Alternative spellings of this word include Chaturdvipaka.

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Caturdvīpaka (चतुर्द्वीपक) (Cf. Caturdvīpa) refers to the “four continents”, according Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XV).—At dawn (sūryodaya), the Buddha, who knew Ānanda’s thoughts, entered into the Daybreak samādhi (sūryodayasamādhi); then he emitted rays (raśmi) from all the pores of his skin (romakūpa). Like the sun, he emitted rays the brilliance of which spread successively over Jambudvīpa, the four continents (caturdvīpaka), the Trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu and finally over all the innumerable universes of the ten directions (daśadiglokadhātu).

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

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

Cāturdvīpaka (चातुर्द्वीपक).—adj., f. °ikā or (rarely) °akā, also as subst. m. (nt. ?) and f. (compare Pali cātuddī°, adj., and prec., next, and caturdvī°), as adj., of, containing, con- sisting of four continents; of the world; as subst., m. (nt. ?) or f., the world, as containing four continents: °aka, masc. adj. with lokadhātu, Gaṇḍavyūha 107.2; 325.3; Śikṣāsamuccaya 282.3, 9; Lalitavistara 149.21 f.; Mahāvyutpatti 3046; adj. with sattva, °pakānāṃ ca sattvānām, and of creatures of the world, Daśabhūmikasūtra 81.17; adj. f. °ikā, with lokadhātu, Gaṇḍavyūha 233.23; subst. m. (nt. ?), madhye cāturdvīpakasya, in the middle of the world, Gaṇḍavyūha 352.10; subst. f., usually °ikā, once at least °akā, world- of-four-continents, but usually regarded as only a part of a lokadhātu, which contains a plurality of cāturdvīpikā: trisāhasramahāsāhasrāyāṃ lokadhātau sarvacāturdvīpa- kāsu Gaṇḍavyūha 380.1, but in 380.3 same phrase with °dvīpikāsu; (tasmin…lokadhātau) madhyamā cāturdvīpikā Gaṇḍavyūha 232.8, the middle earth in this world-system; similarly Gaṇḍavyūha 268.6; 380.26; in Gaṇḍavyūha 373.17 the cāturdvipikā named Bhāgavatī, q.v., is part of a trisāhasramahāsāhasrā lokadhātu, and itself in turn contains a Jambudvīpa.

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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Dvipaka, Catur.

Starts with: Caturdvipakacakravartin.

Full-text: Caturmahadvipaka, Caturdvipa, Pravesha, Balacakravartin, Suryodayasamadhi, Parishkaravashita, Parishkara, Devasukha, Cetovashita, Cetas, Bhavagra, Suryodaya, Murdhaja.

Relevant text

Search found 1 books and stories containing Caturdvipaka, Cāturdvīpaka, Caturdvīpaka, Catur-dvipaka, Catur-dvīpaka, Cātur-dvīpaka; (plurals include: Caturdvipakas, Cāturdvīpakas, Caturdvīpakas, dvipakas, dvīpakas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

Act 7.7: The trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu takes on a golden color < [Chapter XIV - Emission of rays]

Appendix 2 - The story of king Mūrdhaja (Māndhātar) < [Chapter XXVI - Exertion]

I. The knowledge of knowing another’s mind (paracittajñāna) < [Part 2 - Distinguishing the movements of mind of all beings]

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