Dvipa, Dvīpa, Dvi-pa: 24 definitions

Introduction:

Dvipa means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, 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.

Alternative spellings of this word include Dweep.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Dvīpa (द्वीप) refers to “continents”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.22. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] On the top of the mountain near the city of Himālaya (śailarājapura), Śiva sported about for a long time in the company of Satī. [...] Śiva went from place to place. Sometimes He went to the top of Meru wherein Gods and Goddesses resided. He went to different continents (dvīpa), parks and forests on the earth. After visiting the different places He returned home and lived with Satī”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Dvīpa (द्वीप).—Island, as the cause of the Devāsura war; thousands in number, but seven are distinguished;1 ety. water on both sides.2

  • 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 72. 71; Matsya-purāṇa 113. 4-5; 123. 35.
  • 2) Matsya-purāṇa 123. 35; Vāyu-purāṇa 49. 132.

1b) Seven in number; Plakṣa, Śālmalī, Kuśa, Krauñca, Śāka, Puṣkara and Jambu; description of.*

  • * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IV. 21. 12; VIII. 19. 23; V. 20 (whole); Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 19. 136.
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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Ayurveda (science of life)

Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)

Source: Shodhganga: Portrayal of Animal Kingdom (Tiryaks) in Epics An Analytical study

Dvipa (द्विप) is a synonym (another name) for the Elephant (Gaja), according to scientific texts such as the Mṛgapakṣiśāstra (Mriga-pakshi-shastra) or “the ancient Indian science of animals and birds” by Hamsadeva, containing the varieties and descriptions of the animals and birds seen in the Sanskrit Epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Toxicology (Study and Treatment of poison)

Source: Shodhganga: Kasyapa Samhita—Text on Visha Chikitsa

Dvīpa (द्वीप) refers to “islands”, and is mentioned in a list of places highly susceptible to snake-bites, as taught in the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā—an important topic from Āyurveda which deals with the study of Toxicology (Agadatantra or Sarpavidyā).—The Kāśyapasaṃhitā mentions that snake-bites that happen in certain places [like islands (dvīpa)] are highly inimical to the victim.

Ayurveda book cover
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Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

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Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira

Dvipa (द्विप) refers to “elephants”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 10), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “If the course of Saturn (śanaiścara) should lie through the constellation of Hasta, barbers, mill-men, thieves, physicians, weavers, elephant keepers [i.e., dvipa-grāha], prostitutes, the Kośalas and garland makers will suffer. If the course of Saturn should lie through the constellation of Citrā, women, writers, painters, various utensils will suffer; if through Svāti, the people of Magadha, reporters, messengers, charioteers, sailors, dancers and the like will suffer miseries”.

Jyotisha book cover
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Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.

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Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra)

Source: archive.org: Hindu Mathematics

1) Dvīpa (द्वीप) represents the number 7 (seven) in the “word-numeral system” (bhūtasaṃkhyā), which was used in Sanskrit texts dealing with astronomy, mathematics, metrics, as well as in the dates of inscriptions and manuscripts in ancient Indian literature.—A system of expressing numbers by means of words arranged as in the place-value notation was developed and perfected in India in the early centuries of the Christian era. In this system the numerals [e.g., 7—dvīpa] are expressed by names of things, beings or concepts, which, naturally or in accordance with the teaching of the Śāstras, connote numbers.

2) Dvīpa (द्वीप) also refers to the number 8 (eight) in the “word-numeral system” (bhūtasaṃkhyā).

Ganitashastra book cover
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Ganitashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, gaṇitaśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science of mathematics, algebra, number theory, arithmetic, etc. Closely allied with astronomy, both were commonly taught and studied in universities, even since the 1st millennium BCE. Ganita-shastra also includes ritualistic math-books such as the Shulba-sutras.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: archive.org: Vedic index of Names and Subjects

Dvīpa (द्वीप, ‘island’) is mentioned in the Rigveda1 and later. But there is no reason to imagine that the islands referred to were other than sandbanks in the great rivers, Indus or Ganges. Vedic literature knows nothing of the system of geography according to which the earth consists of four, seven, or thirteen Dvīpas grouped round Mount Meru.

Source: Vaniquotes: Hinduism

The planets are called dvīpas. Outer space is like an ocean of air. Just as there are islands in the watery ocean, these planets in the ocean of space are called dvīpas, or islands in outer space.

The seven islands (dvīpas) are known as

  1. Jambu,
  2. Śāka,
  3. Śālmalī,
  4. Kuśa,
  5. Krauñca,
  6. Gomeda, or Plakṣa, and
  7. Puṣkara. 

In Buddhism

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

Dvīpa (द्वीप) or Caturdvīpa refers to the “four continents” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 120):

  1. Pūrvavideha in the east,
  2. Jambudvīpa in the centre,
  3. Aparagodānī in the west,
  4. Uttarakurudvīpa in the north.

The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., dvīpa). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

India history and geography

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Dvipa.—(EI (7-1-2), ‘eight’. Note: dvipa is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

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Dvīpa.—(IE 7-12), ‘seven’. Note: dvīpa is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

India history book cover
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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.

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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

dvipa : (m.) an elephant.

Pali book cover
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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

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

dvīpa (द्वीप).—n (S & m n) An island: also any land washed by water on two of its sides (dvi & ap). The word is applied particularly to the seven grand divisions of the earth, each being surrounded by a sea; and the central division jambu or the known continent is again portioned into ten divisions, likewise termed dvīpa. See saptadvīpa.

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

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Dvīpa (द्वीप).—[dvirgatā dvayordiśorvā gatā āpo yatra; dvi-ap, apa īp]

1) An island.

2) A place of refuge, shelter, protection.

3) A division of the terrestrial world; (the number of these divisions varies according to different authorities, being four, seven, nine or thirteen, all situated round the mountain Meru like the petals of a lotus flower, and each being separated from the other by a distinct ocean. [In N. 1.5 the Dvīpas are said to be eighteen; but seven appears to be the usual number :जम्बु, प्लक्ष, शाल्मलि, कुश, क्रौञ्च, शाक (jambu, plakṣa, śālmali, kuśa, krauñca, śāka) and पुष्कर (puṣkara); cf. Bhāgavata 5.1.32; R.1.65; and पुरा सप्तदीपां जयति वसुधामप्रतिरथः (purā saptadīpāṃ jayati vasudhāmapratirathaḥ) Ś.7.33. The central one is जम्बुद्वीप (jambudvīpa) in which is included भरतखण्ड (bharatakhaṇḍa) or India.]

-pam The skin of a tiger.

Derivable forms: dvīpaḥ (द्वीपः), dvīpam (द्वीपम्).

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Dvipa (द्विप).—an elephant; यदा किञ्चिज्ज्ञोऽहं द्विप इव मदान्धः समभवम् (yadā kiñcijjño'haṃ dvipa iva madāndhaḥ samabhavam) Bhartṛhari 3.31; विपूर्यमाणश्रवणोदरं द्विपाः (vipūryamāṇaśravaṇodaraṃ dvipāḥ) Śi. °अधिपः (adhipaḥ) Indra's elephant. °आस्य (āsya) an epithet of Gaṇesa.

Derivable forms: dvipaḥ (द्विपः).

Dvipa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms dvi and pa (प).

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

Dvīpa (द्वीप).—(Pali dīpa, see below; as in Sanskrit usually m. but sometimes nt., e.g. Divyāvadāna 214.25; Mahāvastu iii.378.2; the gender of the names follows that of the word dvīpa in the context; normally they are m.), one of the 4 continents, which to Buddhists are Jambudvīpa, Pūrvavideha (Prāgvideha LaVallée Poussin, Abhidharmakośa iii.145), Apara- godānīya (°ni, °ḍānī- in composition, °nika; rarely Avara°, Godānīya, qq.v.), and Uttarakuru (Kuru alone, AbhidhK l.c.); see the second and third s.vv. Listed Lalitavistara 19.15 f.; 149.19 f.; the three outer ones [compound] with -lipi Lalitavistara 126.4 f.; Mahāvastu i.6.2; ii.68.6; 158.18; iii.378.2; compare Abhidharmakośa l.c.; [Page275-a+ 23] Mahāvyutpatti 3045, 3047, 3050, 3054, 3057; Dharmasaṃgraha 120; Divyāvadāna 214.7, 10, 24; 215.15, 20; Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya i.94.4 f. The Pali forms are Jambudīpa, Pubbavideha, Aparagoyāna (! or v.l. °godhāna), and Uttarakuru.

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

Dvipa (द्विप).—m.

(-paḥ) 1. An elephant. 2. A plant, (Mesua ferrea.) E. dvi two, and pa who drinks, the elephant imbibing fluids by his trunk, and thence conveying them into his mouth. dvābhyāṃ mukhaśuṇḍābhyāṃ pibati pā-ka .

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Dvīpa (द्वीप).—mn.

(-paḥ-paṃ) 1. An island, any land surrounded by water; the word is henco applied to the seven grand divisions of the terrestrial world, each of these being separated from the next, by a peculiar and circumambient ecean: the seven Dwipas, reckoning from the central one are, Jambu, Kusa, Plaksha, Salmali, Krauncha, Saka, and Pushkara: the central Dwipa, or the known continent, is again portioned into ten divisions, likewise termed Dwipas: viz. Kuru, Chandra, Varuna, Saumya, Naga, Kumarika, Gab'hastiman, Tamrapurna, Kaseru and Indra. 2. A tiger’s skin. E. dvi two, (on both sides,) and āpa water, ā dropped and i made long. dvirgatā dvayo rvā diśorgatā āpo'tra . a0 samā0 .

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

Dvipa (द्विप).—[dvi-pa] (1. ), m. An elephant (drinking twice, the elephant imbibing fluids by his trunk and thence conveying them to his mouth), [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 7, 192.

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Dvīpa (द्वीप).—i. e. dvi-ap + a, m. and n. 1. An island, [Rāmāyaṇa] 2, 25, 34. 2. Shelter, Mahābhārata 2, 2118. 3. The name of the four, seven, or thirteen grand divisions of the terrestrial world, each of these being separated from the next by a different circumambient ocean, Mahābhārata 6, 404.

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

Dvipa (द्विप).—[masculine] elephant (lit. drinking twice).

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Dvīpa (द्वीप).—[masculine] [neuter] island, peninsula, sandbank; [especially] one of the (4, 7, 13, or 18) islands or continents of which the earth is supposed to consist.

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

1) Dvipa (द्विप):—[=dvi-pa] [from dvi] m. elephant ([literally] drinking twice, sc. with his trunk and with his mouth), [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc. (ifc. f(ā). )

2) [v.s. ...] Name of the number 8 [Gaṇitādhyāya]

3) [v.s. ...] Mesua Ferrea, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

4) Dvīpa (द्वीप):—[from dvi] a etc. See sub voce

5) b mn. ([from] dvi + ap, [Pāṇini 5-4, 74; vi, 3, 97]) an island, peninsula, sandbank, [Ṛg-veda; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Mahābhārata] etc.

6) a division of the terrestrial world (either 7 [Jambu, Plakṣa or Go-medaka, Śālmalī, Kuśa, Krauñca, Śāka and Puṣkara, [Mahābhārata vi, 604 etc.; Harivaṃśa; Purāṇa] etc.] or 4 [Bhadrāśva, Ketu-māla, Jambu-dvīpa and Uttarāḥ Kuravaḥ, [Mahābhārata vi, 208; Harivaṃśa; Kāvya literature] etc. cf. [Dharmasaṃgraha cxx]] or 13 [the latter four + 9, viz. Indra-dvīpa, Kaśerū-mat, Tāmra-varṇa, Gabhasti-mat, Nāga-dvīpa, Saumya, Gāndharva, Varuṇa and Bhārata, which are enumerated, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa ii, 3, 6; 7], as forming Bhārata-varṣa] or 18 [among which the Upa-dvīpas are said to be included, [Naiṣadha-carita i, 5 [Scholiast or Commentator]]]; they are situated round the mountain Meru, and separated from each other by distinct concentric circumambient oceans; ayaṃ dvīpaḥ = jambu-dv, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa v, 16, 5 or] = bhārata-dv, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa ii, 3, 7])

7) m. place of refuge, shelter, protection or protector, [Mahābhārata; Kāraṇḍa-vyūha]

8) a tiger’s skin, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

9) cubebs, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] (cf. -sambhava).

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

1) Dvipa (द्विप):—[dvi-pa] (paḥ) 1. m. An elephant; a plant (Mesua ferrea).

2) Dvīpa (द्वीप):—[(paḥ-paṃ)] 1. m. n. An island; one of seven or ten; tiger’s skin.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Dvipa (द्विप) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Dia, Dīva.

[Sanskrit to German]

Dvipa 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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Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Dvīpa (द्वीप) [Also spelled dweep]:—(nm) an island; —[samūha] (group of) islands.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Dvipa (ದ್ವಿಪ):—[noun] an elephant that drinks water in two stages (first sucking into its trunk and next taking into the mouth).

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Dvīpa (ದ್ವೀಪ):—

1) [noun] a tract of land completely surrounded by water, and not large enough to be called a continent; an island.

2) [noun] a mound of sand surrounded by water.

3) [noun] (myth.) a division of the terrestrial world situated round the mountain Mēru.

4) [noun] a place of refuge; a shelter.

5) [noun] (fig.) a place, village, town, etc. that is cut off temporarily from other parts of the world.

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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