The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2297 page)

see
N
RO CHOS DRUG
.

 
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see
AWM
.

 
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(Skt., ‘pillar, support’). Vedic Hindu term for a pillar, known in post-Vedic times as sta
bha. In the
Vedas
, it is the scaffolding (metaphorically understood) supporting creation—e.g.
Atharva Veda
10. 7 and 8. It is also the
axis mundi
. In practice, ska
bhas were set up for many reasons, and with elaborate decoration. Central are those associated with the
li
ga
, but others are devoted to virtually any god. The classic work on architecture,
M
n
sara
15, analyses the types of ska
bhas.