Abhimanyu: 18 definitions

Introduction:

Abhimanyu 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 Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

[«previous next»] — Abhimanyu in Purana glossary
Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

1) Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु).—He was the heroic son of Arjuna the central figure of the Mahābhārata, by his wife Subhadrā. Genealogy. He was descended from Viṣṇu in this order: Brahmā-Atri-Candra-Budha-Purūravas-Āyus-Nahuṣa-Yayāti-Pūru-Janamejaya-Prācinvā-Pravīra-Namasyu-Vītabhaya-Śuṇḍu-Bahuvidha-Saṃyāti-Rahovādi-Raudrāśvā-Matināra-Santurodha-Duṣyanta-Bharata-Bṛhatkṣatra-Hasti-Ajamīḍha-Ṛkṣa-Saṃvaraṇa-Kuru-Jahnu-Suratha-Vidūratha-Sārvabhauma-Jayatsena-Ravīya-Bhāvuka-Cakroddhata-Devātithi-Ṛkṣa-Bhīma-Pratīya-Śantanu-Vyāsa-Pāṇḍu-Arjuna-Abhimanyu. (See full article at Story of Abhimanyu from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

2) Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु).—One of the sons of Manu. The ten sons born to Manu by Nadvalā were: Kuru, Puru, Śatadyumna, Tapasvī, Satyavān, Śuci, Agniṣṭoma, Adhirātra, Sudyumna and Abhimanyu. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Section 1, Chapter 13).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु).—A son of Arjuna and Subhadrā. Wife Uttarā. Conqueror of atirathas.1 Famous for valour even as a boy. Father of Parīkṣit.2 Drauṇi wanted to destroy his seed in embryo. Kṛṣṇa frustrated this attempt.3 Taken by Kṛṣṇa to Dvāraka.4 Slew Bṛhadbala in the Bhārata war.4 Went with Kṛṣṇa to Upaplāvya to see the Pāṇḍavas.5 Killed by Saindhava.6 A rathī;7 considered as god.8

  • 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 22. 33. Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 71. 178; Matsya-purāṇa 50. 56; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 20. 51;
  • 2) Bhāgavata-purāṇa I. 4. 9. Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 20. 52.
  • 3) Bhāgavata-purāṇa III. 3. 17.
  • 4) Ib. X. 64 [11].
  • 5) Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 78. [16 (V) 4].
  • 6) Ib. X. 78. [30].
  • 7) Vāyu-purāṇa 96. 176; 99. 249.
  • 8) Vāyu-purāṇa 31. 7.

1b) A son of Cākṣuṣa Manu.*

  • * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 36. 80, 107; Matsya-purāṇa 4. 42; Vāyu-purāṇa 62. 68, 91.

1c) A sage of the second Sāvarṇa epoch.*

  • * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 1. 71.

1d) A son of Manu and Naḍvalā.*

  • * Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 13. 5.
Source: JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and places

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.61.85) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Abhimanyu) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

Purana book cover
context information

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.

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Kavya (poetry)

[«previous next»] — Abhimanyu in Kavya glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

1) Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु) was the son of Arjuna, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 9. He had a son named Parīkṣit.

2) Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु) is the name of a warrior who fought on Sūryaprabha’s side, but was slain by Sunetra, who fought on Śrutaśarman’s side, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 48. Accordingly: “... then a fight took place between those Vidyādhara princes on the one side and Prabhāsa and his comrades on the other, in which there was a great slaughter of soldiers. And in the single combats between the two hosts many warriors were slain on both sides, men, Asuras and Vidyādharas... Then the Vidyādhara hero Hiraṇyākṣa was killed by Abhimanyu, but Abhimanyu and Haribhaṭa were slain by Sunetra”.

The story of Abhimanyu was narrated by Somaprabhā to Kaliṅgasenā in order to demonstrate that “fate watches to ensure the objects of auspicious persons, as good servants of their masters, when the latter are not on the look-out”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Abhimanyu, 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 book cover
context information

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’.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

[«previous next»] — Abhimanyu in Hinduism glossary
Source: Apam Napat: Indian Mythology

Abhimanyu was the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, the sister of Krishna. When he was still in his womb, he listened to his father talk about war to his mother. This was how he learned the method for breaking into the Chakra-Vyuha. This formation was very difficult to pierce and the method for countering it was known to very few. Abhimanyu never learned how to break out of it, for Krishna interrupted Arjuna at this moment, and the subject was dropped.

He was only sixteen years old when the battle of Kurukshetra was fought. While his father Arjuna had been lured away to fight the Shamsapthakas (100 warriors who had sworn either to kill Arjuna or die trying), Drona had arrayed the Kaurava army in the Chakra-Vyuha, attempting to win the battle by capturing the Pandava king Yudhishtra. In desperation, for no one other than Arjuna or Abhimanyu could break this formation, the Pandava warriors asked the young prince to lead them.

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु): Son of Arjuna and Subhadra who was married to Uttara, daughter of King Virata. He was deceitfully killed by the Kauravas during Kurukshetra.

In Buddhism

General definition (in Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Abhimanyu in Buddhism glossary
Source: academia.edu: The Chronological History of Buddhism

According to Kalhana, king Abhimanyu ascended the throne after the Turushka king Kanishka and reigned around 1645-1611 BCE. Thus, Abhimanyu reigned around 220-260 years after Buddha nirvana. Gonanda III succeeded Abhimanyu.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Abhimanyu in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु).—

1) Name of a son of Arjuna by his wife Subhadrā, sister of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; also known by the metronymic Saubhadra. [He was called Abhimanyu because at his very birth he appeared to be heroic, long-armed and very fiery (abhivṛddhaḥ manyuryasya). When the Kauravas at the advice of Droṇa formed the peculiar battle-array called 'Chakravyuha' hoping that, as Arjuna was away, none of the Paṇḍavas would be able to break through it, Abhimanyu assured his uncles that he was ready to try, if they only assisted him. He accordingly entered the Vyūha, killed many warriors on the Kaurava side, and was for a time more than a match even for such veteran and elderly heroes as Droṇa, Karṇa, Duryodhana &c. He could not, however, hold out long against fearful odds, and was at last overpowered and slain. He was very handsome. He had two wives, Vatsalā daughter of Balarāma and Uttarā daughter of the king of Virāṭa. Uttarā was pregnant when he was slain and gave birth to a son named Parīkṣita who succeeded to the throne of Hastināpura.]

2) Name of a son of Manu Chākṣuṣa.

3) Name of two kings of Kāshmir; Rāj. T.

-puram Name of a town. Raj. T.

Derivable forms: abhimanyuḥ (अभिमन्युः).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु).—m.

(-nyuḥ) The son of Arjuna by Subhadra. E. abhi and mana wrath.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु).—m. a proper name.

Abhimanyu is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms abhi and manyu (मन्यु).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु).—[masculine] a man’s name.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—poet. [Sūktikarṇāmṛta by Śrīdharadāsa]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु):—[=abhi-manyu] [from abhi-man] m. Name of a son of Manu Cākṣuṣa

2) [v.s. ...] of a son of Arjuna (by Subhadrā)

3) [v.s. ...] of two kings of Kāśmīra, [Rājataraṅgiṇī]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु):—[bahuvrihi compound] m.

(-nyuḥ) A proper name of: [a.]) A son of the Manu Chākṣuṣa by Navalā; [b.]) A son of Arjuna by Subhadrā; [c.]) A king of Orissa, who reigned after Vichitravīrya (comp. Lassen's Ind. Alt. Ii. p. 31); [d.]) A king of Kashmir, who reigned after Nāgārjuna (comp. Lassen's Ind. Alt. Ii. p. 413); [e.]) Another king of Kashmir, who reigned after Kshemagupta. E. abhi and manyu.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु):—[abhi-manyu] (nyu) 2. m. Son of Arjuna.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Abhimanyu (अभिमन्यु) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Ahimaṃju.

[Sanskrit to German]

Abhimanyu in German

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.

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