Amba, Ambā, Aṃbā, Āmba: 28 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
In Jainism
1. General definition
Biology
Languages
1. Pali
2. Marathi
3. Sanskrit
4. Prakrit
5. Kannada
See also
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Introduction:

Amba means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Buddhism, Pali, Marathi, biology. 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)

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Ambā (अम्बा).—Daughter of a King of Kāśī. Ambā and Vicitravīrya. Ambā is an ill-starred character in the story of the Mahābhārata. She had two younger sisters named Ambikā and Ambālikā. Bhīṣma, who had taken a vow to remain a bachelor for life, had once taken Ambā, Ambikā and Ambālikā, the three daughters of the King of Kāśī, to Hastināpura. The circumstances in which this happened, are descried in Devī Bhāgavata, Prathama Skandha as follows: Śantanu, a King of the Candra Vaṃśa, had two wives, Gaṅgā and Satyavatī. Bhīṣma was the son of Gaṅgā and Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya were the sons of Satyavatī. Soon after Bhīṣma’s birth, Gaṅgā vanished. After a long period of reign, Śantanu also died. Satyavatī and the three sons were left behind in the palace. According to a vow he had taken long ago, Bhīṣma, instead of succeeding to his father’s throne, left it to his brother Citrāṅgada. Once Citrāṅgada went for hunting in the forest. There he came across a Gandharva named Citrāṅgada. The Gandharva did not like another man with his own name to be living in this world. So he killed the king. After that Vicitravīrya became king. Bhīṣma had to take up the task of arranging a suitable marriage for Vicitravīrya. (See full article at Story of Ambā from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Ambā (अम्बा) is another name for Śivā: the Goddess-counterpart of Śiva who incarnated first as Satī and then Pārvatī, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.1.16:—“[...] the great goddess Śivā is of the three natures. Śivā became Satī and Śiva married her. At the sacrifice of her father she cast off her body which she did not take again and went back to her own region. Śivā incarnated as Pārvatī at the request of the Devas. It was after performing a severe penance that she could attain Śiva again. Śivā came to be called by various names [such as Ambā,...]. These various names confer worldly pleasures and salvation according to qualities and action. The name Pārvatī is very common.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Aṃbā (अंबा).—A daughter of the king of Kāśī noted for her beauty: and a queen of Vicitravīrya.^*

* Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 60. 47; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 20. 36.

1b) The saviour of the world, with her Puruṣa Sadāśiva.^*

* Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 8. 33; 19. 81; 33. 17.

1c) The queen of Varṣa-ṛtu.^*

* Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 32. 29.

2) Āmba (आम्ब).—A son of Kṛṣṇa.^*

* Bhāgavata-purāṇa I. 10. 29.

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

Amba (अम्ब, “mother”) refers to a specific “mode of address” (nāman) used in drama (nāṭya), according to Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 19. Amba is used in addressing old ladies.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—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), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Nirvāṇa Sundarī: A Note on Kula and Kaula Tantra

Ambā (अम्बा).—The Siddhas and their sons are referred to as -nāthas (e.g. Macchandanātha, Guḍikānātha) and the consorts as -ambās (e.g. Koṅkaṇāmbā/Kuṅkaṇāmbā, Illāī-ambā).

context information

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

Ayurveda (science of life)

Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)

Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭu

Ambā (अम्बा) is another name for Ambaṣṭhā, an unidentified medicinal plant, according to verse 4.77-79 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The fourth chapter (śatāhvādi-varga) of this book enumerates eighty varieties of small plants (pṛthu-kṣupa). Ambaṣṭhā is a highly controversial plant. Vaidyas use different plants at different places for this. The reason is the confused description of the drug by various authors. Together with the names Ambā and Ambaṣṭhā, there are a total of sixteen Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.

context information

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.

Kavyashastra (science of poetry)

Source: Shodhganga: Bhismacaritam a critical study

Ambā (अम्बा) figures as a female character in the Bhīṣmacarita (Bhishma Charitra) which is a mahākāvya (‘epic poem’) written by Hari Narayan Dikshit.—Ambā was the eldest daughter of King of Kāśī. Along with her sisters Ambikā and Ambālikā, she was taken by force by Bhīṣma from their Svayaṃvara. Bhīṣma challenged the assembled Kings and Princes and defeated them. He presented them to Satyavatī for marriage to Vicitravīrya, the King of Hastināpura. Vicitravīrya married only her sisters and rejected Ambā since she had already given her heart to another.

When Ambā went to see her beloved, he rejected her as well in shame of losing the combat against Bhīṣma at the Svayaṃvara. Ambā then returned to Bhīṣma and demanded him to marry her. He declined since he had already taken a vow of bachelorhood. Enraged that she was going to be an unmarriageable woman, she swore to kill him, at least in her next life, and died. She was re-born as Śikhaṇḍī, the son of Drupada. In the battle of Kurukṣetra, Śikhaṇḍī was instrumental in Bhīṣma’s death.

context information

Kavyashastra (काव्यशास्त्र, kāvyaśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian tradition of poetry (kavya). Canonical literature (shastra) of the includes encyclopedic manuals dealing with prosody, rhetoric and various other guidelines serving to teach the poet how to compose literature.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: Apam Napat: Indian Mythology

Amba was the eldest of the three princesses of Kashi, her younger sisters were Ambika and Ambalika. She had chosen Shalwa, the King of the Saubha kingdom, to be her husband and was planning to chose him publicly in the Swayamvara (self-choice ceremony). However, her plans got derailed, as Bhishma abducted her along with her two sisters, intending them as brides for his brother Vichitraveerya.

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Ambā (अम्‍बा), Ambikā (अम्‍बिका), Ambālikā (अम्‍बालिका): The three daughters of King of Benares, Eldest daughter Ambā was in love with King Shālwa

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Jainism

Amba (अम्ब).—The ambas are a group of celestial beings living in the lower regions of adholoka (lower world) according to Jaina cosmology. Adholoka is made up of seven regions and offers residence to the infernal beings existing within these lands.

Source: academia.edu: Tessitori Collection I

1) Aṃba (अंब) (in Prakrit) refers to “mango-juice” and represents one of 21 kinds of liquids (which the Jain mendicant should consider before rejecting or accepting them), according to the “Sajjhāya ekavīsa pāṇī nī” (dealing with the Monastic Discipline section of Jain Canonical literature) included in the collection of manuscripts at the ‘Vincenzo Joppi’ library, collected by Luigi Pio Tessitori during his visit to Rajasthan between 1914 and 1919.—This topic is explained with reference to the first aṅga (i.e. Ācārāṅgasūtra). This matter is distributed over the end of section 7 and the beginning of section 8 of the Piṇḍesaṇā chapter. [...] The technical terms [e.g., aṃba] used here are either borrowed from the Prakrit or rendered into the vernacular equivalents.

2) Aṃba (अंब) refers to one of the fifteen Paramādhārmīs causing suffering in the hells (naraka), according to Rājasoma’s “Naraka ko coḍhālyo”.—No name of any source is given in the text but the three stages followed in the exposition correspond closely to those found in a handbook such as Nemicandrasūri’s Pravacanasāroddhāra, [e.g.,] 3) sufferings inflicted by the fifteen Paramādhārmīs [e.g., Aṃba]. [...] These gods (here Sūra or Deva) form a sub-class of the Asurakumāras and perform their tasks in the first, second and third hells.

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.

Biology (plants and animals)

Source: Wisdom Library: Local Names of Plants and Drugs

Amba [अम्बा] in the Nepali language is the name of a plant identified with Psidium guajava L. from the Myrtaceae (Bottlebrush) family having the following synonyms: Psidium fragrans, Psidium pomiferum, Psidium cujavus. For the possible medicinal usage of amba, you can check this page for potential sources and references, although be aware that any some or none of the side-effects may not be mentioned here, wether they be harmful or beneficial to health.

Amba [अंबा] in the Marathi language is the name of a plant identified with Mangifera indica from the Anacardiaceae (Cashew) family.

Source: Google Books: CRC World Dictionary (Regional names)

Amba in Nepal is the name of a plant defined with Psidium guajava in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Syzygium ellipticum Wall. (among others).

Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):

· Flora de Filipinas (1837)
· Fl. Bras. (Martius) (1857)
· Plantarum Rariorum Horti Caesarei Schoenbrunnensis Descriptiones et Icones (1798)
· Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzenge schichte und Pflanzengeographie (1894)
· Revisio Generum Plantarum (1891)
· The Gardeners Dictionary (1754)

If you are looking for specific details regarding Amba, for example extract dosage, diet and recipes, pregnancy safety, side effects, health benefits, chemical composition, have a look at these references.

context information

This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

amba : (m.) mango tree. (nt.), mango fruit. || ambā (f.), mother.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Amba, (Derivation unknown. Not found in pre-Buddhist literature. The Sk. is āmra. Probably non-Aryan), the Mango tree, Mangifera Indica D.I, 46, 53, 235; J.II, 105, 160; Vv 79¹⁰; Pug.45; Miln.46; PvA.153, 187.

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

amba (अंब).—f See āmba in the first sense.

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ambā (अंबा).—m (āmra S) The Mango tree and fruit, Mangifera Indica.

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ambā (अंबा).—f (S) A mother. 2 A name of Durga.

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āmba (आंब).—f An acid obtained by spreading, in the evening, a cloth over flowering plants of Cicer arietinum. It imbibes the acid with the dew. This liquor was examined by Vanquelin, and found to contain oxalic, malic, and a little acetic acid. The word may be used to render Vinegar. 2 A species of the mango-tree. The fruit is rather longer than ordinary. 3 The principle of fermentation or souring (as inherent in heat and air). Ex. thaṇḍīcē divasīṃ āmba kamī mhaṇūna dahīṃ phāra āmbata nāhīṃ. āmba ōrapaṇēṃ To draw off the cream, marrow, pith (the substance or essence) of; to gather (for self) all the virtue or good of.

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āmbā (आंबा).—m (āmra S) The mango-tree and fruit, Mangifera Indica. āmbyācā taḷakā A half of a mango.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

ambā (अंबा).—m The mango–tree and fruit. f A mother. Name of durgā.

--- OR ---

āmba (आंब).—f An acid. Vinegar. A species of the mango-tree. The principle of fermentation or souring (as inher- ent in heat and air.). āmba ōrapaṇēṃ To draw off the cream or essence of; to gather all the good of.

--- OR ---

āmba (आंब) [- ṭāī, - टाई].—See under अ. āmbaṭa ōlēṃ. Rather moist.

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āmbā (आंबा).—m The mango-tree and fruit, āmbyācā taḷakā A half of a mango.

context information

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 dictionary

Amba (अम्ब).—1 A father.

2) Sound; the Veda.

3) One who sounds.

-mbā see below.

-mbam 1 The eye.

2) Water.

-mba ind. A particle of affirmation; 'well, well now'.

Derivable forms: ambaḥ (अम्बः).

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Ambā (अम्बा).—[amb-ghañ] (Voc. ambe Ved.; amba in later Sanskṛt)

1) A mother; also used as an affectionate or respectful mode of address; 'good woman', 'good mother'; किमम्बाभिः प्रेषितः (kimambābhiḥ preṣitaḥ); अम्बानां कार्यं निर्वर्तय (ambānāṃ kāryaṃ nirvartaya) Ś.2; कृताञ्जलिस्तत्र यदम्ब सत्यात् (kṛtāñjalistatra yadamba satyāt) R.14.16.

2) Name of a plant (ambaṣṭhā d.).

3) Name of Durgā, wife of Śiva.

4) Name of an Apsaras; of a sister of Pāṇḍu's mother, a daughter of Kāśīrāja. [She and her two sisters were carried off by Bhīṣma to be the wives of Vichitravīrya who had no issue. Ambā, however, had been previously betrothed to a king of Śālva and Bhīṣma sent her to him; but the latter rejected her because she had been in another man's house. So she came back to Bhīṣma and prayed him to accept her; but he could not break his vow of life-long celibacy, and being enraged she returned to the forest and practised austere penance to revenge herself on Bhīṣma. Śiva favoured her and promised her the desired vengeance in another birth. Afterwards she was born as Śikhaṇḍinī, daughter of Drupada, who came to be called Śikhaḍin and became the cause of Bhīṣma's death.]

5) A term in astrology to denote the fourth condition. [cf. Dravid Amma; Germ. Amme; old Germ. Amma].

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

Ambā (अम्बा).—f.

(-mbā) 1. A mother. 2. The same, (in theatrical language.) 3. A name of Durga. See ambikā. E. abi to sound, ap and ṭāp affs.

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

Ambā (अम्बा).— (voc. sing. amba; in the Veda also ambe). 1. f. A mother, Böhtl. Ind. Spr. 855. 2. A proper name, Chr. 4, 10.

— Cf. [Old High German.] amma and ama.

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

Ambā (अम्बा).—[feminine] mother ([vocative] ambe or amba, the latter form [often] used as a simple exclamation); [Name] of a princess.

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

1) Amba (अम्ब):—See ambā.

2) Ambā (अम्बा):—f. ([Vedic or Veda] [vocative case] ambe [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā] or amba [Ṛg-veda], in later Sanskrit amba only, sometimes a mere interjection, [Āśvalāyana-śrauta-sūtra]), a mother, good woman (as a title of respect)

3) Name of a plant

4) Name of Durgā (the wife of Śiva)

5) Name of an Apsaras, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

6) Name of a daughter of a king of Kāśī, [Mahābhārata]

7) Name of one of the seven Kṛttikās, [Taittirīya-saṃhitā; Kāṭhaka; Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa]

8) a term in [astrology] (to denote the fourth condition which results from the conjunction of planets?). In the South Indian languages, ambā is corrupted into ammā, and is often affixed to the names of goddesses, and females in general

9) [German] Amme, a nurse; Old [German] amma, Them. ammôn, ammūn

10) Āmba (आम्ब):—m. a species of grain, [Taittirīya-saṃhitā; Kāṭhaka]

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

Ambā (अम्बा):—(mbā) 1. f. A mother; Durga.

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

Amba (अम्ब) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Aṃba, Aṃbā, Ammayā, Ammā, Avvā.

[Sanskrit to German]

Amba 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.

Prakrit-English dictionary

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

1) Aṃba (अंब) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Amba.

2) Aṃba (अंब) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Āmra.

3) Aṃba (अंब) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Amla.

4) Aṃba (अंब) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Āmla.

5) Aṃba (अंब) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Tāmra.

6) Aṃbā (अंबा) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Ambā.

context information

Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Aṃbā (ಅಂಬಾ):—

1) [noun] the lowing of a cow.

2) [noun] the sound imitating the cry of a cow or a calf.

3) [noun] (a nursery term) a cow.

--- OR ---

Aṃbā (ಅಂಬಾ):—

1) [noun] the mother-goddess Pārvati, the spouse of Śiva.

2) [noun] one’s mother.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Relevant text

Search found 59 books and stories containing Amba, Ambā, Aṃbā, Āmba, Āmbā, Aṃba; (plurals include: Ambas, Ambās, Aṃbās, Āmbas, Āmbās, Aṃbas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Verse 39 [Nine-fold Nāda] < [Chapter 2 - Second Vimarśa]

Verse 19 [Ambā in Dual and non-dual aspect] < [Chapter 1 - First Vimarśa]

Verse 59 [Merger of all powers in Ambā] < [Chapter 2 - Second Vimarśa]

+ 29 more chapters / show preview

Story of Bhīṣma

Story of Ambā

Story of Śikhaṇḍī

+ 17 more chapters / show preview

Verse 4.8.84 < [Part 8 - Compatible & Incompatible Mellows (maitrī-vaira-sthiti)]

Verse 2.4.87 < [Part 4 - Transient Ecstatic Disturbances (vyābhicāri-bhāva)]

Verse 3.4.76 < [Part 4 - Parenthood (vātsalya-rasa)]

show preview