Asama, Asamā, Ashama: 19 definitions

Introduction:

Asama means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Hindi. 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.

Alternative spellings of this word include Aasam.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Asama (असम).—An Ajita deva.*

  • * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 13. 93.
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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In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

1. Asama - The chief disciple of Sobhita Buddha (Bu.vii.21; J.i.35). He was the Buddhas step brother, and it was to him and to his brother Sunetta that the Buddha preached his first sermon. BuA.137.

2. Asama - Father of Paduma Buddha and King of Campa. Bu.ix.9; BuA.146.

3. Asama - Chief lay supporter of Paduma Buddha (Bu.ix.23); probably the same as his father. See Asama (2).

4. Asama - A devaputta who once visited the Buddha at Veluvana, in the company of Sahali, Ninka, Akotaka, Vetambari and Manava Gamiya.

They were disciples of different teachers and, standing before the Buddha, each uttered the praises of his own teacher.

Asama eulogised Purana Kassapa (S.i.65). Perhaps Asama is the name of a class; See Asama (1).

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1. Asama - A class of devas, present at the preaching of the Maha Samaya Sutta. They are mentioned together with the Yama twins. D.ii.259.

2. Asama - Mother of Paduma Buddha and wife of King Asama. Bu.ix.16; J.i.36.

3. Asama - Chief woman disciple of Padumuttara Buddha. Bu.xi.25; DA.ii.489; J.i.37.

context information

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).

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Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Asama (असम) is a synonym for the Buddha according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter IV). A so mo (Asama) in the language of the Ts’in means “without equal”.

Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā

Asama (असम) refers to “irregular (behaviour)”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “[...] If he is in the state of concentration, but ends up inan unpleasant situation, he is not irritated. Even thought he always manifests peacefulness to noble beings, he makes flaming efforts in order to bring ordinary people to maturity. Being in the state of sameness in concentration, he still teaches those with irregular behaviour (asama-caryā) by means of various kinds of teachings. He does not see the irregular (asama) in terms of sameness (samatā), and he does not obstruct the irregular with sameness. Since he is unobstructed, he is called the meditator whose thought is just like open space, without any obstruction, he is called a meditator with great insight, and he is called the meditator who is not dependent on consciousness. When meditation is understood in this way, then the meditation of the Bodhisattva is like the expanse of open space, which is not dependent on anything”.

Mahayana book cover
context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

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Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhism

Asamā (असमा) is the name of Vidyārājñī (i.e., “wisdom queen”) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Asamā).

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
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Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

asama : (adj.) unequal; matchless.

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

1) Asama, 2 (nt.) (the diaeretic form of Sk. aśman hurling stone, of whieh the contracted form is amha (q. v.); connected with Lat. ocris “mons confragosus”; Gr. a)/kmwn anvil; Lith. akmů̃ stone, see also asana1 (Sk. aśan stone for throwing) and asani) stone, rock DA. I, 270, 271 (°muṭṭhika having a hammer of stone; v. l. BB. ayamuṭṭhika); SnA 392 (Instr. asmanā). (Page 88)

2) Asama, 1 (adj.) (a + sama) unequal, incomparable J. I, 40 (+ appaṭipuggala); Sdhp. 578 (+ atula). Esp. frequent in cpd. °dhura lit. carrying more than an equal burden, of incomparable strength, very steadfast or resolute Sn. 694 (= asama-viriya SnA 489); J. I, 193; VI, 259, 330. (Page 88)

Pali book cover
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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Asama (असम).—a.

1) Uneven, odd (as a number); असमशीलाः खलु मृगाः (asamaśīlāḥ khalu mṛgāḥ) Bv.1.2; mean, contemptible.

2) Unequal (in space, number or dignity); असमैः समीयमानः (asamaiḥ samīyamānaḥ) Pañcatantra (Bombay) 1.74.

3) Unequalled, matchless, unsurpassed; समवतारसमै- रसमैस्तटैः (samavatārasamai- rasamaistaṭaiḥ) Kirātārjunīya 5.7; वाद्यविशेषाणामसमः श्रोता (vādyaviśeṣāṇāmasamaḥ śrotā) K.12; Ms. 1.73.

4) Uneven, not level (as ground).

-maḥ Name of Buddha.

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

Asama (असम).—mfn.

(-maḥ-mā-maṃ) 1. Unequalled, individual, without a fellow or equal. 2. Uneven, unequal either in surface or number. m.

(-maḥ) A name of Budd'ha or a Budd'ha. E. a neg. and sama like, same.

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

Asama (असम).—1. uneven, [Kirātārjunīya] 5, 7. 2. unequal, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 10, 73. 3. incomparable, [Kathāsaritsāgara, (ed. Brockhaus.)] 23, 32. Catuḥsama, i. e.

Asama is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms a and sama (सम).

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

Aśama (अशम).—[masculine] restlessness.

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Asama (असम).—1. [adjective] unlike, uneven.

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Asama (असम).—2. [adjective] having no equal, incomparable.

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

1) Aśama (अशम):—[=a-śama] m. disquietude, uneasiness, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

2) [v.s. ...] ‘not resting’, in [compound] with

3) Asama (असम):—[=a-sama] mfn. uneven, unequal (either by birth or in surface or number), [Manu-smṛti x, 73; Kirātārjunīya v, 7, etc.]

4) [v.s. ...] odd

5) [v.s. ...] mf(ā)n. unequalled, without a fellow or equal, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda etc.]

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

Asama (असम):—[a-sama] (maḥ) 1. m. Buddha. a. Unequal, unparalleled.

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

Asama (असम) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Asama.

[Sanskrit to German]

Asama 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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Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

1) Asama (असम) [Also spelled asam]:—(a) uneven; unequal; dissimilar; unmatching; (nm) the north-eastern Indian state of Assam.

2) Āsāma (आसाम) [Also spelled aasam]:—(nm) see [asama].

context information

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Prakrit-English dictionary

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

1) Asama (असम) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Asama.

2) Āsama (आसम) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Āśrama.

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.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Asama (ಅಸಮ):—

1) [adjective] not equal; unequal.

2) [adjective] excellent; unparalleled; matchless.

3) [adjective] (said of numbers) not divisible by the number two completely; having a remainder of one when divided by two; not even; odd.

4) [adjective] not of uniform level; of or having irregular surface; uneven.

context information

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

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