Balabhadra, Bala-bhadra: 25 definitions
Introduction:
Balabhadra means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, 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.
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In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaBalabhadra (बलभद्र).—(Balabhadrarāma, Balarāma, Baladeva). The elder brother of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the eighth incarnation of Mahāviṣṇu.* Birth. When the number of wicked kings increased Bhūmīdevī (goddess of Earth) turned herself into a cow and took refuge in Mahāviṣṇu. Mahāviṣṇu then promised to be born as the sons of Vasudeva named Balabhadrarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa and destroy the wicked. Vasudeva was the son of the Yādava, Śūrasena, King of Madhurā. To Devaka the brother of another Yādava King, Ugrasena, was born a daughter Devakī. The marriage of Devakī with Vasudeva was celebrated but on the same day an Aśarīriṇī (a heavenly voice from above) said that the eighth child of Devakī would kill Kaṃsa. Instantly Kaṃsa put both Vasudeva and Devakī in jail. The first six sons born to Devakī were killed the moment they were born by striking them against the ground. Devakī became pregnant for the seventh time. The babe in the womb was Ananta incarnate by Viṣṇu’s directive to be of help to him when he would also be born soon as Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it was necessary to save the child from the cruel hands of Kaṃsa as it was certain he would kill the babe the same way he had killed all the others before. So he ordered Māyādevī to take the child from the womb of Devakī and place it in that of Rohiṇī, another wife of Vasudeva. Māyādevī did so and the boy got the name Saṃgharṣaṇa, also because of this. The news spread that Devakī aborted. Rohiṇī delivered a boy and was named Saṃgharṣaṇa alias Balabhadrarāma. (Daśama Skandha, Bhāgavata). (See full article at Story of Balabhadra from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Balabhadra (बलभद्र).—A boundary hill of Śākadvīpa.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa V. 20. 26.
1b) See Balarāma.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 65. 1; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 36. 24; Vāyu-purāṇa 96. 83; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 13. 99.
Balabhadra (बलभद्र).—The Purāṇas conceive Balabhadra as the incarnation of serpent Śeṣa. He is the treasure of resplendence, possesses the divine grandeur, unshakable and the best of the humans. He is the ācārya of yoga, immensely strong, valorous. He is the one who listens to the secret advice of the gods and the foremost among those who considers the same. He defeated Jarāsandha in the battle of gadā, but did not kill him.
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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)
Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭuBalabhadrā (बलभद्रा) is another name for Trāyamāṇā, a medicinal plant identified with Gentiana kurroo Royle. from the Gentianaceae family of flowering plants, according to verse 5.57-59 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The fifth chapter (parpaṭādi-varga) of this book enumerates sixty varieties of smaller plants (kṣudra-kṣupa). Together with the names Balabhadrā and Trāyamāṇā, there are a total of sixteen Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.
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.
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (advaita-vedanta)Balabhadra (बलभद्र) is the author of the Advaitacintāmaṇi.—Balabhadra is also the father of Godāvaramiśra (author of the 16th-century text dealing with Yoga).
Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama TextsBalabhadra (बलभद्र) or Balabhadramaṇḍala refers to one of the twenty-five Maṇḍalas (“esoteric designs”) mentioned in chapter 5 of the Pauṣkarasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text of almost 5900 verses divided into forty-three chapters presented as a frame-work dialogue between Pauṣkara and Bhagavān dealing with the esoteric meaning of maṇḍala-designs, worship routines and temple-building.—[Cf. chapter 5 named sarvatobhadrādimaṇḍa-lalakṣaṇa].
Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Journal of South Asian Intellectual History: Samarasiṃha and the Early Transmission of Tājika AstrologyBalabhadra (बलभद्र) is the author of the Hāyanaratna—a work dealing with Tājika doctrine: a Sanskritized version of Perso-Arabic astrology sharing a core of pre-Islamic Indian jyotiṣa and Hellenistic astrology.— Balabhadra’s Hāyanaratna is a nibandha or meta-commentary drawing on many important expositions of Tājika. It is chiefly concerned with varṣaphala (i.e., the casting of anniversary horoscopes).
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
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: archive.org: The Indian Buddhist Iconography1) Balabhadra (बलभद्र) set of four Hindu deities described fully in the dharmadhātuvāgīśvara-maṇḍala of the Niṣpannayogāvalī.—They include Balabhadra, Jayakara, Madhukara, and Vasanta, and in Hinduism, all these are the companions of the god Kāmadeva, the deity of Desire.
2) Balabhadra who may be identified with Balarāma the brother of Kṛṣṇa. These two pastoral deities of Hinduism broadly represented Agriculture and Dairying.—His Colour is white; his Vehicle is the elephant; his Symbol is the plough; he has four hands.
Balabhadra is described in the Niṣpannayogāvalī (dharmadhātuvāgīśvara-maṇḍala) as follows:—
“Balabhadra rides an elephant and is white in colour. He holds the sword and the plough”.
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.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra1) Balabhadra (बलभद्र) is the son of Atibala and grandson of Mahāyaśas, born in the family of Cakrin Bharata and Ṛṣabha Svāmin, according to chapter 2.6 [ajitanātha-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.
Accordingly, as king Sagara said: “[...] Mahāyaśas was the son of Ādityayaśas, his glory sung to the ends of the earth, the crest-jewel of all the powerful. A son, Atibala, was born to him, ruling the earth with unbroken authority like Ākhaṇḍala. He had a son, named Balabhadra, causing happiness to the world by power and light, like the sun. His son was Balavīrya, the chief of the courageous and enduring, foremost of kings. [...]”.
2) Balabhadra (बलभद्र) is the son of Mahābala and grandson of king Bala from Vītaśoka, according to chapter 6.6 [śrī-mallinātha-caritra].—Accordingly:—“[...] A son, named Mahābala, having complete power, indicated by the dream of a lion, was borne to the king [i.e., Bala] by his wife Dhāriṇī. When he was grown, Mahābala married on one day five hundred princesses, Kamalaśrī and others. [...] A son, indicated by a dream of a lion, Balabhadra, was borne to Mahābala by the chief-queen, Kamalaśrī. After he had grown up in course of time, Mahābala made him his heir-apparent like another form of himself. [...]”.
Source: WikiPedia: JainismBalabhadra (बलभद्र) (or Baladeva, Balarāma, Rāma, Bala) refers to a set of nine “gentle heroes” and half-brothers of Vasudevas (or Viṣṇus, Nārāyaṇas), mentioned in both Śvetāmbara and Digambara literature.—In every half time cycle, there are 9 sets of Balabhadras (gentle heroes), Vasudevas (violent heroes) and Prativāsudevas (anti-heroes). Baladevas, half-brothers of Vasudevas, are described as fair in complexion and wear garments of dark blue and have a banner of palm tree. Their symbols or weapons are: bow, plough, pestle and arrow. The two brothers are inseparable and they jointly rule three continents as half-Chakravarti. Although Narayana is the mightier of the two, Balabhadra is depicted as superior for his non-violent ways and he achieves liberation. According to the Jain puranas, the Balabhadras lead an ideal Jain life.
Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve ReflectionsBalabhadra (बलभद्र) is another name for Bala, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Rudra, elephants of the quarters, gods, demons, aerial spirits, aquatic predators, the planets, the Vyantaras , the guardians of the quarters of the sky, the enemies [of Vāsudeva], Hari, Bala [com.—Balabhadra (balabhadraḥ)], the chief of the snakes, the lord of the discus (i.e. Viṣṇu) and others who are powerful, the wind, the sun, etc. all themselves having come together are not able to protect an embodied soul even for an instant [when death is] initiated by the servants of Yama”.
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.
India history and geography
Source: Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts, volume 3, part 1: SaduktikarnamritaBalabhadra (बलभद्र) is the name of a Poet mentioned in the 13th century Saduktikarṇāmrita by Śrīdhara Dāsa (son of Vaṭu Dāsa) who was a chief over several districts (called a mahāmaṇḍalika).—The Sadukti-Karnamrita is a collection of miscellaneous verses by different authors and on various subjects, five verses being devoted to each subject. There are 446 poets identified (for example, Balabhadra) some of which in the feminine gender (intended for females) while others are of Buddhist monks etc.
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.
Biology (plants and animals)
Source: Wisdom Library: Local Names of Plants and DrugsBalabhadra in the Sanskrit language is the name of a plant identified with Symplocos racemosa Roxb. from the Symplocaceae (Saphire-berry) family having the following synonyms: Lodhra racemosa, Symplocos hamiltoniana, Symplocos nicobarica. For the possible medicinal usage of balabhadra, 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.
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
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarybaḷabhadra (बळभद्र).—m (balabhadra S The name of the elder brother of kṛṣṇa.) A term applied ironically to an ill-starred fellow or luckless wight.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishbaḷabhadra (बळभद्र).—
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 dictionaryBalabhadra (बलभद्र).—a. strong, powerful. (-draḥ) 1 a strong or powerful man.
2) a kind of ox.
3) Name of Balarāma, q. v. below.
4) the tree called लोध्र (lodhra).
5) Name of Ananta.
-drā a maiden.
Balabhadra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms bala and bhadra (भद्र).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryBalabhadra (बलभद्र).—name of a nāga king: Mahā-Māyūrī 247.12.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryBalabhadra (बलभद्र).—m.
(-draḥ) 1. Baladeva. 2. Ananta, the great serpent, considered as identified with the proceding, Baladeva being regarded by some authorities as an incarnation of Ananta. 3. A strong or robust man. 4. A tree, commonly Lodh. f.
(-drā) 1. A young girl, a maiden. 2. A drug, commonly Trayamana. E. bala strength, and bhadra auspicious, excellent.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryBalabhadra (बलभद्र).—I. m. 1. Baladeva. 2. Ananta, the great serpent. 3. a strong man. Ii. f. rā, a young girl.
Balabhadra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms bala and bhadra (भद्र).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryBalabhadra (बलभद्र).—[masculine] = baladeva.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum1) Balabhadra (बलभद्र) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—brother of Govardhanācārya. Śp. p. 24.
2) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—father of Govardhana Miśra (Tarkabhāṣāprakāśa), Viśvanātha and Padmanābha. W. p. 203. Hall. p. 21. 23. 29.
3) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—son of Dāmodara, father of Jayarāma (Pāraskarabhāṣya). W. p. 64.
4) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—father of Devabhadra (Prayogasāra). L. 756.
5) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—father of Pradyotana (Candrālokaprakāśa). L. 1784.
6) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—son of Sarvānandamiśra, father of Kāśīnātha, father of Candravandya, father of Śivarāma, father of Raghunātha (Sāṃkhyatattvavilāsa). Hall. p. 7.
7) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—son of Śrīnandana, father of Rāma, who wrote a Praśasti in 1003. Go7tt. Anz. 1868, 460.
8) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—poet. [Sūktikarṇāmṛta by Śrīdharadāsa]
9) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Adbhutataraṅgiṇī.
10) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Āhnika. Rice. 208.
11) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Kālītattvāmṛta [tantric]
12) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Cetasiṃhavilāsa.
13) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Jātakacandrikā. Bṛhajjātake Naṣṭajātakādhyāyaṭīkā. Horāratna.
14) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Navaratnadhātuvivāda med.
15) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Mahārudranyāsapaddhati.
16) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Yogaśataka jy.
17) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Rāmagītāvṛtti.
18) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Śaktivādaṭīkā.
19) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—son of Kāśīnātha, grandson of Kṛṣṇadatta, wrote in 1562: Mahānāṭakadīpikā.
20) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—son of Dāmodara, brother of Harirāma, wrote in 1656: Hāyanaratna jy.
21) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—son of Vasanta, grandson of Vimalakara, wrote at Umānagara in 1544: Bālabodhinī Bhāsvatīṭīkā.
22) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Āśaucasāra.
23) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—is mentioned as an astronomer in Albiruni's Indica, translated by Sachau, 1, 156-58.
24) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—father of Govardhana Miśra (Tarkabhāṣāprakāśa), Viśvanātha, and Padmanābha (Vardhamānendu). Balabhadra himself was author of Yuktikalpadruma vaiś. See Catal. Io. p. 663.
25) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—wrote in 1777-88: Pattraprakāśa jy.
26) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Mahārudrapaddhati.
27) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Vṛndasaṃgrahaśeṣa med.
28) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—son of Dāmodara, brother of Harirāma, grandson of Lāla, pupil of Rāma: Hāyanaratna. Horāratna, composed in 1654. He wrote besides a Makarandaṭīkā, and a
—[commentary] to Bhāskara’s Bījagaṇita. Peters. 4, 63. Extr.
29) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Nityānuṣṭhānapaddhati.
30) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—Tārkikarakṣāvyākhyāṭīkā.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Balabhadra (बलभद्र):—[=bala-bhadra] [from bala > bal] mfn. strong, powerful, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
2) [v.s. ...] Bos Gavaeus, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
3) [v.s. ...] Symplocos Racemosa, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
4) [v.s. ...] a species of Kadamba, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) [v.s. ...] Name of Balarāma or of An-anta (the great serpent identified with him), [Purāṇa; Horace H. Wilson]
6) [v.s. ...] of a descendant of Bharata, of various men ([especially] teachers and authors, also with also, ācārya, kāyastha, pancānana, bhaṭṭa, mitra, śukla, sūri), [Catalogue(s)]
7) [v.s. ...] of a mountain in Śāka-dvīpa, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
8) Balabhadrā (बलभद्रा):—[=bala-bhadrā] [from bala-bhadra > bala > bal] f. a young girl, maiden, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
9) [v.s. ...] Ficus Heterophylla, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryBalabhadra (बलभद्र):—[bala-bhadra] (draḥ) 1. m. Baladeva; Ananta; a strong man; lodh. f. (drā) A maiden; a drug.
[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: Bhadra, Bala.
Starts with: Balabhadra acarya, Balabhadra bhatta, Balabhadra kayastha, Balabhadra shukla, Balabhadra suri, Balabhadra tarkavagisha bhattacarya, Balabhadracaritra, Balabhadraka, Balabhadramandala, Balabhadrapancanga, Balabhadrarama, Balabhadrasamjnaka, Balabhadrasvamin.
Full-text (+193): Bhadrabala, Bhadranga, Balarama, Madhupriya, Baladeva, Bhattabalabhadra, Khemakarna, Balabhadrika, Balibhadra, Bhadrabalana, Hayanaratna, Rama, Palapattiran, Ekakundala, Dhenuka, Samkarshana, Mushtika, Bala, Balabhadra tarkavagisha bhattacarya, Balabhadra suri.
Relevant text
Search found 65 books and stories containing Balabhadra, Bala-bhadra, Bala-bhadrā, Baḷabhadra, Balabhadrā; (plurals include: Balabhadras, bhadras, bhadrās, Baḷabhadras, Balabhadrās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Introduction to volume 4 < [Introductions]
Part 25: Death of Balabhadra < [Chapter II - Vāsupūjyacaritra]
Part 16: Childhood of Tripṛṣṭha < [Chapter I - Śreyāṃsanāthacaritra]
Agni Purana (by N. Gangadharan)
Chapter 183 - Vows observed on the eighth lunar day
Chapter 15 - Ascendance of Pāṇḍavas to heaven
Chapter 284 - Narration of sacred formulas that are medicinal (mantra-rūpa-auṣadha)
History of Science in South Asia
Notes on Some Sanskrit Astrological Authors < [Vol. 5 No. 1 (2017)]
Origins of the Tājika System of Astrological Aspects and Dignities < [Vol. 6 (2018)]
The Borrowings Kṣuta-/kṣut- (“Inimical”) and Vidumāla- (“Retrograde”) in Sanskrit Astrological Texts, and the Representation of Semiticʿayn in Similar Loans < [Vol. 10 (2022)]
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 8.9.10 < [Chapter 9 - Lord Balarāma’s Rāsa Dance]
Verse 8.10.9 < [Chapter 10 - The Paddhati and Paṭala of Lord Balarāma]
Verse 4.15.12 < [Chapter 15 - The Story of the Women of Barhiṣmatī-pura, the Apsarās, and the Women of Sutala and Nāgendra]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
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