Avantika, Āvantika, Avantikā, Āvantikā: 17 definitions
Introduction:
Avantika means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India. 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)
Āvantikā (आवन्तिका).—Daughter of Yaugandharāyaṇa, a famous character in the story of Udayana. (See under Yaugandharāyaṇa).
Āvantikā (आवन्तिका) refers to one of the seven sacred cities of the Hindus, according to a footnote at the Śivapurāṇa-māhātmya chapter 1. Accordingly, —“[...] the holy rivers, Gaṅgā and others, the seven sacred cities [viz., Āvantikā] and Gayā can never be equal to Śivapurāṇa. If one wishes for the greatest of goals (Liberation) one shall recite at least a stanza or even half of it from Śivapurāṇa. He who constantly listens to Śivapurāṇa fully comprehending its meaning or simply reads it with devotion is undoubtedly a meritorious soul”.
The seven sacred cities of the Hindus are: Ayodhyā, Mathurā, Māyā, Kāśī, Kāñcī, Āvantikā and Dvārikā.
Avantikā (अवन्तिका).—A tīrtha sacred to Pitṛs.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 22. 33.
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.
Vastushastra (architecture)
Āvantika (आवन्तिक) refers to a variety of prāsāda (upper storey of any building), according to the Śilparatna (32.4), the Mayamata (18.10) and the Kamikāgama (57.8).
Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
1) Āvantika (आवन्तिक) is another name for Avantī, a country pertaining to the Āvantī local usage (pravṛtti) according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 14. These pravṛttis provide information regarding costumes, languages, and manners in different countries of the world. It is mentioned that this local usage (adopted by these countries) depends on the grand style (sāttvatī) and the graceful style (kaiśikī).
2) Āvantika (आवन्तिक) refers to one of the types of Rīti (‘style’ or ‘essence’ of poetry) according to Bhoja (in his Sarasvatīkaṇṭhābharaṇa).
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).
Kavya (poetry)
Āvantikā (आवन्तिका) is the undercover name of queen Vāsavadatta, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 15. Yaugandharāyaṇa, accompanied by Gopālaka, Rumaṇvat and Vasantaka, devised a scheme to trick king Udayana into believing his wife (Vāsavadattā) was burned at Lāvānaka. In order to disguise Vāsavadattā, Yaugandharāyaṇa transformed her into a Brāhman woman by means of a charm.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Āvantikā, 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’.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Dietetics and Culinary Art (such as household cooking)
Avantika (अवन्तिक) refers to one of the miscellaneous dishes mentioned in the 17th century Bhojanakutūhala (dravyaguṇāguṇa-kathana), and is commonly found in literature dealing with the topics of dietetics and culinary art, also known as Pākaśāstra or Pākakalā.
(Ingredients of Avantika): black gram powder, green gram powder and rice flour.
(Cooking instructions): Mix the powdered black gram, powdered green gram with rice flour. Cook this mixture in steam. This preparation is called avantika. This dish is very popular in the name iḍḍali in south India. The same is called caṇḍārika if cooked it in oil. Author states that caṇḍārika is also known by the name ghṛtapūra.
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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Āvantika (आवन्तिक) or Āvanti refers to an ancient kingdom or tribe of people, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 5), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “If there should be both lunar and solar eclipses in one month, princes will suffer both from dissensions among their own army and from wars. [...] If Mars should be eclipsed by Rāhu [—the eclipsed or eclipsing lunar or solar disc as the case may be], the people of Āvanti, those living on the banks of the Kāverī and the Narmada and haughty princes will be afflicted with miseries. If Mercury should be so eclipsed, men living between the Ganges and the Yamunā, on the banks of the Sarayū and in the country of Nepāla, those living about the east sea and on the banks of the Śoṇa will suffer and women, princes, soldier boys and men of letters will perish”.
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
The name given to monks of Avanti who helped Yasa Kakandakaputta to overcome the heresy of the Vajjiputtakas. Mhv.iv.19ff.
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).
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Āvantika (आवन्तिक) refers to one of the Eighteen Sects (of the Vaibhāṣika) [classified as Saṃmatīya] known in Tibetan as bye brag smra ba'i gyes pa bco brgyad.—Cf. the writings of Vinītadeva (8th century): an Indian scholar and author who was active at the ancient Nalanda university where he produced commentaries on both the Triṃśikā and the Viṃśatikā which survive in Tibetan translation and some Sanskrit fragments.
Āvantika (आवन्तिक) refers to one of the “Three Saṃmatīya Sects” which are known in Tibetan as mang bkur ba'i gyes pa gsum.—The full list is: Kurukullaka, Āvantika, and Vātsīputrīya.
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.
India history and geography
Avantikā (अवन्तिका) is the name of a North-Indian Tirtha (sacred place) mentioned in the Gīrvāṇapadamañjarī authored by Varadarāja (A.D. 1600-1650), a pupil of Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita.—Varadarāja in his Gīrvāṇapadamañjarī refers to several works which ought to be studied by a Pandit. In the same text are listed some Ghats of Benares (Varanasi). We also find in this work a list of holy places or tīrthas on folio 6 of the manuscript [e.g., avantikā-kṣetra] which appears to have been composed say between A.D. 1600 and 1650.—[Cf. the manuscript of the Gīrvāṇapadamañjarī at the Government Manuscripts Library, B.O.R. = Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona]
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Avantikā (अवन्तिका).—
1) The modern city of उज्जयिनी (ujjayinī).
2) The language of the Avantis.
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Āvantika (आवन्तिक).—a. (-kī f.) Coming from or belonging to Avantī.
-kaḥ Name of a Buddhist school.
Āvantika (आवन्तिक).—[adjective] belonging to or coming from the Avantis.
1) Avantikā (अवन्तिका):—[from avantaka] f. the modern Oujein (one of the seven sacred cities of the Hindūs to die at which secures eternal happiness), the language of the, Avantis, [Sāhitya-darpaṇa]
2) Āvantika (आवन्तिक):—[from āvanta] mfn. belonging to or coming from Avanti, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]
3) [v.s. ...] m. Name of a Buddhist school
4) Āvantikā (आवन्तिका):—[from āvantika > āvanta] f. Name of a woman, [Kathāsaritsāgara]
Avantikā (अवन्तिका):—(von avanti) f. = avantī [?1. SKANDA-Pāṇini’s acht Bücher im Śabdakalpadruma Weber’s Verzeichniss No. 1242.]
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Āvantika (आवन्तिक):—
1) adj. aus Avanti stammend u.s.w.: nṛpaḥ [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 85] in [Weber’s Verzeichniss 249.] m. pl. Name einer buddhistischen Schule [Burnouf 446.] [Lot. de Lassen’s Anthologie b. l. 357] (avantakāḥ). Die Kürze (durch das Versmaass gesichert) haben wir auch in avantikā (sc. bhāṣā) die Sprache von A. [Sāhityadarpana] in [Griechischen und Indoskythischen Könige, Institt. 35.] —
2) f. kā Nomen proprium der Tochter eines Brahmanen [Kathāsaritsāgara 16, 21.]
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Avantikā (अवन्तिका):—[Oxforder Handschriften 149,b,7.] die in Avanti gesprochene Sprache [Sāhityadarpana 173, 4.]
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Āvantika (आवन्तिक):—
1) janapadāḥ [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 5, 64.] nṛpa [86, 2.] varāhamihira [Oxforder Handschriften 328,b,3 v. u.] āvantikāḥ striyaḥ [217,b,12.] rīti [208,a,32.]
Avantikā (अवन्तिका):—f. —
1) die Stadt Avantī. khaṇḍa m. n. Titel eines Abschnittes in einem best. Werke. —
2) die Sprache der Avanti.
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Āvantika (आवन्तिक):——
1) Adj. (f. ā) = āvantaka. —
2) m. Pl. die Bewohner von Avanti. Name einer buddh. Schule. —
3) f. ā ein Frauenname.
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: Avantikadravya, Avantikai, Avantikajahnu, Avantikajanhu, Avantikakhanda, Avantikakshetra.
Full-text (+15): Avanti, Da bu ke qi zi bu, Avantikakshetra, Dravyavardhana, Avantikai, Candarika, Iddali, mang bkur ba'i gyes pa gsum, Kurukullaka, Da bu ke qi, Vatsiputriya, Ghritapura, Eighteen sects, Three sects, Avantaka, Avantikajanhu, Ujjayini, Avantipura, Dvarika, Nritta.
Relevant text
Search found 43 books and stories containing Avantika, Āvantika, Avantikā, Āvantikā; (plurals include: Avantikas, Āvantikas, Avantikās, Āvantikās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 5.9.35 < [Chapter 9 - The Happiness of the Yadus]
Verse 4.19.121 < [Chapter 19 - A Thousand Names of Srī Yamunā]
Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story) (by Somadeva)
Chapter XVI < [Book III - Lāvānaka]
Mayamata and Building Construction (study) (by Ripan Ghosh)
Part 4.1 - Prāsādordhva-varga (Making procedure of the roof) < [Chapter 5 - Core Construction of the Building]
Part 8.13 - Roofing of the four main buildings (Sukhālaya etc.) < [Chapter 5 - Core Construction of the Building]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Hanuman Nataka (critical study) (by Nurima Yeasmin)
1. Rīti (Style) in the Haumannāṭaka < [Chapter 4]
Bhasa (critical and historical study) (by A. D. Pusalker)