Introduction

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण).—A son of Irāvatī—the vehicle of Indra, also Irāvata.^*

• * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 292 & 326.

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.

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण) is the name of a cloud whose sound corresponds to the Ūrdhvaka note made by drums (puṣkara) according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 33. Accordingly, “after seeing that the Mṛdaṅgas, Paṇavas and Dardaras have been made, the great sage Svāti brought about a similarity of their notes with those of clouds... The great cloud named Airāvaṇa gave note to Ūrdhvaka... Those who want Success of performances should make to these clouds, offerings which are dear to spirits (bhūta)”.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (śāstra) of performing arts, (nāṭya, e.g., theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing dramatic plays (nataka) and poetic works (kavya).

Kavya (poetry)

Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण) is the mount of Indra, as mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 115. Accordingly, “... then Vidyuddhvaja, elated with the boon of Śiva, seized his mace, and rushed furiously on Indra. He leapt up, planting his feet on the tusks of Airāvaṇa, and climbed up on his forehead and killed his driver”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Airāvaṇa, 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.

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’.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण) refers to the vehicle of Śakra and is a previous incarnation of Asitākṣa, according to chapter 4.7 [sanatkumāra-cakrin-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra (“lives of the 63 illustrious persons”): a Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three important persons in Jainism.

Accordingly:—“[...] Wandering through births for a long time, he (i.e., Nāgadatta) became a Brāhman’s son, Agniśarman, in the city Siṃhapura. In course of time he became a three-staved ascetic and went to the city Ratnapura, devoted to severe penance of two months, etc. [...] The three-staved ascetic died and, because of his servant-karma, became the elephant Airāvaṇa, the vehicle of Śakra. [...] When his life as Airāvaṇa was finished, the soul of the three-staved ascetic fell and, after wandering through births, was born as a king of Yakṣas, Asitākṣa”.

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: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण).—(see airāvata below); Indra's elephant (produced at the churning of the ocean), मागधोऽथ महापालो गजमैरावणोपमम् (māgadho'tha mahāpālo gajamairāvaṇopamam) Mb.6.62.46. See ऐरावत (airāvata).

Derivable forms: airāvaṇaḥ (ऐरावणः).

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

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण).—m.

(-ṇaḥ) Indra'S elephant. E. irāvat the ocean, aṇ affix of descent; ocean-born: na is changed irregularly to ṇa.

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

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण).—i. e. irāvan + a (the base is curtailed irāvant, ved., and cf. irāvatī), m. Indra's elephant, Mahābhārata 1, 1151.

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

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण).—[masculine] [Name] of Indra's elephant.

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

1) Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण):—[from aira] m. ([from] irā-van), Name of Indra’s elephant, [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa; Lalita-vistara]

2) [v.s. ...] Name of a Nāga, [Mahābhārata ii] (cf. the next.)

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

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण):—(ṇaḥ) 1. m. Indra’s elephant.

[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger Wörterbuch

Airāvaṇa (ऐरावण):—(von irāvan = irāvant) m.

1) Nomen proprium eines Königs der Nāga [Vyutpatti oder Mahāvyutpatti 87.] [Rgva tch’er rol pa 196.] —

2) Name des bei der Quirlung des Oceans hervorgekommenen Elephanten von Indra [Amarakoṣa 1, 1, 1, 42.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 117.] [Vyutpatti oder Mahāvyutpatti] [?116.Mahābhārata 1, 1151. 2, 360] (bei Varuṇa) [Harivaṃśa 7543. 8873.] [Rāmāyaṇa 3, 20, 25] (ein Sohn der Mātaṅgī). [29, 23. 47, 7.] — Vgl. airāvata .

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)

Query error!

Query error!

Query error!

Relevant text

Query error!