This is a list of all (or most) non-English words to be used in the fic and this will be updated from time to time as per needs of the story. However, it might be prudent to read some of it to better understand the political and geographical aspects of the story, and, if you are unfamiliar with North Indian terminology, this will help you to understand what is being discussed. Please go through this at least once.
Achaarya/ Aacharya: A reverential salutation to a teacher.
Aashram/ Ashram/ Gurukul: Residential schools in ancient India.
Angavastra: An upper garment worn by nobility.
Antapura: The inner chambers of a palace where only females reside.
Apsara: A group of very beautiful women, rumored to be celestial nymphs, renowned for their liberal lifestyle and open relationships with men.
Aryavarta / Aryavart: Literally land of the Aryans, ancient name for North India.
Astra: Specially prepared shaft or missile, often rumored to be of divine origin.
Asura: Literally opposites of Sura (gods or Devas), a clan which resides in South India, known for their progressive ideals and inhuman practices.
Ayuralay: The medical room. Alternately, a makeshift hospital.
Bali: Great, progressive Asura king of the South, defeated by Vishnu incarnate Vamana Vishnu.
Bazaar: A marketplace.
Brahma: The Supreme Being, the first of the Tri-Devas (or the Holy Trinity) and the creator of the Universe.
Brahmin: The highest Varna, said to have originated from the head of Brahma, the Supreme being, they are people who seek and share knowledge, guide people and engage in worship.
Bramhachaarya: Student life where a man maintains forced celibacy and seeks Brahma, such a man is called a Brahmachari.
Bharata Varsha/ Bharat Varsh / Bharat Varsha: The whole of India including Aryavart, Parashuram Kshetra and present day Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan.
Cheras, Cholas, Pallavas, Pandyas: Rulers of South India. Many of them are proteges of Parashuram. Most of them supported the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war.
Dakshinayan: Southward movement of the Sun, from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn. It signifies the onset of winter.
Desh/ Desha: Country.
Deva (fem. Devi): The most important group of people in Aryavart. In this story, they used to reside in a small principality on the Himachal (Middle) range of the Himalayas and their capital was Aamaravati. They are often revered as deities in the plains and are worshipped as different forms of nature. The kingdom, once sprawling and great, was established by the 1st king of the Indra dynasty, Purnendra. The current Indra is the biological father of Arjun. There are several dynastic 'Houses' like the Surya (sun), Chandra (moon), Vishwakarma (the royal architects and engineers) etc. [Think of the 'House of Black' potterheads]. This principality has fallen and it's last ruler, Devendra, and some other Devas have sought political asylum in Khandiva, the land of rebel nagas ruled by the Naga Takshak.
Devi, Mahodaya, Shreemati: Honorifics for women
Dhoti: A folded lower garment worn by men and women.
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A Heart of Gold
Historical FictionKunti, then Pritha, casts away her son. Years later, he comes back to haunt her. The Kauravas win the War. It's no proper victory, yet when a truce is made, they have the upper hand. And she sees what the world means when they say her son is generou...
