Guest. In ancient India a welcome for athithis was as important as a yajna. All good karma that a  person earned would disappear if a brahmin guest was not given rice, as per Manusmriti Chapter 100 verse 3.

According to Manu, a person who visits once in a while is a guest. Anyone who stays in the same region and uses this as an excuse to visit daily need not be deemed as a guest. Irrespective of whether a guest comes in before or after dinner, he should be given a meal. Even if a vaishya or a shudra arrived at a brahmin’s place as a guest, he should offer them meals along with his servants.

A son of Ravana.

After Brahma created the universe, he felt quite proud and decided to rest for a while. To teach him a lesson, Vishnu released earwax which became two rakshasas called Madhukaidabhas. On hearing their raucous laughter, Brahma was frightened and approached Vishnu for help. Since his ploy was succesful, Vishnu called the Madhukaidabhas and told them he would give them a boon. They countered that they would give Vishnu a boon. So Vishnu said that he would like the permission to kill them, as a boon. They said that they would not go back on their word, but since their lust for battle had not been quenched, Vishnu should take care of that. Vishnu agreed, but said that the boon he got needed to be done with first. Vishnu told them that later, they would be born as Khara and Atikaya in the Tretayuga, and that he would himself kill Khara in the form of Rama, and Atikaya would be killed by Lakshmana, an incarnation of Anantha. Thus each would fight a battle that would quench his thirst. So saying, he placed each rakshasa on a thigh, and killed them with them with the sudarshan chakra, according to Kambaramayana Yudhakanda.

The Kambaramayana Yudhakanda further describes his birth and other details. When Ravana was returning in the Pushpakavimana after defeating Kuber, he saw a few gandharva women in the foothills of Mayuragiri. Their leader was Chitrangi, wife of Chitrangada. Ravana managed to seduce her and have a child with her. She left the child with Ravana and returned to the heavens. Ravana placed the child in the Pushpakavimana and resumed his journey. But the vehicle struck Girishringa and the child was thrown into the jungle. When Ravana searched for the child, he found that it had landed on a rock, but remained unhurt. Ravana tried to lift the baby but couldn’t do so in spite of using ten of his hands. Meanwhile the baby started growing. Ravana used twenty hands and the baby grew further. Finally it got into the pushpakavimana by itself. Ravana named him Atikaya and placed him under the care of Dhanyamala, in Lanka.

Atikaya began praying to Brahma in Gokarna. Brahma appeared, but Atikaya was so lost in meditation that he didn’t realise Brahma’s presence. He had even stopped breathing. Brahma used his power to force air into Atikaya, and rejuvenate him. Following that he gave Atikaya three blessings – the brahmastra which could annihilate anyone, a jacket which nothing could pierce, and the absence of thirst and desire.

Atikaya trained under Shiva in Kailash. After completing his education, Atikaya asked Shiva what he’d like as gurudakshina. Shiva asked Atikaya to promise that he would never use maya as a weapon. Atikaya did so, and Shiva was pleased enough to give him the Pashupatastra.

Atikaya had an uncle named Chandra, who once lost to Indra. He was brooding over that when Atikaya arrived in Lanka with the pashupatastra. He asked Atikaya to capture Indra. Atikaya fought with Indra but Vishnu arrived there and helped Indra with the sudarshan chakra. Atikaya countered that with the pashupatastra. Vishnu learned who Atikaya was and withdrew himself from the fight. Indra agreed that he had been defeated.

During Rama’s war with Ravana, Lakshmana killed Atikaya after a long fight.

One of the seven divisions of the netherworld – Patala, Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, and Rasatala. This is the first world in the netherworld. It is ruled by Bala, the strong, arrogant magician, son of Maya. He has created ninety six mayas who are capable of granting any wish. From his yawns emerge three types of women – Pumshchalis, Kaminis, Swairinis. Bala is supposed to have a potion called Hataka, which can entice all those who enter Atala and convert them into able bodied men who he then uses for carnal purposes, according to Devibhagavata Ashtamaskanda.

The brahmand consisting of fourteen worlds is called Andakadaha. The worlds are Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Suvarloka, Maharloka, Janarloka, Tapoloka, Satyaloka, Patala, Rasatala, Mahatala, Talatala, Sutala, Vitala, Atala.

According to Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 1 verse 28, when Soota, disciple of Vyasa,  was speaking to the sages in Naimisharanya, he told them that in the beginning, from the all encompassing darkness, emerged a seed named anda.

According to Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 1 verse 232, a king in ancient India.

Anu was the son in law of Shuka, a brahmarshi and the son of Vyasa. Shuka’s wife was Peevariand they had four sons – Krishna, Gauraprabha, Bhuri, Devashruta, and one daughter – Kirti. According to Devibhagavata Pradhamaskanda, Kirti was married to Digbhraja’s son Anu.

Also known as Mandavya. Mandavya was a famous sage. Once he started a vow of silence beneath a tree in front of his ashram, and stood there with his arms held high for a long time. A few robbers passed that way carrying the money they had stolen from the king of the land. Since the soldiers were in hot pursuit, they hid the money in Mandavya’s ashram. The soldiers recovered the money from the ashram and started questioning Mandavya, who didn’t speak a word. Meanwhile, they also found the robbers and thought that Mandavya was also part of their group. The soldiers took all of them to the king, who sentenced them to capital punishment. The soldiers took them all to an open place and stuck tridents into them. The robbers died, but even after a long while, Mandavya survived. According to Mahabharata Anushasanaparva verses 46-51, Shiva appeared before Mandavya and blessed him with a long life. Several sages too came to him in the form of birds and enquired about his condition. The king came to hear about this, and immediately approached Mandavya and asked for forgiveness. They tried to remove the trident from his body but were unsuccessful. According to Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 107, finally the trident was broken and only the tip (ani) remained lodged in Mandavya’s body. Thus he came to be known as Animandavya.

After Animandavya had lived for several years with the trident tip lodged in his body, he once asked Kala why he received this punishment. Kala told him that in his childhood, he had caught birds and strung them to a bush. This was his punishment. Animandavya countered that according to custom, all crimes committed before the age of twelve were to be pardoned. He cursed Kala that since he had been punished unjustly, Kala would be born as a shudra. According to Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 107, this was why Vidura was born of a shudra woman.

Shilavati was the wife of Ugrashravas, son of Atri. She was famous for being the most virtuous wife ever. Once Ugrashravas became ill but harboured a wish to visit a brothel. He was unable to walk the way and Shilavati carried him there. They had to pass through the place where Animandavya stood, struck with the trident. Animandavya came to know what had transpired and cursed that Ugrashravas would die before sunrise. Shilavati countered that she would then became a widow, and cursed that the sun would never rise henceforth. The sun didn’t rise the next day. It caused a huge amount of turmoil with the world’s functioning. The devas approached Atri and coaxed Anasuya, Atri’s wife to get Shilavati to withdraw her curse. According to Brahmandapurana Chapter 42, the sun rose and Ugrashravas died.

As per Mahabharata Udyogaparva Chapter 83, once when Krisha was on his way to Hastinapura to visit the Pandavas, he met a group of sages. One of them was Animandavya.

Once the king of Videha called Animandavya and spoke to him about the finite nature of the world and advised him to work towards the soul’s development. According to Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 276, verses 3-14, Animandavya was impressed enough to heed his advice, and soon attained moksha.

The chief part of a trident, according to the sage Mandavya. Since Mandavya always carried his trident on his body, he was called Animandavya according to Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 107 verse 8.

According to Mahabharata Bhishmaparva Chapter 9 verse 64, a state in ancient India.