Brahmadanda, Brahmadaṇḍa, Brahma-danda, Brahman-danda, Brahmadamda: 17 definitions

Introduction:

Brahmadanda means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. 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)

[«previous next»] — Brahmadanda in Purana glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड).—The rod of punishment of the creator;1 the punishment to the Sagaras; they live in hell.2

  • 1) Matsya-purāṇa 245. 2; 249. 65.
  • 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 53. 45; 54. 8, 25; 56. 35.
Purana book cover
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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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Dhanurveda (science of warfare)

[«previous next»] — Brahmadanda in Dhanurveda glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Dhanurveda

Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड) refers to a weapon (Brahmā’s rod of punishment). It is a Sanskrit word defined in the Dhanurveda-saṃhitā, which contains a list of no less than 117 weapons. The Dhanurveda-saṃhitā is said to have been composed by the sage Vasiṣṭha, who in turn transmitted it trough a tradition of sages, which can eventually be traced to Śiva and Brahmā.

Dhanurveda book cover
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Dhanurveda (धनुर्वेद) refers to the “knowledge of warfare” and, as an upaveda, is associated with the Ṛgveda. It contains instructions on warfare, archery and ancient Indian martial arts, dating back to the 2nd-3rd millennium BCE.

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In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: archive.org: The Indian Buddhist Iconography

Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड) or Brahmadaṇḍalokeśvara refers to number 27 of the 108 forms of Avalokiteśvara found in the Machhandar Vahal (Kathmanu, Nepal). [Machhandar or Machandar is another name for for Matsyendra.].

Accordingly,—

“Brahmadaṇḍa is one-faced and four-armed, sits in the Lalita attitude on a lotus, and is accompanied by his Śakti who sits on his lap. His two right hands show the Tridaṇḍi and the Varada pose, while the two left show the Ratnakalaśa (vessel containing jewels) and a mudrā with the index and little fingers pointing outwards. The Śakti displays the Varada pose in the right hand and the Abhaya in the left”.

The names of the 108 deities [viz., Brahmadaṇḍa] possbily originate from a Tantra included in the Kagyur which is named “the 108 names of Avalokiteshvara”, however it is not yet certain that this is the source for the Nepali descriptions.

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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Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Brahmadanda in Mahayana glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड) refers to the “punishment according to the rule of Brahmā”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 3).—Accordingly, “The Buddha said to Ānanda: ‘[...] Henceforth the Pratimokṣasūtra will be your great teacher (mahācārya). You should carry out bodily activities (kāyakarman) and vocal actions (vākkarman) according to the instructions of the Pratimokṣasūtra.—After my nirvāṇa, your guide (chaṇḍaka), O Bhikṣu, will be the punishment according to the rule of Brahmā (brahmadaṇḍa).—If someone is in a state of mind of panic (abhihatacitta), he should be taught the Saṃthakātyāyanasūtra; then he will be able to obtain the Path. [...]’.”.

Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture

Brahmasvara (ब्रह्मस्वर) refers to “Brahma-punishment” (according to the Jvalitavajrāśanituṇḍā-dhāraṇī) [i.e., mā te brahmadaṇḍena mūrdhānaṃ sphoṭayāma hūṃ hūṃ phaṭ], according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.

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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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Brahmadanda in Pali glossary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

brahmadaṇḍa : (m.) a (kind of) punishment by stopping all conversation and communication with one.

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

Brahmadaṇḍa refers to: “the highest penalty,” a kind of severe punishment (temporary deathsentence? ) Vin. II, 290; D. II, 154; DhA. II, 112; cp. Kern, Manual p. 87.

Note: brahmadaṇḍa is a Pali compound consisting of the words brahma and daṇḍa.

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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Marathi-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Brahmadanda in Marathi glossary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदंड).—m (S) Money exacted by Brahmans from pilgrims, performers of shraddh, offenders desiring to undergo penance, outcasts on their restoration &c. 2 A curse of a Brahman.

--- OR ---

brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदंड).—m brahmadaṇḍī f Globe thistle. See uṇṭakaṭārī.

context information

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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Brahmadanda in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड).—

1) the curse of a Brāhmaṇa; एकेन ब्रह्मदण्डेन बहवो नाशिता मम (ekena brahmadaṇḍena bahavo nāśitā mama) Rām.

2) a tribute paid to a Brāhmaṇa.

3) an epithet of Śiva.

4) Name of a mythical weapon (brahmāstra); स्वरस्य रामो जग्राह ब्रह्मदण्डमिवापरम् (svarasya rāmo jagrāha brahmadaṇḍamivāparam) Rām.3.3.24.

5) magic, spells, incantation (abhicāra); ब्रह्मदण्डमदृष्टेषु दृष्टेषु चतुरङ्गिणीम् (brahmadaṇḍamadṛṣṭeṣu dṛṣṭeṣu caturaṅgiṇīm) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 12. 13.27.

Derivable forms: brahmadaṇḍaḥ (ब्रह्मदण्डः).

Brahmadaṇḍa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms brahman and daṇḍa (दण्ड).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड).—name of a mountain: Mahā-Māyūrī 254.4.

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

Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड).—m.

(-ṇḍaḥ) 1. A plant. see brahmayaṣṭi. 2. A curse, an anathema. 3. The tribute paid to a Brahmana in the shape of a fine. E. brahma a Brahman and daṇḍa a stick.

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

Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड).—[masculine] Brahman's staff (a myth. weapon) or a B.'s punishment i.e. his curse.

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

1) Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड):—[=brahma-daṇḍa] [from brahma > brahman] m. ‘Brahmā’s staff’, Name of a mythical weapon, [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa; Rāmāyaṇa]

2) [v.s. ...] the curse of a Brāhman, [Purāṇa; Rājataraṅgiṇī] ([varia lectio] brāhma-d)

3) [v.s. ...] Name of Śiva, [Mahābhārata]

4) [v.s. ...] Clerodendrum Siphonantus, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

5) [v.s. ...] Name of a [particular] Ketu, [Varāha-mihira]

6) [v.s. ...] of a prince, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]

7) Brāhmadaṇḍa (ब्राह्मदण्ड):—[=brāhma-daṇḍa] [from brāhma > brahman] m. ([probably]) [wrong reading] for brahma-d, [Rājataraṅgiṇī]

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

Brahmadaṇḍa (ब्रह्मदण्ड):—[brahma-daṇḍa] (ṇḍaḥ) 1. m. A plant Ajwāen; an anathema, a curse.

[Sanskrit to German]

Brahmadanda 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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Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Brahmadanda in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Brahmadaṃḍa (ಬ್ರಹ್ಮದಂಡ):—

1) [noun] the curse of a brāhmaṇa.

2) [noun] an amount of money presented to a brāhmaṇa.

3) [noun] Śiva.

4) [noun] an arm-rest used by sages.

5) [noun] a mystical weapon, of which Brahma is the presiding deity.

6) [noun] the spinal column; the backbone.

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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