Andhakara, Andhakāra, Āndhakāra, Andha-kara: 18 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Andhakara means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi. 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: Wisdom Library: Varāha-purāṇaAndhakāra (अन्धकार).—One of the seven major mountains in Krauñcadvīpa, according to the Varāhapurāṇa chapter 88. All of these mountains are tall and filled with gems. It is also known by the name Acchodaka. Krauñcadvīpa is one of the seven islands (dvīpa), ruled over by Jyotiṣmān, one of the ten sons of Priyavrata, who is the son of Svāyambhuva Manu, who was created by Brahmā, who was in turn created by Nārāyaṇa, the unknowable all-pervasive primordial being.
The Varāhapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, and was originally composed of 24,000 metrical verses, possibly originating from before the 10th century. It is composed of two parts and Sūta is the main narrator.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Andhakāra (अन्धकार).—A son of Dyutimat after whom the kingdom Andhakāra came to be known.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 14. 22, 25.
1b) The eighth battle of Devas and Asuras.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 72. 75 & 82; Vāyu-purāṇa 97. 75.
2) Āndhakāra (आन्धकार).—(c)—a kingdom after the name of Andhakāra,1 near Pīvara hill.2

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.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesA village in Ceylon, one of the villages given by Aggabodhi IV. for the maintenance of the Padhana ghara built by the king for the Thera Dathasiva. Cv.xlvi.12.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
General definition (in Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgrahaAndhakāra (अन्धकार, “dark”) refers to one of the “twenty form objects” (rūpa) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 34). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., andhakāra). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: Encyclopedia of Jainism: Tattvartha Sutra 5: The category of the non-livingAndhakāra (अन्धकार, “darkness”) according to the 2nd-century Tattvārthasūtra 5.24.—“Sound (śabda), union (bandha), fineness (saukṣmya), grossness (sthaulya), shape (saṃsthāna), division (bheda), darkness (tamas or andhakāra), image (chāya or chāyā), warm light (sunshine) (ātapa) and cool light (moonlight) (udyota) also (are forms of matter)”.
What is the meaning of darkness (tamas or andhakāra)? It is the opposite of light or absence of light.

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
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionaryandhakāra : (m.) darkness; bewilderment.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryAndhakāra refers to: blindness (lit. & fig), darkness, dullness, bewilderment Vin.I, 16; D.II, 12; A.I, 56; II, 54; III, 233; J.III, 188; Th.1, 1034; Dh.146; Sn.763; Vv 214 (= avijj° VvA.106); Pug.30; Dhs.617; DA.I, 228; VvA.51, 53, 116, 161; PvA.6; Sdhp.14, 280.
Note: andhakāra is a Pali compound consisting of the words andha and kāra.

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 Dictionaryandhakāra (अंधकार).—m (S) pop. andhaḥkāra m Darkness. 2 fig. Mental darkness.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishandhakāra (अंधकार).—m Darkness. Fig. mental darkness.
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 dictionaryAndhakāra (अन्धकार).—[andhaṃ karoti] darkness (lit. and fig.); लीनं दिवाभीतमिवान्धकारम् (līnaṃ divābhītamivāndhakāram) Ku. 1.12; काम°, मदन° (kāma°, madana°); अन्धकारतामुपयाति चक्षुः (andhakāratāmupayāti cakṣuḥ) K.36 grows dim; बाष्पजलधारान्धकारितमुखी (bāṣpajaladhārāndhakāritamukhī) K.161,286.
Derivable forms: andhakāraḥ (अन्धकारः).
Andhakāra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms andha and kāra (कार).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryAndhakāra (अन्धकार).—mn.
(-raḥ-raṃ) Darkness. E. andha blind, and kāra what makes.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryAndhakāra (अन्धकार).—[andha + kāra], m. and n. Darkness, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 4, 51.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryAndhakāra (अन्धकार).—[adjective] dark; [masculine] [neuter] darkness, [abstract] tā [feminine]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryAndhakāra (अन्धकार):—[=andha-kāra] [from andha > andh] m. n. darkness.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryAndhakāra (अन्धकार):—[andha-kāra] (raḥ-raṃ) 1. m. n. Darkness.
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)
Starts with: Andhakara Sutta, Andhakara Vagga, Andhakaraka, Andhakaram, Andhakaramaya, Andhakarana, Andhakarapitatva, Andhakaraprayashcitta, Andhakarasamcaya, Andhakaratamisra, Andhakaratamisrita, Andhakarattha, Andhakaravada.
Ends with: Baddhabhimandhakara, Baddhandhakara, Bhinnaandhakara, Dhumandhakara, Durgandhakara, Ghanandhakara, Ghorandhakara, Katakandhakara, Katandhakara, Mahandhakara, Pratyandhakara, Rattandhakara, Samandhakara, Sandhakara, Tamandhakara, Vinibandhakara.
Full-text (+26): Andhakaramaya, Pratyandhakara, Samandhakara, Andhakarasamcaya, Andhara, Carci, Tamisrita, Andhakarita, Samandhakarikrita, Timisa, Tamas, Krauncadvipa, Mahandhakara, Rattandhakara, Prakasha, Pamoha, Tamandhakara, Tumula, Timisaka, Andhakaratamisra.
Relevant text
Search found 11 books and stories containing Andhakara, Andhakāra, Āndhakāra, Andha-kara, Andha-kāra; (plurals include: Andhakaras, Andhakāras, Āndhakāras, karas, kāras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
Section XII < [Bhumi Parva]
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary) (by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja)
Verse 2.1.90 < [Chapter 1 - Vairāgya (renunciation)]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
V. Value of the Buddha fields < [Part 4 - Assuring the continuity of the Buddha universes]
Appendix 2 - Lokāntarikā (intermediate spaces between two worlds) < [Chapter XLVII - Praises made by the Buddhas]
III. Mastering the fire element (tejas) < [Part 3 - Mastering the four great elements]
A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 4 (by Surendranath Dasgupta)
Part 1 - Ontology < [Chapter XXVII - A General Review of the Philosophy of Madhva]
Part 9 - Works of Vallabha and his Disciples < [Chapter XXXI - The Philosophy of Vallabha]
Part 2 - Interpretation of Brahma-sūtra I. 1. 1 < [Chapter XXVI - Madhva’s Interpretation of the Brahma-sūtras]
The Brahmanda Purana (by G.V. Tagare)
Chapter 14 - The race of Priyavrata < [Section 2 - Anuṣaṅga-pāda]
Chapter 19 - Description of Plakṣa and other continents (dvīpa) < [Section 2 - Anuṣaṅga-pāda]
Chapter 72 - Praise of the Lord: Conclusion < [Section 3 - Upodghāta-pāda]
Bhagavati-sutra (Viyaha-pannatti) (by K. C. Lalwani)