Vivartakalpa: 2 definitions
Introduction:
Vivartakalpa means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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.
In Buddhism
General definition (in Buddhism)
Source: WikiPedia: BuddhismThe Vivartakalpa begins with the arising of the primordial wind, which begins the process of building up the structures of the universe that had been destroyed at the end of the last mahakalpa. As the extent of the destruction can vary, the nature of this evolution can vary as well, but it always takes the form of beings from a higher world being born into a lower world. The example of a Mahabrahma being the rebirth of a deceased Abhasvara deva is just one instance of this, which continues throughout the Vivartakalpa until all the worlds are filled from the Brahmaloka down to Naraka. During the Vivartakalpa the first humans appear; they are not like present day humans, but are beings shining in their own light, capable of moving through the air without mechanical aid, living for a very long time, and not requiring sustenance; they are more like a type of lower deity than present day humans are.
Over time, they acquire a taste for physical nutriment, and as they consume it, their bodies become heavier and more like human bodies; they lose their ability to shine, and begin to acquire differences in their appearance, and their length of life decreases. They differentiate into two sexes and begin to become sexually active. Then greed, theft and violence arise among them, and they establish social distinctions and government and elect a king to rule them, called Mahasammata, "the great appointed one". Some of them begin to hunt and eat the flesh of animals, which have by now come into existence. These developments are described in the Agganna Sutta (DN.27).
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryVivartakalpa (विवर्तकल्प):—[=vi-varta-kalpa] [from vi-varta > vi-vṛt] m. (with Buddhists) one of the 4 cosmic periods, [Dharmaśarmābhyudaya 87]
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: Vivarta, Kalpa.
Full-text: Vivarta, Abhasvara Worlds, Temporal Cosmology.
Relevant text
Search found 3 books and stories containing Vivartakalpa, Vivarta-kalpa; (plurals include: Vivartakalpas, kalpas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)
Chapter XXII - Enlightenment of Dīpaṃkara < [Volume I]
Chapter XXI - Former Buddhas < [Volume III]
Chapter XIV - The great renunciation < [Volume II]
A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)
Abhidharmakośa (by Leo M. Pruden)