The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hindusim vol 2
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Suta<br />
676<br />
sushumna is closed where it intersects<br />
the chakras, which blocks the flow <strong>of</strong><br />
energy from moving smoothly through<br />
it. When the chakras have been pierced<br />
and opened by the rising kundalini, the<br />
passageway has been opened for the<br />
kundalini to rise to the abode <strong>of</strong> Shiva,<br />
and effect the union <strong>of</strong> Shakti and Shiva<br />
that will bring ultimate realization. For<br />
further information see Arthur Avalon<br />
(Sir John Woodr<strong>of</strong>fe), Shakti and Shakta,<br />
1978; Philip S. Rawson, <strong>The</strong> Art <strong>of</strong><br />
Tantra, 1973; Swami Agehananda<br />
Bharati, <strong>The</strong> Tantric Tradition, 1975; and<br />
Douglas Renfrew Brooks, <strong>The</strong> Secret <strong>of</strong><br />
the Three Cities, 1990.<br />
Suta<br />
In Hindu mythology, a disciple <strong>of</strong> the<br />
sage Vyasa, who is said to have recounted<br />
the puranas to other renunciants in the<br />
Naimisha forest. <strong>The</strong> puranas are an<br />
important genre <strong>of</strong> religious texts that<br />
collect all types <strong>of</strong> sacred lore, from<br />
mythic tales to ritual instruction to exaltation<br />
<strong>of</strong> various sacred sites (tirthas)<br />
and actions. Individual puranas are usually<br />
highly sectarian and intended to<br />
promote the worship <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Hindu gods, whether Vishnu, Shiva, or<br />
the Goddess. <strong>The</strong> traditional puranas<br />
are numbered at eighteen, and in<br />
many <strong>of</strong> them Suta is named as the<br />
narrator, in accordance with the legend<br />
mentioned above.<br />
Sutakashaucha<br />
<strong>The</strong> impurity (ashaucha) caused by<br />
childbirth (sutaka). All bodily effluvia<br />
(hair, spittle, pus, blood, etc.) are<br />
considered to be sources <strong>of</strong> impurity,<br />
and because birth is attended with<br />
these it is considered impure, even<br />
though it is always regarded as an<br />
auspicious and happy event. <strong>The</strong>re is<br />
also impurity caused by death, known as<br />
maranashaucha, but the presence <strong>of</strong><br />
the corpse renders this impurity more<br />
violent; needless to say, it is also considered<br />
inauspicious.<br />
Sutra<br />
(“thread”) In a metaphorical sense, a<br />
sutra is a short phrase or aphorism that<br />
can easily be committed to memory.<br />
Many early philosophical and grammatical<br />
texts were collections <strong>of</strong> such sutras,<br />
which are so brief that they virtually presuppose<br />
a commentary to explain their<br />
meaning. In many cases the commentary<br />
would have been an oral exchange<br />
between teacher and student, thus<br />
effecting the living transmission that is<br />
still the norm in tantra, a secret, ritually<br />
based religious practice. Memorizing<br />
such sutras was a way to gain mastery<br />
over an entire text, and the sutras could<br />
also serve as an aid to memory for the<br />
commentary, thus enabling a person to<br />
preserve the “thread” <strong>of</strong> the argument.<br />
In a more literal sense, the word sutra<br />
can also refer to the cord or cords strung<br />
through the centers <strong>of</strong> palm leaf manuscripts,<br />
which kept the pages <strong>of</strong> the text<br />
in their proper order.<br />
Svadharma<br />
(“one’s own dharma”) In the dharma literature,<br />
svadharma is an individual’s<br />
unique religious duty (dharma), based<br />
on that person’s social position, stage <strong>of</strong><br />
life, and gender. <strong>The</strong> governing assumption<br />
behind this notion is that every person<br />
has a social role to fulfill, and each <strong>of</strong><br />
these roles is necessary for the maintenance<br />
<strong>of</strong> society, no matter how humble<br />
it might be. For each person, his or her<br />
svadharma carries the highest authority,<br />
and supersedes all other religious laws.<br />
As one example, violence is generally<br />
prohibited, but it is a necessary part <strong>of</strong> a<br />
ruler’s svadharma—both to protect the<br />
land from external invaders, and to punish<br />
criminals within the country. In both<br />
cases the use <strong>of</strong> violence helps to maintain<br />
social order, which is the king’s primary<br />
duty. In the same way, society<br />
depends on a host <strong>of</strong> other people fulfilling<br />
their particular social roles. This<br />
notion <strong>of</strong> social responsibility and interconnectedness<br />
is tied to religious fulfillment<br />
through the notion <strong>of</strong> the Path <strong>of</strong><br />
Action (karmamarga). According to this