Dhanadatta: 7 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Kavya
In Jainism
1. General definition
Languages
1. Sanskrit
See also

Introduction:

Dhanadatta means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. 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

Kavya (poetry)

Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

1) Dhanadatta (धनदत्त) is the name of a rich merchant from the city Tāmraliptā, whose story is told in “the story of Devasmitā” of the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 13. This story was told by Vasantaka to Vāsavadattā in order to divert her thoughts as she was anxiously awaiting her marriage with Udayana. Dhanadatta had a son born to him, named Guhasena, who was born as a result of a burnt-offering.

2) Dhanadatta (धनदत्त) is the name of a merchatnt (vaṇij) from Kāmandakī (Kāmandikā), as mentioned in the third story of the Vetālapañcaviṃśati in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 77. Accordingly, “... and he [Arthadatta] had a son born to him of the name of Dhanadatta. When his father died, the young man became dissipated. And rogues got round him and plunged him in the love of gambling and other vices”.

Dhanadatta, the son of Arthadatta, is also mentioned in the tenth story of the Vetālapañcaviṃśati in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 84. Accordingly, “... he [king Vīrabāhu] had a splendid city named Anaṅgapura, and in it there lived a rich merchant named Arthadatta; that merchant-prince had for elder child a son named Dhanadatta, and his younger child was a pearl of maidens, named Madanasenā”.

3) Dhanadatta (धनदत्त) is the name of a merchant (vaṇij) from Ujjayinī, as mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 123. Accordingly, as Dhanadatta’s wife said to king Vikramāditya“... I am the wife of a great merchant in Ujjayinī named Dhanadatta. One night, as I was sleeping on the top of a palace, this elephant came and swallowed me and brought me here; however, this man was not inside the elephant, but when its belly was torn open he came out of it with me”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Dhanadatta, 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.

context information

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’.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Dhanadatta (धनदत्त) is the name of a merchant from Aparājitā, according to chapter 1.2 [ādīśvara-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Source: academia.edu: Tessitori Collection I

Dhanadatta (धनदत्त) is the son of Dhanadeva from Āyodhyā, according to the Vyavahārasuddhacaupaī by Samayasundara (dealing with the lives of Jain teachers), which is included in the collection of manuscripts at the ‘Vincenzo Joppi’ library, collected by Luigi Pio Tessitori during his visit to Rajasthan between 1914 and 1919.—Accordingly, “The son of the businessman Dhanadeva in Ayodhyā, Dhanadatta had lost his parents as a child. He spent all the money earned by his father until he listened to the preaching of the Jain monk Dharmaghoṣasūri. Unable to follow the monastic path, he decided to follow ethical business. He opened a shop and observed all the rules. But business was unsucessful. [...]”.

context information

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

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

Dhanadatta (धनदत्त).—[masculine] a man’s name.

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

Dhanadatta (धनदत्त):—[=dhana-datta] [from dhana > dhan] m. ‘w°-given’, Name of sub voce merchants, [Mṛcchakaṭikā; Kathāsaritsāgara; Vetāla-pañcaviṃśatikā]

[Sanskrit to German]

Dhanadatta 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.

Relevant text

Search found 5 books and stories containing Dhanadatta, Dhana-datta; (plurals include: Dhanadattas, dattas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Part 3: Second incarnation as a god < [Chapter I - Previous incarnations of Ariṣṭanemi (Nemi)]

Part 2: Former births of Rāvaṇa, Sītā, Lakṣmaṇa, Sugrīva, Bhāmaṇḍala, Lavaṇa and Aṅkuśa < [Chapter X - Rāma’s mokṣa (emancipation)]

Part 2: Story of Bandhudatta < [Chapter IV - The wandering and emancipation of Pārśvanātha]

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Chapter LXXVII < [Book XII - Śaśāṅkavatī]

Chapter XIII < [Book II - Kathāmukha]

Notes on the story of Devasmitā < [Notes]

+ 2 more chapters / show preview

Story of Devasmitā

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Part 7 - The characters of the Ubhayābhisārikā < [Chapter 2 - Bhāṇa (critical study)]

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