Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Juggernaut"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Juggernaut \Jug"ger*naut`\, n. [Skr. jagann[=a]tha lord of the
world.]
One of the names under which Vishnu, in his incarnation as
Krishna, is worshiped by the Hindoos. [Written also
{Juggernnath}, {Jaganath}, {Jaganatha}, etc.]
Note: The principal seat of the worship of Juggernaut is at
P[^u]ri in Orissa. At certain times the idol is drawn
from the temple by the multitude, on a high car with
sixteen wheels. Formerly, fanatics sometimes threw
themselves under the wheels to be crushed as a
sacrifice to the god.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Jagannath \Jag"an*nath\, Jagannatha \Jag`an*na"tha\, n. Also
Juggernaut \Jug"ger*naut\ [Hind. Jagan-n[=a]th lord of the
world, Skr. jagann[=a]tha.] (Hinduism)
A particular form of Vishnu, or of Krishna, whose chief idol
and worship are at Puri, in Orissa. The idol is considered to
contain the bones of Krishna and to possess a soul. The
principal festivals are the Snanayatra, when the idol is
bathed, and the Rathayatra, when the image is drawn upon a
car adorned with obscene paintings. Formerly it was
erroneously supposed that devotees allowed themselves to be
crushed beneath the wheels of this car. It is now known that
any death within the temple of Jagannath is considered to
render the place unclean, and any spilling of blood in the
presence of the idol is a pollution.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
juggernaut
n 1: a massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in
its way [syn: {steamroller}]
2: an avatar of Vishnu [syn: {Jagannath}, {Jagannatha}, {Jagganath},
{Juggernaut}]
3: a crude idol of Krishna [syn: {Juggernaut}]
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