Bhavani, Bhavāni, Bhavānī: 23 definitions
Introduction:
Bhavani means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, 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.
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In Hinduism
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Bhavāni (भवानि, “the giver of existence”).—One of the names of the Goddess, Devī, who is regarded as the female principle of the divine; the embodiement of the energies of the Gods.
Bhavānī (भवानी) refers to one of the “thousand names of Kumārī”, as mentioned in the Kumārīsahasranāma, which is included in the 10th chapter of the first part (prathamabhāga) of the Rudrayāmala-Uttaratantra: an ancient Tantric work primarily dealing with the practice of Kuṇḍalinī-yoga, the worship of Kumārī and discussions regarding the Cakras. This edition is said to be derived of the Rudrayāmalatantra and consists of 6000 verses in 90 chapters (paṭalas) together with the Saralā-Hindīvyākhyopetam (i.e., the Rudrayamalam Uttaratantram with Sarala Hindi translation).—Bhavānī is mentioned in śloka 1.10.127.—The chapter notes that one is granted the rewards obtained by reciting the text even without the performance of pūjā (worship), japa, snāna (bathing) and puraścaryā
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Bhavānī (भवानी) is an epithet of the Goddess (Devī), who incarnated as Satī, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.14. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] On seeing the mother of the universe born of Vīriṇī, Dakṣa joined his palms in reverence, paid respects to her and eulogised her. [...] O mother of the universe, those who eulogise Thee with the names of Bhavānī, Ambikā, Jaganmāyā and Durgā will have everything”.
Note: The Goddess has a great variety of names referable to her various forms, attributes and actions but these names are not always used accurately and distinctively. As the wife of God Śiva she is Bhavānī, as the mother of the world she is Ambikā or jaganmātā (the reading jaganmātā for Jaganmāyā is preferable). In her terrible form she is Durgā, the inaccessible.
Bhavānī (भवानी).—Umā;1 Parāśakti; enshrined at Sthāneśvara.2
- 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa III. 23. 1; IV. 5. 1; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 9. 1; 41. 42; 43. 1 and 23
- 2) Matsya-purāṇa 13. 31; 101. 16; Vāyu-purāṇa 71. 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.
Kavya (poetry)
Bhavānī (भवानी) is referred to as the “mother of the three worlds” in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 1, written by Somadeva in the 11th-century. Bhavānī is described as becoming the daughter of Himavat (another form of Himālaya).
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Bhavānī, 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.
Bhavānī (भवानी) is the name of an important person (viz., an Ācārya or Kavi) mentioned in Rājaśekhara’s 10th-century Kāvyamīmāṃsā.—It is another name of Pārvatī, who was the creator of Sāhitya-VidyāVadhū.
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’.
Gitashastra (science of music)
Bhāvanī (भावनी) refers to a classification of Prabandha based on three Aṅgas (“sections”) according to Śārṅgadeva—[Cf. Saṅgītarāja, Gītaratnakośa, Prabandhollāsa, Sūḍaprabandha prakaraṇam, p.552].—Prabandha refers to “musical compositions (that belong to the category of nibaddha-gāna)”. Its aṅgas or “limbs” are six in number. A prabandha can have two, three, four, five or six aṅgas. Based on the number of aṅgas present, prabandhas are classified into five groups (jātis). For example, Bhāvanī which has three aṅgas and is alternatively known as Kavitā.—Note: The jāti which is called bhāvanī by Śārṅgadeva is called pācanī by Kumbha.
Gitashastra (गीतशास्त्र, gītaśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science of Music (gita or samgita), which is traditionally divided in Vocal music, Instrumental music and Dance (under the jurisdiction of music). The different elements and technical terms are explained in a wide range of (often Sanskrit) literature.
India history and geography
Bhavāni is an archaeologically important site situated in Tirevallur-taluk (Chingleput district, Madras), known for inscriptions regarding the ancient history of India. For example, at Bhavāni there is an inscription in the Tamil language on the ceiling of the mahāmaṇḍapa in front of the central shrine, Saṅgameśvara temple. It states that Immaḍi Keṭṭi-mudaliyār constructed the precession-path round the shrine (tirunoḍaimāligai) the front nṛtya-maṇḍapa and the śikhara (pinnacle) of god Naṇṇāvuḍaiyasvāmin and also the central shrine, the ardhamaṇḍapa and the mahāmaṇḍapa of the goddess, Paṇṇārmoily-ammai.
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
Marathi-English dictionary
bhavānī (भवानी).—f (S) The goddess Parvati in her pacific form. Pr. savā rupayācī bha0 sōḷā rupayāñcā gōndhaḷa. 2 See bōhaṇī.
bhavānī (भवानी).—f The goddess pārvatī in her pacific form.
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
Bhavānī (भवानी).—Name of Pārvatī, wife of Śiva; आलम्बताग्रकरमत्र भवो भवान्याः (ālambatāgrakaramatra bhavo bhavānyāḥ) Kirātārjunīya 5.29; Kumārasambhava 7.84; Meghadūta 38,46; भवानि स्तोतुं त्वां प्रभवति चतुर्भिर्न वदनैः । प्रजानामीशानस्त्रिपुरमथनः पञ्चभिरपि (bhavāni stotuṃ tvāṃ prabhavati caturbhirna vadanaiḥ | prajānāmīśānastripuramathanaḥ pañcabhirapi) || Ānandalaharī.
Bhavānī (भवानी).—f. (-nī) The goddess Parvati or Durga, in her pacific and amiable form. E. bhava Siva. fem. aff. ṅīp, and ānuk augment.
Bhavānī (भवानी).—i. e. bhava + ī, f. The wife of Śiva, [Kirātārjunīya] 5, 29.
Bhavānī (भवानी).—[feminine] [Name] of a goddess, the wife of Bhava, in [later language] = pārvatī.
1) Bhavānī (भवानी):—[from bhava] f. ([from] bhava; cf. iṅdrāṇī, rudraṇī, śarvāṇī and, [Pāṇini 4-1, 49]) Name of a goddess identified in later times with Pārvatī (she is the wife of Śiva in her pacific and amiable form; cf. [Religious Thought and Life in India 79]), [Gṛhya-sūtra and śrauta-sūtra; Harivaṃśa] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] of various women, [Catalogue(s)]
3) [v.s. ...] of a river, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Bhavānī (भवानी):—(nī) 3. f. The goddess Durgā in her amiable form.
Bhavānī (भवानी):—(von bhava) f.
1) Name einer Göttin (vgl. bhava 1, f.), die später mit der Pārvatī, der Gemahlin Śiva’s, identificirt wird, [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 1, 49.] [Vopadeva’s Grammatik 4, 23.] [Amarakoṣa 1, 1, 1, 32.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 204.] [Halāyudha 1, 15.] bha, śarvāṇī, rudrāṇī, īśānānī, āgnāyī [Śāṅkhāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 4, 19, 5.] [Pāraskara’s Gṛhyasūtrāṇi 3, 8.] śivaḥ bhavānyā saha [Harivaṃśa 14834.] [Kumārasaṃbhava.7,84.] [Meghadūta 37. 45.] [Kathāsaritsāgara.1,14. 22,88. 50,124.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa.3,23,1.4,4,2.5,17,16.] [Oxforder Handschriften 39,b,2] (in Sthāneśvara verehrt). [81,a,3. 149,b,36. 249,b,34. 285,a,2.] kavaca und śrībhavānīsahasranāmayantra [Böhtlingk’s Verzeichniss 46.] sahasranāmastotra [Weber’s Verzeichniss No. 1330. fgg.] bhavānyaṣṭaka [1339.] —
2) Nomen proprium der Mütter des Scholiasten Ganeśa [Oxforder Handschriften 141,a,22.] der Frau des Bhavanātha [No. 601.] —
3) Nomen proprium eines Flusses [Lassen’s Indische Alterthumskunde I, 160.]
Bhavānī (भवानी):—f. Nomen proprium —
1) einer Göttin , die später mit der Pārvatī , der Gattin Śiva’s identificirt wird. —
2) verschiedener Frauen. —
3) eines Flusses.
--- OR ---
Bhāvanī (भावनी):—f. [Saṃgitasārasaṃgraha 252,18] fehlerhaft bhānavī.
Bhavānī (भवानी) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Bhavāṇī.
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.
Hindi dictionary
Bhavānī (भवानी):—(nf) goddess Durga: —spouse of Lord Shiv ([bhava]).
...
Prakrit-English dictionary
Bhavāṇī (भवाणी) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Bhavānī.
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Bhavāni (ಭವಾನಿ):—[noun] Pārvati, the wife of Śiva.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Bhavānī (भवानी):—n. Mythol. name of Parvati; wife of Shiva;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+15): Bhavani Ambal, Bhavanibandhana, Bhavanibandhavinashin, Bhavanibbattaka, Bhavanibbattakakusalakusalayuhana, Bhavanibbattakasila, Bhavanibbatti, Bhavanibbattipaccaya, Bhavanibbinda, Bhavanibhujamga, Bhavanibhujanga, Bhavanidana, Bhavanidasa, Bhavanidasa cakravartin, Bhavanidasa kaviraja, Bhavaniddesa, Bhavanigadanibandhacchedana, Bhavanigadanibandhavinashin, Bhavaniguru, Bhavanika.
Full-text (+56): Bhavaniguru, Bhavanipati, Bhavanidasa, Bhavanivallabha, Caurabhavani, Adibhavani, Tulabhavani, Bhavanikavaca, Bhavaninandana, Bhavanishamkara, Bhavanikavadi, Abhavani, Bhavanivilasa, Bhavanipara, Bhavaniprasada, Bhavanisahaya, Bhavanikanta, Bhavanistotra, Bhavanipancanga, Karnakumari.
Relevant text
Search found 107 books and stories containing Bhavani, Bhavāni, Bhavānī, Bhāvanī, Bhavāṇī; (plurals include: Bhavanis, Bhavānis, Bhavānīs, Bhāvanīs, Bhavāṇīs). 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 6.5.20 < [Chapter 5 - The Kidnapping of Śrī Rukmiṇī]
Verses 6.5.23-24 < [Chapter 5 - The Kidnapping of Śrī Rukmiṇī]
Verse 6.5.21 < [Chapter 5 - The Kidnapping of Śrī Rukmiṇī]
Saubhagyahrdayastotra by Sivananda (by Brian Campbell and Ben Williams)
Eulogy of Gauri by Andhaka < [Purana, Volume 10, Part 1 (1968)]
Eulogy of Parvati by Himavan < [Purana, Volume 11, Part 1 (1969)]
Svalpa Matsya-purana (part 4) < [Purana, Volume 10, Part 1 (1968)]
Devi Bhagavata Purana (by Swami Vijñanananda)
Chapter 5 - On the chanting of hymns by Hara and Brahmā < [Book 3]
Chapter 7 - On the praise of the Devī < [Book 1]
Chapter 8 - On the description of Ilāvrita < [Book 8]
Narada Purana (English translation) (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 112 - Enumeration of Vratas to be observed on Tṛtīyās < [Part 4 - Pūrva-bhāga: Caturtha-pāda]
Chapter 116 - The Exposition if the rites to be observed on Saptamī days < [Part 4 - Pūrva-bhāga: Caturtha-pāda]
Chapter 117 - The review of the Vratas to be observed on Aṣṭamī days < [Part 4 - Pūrva-bhāga: Caturtha-pāda]
Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)
Chapter 22 - On vows (vrata) < [Section 1 - Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa (section on creation)]
Chapter 29 - The vow (vrata) called Saubhāgyaśayana < [Section 1 - Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa (section on creation)]
Chapter 12 - Ahicchatrā City, King Sumada and Kāma < [Section 5 - Pātāla-Khaṇḍa (Section on the Nether World)]
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