विन्ध्य

{ vindhyḥ, vindhya }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

VINDHYA   One of the seven chief mountain chains. This mountain which separates South India from North India is famous in various ways in the Purāṇas.
(i) Agastya kicked Vindhya down. (See under Agastya).
(ii) Sunda and Upasunda, two asuras, did penance on Vindhya and got boons. [M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 208, Stanza 7] .
(iii) Because of the fierce penance of Sunda, the mountain Vindhya became hot and from that day onwards smoke comes out from Vindhya. [M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 208, Stanza 10] .
(iv) The deity of Vindhya stays in the palace of Kubera serving him. [M.B. Sabhā Parva, Chapter 10, Stanza 31] .
(v) On this mountain there is the eternal abode of Devī Durgā. [M.B. Virāṭa Parva, Chapter 6, Stanza 17] .
(vi) Vindhya is one of the seven chief mountain chains. [M.B. Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 9, Stanza 11] .
(vii) In Tripuradahana (the burning of Tripuras) Vindhya appeared behind the chariot of Śiva as the emblem on his flag. [M.B. Droṇa Parva, Chapter 202, Stanza 71] ;
(viii) Vindhya once became the axle of the chariot of Śiva. [M.B. Karṇa Parva, Chapter 34, Stanza 22] .
(ix) This mountain gave Subrahmaṇya two attendants named Ucchṛṅga and Atiśṛṅga. [M.B. Śalya Parva, Chapter 45, Stanza 49] .
(x) Mention is made in [Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 25, Stanza 49] , that he who does penance on the Vindhya, for a month without killing any living creature, could obtain all attainments.

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

विन्ध्य  m.  m. (of doubtful derivation) N. of a low range of hills connecting the Northern extremities of the Western and Eastern Ghauts, and separating Hindūstān proper from the Dekhan (the विन्ध्य range is reckoned among the seven principal ranges of भारत-वर्ष [see कुलगिरि, p. 294, col. 3], and according to, [Manu ii, 21], forms the Southern limit of मध्य-देश or the middle region; according to a legend related in [MBh. iii, 8782 &c.], the personified विन्ध्य, jealous of हिमालय, demanded that the sun should revolve round him in the same way as about मेरु, which the sun declining to do, the विन्ध्य then began to elevate himself that he might bar the progress of both sun and moon; the gods alarmed, asked the aid of the saint अगस्त्य, who approached the विन्ध्य and requested that by bending down he would afford him an easy passage to the South country, begging at the same time that he would retain a low position till his return; this he promised to do, but अगस्त्य never returned, and the विन्ध्य range consequently never attained the elevation of the हिमालय), [Mn.]; [MBh.] &c.
    N. of a prince, [HPariś.]
   a hunter, [L.]

The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

विन्ध्यः [vindhyḥ]   [विदधाति करोति भयम् [Uṇ.4.121] ]
  N. N. of a range of mountain which separates Hindustan proper from the Deccan or south; it is one of the seven Kulaparvatas (q. v.) and forms the southern limit of Madhyadeśa; see [Ms.2.21.] [According to a legend, the Vindhya mountain, being jealous of the mount Meru (or Himālaya) demanded that the sun should revolve round himself as about Meru, which the sun declined to do; whereupon the Vindhya began to rise higher and higher so as to obstruct the path of the sun and moon. The gods being alarmed sought the aid of the sage Agastya, who approached the mountain and requested that by bending down he would give him an easy passage to the south, and that he would retain the same position till his return. This Vindhya consented to do (because according to one account, he regarded Agastya as his teacher); but Agastya never returned from the south, and Vindhya never attained the height of Meru.]
   A hunter.
   न्ध्या N. of a plant (लवली).
   Small cardamoms.
   A measure of time (त्रुटि); L. D. B. -Comp.
-अटवी   the great Vindhya forest.
-कूटः, -कूटनम्   epithets of the sage Agastya.-गिरिः the Vindhya range of hills; also विन्ध्याचल, विन्ध्याद्रि.
-वासिन्  m. m. an epithet of the grammarian व्याडि. (-नी) an epithet of Durgā.

Shabda-Sagara

विन्ध्य  m.  ( -न्ध्यः)
   1. The Vindhya mountain, or the mountainous range which runs across India from the Province of Behār, nearly to Guzerāt, and properly divides Hindusthān from the Dakshin.
   2. A hunter.
  f.  ( -न्ध्या)
   1. A fruit, (Annona reticulata.)
   2. Small car- damoms.
    E. वि implying opposition, ध्यै to think, and क aff., form irr., the mountain is supposed to obstruct the course of the sun.

ROOTS:

वि ध्यै क