The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2673 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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V
tra
(Skt., ‘storm-cloud’). In Hinduism, the dark cloud of ignorance and sloth, personified as a demon-serpent, vanquished by
Indra
.
V
tti
(Skt., ‘wave’). In Hinduism, the thoughts of the waking and dream states which wash over consciousness like waves, and prevent the seeing of truth.
Vulgate
(Lat.,
versio vulgata
, ‘popular version’). The Lat. version of the Christian
Bible
of widest circulation where Latin continued to be used. Mainly the work of
Jerome
, it was intended to end the confusion of varying readings in the existing ‘Old Latin’ MSS of the Bible. The Council of
Trent
(1546) pronounced the Vulgate the only authentic Lat. text of the scriptures. A full critical edition by the
Benedictines
was begun at the direction of Pope Pius X in 1907.
Vulture Peak
(mythical mountain):
Vy
h
ti
.
The Hindu utterance of sacred sounds,
mantras
, etc., especially the sacrificial utterances of
Praj
pati
,
bh
r
,
bhuvar
,
svar
, ‘the three clear ones’.
Manusm
ti
2. 76 calls them ‘the great vy
h
tis’, and they are recited by
brahmans
after
O
at the beginning of each day's prayer.

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