Abdáli—Fakirs of the báshara order. Abdár—A servant who prepares water for domestic use. Abdhut—A sect of religious mendicants. Abhir—A caste employed as cowherds and shepherds. Abkár—A maker of strong waters. Abri—A building stone found at Kabul. Achárgya—A caste of Bengalese, said to have originated from the Brahmins. Achárya—A teacher. Achátur—A caste of cultivators of the soil. Adálat—A court of justice. Adar—The ninth month. Adbhutásánti—A burnt sacrifice used to counteract evil omens. Adhipati—-A ruler. Adhwaryu—The third class of priests employed at a vedic sacrifice. Adi Granth—The chief scripture of the Sikhs. Adináth—The first arhat of the Jains. Aditya—The sun. Adlingadawar—A caste of agriculturists. Advichinchi—A caste of cultivators of the land. Afrit—A demon. Agarwala—A trading caste. Agasa—A caste of washermen. Aghora—Religious mendicants who sometimes feed on human flesh. Agiari—A temple in which perpetual fire is maintained. Agni—The god of fire. Aguri—A Bengalese caste of cultivators. Ahri—One of the Himalayan gods. Ahriman—The personification of evil in the Zoroastrian religion. Akshamala—A string of beads. Alifshai—The Benawa fakirs. Amanth—A Bengalese caste employed as servants. Amaras—Immortal. Ambattan—A caste employed as barbers. Amma Kodagas—A sect driven away by the Brahmins. Anant—Endless, a name applied to Vishnu and other gods. Andhyaru—A Parsi priest. Andra—A Buddhist dynasty considered to have reigned in India from 31 B.C. to 429 A.D. Anila—The god of fire. Annapurná—The goddess who is said to feed the inhabitants of Benares. Aranyaka—A part of the Veda, considered so holy that it may be read only in the solitude of a forest. Archáka—An officiating priest at a pagoda. Ardha-matra—A mysterious word applicable to the deity. Ardhanárisa—Name of Siva in his form as half male, half female. Arjà—A female mendicant. Asani—A small seat, also a carpet used at prayers. Asiloma—A demon who had swords instead of hair. Asthal—A temple. Asura—A spirit. Atasil—The eight precepts binding on an upasaka. Atharwa—The name of the fourth veda. Aukamma—A village goddess. Avasta—The Zoroastrian scriptures. Ayenar—A god of India who is supposed to guard the fields from demons. Azád—An order of fakirs. Bagh—A garden. Bahucharaji—A goddess worshipped in Gujarat. Bahuta—An amulet worn on the arm by the worshippers of Narsingh. Bai—A lady. Baidni—A woman of the Baidya caste. Baidya—A caste supposed to be the offspring of a Brahman father and Vaisya mother. Balái—A caste of Sudras. Balarám—The elder brother of Krishna, sometimes an incarnation of Vishnu. Bàna—An arrow. Bandhá—A slave or bondmen. Baráhan—A goddess who is supposed to cure swelled hands and feet. Barát—The final ceremony of a marriage. Barwa—A wise man of the Bhils. Basani—A prostitute, or female dedicated to a god. Basawa—The sacred bull. Báshkala—A demon. Benawa—A community of fakirs of the beshara order.