Key V

Vagbhata: is regarded as unrivalled in his knowledge of the basic principles of Ayurveda.

Vaiseshika: is one of the six orthodox systems of Hindu philosophy, founded by the sage Kasyapa (or Kanada).

Vaishnava Sect: founded by Chaitanya (1485-1534), was popular in Bengal and Orissa.

Vakatakas: belong to the period of Guptas. During the reign of the emperor Chandragupta-II, the Vakataka kingdom was much under the Gupta influence.

Vamsa: According to ancient Hindu society, those who are descended fron one rishi in a direct line constitute a vamsa, or dynastic family.

Varahmihira: (505-587 A.D.) was a great Indian astronomer, mathematician and philosopher. He was one of the nine gems of the court of king Vikramaditya. He was born near Ujjain.

Varun: is the important divinity of Rig Veda.

Vasco da Gama: was a Portuguese sailor who, in 1498, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and succeeded in reaching the port of Calicut on April 22, 1498. He thus discovered the sea route to India.

Vatapi (or Badami): now in the Bijapur district of Karnataka, where Pulakesin I, founder of the Chalukya dynasty in the middle of the sixth century, established himself as lord of Vatapi or Badami (capital of Chalukyas).
It is well-known for Chalukyan sculpture found in the cave temples here.

Vatsyayana: He wrote Kamasutra.

Veda: the word Veda means knowledge.

Vedangas: Refer Kalpa.

Vedic Age: The age of early Vedic period is 1500-1000 B.C. Agriculture was the main occupation of Aryans in the Vedic period.

Vengi: was the capital of Eastern Chalukyas.

Vernacular Press Act, 1878: Lord Lytton passed this Act in 1878 which sought to conrol the Vernacular Press. The measure was regarded as part of a policy to hamper the growth of a Nationalist India.
The Act was repealed by Lord Rippon and newspapers were again owed equal freedom in dealing with the social and political questions.

Vidushaka: the constant companion and confidant of the hero in Sanskrit dramas, was nearly always a Brahmin.

Vijaynagar Kingdom: (1336-1565) was a Hindu kingdom in the Deccan founded during the reign of Mohammad Tughlaq by two Hindu brothers Hari Har and Bukka Raya in order to check the tide of Muslim conquests. Raja Krishna Dev was the most famous king of this kingdom.
Land tax was the special feature of the financial system of Vijaynagar kingdom.

Vijnanesvara: was a jurist. He wrote at the court of the Chalukya king Vikramaditya-VI. He was author of Mitakshara, a commentary on Hindu law

Vijnanesvara: Refer Mitakshara.

Vikrama Era (or Vikrama Samvat): is recokned from 58 B.C.

Vimal Vaseeh and Loon Vaseeh: The marble carvings inside the Vimal Vaseeh and Loon Vaseeh (Dilwara temples) called "a dream in marble" were damaged by the soldiers of the Muslim invader Ala-ud-din Khilji during his invasion of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Vinoba Bhave: was selected as the first Satyagrahi in Individual Satyagrah Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi.

Vish: In the Vedic society, the term vish denoted a group of families.

Vishaya: was the most important of the smaller administrative units of the Gupta empire.

Vishayapati: During the Gupta period of Indian history, village affairs were managed by the village headman with the assistance of Vishayapati.

Vivekanand, Swami: was founder of the Ramakrishna Mission.