Dharmaruci: 10 definitions
Introduction:
Dharmaruci means something in Buddhism, Pali, 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Dharmaruchi.
In Hinduism
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraDharmaruci (धर्मरुचि) was a soldier in Sunītha and Sūryaprabha’s army whose strength is considered equal to a great warrior (mahāratha), according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 47. Accordingly, as the Asura Maya explained the arrangement of warriors in Sunītha’s army: “... and [Dharmaruci, and others] are great warriors”.
The story of Dharmaruci was narrated by the Vidyādhara king Vajraprabha to prince Naravāhanadatta in order to relate how “Sūryaprabha, being a man, obtain of old time the sovereignty over the Vidyādharas”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Dharmaruci, 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.
Source: OpenEdition books: Vividhatīrthakalpaḥ (Kāvya)Dharmaruci (धर्मरुचि) is the name of an ascetic, as mentioned in the Vividhatīrthakalpa by Jinaprabhasūri (13th century A.D.): an ancient text devoted to various Jaina holy places (tīrthas).—Accordingly, “An irreducible hatred opposes the boatman Nanda in his various existences and the monk Dharmaruci, who, in the face of his embezzlement, consumes him thanks to his powers. Having become king, Nanda poses a riddle and offers half of his kingdom to whomever will solve it. It is read to the religious who confuses his enemy by answering it. The king becomes a pious Jaina. The religious is delivered”.
Cf. Āvaśyakacūrṇi I 516.5-517.8; Āvasyakaniryukti (Haribhadra commentary) a.9-a.6; Trad : Leumann WZKM 5 1891, p. 142-144; The legend of Dharmaruci is part of the Namaskāravyākhyā of 1'Āvaśyakacūrṇi: for an analysis of the whole, cf. Mette IT 1983 p. 129-144; Balbir 1986 p. 661.
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 Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraDharmaruci (धर्मरुचि).—According to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 13.—In the course of his earlier lifetimes, Dharmaruci had met the future Buddha Śākyamuni: i) Under the Buddha Ksemaṃkara, Dharmaruci was a captain in command of a thousand men (sahasrayodhin), while Śākyamuni was a merchant who decorated a stūpa in honor of the Buddha Ksemaṃkara. ii) Under the Buddha Dīpaṃkara, Dharmaruci was Mati, friend of Sumati, the future Śākyamuni, who offered lotuses to the Buddha Dīpaṃkara and made his hair into a mat for him. iii) Under the Buddha Krakucchanda, Dharmaruci was a merchant’s son (vaṇigdāraka) and became guilty of various crimes.
Under the Buddha Śākyamuni, Dharmaruci lived two lives: a) Whereas his former friend became Buddha, Dharmaruci, as punishment for his crimes, had taken birth as a monstrous fish that swallowed everything that it came across. b) Deprived of food, the fish died of hunger and Dharmaruci was reborn into a family of brahmins in Śrāvastī.
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.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: TrisastisalakapurusacaritraDharmaruci (धर्मरुचि) is the name of an ancient king, according to chapter 5.1 [śāntinātha-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, “[...] With these words, they laid aside their arms and took the vow together with four thousand kings under the guru Dharmaruci. Then they went to the fortress, Lokāgra, by a very straight road, the thorns on the road in the form of their karma being burned by the fire of meditation”.
Source: academia.edu: Tessitori Collection IDharmaruci (धर्मरुचि) or Dharmarucikathā refers to one of the 157 stories embedded in the Kathāmahodadhi by Somacandra (narrating stories from Jain literature, based on the Karpūraprakara), 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.—The Kathāmahodadhi represents a repository of 157 stories [e.g., Dharmaruci-kathā] written in prose Sanskrit, although each of them is preceded by a verse. Together, they stage a large number of Jain characters (including early teachers). [...]
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: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryDharmaruci (धर्मरुचि).—(1) (= Pali Dhammaruci) name of a disciple of Śākyamuni: Mahāvastu i.246.3, 6, 12 (later incarnation of Meghadatta, q.v.); Divyāvadāna 236.2 ff. (here a number of the same stories are told of him as in Pali); Divyāvadāna chapter 18 is called Dharmarucy-avadāna, Divyāvadāna 262.6; (2) name of one of the four deities of the bodhi-tree: Lalitavistara 401.21.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryDharmaruci (धर्मरुचि).—[adjective] delighting in or devoted to virtue.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Dharmaruci (धर्मरुचि):—[=dharma-ruci] [from dharma > dhara] mfn. delighting in or devoted to virtue, [Āpastamba]
2) [v.s. ...] m. Name of a Dānava, [Kathāsaritsāgara]
3) [v.s. ...] of a god of the Bodhi tree, [Lalita-vistara]
4) [v.s. ...] of a man, [Buddhist literature]
[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: Dharma, Ruci, Tarma.
Starts with: Dharmarucikatha.
Ends with: Sudharmaruci.
Full-text: Meghadatta, Lokāgra, Sudharmaruci, Shubhavardhana, Mati, Nanda, Mathura.
Relevant text
Search found 7 books and stories containing Dharmaruci, Dharma-ruci; (plurals include: Dharmarucis, rucis). 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)
Appendix 2 - The legend of Dharmaruci < [Chapter XIII - The Buddha-fields]
Bodhisattva quality 26: concentration commemorating the Buddhas < [Chapter XIII - The Buddha-fields]
I. Definition of the immeasurables (apramāṇa) < [Class 3: The four immeasurables]
The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)
Chapter XXIII - Megha and Meghadatta < [Volume I]
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Part 15: Draupadī’s former births < [Chapter VI - Marriage of Kṛṣṇa with Rukmiṇī and others]
Part 4: Former births of Induṣeṇa and Binduṣeṇa < [Chapter I - Five previous incarnations]
Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story) (by Somadeva)
Chapter XLVII < [Book VIII - Sūryaprabha]
Bhesajjakkhandhaka (Chapter on Medicine) (by Hin-tak Sik)
A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)