Asokamala, Asokamālā, Ashokamala: 5 definitions
Introduction:
Asokamala 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
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraAśokamālā (अशोकमाला) is the daughter of Balasena from Kauśāmbī, as mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 52. Accordingly as Aśokamālā said to queen Alaṅkāravatī in the presence Naravāhanadatta: “... I am the daughter of a Kṣatriya in this city, named Balasena, and my name is Aśokamālā. When I was a virgin I was demanded from my father by a rich Brāhman named Haṭhaśarman, who was captivated by my beauty”.
It was later revealed that Aśokamālā was previously a Vidyādharī born to the Vidyādhara king Aśokakara. Accordingly, as a heavenly voice said in the presence of Naravāhanadatta, Alaṅkāravatī and Aśokamālā: “... that very Vidyādharī, Aśokamālā, who was in old time cursed by her father, has now been born as a woman under the same name. And this appointed end of her curse has now arrived. She shall now repair to her Vidyādhara home and enter her own body, which is there. There she, remembering her curse, shall live happily with a Vidyādhara prince named Abhirucita, who shall become her husband”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Aśokamālā, 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 (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 Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesThe wife of Prince Sali. She was a candala woman of exceedingly great beauty, and the prince married her, thus renouncing his right to the throne (Mhv.xxiii.2-4). The two had been husband and wife, named Tissa and Naga, in a previous existence and had lived in Mundaganga in Ceylon. One day the husband received a pig from a hunter in payment of some smiths work he had done. Having prepared the animal for food, he expressed the wish that eight holy monks might come to accept alms from him. His wife joining him in this wish, they decorated the house, prepared eight seats, strewed the village path with sand and awaited the guests. Dhammadinna Thera of Piyangudipa, having divined the mans wish, came to the village with seven colleagues. After they had eaten, they gave thanks and went away. The man was born as Sali the son of Dutthagamani, but his wife was born as a candala as punishment for an offence in another existence. She had been the youngest of seven daughters of a carpenter and was one day scolded by her mother for untidiness. In anger she used to her mother the same abusive terms as had been hurled at her. This undutiful behaviour caused her to be born as the daughter of a candala. MT.606 f.
Her name was Devi, and her father was the chief candala in Hallolagama. Her story is given at great length in Ras.ii.117f.
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).
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryAśokamālā (अशोकमाला):—[=a-śoka-mālā] [from a-śoka] f. a female name, [Kathāsaritsāgara]
[Sanskrit to German]
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)
Partial matches: Ashoka, Maala, Mala.
Starts with: Asokamalaka.
Full-text: Saligama, Hallolagama, Ashokakara, Abhirucita, Balasena, Hathasharman, Madanapura, Shali, Sthuabhuja, Pralambabhuja, Surabhivatsa, Priyadatta, Mahavaraha, Surabhidatta, Harivara, Virasharman, Naga.
Relevant text
Search found 3 books and stories containing Asokamala, Asokamālā, Ashokamala, Aśokamālā, Ashoka-mala, Aśoka-mālā, Asoka-mala; (plurals include: Asokamalas, Asokamālās, Ashokamalas, Aśokamālās, malas, mālās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story) (by Somadeva)
Chapter LII < [Book IX - Alaṅkāravatī]
Dipavamsa (study) (by Sibani Barman)
The Great Buddhist Emperors of Asia (by Shibani Dutta)