Astika (Hinduism)

Astika was an ancient Hindu rishi (sage), and he was a son of Jaratkaru by the serpent goddess Manasa - a sister of the great serpent king Vasuki. According to the Mahabharata, he saved the life of a serpent Takshaka, the king of snakes, when king Janamejaya organized a snake sacrifice known as Sarpa Satra, where he made great sacrifices of serpents, to avenge for the death of his father Parikshit due to snake bite of Takshaka. Ultimately, he induced and prevailed upon the king to end his persecution of the serpent race. That day was Shukla Paksha Panchami in the month of Shravan and is since celebrated as the festival of Nag Panchami.

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Hinduism

Hinduism is a religion, or a way of life, found most notably in India and Nepal. Although Hinduism contains a broad range of philosophies, it is a family of linked religious cultures bound by shared concepts, recognisable rituals, cosmology, shared textual resources, pilgrimage to sacred sites and the questioning of authority. It includes various denominations each with an interwoven diversity of beliefs and practices.

Hinduism has been called the "oldest religion" in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as Sanātana Dharma, "the eternal law" or the "eternal way" beyond human origins. Scholars regard Hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no founder. This "Hindu synthesis" started to develop between 500 BCE and 300 CE, after the Vedic times. Hinduism prescribes the eternal duties, such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings (ahimsa), patience, forbearance, self-restraint, compassion, among others.

Āstika and nāstika

Āstika ("there is, there exists") and nāstika ("not āstika") are concepts used by the Brahmanical tradition, and modern scholars to classify and contrast Indian philosophies. Āstika has been defined in one of three ways; as those who accept the epistemic authority of the Vedas, as those who accept the existence of ātman, or as those who accept the existence of Ishvara. In contrast, nāstika are those who deny the respective foundational definitions of āstika.

The various definitions for āstika and nastika philosophies has been disputed since ancient times, and there is no consensus.Buddhism is considered to be nāstika, but the Gautama Buddha is considered an avatar of Vishnu in some Hindu traditions. The most studied Āstika schools of Indian philosophies, sometimes referred to as orthodox schools, are six: Nyāyá, Vaiśeṣika, Sāṃkhya, Yoga, Mīmāṃsā, and Vedānta – all schools of Hinduism. The most studied Nāstika schools of Indian philosophies, sometimes referred to as heterodox schools, are four: Buddhism, Jainism, Cārvāka, and Ājīvika – last two are also schools of Hinduism. This orthodox-heterodox terminology is a construct of Western languages, and lacks scholarly roots in Sanskrit. Recent scholarly studies state that there have been various heresiological translations of Āstika and Nāstika in 20th century literature on Indian philosophies, but quite many are unsophisticated and flawed.

Astika (beer)

Astika is a Bulgarian beer brand made in the city of Haskovo (Bulgarian: Астика). The Astika Brewery was established in 1980, and in 1995 was bought by Kamenitza, itself currently owned by Molson Coors. It has two brands – Astika Light (originally Astika Lux) and Astika Dark (5.6%, sold in winter). As of 2012, Astika is sold in 600 ml bottles, with a pull-off top.

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Astika Brewery

Astika is a brewery making a blond pilsner with an alcohol content of 5% ABV in the city of Haskovo, in southern Bulgaria. The brand has a leading position in the Bulgarian premium segment. The brewery draws on the best deep-lying water in Thrace. Astika is characterized by a pale golden hue, a long-lasting white foam, and a taste which balances a slightly honey like flavor with a soft bitterness. It should be served cold at 5°C.

Astika, together with market leader Kamenitza, was one of many Bulgarian breweries owned by InBev. In mid October 2009, private equity fund CVC Capital Partners bought all of Anheuser–Busch InBev's holdings in Central Europe for €2.23 billion. They renamed the operations StarBev. In 2012, the Molson Coors Brewing Company bought StarBev.

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