moniker:

name or nickname

moniker:

name or nickname

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Ravana was also known by several other monikers such as Dashamuka (one who had ten heads) and Lankesheva (the lord of Lanka). Mahabharata:  Drawing on the almost countless monikers that Krishna had, Bhishma on his deathbed worshiped Krishna or glorified Krishna by reciting the Visnu-sahasra-nama, the celebrated thousand names of Visnu. Bhagavad-gita: 

parochial:

having a limited or narrow outlook or scope

Example Sentences: Ramayana: For Dasharatha, Kaikeyi’s desire that her own son become the next king was parochial but understandable; however, her insistence that blameless Rama be exiled to the forest for fourteen years was brutal and unacceptable. Mahabharata: Dhritarashtra’s parochial attitude, whereby he considered his own children as his and othered the Pandavas, eventually led

revanchism:

a policy of seeking to retaliate, especially to recover lost territory

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Knowing that the demons would be driven by revanchism after being routed at Janasthna, Rama told Lakshmana that they both needed to be extremely cautious. Mahabharata:  That the Pandavas were not motivated by revanchism, if fighting the Kurukshetra war is clearly seen through their prior willingness to settle for just five villages,

circumscribe:

restrict (something within limits)

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Though Ravana’s powers were formidable, he was circumscribed by his vulnerability to humans. Mahabharata:  During the battle between Bhishma and Arjuna, Arjuna let himself be circumscribed by his affection for Bhishma but Bhishma didn’t let himself be circumscribed by his affection for Arjuna. Bhagavad-gita:  We all are circumscribed by our attachments –

mellifluous:

having a smooth rich flow

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  As Rama and Lakshmana were led by Viswamitra to his hermitage, they could hear the mellifluous recitation of Vedic chants coming from the sacrificial arena. Mahabharata:  Yudhisthira, more than all the other Pandavas, rejoiced the association of the sages in the forest as they told ancient narratives and chanted hymns in mellifluous

provenance:

source, origin

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  As the rumors questioning Sita’s purity had become so widespread, Rama felt that questioning their provenance wouldn’t be productive; minimizing their consequence became his foremost concern. Mahabharata:   While the Pandavas waited in Drupada’s palace for lunch to be served, they examined the shining weapons kept on a nearby table, wondering which

shilly-shally:

to act indecisively, to waste time

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Once Dasharatha got the inspiration to pass the throne onto Rama, he didn’t shilly-shally but immediately began the process for succession. Mahabharata:  After Pandu’s untimely demise, the sages in the Himalayas urged Kunti not to shilly-shally but to promptly return to the kingdom of Hastinapura. Bhagavad-gita:  At the start of the Kurukshetra

intractable:

hard to control or deal with

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Vali’s arrogance and adamance made his small misunderstanding about Sugriva’s actions into an intractable conflict. Mahabharata:  Because Duryodhana refused to return the Pandavas’ rightful kingdom even after their exile, the political deadlock between the cousins became intractable. Bhagavad-gita:  Lust is the intractable inner enemy that torments all living beings and thus threatens

etiolate:

to deprive of natural vigor, make feeble

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Although age hadn’t etiolated Jatayu, it had slowed his reflexes, and that proved fatal for him in his fight with Ravana. Mahabharata:  During the Kurukshetra war in which Dhritarashtra lost all his hundred sons, those eighteen days etiolated him more than the preceding eighteen years. Bhagavad-gita:  Knowledge means to contemplate the distresses

galling:

causing annoyance or resentment; irritating

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  It was especially galling for Ravana to be publically reproached by Kumbhakarna for having abducted Sita without consulting anyone else in Lanka. Mahabharata:  What Duryodhana found most galling about Krishna’s peace proposal was that it had won over Dushasana, the brother he trusted the most. Bhagavad-gita:  The thing our mind finds galling