In Hinduism

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Dvārapālī (द्वारपाली) refers to “she who is the guardian of the door”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “Nādamaṅgalyā (Vinayā) is in the north-east. She has the face of a bird and three eyes. She sits on a pig. She has ten arms and is very fierce. In the right hands she holds a sword, lance, bow, double-headed drum, and skeleton; in the left, a dagger, a skull, trident, fetter, and goad. She has matted hair and is the goddess who bestows boons in the north-east. Worshipped, there is success in whatever one desires. Full of the sixteen energies, she, the guardian of the door [i.e., dvārapālī], is beautiful”.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: MDPI Books: The Ocean of Heroes

Dvārapālī (द्वारपाली) refers to “female gatekeepers”, according to the 10th-century Ḍākārṇava-tantra: one of the last Tibetan Tantric scriptures belonging to the Buddhist Saṃvara tradition consisting of 51 chapters.—Accordingly, while explaining the mind-circle: “[...] However, devoid of its intrinsic nature, the circle is selfless. Having discerned exactly [the gatekeeping females] outside the grounds in all layers, [he, who] follows the sequence, [should provide] four seats and twelve [seats] to the gatekeeping females (dvārapālī) of all [layers]. Should the sixteen [gatekeepers] thus [taught] be discerned as the [Sixteen] Emptinesses, [he is] wise. [...]”.

context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Dvārapālin (द्वारपालिन्) refers to a “door-keeper”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “A bad birth is hard to be accomplished even in a dream for him whose judgment, which is extremely skilful at examination like a door-keeper (dvārapālin), shines in the mind. Having got rid of the multitude of imaginings, when the steady mind holds onto [its] nature, then it is indeed the best [form of] stopping the influx of karma for a mendicant”.

Synonyms: Dvārapālika.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Dvārapālī (द्वारपाली).—name of a town: °liyām, loc., Mahā-Māyūrī 13 (see Lévi p. 62).

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Dvara, Pali, Paali.

Starts with: Dvarapalika, Dvarapalini.

Full-text: Dvarapalika, Pali.

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