Significance of City
Synonyms: Town, Metropolis, Urban area, Municipality, Habitation, Settlement, Community, Conurbation, Township
In Malay: Bandar; In French: Ville; In Dutch: Stad; In Swedish: Stad; In Finnish: Kaupunki; In Spanish: Ciudad; In German: Stadt; In Italian: Città; In Portugese: Cidade; In Polish: Miasto
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Buddhist concept of 'City'
In Buddhism, "city" represents various locations, from Anuradhapura and Benares to Kapilavatthu, and even one's own body. It serves as a stage for key events, moral lessons, and the Buddha's journey.
From: Jataka tales [English], Volume 1-6
(1) The Great Being stated that the city left him forlorn.[1] (2) The city is Benares, where the Bodhisatta and Sujata went, where the king saw Sujata, and where the king's plot unfolded, including the false accusation and the attempted execution.[2] (3) This is the location where the tunnels were constructed, the location of the palace and the location where the city was built.[3] (4) The merchant’s son left 'the city' and entered the forest, and the courtesan drove out of 'the city' with a great retinue, and she sought for his abode.[4] (5) The king ordered the body of Sundari to be paraded around the city, and the people, except the holy disciples, abused the Brethren throughout the city.[5]
From: Mahavamsa
(1) The king returned to the city after ensuring the theras were comfortable, while the theras sojourned in the Mahamegha-park, emphasizing the separation between the royal duties and the ascetic life.[6] (2) The City refers to Anuradhapura, where the slave-woman was placed at the south gate.[7] (3) The city was the central location from which the treasures were found, and it was the place where the king resided.[8] (4) The city is the place where the king was sitting with the thera, and where the queen Anula took up her abode in a nunnery.[9]
From: Dhammapada (Illustrated)
(1) This is a place.[10] (2) The city of Kapilavatthu was chosen by the Buddha for his birth, as the text indicates.[11] (3) This refers to a place, as mentioned in the text.[12]
From: Maha Buddhavamsa—The Great Chronicle of Buddhas
(1) It is the place to which Minister Channa returned after the Bodhisatta became a recluse.[13] (2) The Buddha and twenty thousand arahats arrived at this place, after covering a distance of sixty yojanas, and where the Sakyan clan gathered to welcome Him.[14]
From: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
(1) This is the person's body, coarse matter, which is being described in the parable and used for comparison.[15] (2) The city is a location where the Buddha Vipashyin visited, and it was decorated by the people and also where the king's brother prepared for the bath.[16] (3) Devadatta had not arrived at this city when he tried to poison the Buddha.[17] (4) The place where Ananda planted the seed given by the Buddha, which grew into a tree, according to the provided text's account.[18]
From: Mahavastu (great story)
(1) This is the place where the brahman and his daughter Shiri lived, and where the young brahman departed from on his journey to the town beyond the sea.[19] (2) This is the location where the prince lives and where preparations are made to make his outings pleasant, including decorating the city.[20]
From: Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies
(1) A term used to refer to the underworld offices, analogous to imperial palace complexes.[21] (2) The city is Anuradhapura, where Faxian arrived, and it is where the green jade image was worshipped in Abhayagiri, and the number of resident monks at the time was approximately 5,000.[22] (3) City is a large town, and Qingdao city is where Faxian's ship arrived, and the provincial governor Li Yi returned to the capital.[23]
From: Apadana commentary (Atthakatha)
(1) This refers to the place called Amaravati, where the brahmin named Sumedha lived and where the narrative unfolds.[24]
From: Tattvasangraha [with commentary]
(1) This refers to a specific place; the word 'Dates' is heard in the city of Pataliputra, but the dates themselves are not necessarily present there, according to the provided text.[25]
Hindu concept of 'City'
In Hinduism, "city" signifies diverse concepts: a kingdom's focal point, a place of potential sorrow, a metaphor for emotional depth, a narrative setting, a destination of spiritual significance, and a location of events and interactions, including Ayodhya and Mathura.
From: Garga Samhita (English)
(1) An urban area, specifically Mathura, where girls reside and are the object of affection.[26] (2) The city experienced a tumult and the manifestation of fear among its inhabitants, as they reacted to the events unfolding there according to the provided verse.[27] (3) A location referred to as Campaka, situated in Sindhu-desha, as indicated by the provided text.[28] (4) This location serves as the place where Krsna and Balarama are experiencing happiness, and it is associated with the Yadavas, where the individuals reside.[29] (5) Refers to the location where the events of the narrative take place.[30]
From: Chaitanya Bhagavata
(1) A location where Lord Vishvambhara was wandering along with Shrivasa Pandita, according to the information presented in the provided material.[31] (2) The urban environment being explored by the Lord, reflecting human creation.[32] (3) Represents an urban environment where the wandering occurs, serving as the setting for the actions described.[33] (4) The location where Nimai engaged in his pastimes and conversed with the residents.[34] (5) The setting in which Vishvambhara was wandering.[35]
From: Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)
(1) The destination where the speaker was escorted by the associates of the Lord, containing amazing sights.[36] (2) The setting in which the passage and entry takes place, likely an important area of significance.[37] (3) Refers to Vaikuntha, the spiritual realm where Gopa-kumara arrives and interacts with the Lord and his associates.[38] (4) A specific location referenced in the context, likely symbolic of a place of gathering or spiritual significance.[39] (5) The place where the entrance of associates occurred and where Shri Gopa-kumara observed the activities.[40]
From: Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu
(1) A city is used as a metaphor for the expansive heart, encapsulating ideas of complexity and richness in emotional experience.[41]
From: Tiruvaymoli (Thiruvaimozhi): English translation
(1) It indicates a specific place named Tolaivillimankalam, where a particular deity resides and is associated with a significant event involving a demoniac horse.[42]
From: Ramayana of Valmiki (Griffith)
(1) The wild Vanars would assail this place, indicating a location.[43] (2) The city is mentioned as being guarded and closed off from foes, indicating a defensive strategy is in place to protect it, as described in the text.[44] (3) A rich and free place ruled by a king, where the citizens lived contentedly, with a sense of community and prosperity.[45] (4) The city is vast, gay, and strong, filled with elephants, Rakshas, and has four massive gates to guard it, also having ramparts and moats.[46] (5) The city is where the king resides, and the saintly hermit seeks to go there to bring his son.[47]
From: Ramayana of Valmiki (Shastri)
(1) The place where the prince arrived, described as a location where the doors of dwellings were closed, and darkness and gloom prevailed, contrasting its current state with its former vibrancy.[48] (2) The city is mentioned as the place to which Lakshmana may return alone, if Sita were to die. This is where Kaikeyi and her son would rule.[49] (3) The city is the place where the citizens live and where they returned to after failing to find Rama, and it is described as being bereft of beauty and resembling a dried-up river without him.[50] (4) The text uses 'city' to describe the location where the events are taking place, and is the place where the inhabitants are located, and they welcome Rama.[51] (5) The place where Shri Rama departed from, causing the people to be weeping and bewildered, and the dust raised by the wheels of the chariot.[52]
From: Mahabharata (English)
(1) The city was where king Hiranyavarman resided before he sent messages to his powerful friends about the deception practised on his daughter.[53] (2) This is the destination they were approaching when Yudhishthira asked Arjuna where they should deposit their weapons.[54] (3) The location to which messengers are sent to proclaim the victory and where celebrations are planned, serving as the focal point of the kingdom's activities.[55] (4) The city is where the four orders left from, to behold the princes' skill in arms, indicating the large scale of the event.[56] (5) This is the place where king Rituparna arrives, and it is also the place where various events and interactions between different characters occur.[57]
From: Devi Bhagavata Purana
(1) The city is Ayodhya, where the people were instructed to worship the Auspicious Shakti, and where the king ruled his subjects.[58]
From: Harivamsha Purana
(1) The city is said to fare well as a result of Krishna and Baladeva's departure. The text also references the city of Karavira.[59]
From: Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story)
(1) The city is where the citizens wept and where a universal wail was heard after the prince's loss, also where the king later returned.[60] (2) The city is the location of the events, and it is where the people gather and where the characters meet.[61] (3) Bardhaman was the name of this location, where Gunshekhar was king, and where the minister proclaimed the rules of the Jain religion.[62] (4) This refers to the location of Vasudatta, the place where the king resides and where Kirtisena goes to help the king.[63]
From: Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi
(1) A large urban center for which pasture-land is to be reserved, with dimensions specified as four hundred bow-lengths.[64] (2) The term 'City' is used in the text and is explained by Medhatithi’s commentary, which also applies to villages, clarifying its scope and meaning.[65]
From: Vakyapadiya of Bhartrihari
(1) A noun phrase referring to a specific place that serves as the object of the actions described in the sentences.[66]
From: Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences
(1) This is where the survey was done.[67]
Jain concept of 'City'
In Jainism, "City" signifies locations of power, dwellings, or places of importance. These cities mark the end of conquests, divine creations, renewed places, sites of conflict, celebratory locations, places of transgression, and locations of proclamations.
From: Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra
(1) The city refers to the location where Jarasandha resided as the lord of Magadha, and where Shauri was taken as a prisoner, anticipating his execution.[68] (2) Was crowded with people from outside and inside, which was then set on fire.[69] (3) Brahmadatta proclaimed in this place that he would give half the kingdom to the one who completes his samasya.[70] (4) This was Mathura, the city where Acala became king.[71] (5) The individual went to this, after the completion of his Cakravartin glory, indicating the conclusion of a period of conquest and the return to a place of power.[72]
From: Naladiyar
(1) This is a dwelling.[73]
The concept of City in local and regional sources
"City" denotes diverse settings: residences, social gatherings, historical locations, urban areas, and places of conflict or quietude. It's a backdrop for events, journeys, and societal interactions, reflecting both positive and negative aspects of human life.
From: Triveni Journal
(1) The city surrounded the isolated house, a stark contrast to the quiet and sheltered environment within, highlighting the house's unique position before its violent death.[74] (2) The "city" is depicted as a faded and unreal image, suggesting a loss of its vitality and substance, becoming a mere shadow of its former self, according to the poem.[75] (3) The city is depicted as magnificent and beautiful, enhanced by the rising sun, singing birds, and golden towers, but it also contains poverty and suffering.[76] (4) It is the city of Calcutta, and is the location of communal riots that disturb the peace of other villages.[77] (5) This is described as dropped, burnt by Atombombs, a bird without wings, a tree without green leaves, and more.[78]
From: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
(1) The location where the event took place, and where the audience and speaker were from, described in the text.[79] (2) The author will send a detailed account after seeing Babaji.[80] (3) The author mentions this place in reference to Dr. Guernsey's residence, Miss Helen Gould's residence and to Barnum's circus, indicating a location.[81] (4) Swami Vivekananda has been taken through the worst part of this place, but he found it comfortable and pleasant, based on his knowledge.[82] (5) The location where the author met some of the finest ladies and gentlemen, experienced a luncheon at a club, and attended a reception in the house.[83]
From: Bhaktavijaya: Stories of Indian Saints
(1) "City" refers to the sacred city of Mathura, where Surdas returns and provides food to the saints, highlighting the significance of this location as a site of religious importance.[84] (2) The king now saw the city just as it appears to us to-day, and he exclaimed, 'I have seen a great miracle,' after the vision had disappeared.[85] (3) The location where Gorakshanath goes to beg for food, representing a transition in the narrative.[86]
From: History of Science in South Asia
(1) This refers to a place where Brahmagupta composed the Brahmasiddhanta, and also where the author of Karanatilaka wrote a Ziğ.[87]
From: Folklore of the Santal Parganas
(1) The location where Spanling claimed to have sold his buffalo skin, which his uncles also visited.[88]
From: Village Folk-tales of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), vol. 1-3
(1) A place where the King and Queen reside, the Prince travels to, and the Monkey dances, begs, and steals to provide for the Prince.[89] (2) The city was initially terrorized by a Yaka, leading to fear and potential abandonment, but it was later saved by the Prince, who brought peace and stability to the community.[90] (3) A place where a relative resides and gives food, leading to the restoration of sight for some individuals and the eventual demise of others due to hunger.[91] (4) A Princess from another city is interested in the Prince, and another Prince eventually goes to this city to win her over.[92] (5) There exists a certain place described as an urban area that is associated with a jungle where a wild sow resides.[93]
From: Buddhist records of the Western world (Xuanzang)
(1) The city inside is not great, but the external walls are in circuit about 60 li or so, indicating the size and structure of the town of Ho-mo.[94] (2) The location where the king was buried in a stone chamber concealed with a great mountain cavern about 100 li to the south-east of this city, and the city is about 20 li in circuit.[95]
The concept of City in scientific sources
City, in this text, refers to a location where doctors, potentially from more comfortable urban centers, provide medical services and anticipate appreciation for their efforts.
From: Sustainability Journal (MDPI)
(1) The city is a complex environment where tourism, social movements, and government policies interact to shape its future and sustainability.[96] (2) The city is mentioned in the context of food systems, resilience, and urban planning, highlighting its role as a focal point for addressing sustainability and food-related challenges.[97] (3) The reference mentions a work by Rae, D.W., City Urbanism and Its End, which was published by Yale University Press.[98] (4) It is an urban area which includes things like residents, tourists, buildings, roads, parks, and services like emergency units and transport, with consideration for sustainability and disaster preparedness.[99] (5) In the context of public and private spaces, "the city" is examined, pointing to an analysis of how these different types of spaces interact and contribute to the overall urban experience.[100]
From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (MDPI)
(1) A city is referenced as the area where a study on eye-level greenness and walking behavior took place, specifically within a city with public housing residents.[101] (2) Areas closer to this are experiencing a decrease in risk, while remote areas show small increases in fitted risk, indicating spatial disparities.[102] (3) The village-in-city refers to the villages that were surrounded by urban planning and construction by covering some villages that were close to the city in the past in the process of rapid urban development.[103]
From: South African Journal of Physiotherapy
(1) An urban center.[104]
From: South African Family Practice
(1) This is a place where doctors from the cities, who could be living more comfortably back home, expect gratitude.[105]
From: Religions Journal (MDPI)
(1) The city is something to be taken good care of by a soul that is free and a donna, as Catherine advised the Sienese senator Andreasso Cavalcabuoi, suggesting conquering the body would allow this.[106]
Classical concept of 'City'
From: The History of Herodotus
(1) The Thebans refused to give up those who had taken the side of the Medes, and the Hellenes determined not to retire from the city until they had taken it, leading to a siege.[107] (2) Xerxes inquired about him who had done a deed of valour and the scribes recorded the name of the ship’s captain with that of his city.[108] (3) The city of Syracuse rose to prosperity after Gelon strengthened it, bringing in citizens from conquered cities and razing others to the ground.[109] (4) The Athenians came to the rescue back to the city as speedily as they could, and they arrived there before the Barbarians came from Marathon.[110] (5) Hymaies conquered this, when he was informed that Daurises had left the Hellespont and was marching towards Caria.[111]
From: The Argonautica (English translation)
(1) A place where people were astir, and righteous judgments were meted out, highlighting its importance as a center of activity and justice.[112] (2) A location through which an individual drove, with people giving way and shunning the eyes of the royal maiden.[113] (3) There was no barking of dogs through the city, indicating the silence and stillness of the night.[114] (4) It is a place from which the others had gone forth, following a path.[115] (5) A destination towards which the men are traveling, as they heard the name of Phrixus and Aeetes and gave food and clothing.[116]
From: The Iliad of Homer (English translation)
(1) It is where the Achaeans made their moan, expressing their sorrow and grief throughout its confines following the events that transpired.[117] (2) It is a place of refuge where scared inhabitants wipe sweat and quench thirst. It is where Hector stayed before the gates.[118] (3) The city is a place of refuge for the retreating Trojans, who seek safety within its walls after being routed in battle by Achilles.[119] (4) The city is a place that Jove will one day destroy, according to Menelaus, referring to the Trojans' city as punishment for their transgressions in the text.[120] (5) This location will be taken by the Achaeans and the glory will be Agamemnon's.[121]
From: The Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle
(1) A city is used as an analogy to illustrate the concept of a limit to the number of friends, stating that a city cannot consist of too few or too many people, implying an optimal range.[122] (2) Man is naturally inclined to form couples—even more than to form cities, inasmuch as the household is earlier and more necessary than the city.[123] (3) The wisdom concerned with this involves legislative wisdom. The practical wisdom which plays a controlling part is legislative wisdom. This wisdom involves action and deliberation, particularly in carrying out decrees.[124]
From: The Odyssey of Homer (English translation)
(1) The city is where Telemachus intends to go, and it is also the place where Ulysses believes a beggar can find more sustenance than in the countryside.[125] (2) "The city" is the main urban center of Ithaca, where the suitors reside and where Telemachus is headed, representing the hub of conflict and intrigue.[126] (3) The city is where they crouched down beneath their armour and lay there under cover of the reeds and thick brush-wood that grew about the swamp.[127]
From: Aesop's Fables (English translation)
(1) The city is referenced as the place Truth left because falsehood became too prevalent, causing her to seek solitude in the wilderness.[128] (2) A location that drew an individual away from their responsibilities, creating an opportunity for a predator to exploit the vulnerability of those left behind.[129]
From: The Authoress of the Odyssey
(1) This is the type of settlement that Aeneas may have founded, either Drepanum itself or another location nearby.[130]
From: The Book of Gates
(1) It is named KHEPER-KEKUI-KHA-MESTI, and the gate of it is called THENEN-NETERU. It holds significance within the context of the great god's birth and appearance.[131] (2) It is named RE-EN-QERERT-APT-KHAT and it contains a secret Circle of the Tuat, where a serpent named PETRA resides.[132] (3) Referred to as METCH-QA-UTEBU, this City possesses a gate named AA-KHEPERU-MES-ARU through which a great god travels, according to the document.[133] (4) The City is where the sailors join the Boat of the great god, and SAA-KEB is the name of the gate of this City, and BES-ARU is the name of this City.[134] (5) The City has a gate named AHA-AN-URT-F and is itself named TEBAT-NETERU-SET, providing distinct identifiers.[135]
From: The Book of Am-Tuat
(1) The City is where the great god journeyeth along through by means of the faithful servants of this hidden image ANKH-NETERU.[136] (2) The City is where the great god joineth those who will transport him through it.[137] (3) The City is a location through which the Sun-god passes, and it has a gate named RUTI-ASAR and is called THEPHET-SHETA.[138] (4) The City is a place the great god travels through, being provided with his boat, and where he works the paddle in this country towards the place of the body of Osiris.[139]
From: Egypt Through The Stereoscope
(1) Located on the right, the city is no longer visible from the vantage point where the life-stream of Egypt can be observed.[140] (2) The city is located on the right side of the observer, according to the text, as they face the southwest, contrasting with the desert which is on the left.[141]
From: The Gods of the Egyptians Vol 1
(1) It is named Tebat-neteru-s, and Ra passes through this division in boat under the protection of Mehen.[142]
From: Legends Of The Gods
(1) A place of settlement, said to have been built by a deity in memory of a child, according to certain accounts and differing from other narratives.[143]