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Harihara

  • Living reference work entry
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Hinduism and Tribal Religions

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

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Synonyms

Haryarddha; Śaṅkara-Nārāyaṇa; Śiva-Nārāyaṇa

Definition

Harihara is a composite deity comprising of Viṣṇu and Śiva. It suggests the union of Vaiṣṇavism and Śaivism. Harihara is also referred by other names such as Haryarddha, Śaṅkara-Nārāyaṇa, Śiva-Nārāyaṇa, etc.

Introduction

Lord Harihara is the syncretic form of Viṣṇu and Śiva. It is a unifying deity of two cults (Vaiṣṇavism and Śaivism) which were having conflicts. Composite or syncretic forms of deities are often an outcome of socioreligious and sociopolitical factors. It is mostly social assimilation of two religious cults and philosophically declaration of oneness in the two or multiple deities. The composite form of deities is mainly of three types: (1) two male deities like Hari-Brahmā, Hari-Hara, Sūrya-Brahmā, Śiva-Sūrya, etc.; (2) male and female deities combined such as Ardhanārīśvara, Viṣṇu-Kamalajā, etc.; and (3) sometimes composite deities that include more than two deities such as Brahmā-Viṣṇu-Śiva-Sūrya,...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India

    Shakuntala Gawde

Authors
  1. Shakuntala Gawde
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Religion and Asian Studies, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA, USA

    Jeffery D. Long

  2. The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Rita D. Sherma

  3. Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, TX, USA

    Pankaj Jain

  4. Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

    Madhu Khanna

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Gawde, S. (2021). Harihara. In: Long, J.D., Sherma, R.D., Jain, P., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_505-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_505-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

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