Dictionary of Proper Names
Selected from Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo’s Works (1989/1996)
U
Ubhayabhārati a Kashmiri Shaivite Panditā was wife of Maṇḍana Miśra. In the Shankara-Vijaya she is chosen to adjudicate a śāstrārtha between her husband & Shankarāchārya. She ruled in favour of the latter, but later she baulked him by questioning him on Kāma Śāstra. The great Shankara, after acquiring the requisite knowledge, subsequently defeated her. Ubhayabhārati was considered to be an emanation of Saraswati, the goddess of learning.
Ucchaishravas/ Ucchaisravus archetypal horse; it arose from the churning of the Kshirasāgara by the Sūras & Asūras or Devas & Dānavas. The Supreme Trinity gave it to Indra. Ucchaishravas feeds on the Amrita that came to share of the Devas.
Udaipur was founded in 1560 by Rāṇā Udai Singh (1529-72) of Mewād. It became his capital after a vindictive Akbar reduced Chittodgadh to rubble in 1568.
Udayana/Vatsa Udayana king of Kauśāmbi on the river Jumnā (in the Vatsa region) in the time of Buddha. A scion of the Chandravanshi Bharata race, his supremacy extended over the adjoining territories of the Bhargas. He not only carried off & married the daughter of Chunda Pradyōta Mahāsena (q.v.) but also the princess of Magadha. According to the Purāṇas, in the play Swapna-Vāsavadutta created by Mahākavi Bhāśa Darśaka, son & successor of Ajātaśatru (king of Magadha) is a brother-in-law of Udayana.
Udbodhan Bengali monthly of Ramakrishna Mission.
Uddhava the scholarly disciple of Sri Krishna.
Ugrashravas the Rishi who enlarged the original Mahābhārata.
Ujjayini(e)/ Ujjayin capital of the kingdom of Avanti (later known as Mālwā); it is one of the seven holy cities of India, being the site of periodical Kumbha Melas. When the nation, says Sri Aurobindo, “fell from its old pure moral ideality and heroic intellectualism…the centre of its culture and national life began to drift westward… [&] finally found its true equilibrium in the beautiful and aesthetic city of Ujjayini which the artistic and sensuous genius of the Mālavās had prepared to be a fit and noble capital of Hindu art, poetry and greatness throughout its most versatile and luxurious age. That position Ujjayini enjoyed until the nation began to crumble under the shock of new ideas & new forces & the centre of gravity shifted southwards to Devagiri of the Jadhavas….” [SABCL 3:215; s/a Mālavās & Kālidāsa]
Ullas(kar) Ullāskar Datta (1885-I965), a member of the Yugantar group; in the Alipore Bomb Case he was sentenced to death, but on appeal the sentence was reduced to transportation for life in the Andamans. He was, however, granted amnesty after serving ten years. After his release he never actively participated in any kind of political work. Ullāskar was normally fun-loving & light-hearted. Ullas had a sweet singing voice & was a good ventriloquist & a caricaturist.
Uloupie daughter of Kauravya, king of the Nāgas (snakes), with whom Arjūna contracted a kind of marriage. She was nurse to her step-son, Babruvāhana, & had great influence over him.
Ultima Thule ultime (farthest) unknown region. See also Thule.
Ulysses Latin of Odysseus.
Umā (Haimāvati) Pārvati as the Supreme Nature from whom the whole cosmic action takes its birth. The earliest known mention of the name is in the Kena Upanishad, where she appears as mediatrix between Brahman & the other gods.
Undhak Andhaka, son of Yudhajit of the Yādava race, brother of Vrishni.
Upadhyay(a) Brahma(o)bāndhab (1861-1907), Bhawani Charan Bandhopādhyāya. He was a leader of the Swadeshi movement, & started the Bengali daily Sandhyā in 1904. In 1907 he also started Swaraj a weekly devoted to cultural, literary, & historical subjects conducive to the growth of national consciousness & patriotism. Arrested on September 3rd, he died while the case was pending.
Upendra Upa-Indra, younger Indra, in the Vedas is actually the supreme Lord Vishnu: “He is not inferior; he only subordinates himself, pretending to serve, while really by service he commands.” [SABCL 11: 447]
Uranian Aphrodite as daughter of Uranus; Uranian alludes to Aphrodite’s aspect of the pure & heavenly love. [Cf. Pandemian]
Uranus (1) son of Gaea, goddess of the Earth, he was the god of the Skies, the first ruler of the Universe; he was father of the Titans, the Cyclopes (one-eyed giants), & the Hecatoncheires (100-armed friendly giants). (2) seventh planet in order of distance from the Sun, & the third largest of the planets of our solar system; discovered by the English astronomer Sir (Frederick) William Herschel it was for some time called Herschel. But even in the year of the planet’s discovery a German astronomer suggested Uranus, which name was eventually accepted.
Urdu Urdu, a Turkī word meaning “camp”, was originally a camp language of Mohammedan invaders who later settled in India, hence made up of words taken from Persian, Turkī, & Hindi. Its script is Persian which is written from right to left; used mainly by Muhammadans of northern India, it gradually developed a literature & produced many poets. It is the national language of Pakistan & also one of the official languages of India.
Urvasie the most beautiful of the celestial nymphs, born from the thigh of Nārāyaṇa; heroine of Kālidāsa’s play Vikramorvasīyam.
Urvasie a poem (1895) by Rabindranath Tagore.
Usha (1) in the Veda, the daughter of Heaven & sister of the Ādityas; the divine Dawn, the bringer of illumination; also called Ahānā & Dyōtanā (see Dawn). (2) Daughter of Bāṇāsura. She fell in love with Aniruddha whom she saw in a dream. Her companion, Chitralekha, by her magic power, brought Aniruddha to Usha, & the two lived together secretly. Bāṇāsura, hearing of Aniruddha’s presence in the palace, took him prisoner. Krishna, Pradyumna, & Balarāma, overpowered Bāṇāsura & brought Aniruddha, with his wife Usha, back to Dwārkā (q.v.).
Ushanas greatest among the seer-poets of ancient India.
Ushana/ Ushanas (Kāvya) son of Kavi; a Vedic Rishi ‘of the heavenward desire that is born from the seer-knowledge’ [SABCL 10:232], he is associated with Kutsa & Indra. In Vāyu Purana, Ushanas Kāvya is the same as Shukrāchārya.
Ushij in Rig-Veda, the mother of Kakshīvān (q.v.); in Puranas, the king of Kalinga asked his Queen to submit to Rishi Dīrghatamas so he could father a son for the King. Instead the queen sent her maid, Ushij. The sage, aware of the deception, sanctified Ushij, & fathered by her a son, Kakshīvān.
Ushinars people dwelling in Kashi (a kingdom in the Madhya Desha – see India), their king’s name was Ushinara.
Ustie Asti was daughter of Jarāsaṇdha & wife of Kansa; (see Prāpthie).
Uttara Mīmāṁsā one of the six Darshanas, or systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy, it is attributed to Badarāyanācharya (Veda Vyāsa), & is more commonly known as the Vedanta although this latter term strictly speaking includes both Uttara Mīmāṁsā& Pūrva Mīmāṁsā.
Uttarpāra a suburban town near Calcutta, where Sri Aurobindo delivered his famous speech on 30 May 1909, three & a half weeks after his acquittal & release in the Alipore Bomb Case. An account of its effect on those who were open to what he conveyed: “The Uttarpāra speech is a public document of Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual life & contains in seed form some of the basic principles of the yoga he evolved. The human in him yet spoke of the Divine & then the human was completely transformed into the Divine. The Light that he shed was the Light Divine & it is for humanity to follow & profit by it…. The long garland prepared by Michhari Babu (q.v.) was taken by somebody… [&] he was very angry…. The next morning he got the garland back. By now he had grown quiet. He only told the man who had taken it, ‘Go & beg pardon from God, I have pardoned you already.’ The thief fell at his feet…. Amarendranath Chatterji commented that if he had been caught the day before, he would have got a big thrashing, but that today the iron hand had turned to gold! Michhari Babu agreed with him, saying, ‘Yes, you are right. Sri Aurobindo’s speech has produced an immediate result.’ ” [Purani’s Life of Sri Aurobindo]