Vaishvanara, Vaiśvānara: 24 definitions
Introduction:
Vaishvanara means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
The Sanskrit term Vaiśvānara can be transliterated into English as Vaisvanara or Vaishvanara, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Vaiswanar.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia1) Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—A hermit. It is mentioned in Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 7 Verse 18, that this hermit stays in the palace of Indra. (Ṛgveda, Maṇḍala 1, Anuvāka 11, Sūkta 59).
2) Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—The first son of Agni called Bhānu. In Cāturmāsya-sacrifice, this fire Vaiśvānara also is worshipped along with the fire Parjanya. (Mahābhārata Vana Parva, Chapter 221, Stanza 16).
3) Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—One of the sons born to Kaśyapa by his wife Manu. (Bhāgavata, Skandha 6).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—A name of Agni;1 to be propitiated by eight oblations or Vaiśvadeva and five others. prāṇa, apāna, samāna, udāna and vyāna.2
1b) A son of Danu, and father of four daughters, Upadānavī and others.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa VI. 6. 33; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 6. 7; Vāyu-purāṇa 68. 7.
1c) Father of two daughters, Pulomā and Kāla (li) kā who were married to Mārica; from them 74,000 Dānavas; lived in Hiraṇyapura; slain by Arjuna.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 6. 22; Vāyu-purāṇa 68. 23-27.
1d) Resides in Somapānam tīrtha.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 22. 62.
1e) A son of Bharatāgni.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 29. 8; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 12. 8.
1f) The Dakṣiṇasthānam, which has three roads or vīthis.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa I. 2. 28; Vāyu-purāṇa 45. 91; 50. 156; 66. 47, 52.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara1) Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) is the name of a Brāhman who came as a guest to the house of Govindadatta, a learned Brāhman from Bahusuvarṇaka, which is a royal district on the bank of the Ganges, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 7. He had a wife named Agnidattā with whom he had five sons.
2) Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) is the name of one of the two sons of Piṅgalikā, the daughter of the Brāhman Yajñadatta according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 21. Piṅgalikā was married to Śaṅkaradatta (son of Agnidatta) but was abandoned by them both and her property was raided. Her twins were named Śāntisoma and Vaiśvānara by Vāsavadattā and it was settled they were to be the future domestic chaplains of her unborn son.
According to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 23, when prince Naravāhanadatta (son of Udayana) grew up, all the king’s ministers brought there sons for the sake of his companion. Accordingly, “And that Prince Naravāhanadatta was always surrounded by those six ministers’ sons (e.g., Vaiśvānara), devoted to him alone, who commanded respect even in their boyhood, as if with the six political measures that are the cause of great prosperity”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Vaiśvānara, is a famous Sanskrit epic story revolving around prince Naravāhanadatta and his quest to become the emperor of the vidyādharas (celestial beings). The work is said to have been an adaptation of Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā consisting of 100,000 verses, which in turn is part of a larger work containing 700,000 verses.
Kavya (काव्य, kavya) refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: JSTOR: Tāntric Dīkṣā by Surya KantaVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) refers to one of the eight forms of fire (agni) to be assigned to the body parts of the worshipper during preliminary rites before Dīkṣā: an important ritual of Śāktism described in the Śāradātilaka-tantra, chapters III-V. The various tongues (jihvās) of fire are assigned to the various limbs of the body of the worshipper. The eight forms of fire (viz. Vaiśvānara) are assigned to the body of the worshipper.
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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Rasashastra (Alchemy and Herbo-Mineral preparations)
Source: Wisdom Library: Rasa-śāstraVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) or (Vaiśvānararasa, Vaiśvānaralauha) is the name of various Ayurvedic recipes defined in the fourth volume of the Rasajalanidhi (chapter 6, udararoga: belly-related diseases) and the fifth volume of the Rasajalanidhi (chapter 10, Śūla: pain in the belly and chapter 11, Gulma: tumour in the belly). These remedies are classified as Iatrochemistry and form part of the ancient Indian science known as Rasaśāstra (medical alchemy). However, since it is an ayurveda treatment it should be taken with caution and in accordance with rules laid down in the texts.
Accordingly, when using such recipes (e.g., vaiśvānara-rasa and lauha): “the minerals (uparasa), poisons (viṣa), and other drugs (except herbs), referred to as ingredients of medicines, are to be duly purified and incinerated, as the case may be, in accordance with the processes laid out in the texts.” (see introduction to Iatro chemical medicines)
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra)
Source: archive.org: Hindu MathematicsVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) represents the number 3 (three) in the “word-numeral system” (bhūtasaṃkhyā), which was used in Sanskrit texts dealing with astronomy, mathematics, metrics, as well as in the dates of inscriptions and manuscripts in ancient Indian literature.—A system of expressing numbers by means of words arranged as in the place-value notation was developed and perfected in India in the early centuries of the Christian era. In this system the numerals [e.g., 3—vaiśvānara] are expressed by names of things, beings or concepts, which, naturally or in accordance with the teaching of the Śāstras, connote numbers.
Ganitashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, gaṇitaśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science of mathematics, algebra, number theory, arithmetic, etc. Closely allied with astronomy, both were commonly taught and studied in universities, even since the 1st millennium BCE. Ganita-shastra also includes ritualistic math-books such as the Shulba-sutras.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: Wisdom Library: HinduismVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर, “the all-pervader”):—One of the five natural forms of Agni (Vedic god of Divine illumination). This form, known as Vaiśvānara, represents the power of digesting, found in all things, all beings. It is the support of life.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: Google Books: VajrayoginiVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—Protector deity of the south-eastern cremation ground.—The southeast (āgneya) belongs to Agni (Śmaśānavidhi 14). Here, the synonym Vaiśvānara is given, the name of the fire in the cāturmāsya sacrifice; hence it is also listed as Hutavahadigīśa (Guhyasamayasādhanamālā 34) and Hutāśana (Saṃvarodayatantra 17). He is described in the Adbhutaśmaśānālaṃkāra as mounted on a goat, potbellied, red-limbed, having a “firepit skull bowl” (kuṇḍakapālī) and a “pot with rosary” (sākṣasūtrakamaṇḍalu).
Source: Wisdomlib Libary: VajrayoginiVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) is the name of the protector (dikpati) associated with Lakṣmīvana: the south-eastern cremation ground (śmaśāna) according to the Vajravārāhī-sādhana by Umāpatideva as found in te 12th century Guhyasamayasādhanamālā. As a part of this sādhana, the practicioner is to visualize a suitable dwelling place for the goddess inside the circle of protection which takes the form of eight cremation grounds.
These protectors (e.g., Vaiśvānara) are variously known as dikpati, dikpāla and lokāpala and can be traced to purāṇic legends where eight protectors are assigned to each direction by Brahmā. According to the Śmaśānavidhi verse 20, these protectors are in union with their wives and have four arms, two of which make the añjali gesture of obeisance, while the second pair usually holds a skull bowl and a tantric weapon. They are variously depicted upon their respective mounts, or sitting at the base of the tree.
Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara SamadhiVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) refers to the “universal man”, according to Buddhist teachings followed by the Newah in Nepal, Kathmandu Valley (whose roots can be traced to the Licchavi period, 300-879 CE).— The Kalaśapūjā also includes the worship of Gaṇeśa and Mahākāla; the deity Āyurvṛddhi, “the Increase of Long Life”, as the Dhaupati, “Yogurt Pot”; the pañca-gomātā, “the Five Cows” deities, as the Gogrāsa, literally “cow’s mouth”, which is a leaf for making offerings to the pañca-gomātā; Vasundharā and Lakṣmī, the Goddesses of the earth and wealth respectively, as the Jvālā Nhāykaṃ, “the flaming mirror” and Sinhaḥmū, a special pot for storing ṭīkā powder, (both names in Newah), respectively; Cakrasaṃvara and Vajravārāhī again as the mākaḥdalū and kāybhaḥ; and finally this time Vaiśvānara, “The Universal Man”, another form of the sun god, as the sukundā.
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: archive.org: TrisastisalakapurusacaritraVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) is the name of a Brāhman from Kauśāmbī, according to the Jain Ramayana and chapter 7.5 [The kidnapping of Sītā] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.—Accordingly, [as the Mleccha-king said to Rāma]: “Your Majesty, in the city Kauśāmbī there is a Brāhman, Vaiśvānara, and his wife Sāvitrī. I am their son, Rudradeva. Because of cruel karma, from birth I was a thief and devoted to other men’s wives. There is nothing which I, wicked, did not do. [...] Wandering about, I came to this village and, known here by another name, Kāka, I gradually reached the village-headship. [...]”.
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.
India history and geography
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryVaiśvānara.—(IE 7-1-2), ‘three’. Cf. vaiśvadeva. Note: vaiśvānara is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryvaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—m S A particular medicinal preparation. 2 Agni or fire,--the element fire or the personification of it.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishvaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—m Fire.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—a. (-rī f.)
1) Relating or common to all mankind, fit for all men; तान् होवाचैते वै खलु यूयं पृथगिवेम- मात्मानं वैश्वानरं विद्वांसोऽन्नमत्थ (tān hovācaite vai khalu yūyaṃ pṛthagivema- mātmānaṃ vaiśvānaraṃ vidvāṃso'nnamattha) Ch. Up.5.18; स एष वैश्वानरो विश्वरूपः प्राणोऽग्निरुदयते (sa eṣa vaiśvānaro viśvarūpaḥ prāṇo'gnirudayate) Praśṇa Up.1.7; हिरण्यगर्भः स्थूलेऽस्मिन् देहे वैश्वानरो भवेत् (hiraṇyagarbhaḥ sthūle'smin dehe vaiśvānaro bhavet) Pañchadaśī 1.28;
2) Universal, general, common.
2) Zodiacal; गगने तान्यनेकानि वैश्वानरपथाद्वहिः (gagane tānyanekāni vaiśvānarapathādvahiḥ) Rām.1.6.31.
-raḥ 1 An epithet of fire; त्वत्तः खाण्डव- रङ्गताण्डवनटो दूरेऽस्तु वैश्वानरः (tvattaḥ khāṇḍava- raṅgatāṇḍavanaṭo dūre'stu vaiśvānaraḥ) Bv.1.57.
2) The fire of digestion (in the stomach); अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देह- माश्रितः । प्राणापानसमायुक्तः प्रचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् (ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ deha- māśritaḥ | prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pracāmyannaṃ caturvidham) || Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 15.14.
3) General consciousness (in Vedānta phil.).
4) The Supreme Being.
5) The Chitraka tree.
-rī 1 Name of a particular division of the moon's path; also वैश्वानरपथ (vaiśvānarapatha); Rām.1.6.31.
2) Name of a particular sacrifice performed at the beginning of every year; इष्टिं वैश्वानरीं नित्यं निर्वपेदब्दपर्यये (iṣṭiṃ vaiśvānarīṃ nityaṃ nirvapedabdaparyaye) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 12.165.15.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—mfn.
(-raḥ-rī-raṃ) Relating to, fit for, &c., all men. m.
(-raḥ) 1. Agni or fire. 2. The digestive fire. 3. The supreme being. f. (-rī) A particular sacrifice to be performed at the beginning of every year. E. viśvānara a Muni, or viśva all, nara mankind, aṇ aff. of descent.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—I. i. e. viśva -nara + a, adj. Relating to, fit for, etc., all men. Ii. m. 1. Agni, fire, [Uttara Rāmacarita, 2. ed. Calc., 1862.] 174, 3; [Pañcatantra] 224, 21. 2. The general consciousness, [Vedāntasāra, (in my Chrestomathy.)] in
Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—1. [feminine] ī belonging to or consisting of all men, universal, complete, omnipresent or omnipotent; [masculine] fire or the god of fire, the sun, also = virāj (ph.).
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Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर).—2. [adjective] consecrated to Agni V.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर):—[from vaiśva] mf(ī)n. ([from] viśvā-nara) relating or belonging to all men, omnipresent, known or worshipped, everywhere, universal, general, common, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.
2) [v.s. ...] consisting of all men, full in number, complete, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; ???]
3) [v.s. ...] relating or belonging to the gods collectively, [Lāṭyāyana]
4) [v.s. ...] all-commanding, [Atharva-veda]
5) [v.s. ...] relating or sacred to Agni Vaiśvānara, [Taittirīya-saṃhitā; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; ???]
6) [v.s. ...] composed by Viśvānara or Vaiśvānara, [Catalogue(s)]
7) [v.s. ...] m. Name of Agni or Fire, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc. (Agni Vaiśv° is regarded as the author of x, [79, 80])
8) [v.s. ...] a [particular] Agni, [Ārṣeya-brāhmaṇa]
9) [v.s. ...] the fire of digestion, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]
10) [v.s. ...] the sun, sunlight, [Atharva-veda; Śāṅkhāyana-brāhmaṇa]
11) [v.s. ...] (in the Vedānta) Name of the Supreme Spirit or Intellect when located in a supposed collective aggregate of gross bodies (= Virāj, Prajā-pati, Puruṣa), Vedāntas, [Religious Thought and Life in India 35]
12) [v.s. ...] Name of a Daitya, [Harivaṃśa; Purāṇa]
13) [v.s. ...] of various men, [Kathāsaritsāgara]
14) [v.s. ...] ([plural]) of a family of Ṛṣis, [Mahābhārata]
15) [from vaiśva] n. men collectively, mankind, [Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa]
16) [v.s. ...] Name of a Sāman, [Ārṣeya-brāhmaṇa]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर):—[(raḥ-rī-raṃ)] 1. m. Agni or fire. f. A sacrifice at the beginning of the year. a. Intended for all the world.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Vaissāṇara.
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryVaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) [Also spelled vaiswanar]:—(nm) an epithet of the god of fire; fire.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusVaiśvānara (ವೈಶ್ವಾನರ):—
1) [adjective] of or relating to the mankind.
2) [adjective] being present everywhere; omnipresent.
3) [adjective] known or worshipped everywhere.
4) [adjective] universal; general; common.
5) [adjective] relating to the sacred fire.
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Vaiśvānara (ವೈಶ್ವಾನರ):—
1) [noun] fire.
2) [noun] the digestive faculty.
3) [noun] the Fire-God.
4) [noun] the plant Plumbago zeylanica of Plumbaginaceae family.
5) [noun] the totality of the consciousness of all living beings.
6) [noun] (pros.) a metrical foot consisting of one long followed by a short and a long syllabic instants(-u-); amphimacer.
7) [noun] ವೈಶ್ವಾನರ ಚೂರ್ಣ [vaishvanara curna] vaiśvānara cūrṇa a kind of medicinal preparation, made using the plant Plumbago zeylanica, used to cure indigestion, stomach pain, etc.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+3): Vaishvanaradatta, Vaishvanaraghrita, Vaishvanaragupta, Vaishvanarai, Vaishvanarajyeshtha, Vaishvanarajyotis, Vaishvanarakshara, Vaishvanaralauha, Vaishvanaramarga, Vaishvanarambhas, Vaishvanaramukha, Vaishvanaranirghosha, Vaishvanarapatha, Vaishvanarapathikritapurvakadarshasthalipakaprayoga, Vaishvanarapathikritasthalipakaprayoga, Vaishvanarapathikritpurvakadarshasthalipakaprayoga, Vaishvanarapathikritsthalipakaprayoga, Vaishvanarapottali, Vaishvanararasa, Vaishvanaravat.
Ends with: Duluvaishvanara, Sauryavaishvanara, Suryavaishvanara.
Full-text (+65): Upadanavi, Vaishvanarajyotis, Vaishvanarajyeshtha, Vaishvanaramukha, Sauryavaishvanara, Vaishvanariya, Puloma, Vaishvanaravat, Vaishvanaravidya, Vaishvanaradatta, Vaishvanarapathikritasthalipakaprayoga, Vaishvanarapathikritapurvakadarshasthalipakaprayoga, Vaishvanarakshara, Vaishvanarapatha, Suryavaishvanara, Duluvaishvanara, Vaishvanarayana, Agni, Vaissanara, Hayashiras.
Relevant text
Search found 83 books and stories containing Vaishvanara, Vaiśvānara, Vaisvanara; (plurals include: Vaishvanaras, Vaiśvānaras, Vaisvanaras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Satapatha-brahmana (by Julius Eggeling)
Kāṇḍa X, adhyāya 6, brāhmaṇa 1 < [Tenth Kāṇḍa]
Kāṇḍa IX, adhyāya 3, brāhmaṇa 1 < [Ninth Kāṇḍa]
Kāṇḍa VI, adhyāya 6, brāhmaṇa 1 < [Sixth Kāṇḍa]
Brahma Sutras (Shankara Bhashya) (by Swami Vireshwarananda)
Chapter I, Section II, Adhikarana VII < [Section II]
Chapter III, Section III, Adhikarana XXXII < [Section III]
Chapter III, Section III, Adhikarana I < [Section III]
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (by Swāmī Mādhavānanda)
Section IX - Meditation on the Vaisvanara Fire < [Chapter V]
Section II - Concerning the Self < [Chapter IV]
Section I - Meditation on the Horse-Sacrifice < [Chapter I]
Mandukya Upanishad (Madhva commentary) (by Srisa Chandra Vasu)
Jnaneshwari (Bhavartha Dipika) (by Ramchandra Keshav Bhagwat)
Verse 8.23 < [Chapter 8 - Akshara-brahman-yoga]
Verse 15.14 < [Chapter 15 - Purusottama-yoga]
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