the ancient sense of the term, meaning two stars very close together but clearly separate for the naked eye). This Indian constellation equals the Chinese constellation Santai (三台) (three steps), but the direction of transfer is yet unknown.
Concordance, Etymology, History
This epithet refers to the three steps or strides of God Vishnu in the Rigveda. His three steps symbolise either three worlds or three planes: "In three places he planted his step, (one step on the earth, a second in the atmosphere, and a third in the sky) as Agni, Vayu, and Surya each after the other"[1], or the rising, culmination and setting of the Sun. The name is one of the forms of God Vishnu, who is depicted as having four arms, holding lotus flower, conch, wheel and mace. There are 24 forms based on the permutation of these four in to the four arms. The text Manasollasa (a 12th century manual by Someshwara used by sculptors for preparing statues) lists all the 24. Trivikrama is the 7th in the list with lotus in lower left arm, mace in the lower upper arm and wheel in the upper right arm.
In this context of footprints the 5th avatara (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu named Vamana is relevant. The story tells about the incarnation as a small boy being granted three steps of land by the demon king. The boy grows to a gigantic size one step encompassing the earth, the second the sky. The demon king offers his head to be used for the third step; Vamana puts the foot on his head and pushes him to the underworld.
The catalogue prepared in the context of the use for astrolabes lists the three pairs and the verse concludes as
इतीह युग्मत्रयमेवलोक्य त्रिविक्रमस्य प्रवदन्ति पादान्
itiha yugmatrayamavalokya trivikramasya pravadanti padan
"Here, it is being told that the three (traya) such twin pairs (yugmaka) as the legs (pādān) of the trivikrama, are imagined."
| Indian name | translation | Dhruvaka | Viksepa | R.A. 1638CE | Dec 1638CE | in Chinese | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| युग्मक | Yugmaka | "double" | 102 20 | 29 | 6h 54m | 52 | Surya (Sun) | Upper Steps | ικ UMa |
| युग्म | Yugma | "double" | 119 45 | 29 | 8h 9m | 49 19 | Vayu (Air) | Middle Steps | λμ UMa |
| युग्मक | yugmaka | 'double' | 137 | 25 | 9h 18m | 40 48 | Agni (Fire) | Lower Steps | ξν UMa |
Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation
SanTai in Stellarium (CC BY Sun Shuwei (孙殳玮) based on the Xinyixiangfayao Star Map from Su Song (苏颂, 1020-1101 CE)).
Mythology
mnemonic tales and cultural significance
Weblinks
References
- References (general)
2.https://www.ms.uky.edu/~sohum/sanskrit/yogavasishtha/Manasollasa.pdf
- ↑ Muir, John (1873). Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of the People of India (Vol. 4) (in Sanskrit). Harvard University. Trübner. pp. 64, 67, 87, 122
