Svayambhu

This article is about the Sanskrit word. For the temple, see Swayambhunath.

Svayambhu (Sanskrit: स्वयम्भू, romanized: Svayambhū, lit. 'self-born') is a Sanskrit word that means "self-born",[1] "self-manifested", "self-existing",[2] or "that that is created by its own accord".[3] Various deities and entities featured in Hindu literature and tradition are regarded to be svayambhu, such as Brahman in the Upanishads, and the Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and Manu in the Puranas.[4][5]

The term svayambhu is also used to describe the belief of a self-manifested image (murti) of a deity present in a temple, which is described to be not of human creation, but of natural or divine origin. Such images are described in some of the regional legends of religious sites called the sthala puranas.[6] Some of the best examples of such images include the twelve Jyotirlinga images of Shiva,[7] and Venkateswara image of Vishnu.[8]

  1. ^ Narayan, Aiyangar. Essays On Indo-Aryan Mythology-Vol. Asian Educational Services. p. 214. ISBN 978-81-206-0140-6.
  2. ^ Kippenberg, Hans G.; Kuiper, Yme B.; Sanders, Andy F. (1990). Concepts of Person in Religion and Thought. Walter de Gruyter. p. 251. ISBN 978-3-11-012159-9.
  3. ^ Koslowski, P. (31 July 2003). Philosophy Bridging the World Religions. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-4020-0648-7.
  4. ^ Dalal, Roshen (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books India. p. 402. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
  5. ^ Nakamura, Hajime (1992). A Comparative History of Ideas. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 90. ISBN 978-81-208-1004-4.
  6. ^ Flueckiger, Joyce Burkhalter (6 May 2015). Everyday Hinduism. John Wiley & Sons. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-4051-6021-6.
  7. ^ Lochtefeld, James (27 January 2010). God's Gateway: Identity and Meaning in a Hindu Pilgrimage Place. Oxford University Press. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-19-045264-3.
  8. ^ Nair, Shantha (7 January 2014). Sri Venkateshwara. Jaico Publishing House. p. 33. ISBN 978-81-8495-445-6.