Gandhavati, Gandhavatī, Gandha-vati, Gamdhavati: 10 definitions
Introduction:
Gandhavati means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Gandhavatī (गन्धवती) is the city city of Vāyu, guardian (dikpāla) of the north-western direction, according to the Varāhapurāṇa chapter 76.
1) Gandhavatī (गन्धवती).—The name Satyavatī (Kālī) was assumed when sage Parāśara had swept away her matsyagandha (fish smell). She got also another name Yojanagandhā. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 63, Verse 80).
2) Gandhavatī (गन्धवती).—The city of Vāyu (the wind God). There are said to be nine cities on top of Mount Mahāmeru: (1) Manovatī of Brahmā at the centre, (2) Just on the eastern side of it Amarāvatī of Indra, (3) Agni’s Tejovatī in the south-eastern corner, (4) Maya’s Saṃyamanī in the south, 5) Nirṛti’s Kṛṣṇāñjanā in thesouth-western corner, (6) Śraddhāvatī of Varuṇa on the west, (7) Gandhavatī of Vāyu in the northwestern corner, (8) Mahodayā of Kubera on the north, and (9) Yaśovatī of Īśāna in the north-eastern corner. (Devībhāgavata, Aṣṭama Skandha).
Gandhavatī (गन्धवती).—The sabhā of Vāyu on the sixth slope of Meru.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 34. 89.
Gandhavatī (गन्धवती) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.63.67, I.63) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Gandhavatī) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Gandhavatī (गन्धवती) refers to the city of Vāyu, situated on the north-western lower slope of mount Meru, according to Parākhyatantra 5.66. Meru is the name of a golden mountained situated in the middle of nine landmasses (navakhaṇḍa): Bhārata, Hari, Kimpuruṣa, Ramyaka, Ramaṇa, Kuru, Bhadrāśva, Ketumāla and Ilāvṛta. Together these khaṇḍas make up the continent known as Jambūdvīpa.
Gandhavatī is also known by the name Gandha or Gandhavahā and is mentioned in various other sources, eg., the Svacchanda-tantra 10.132-136, Kiraṇa-āgama 8.51-54, Mṛgendra-āgama vidyāpāda 13.47-54, Sarvajñānottara-tantra adhvaprakaraṇa 34-36 and Mataṅga-āgama vidyāpāda 23.60-63
The Parākhyatantra is an old Śaiva-siddhānta tantra dating from before the 10th century.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Kavya (poetry)
Gandhavatī (गन्धवती) is the name of a river (nadī), according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 69. Accordingly, as the Muni Vijitāsu said to Puṣkarākṣa: “... she [Lāvaṇyamañjarī] went to the shore of the Gandhavatī and abandoned her life in a holy place, with her thoughts intently fixed on his love”.
Gandhavatī is also mentioned as flowing near Ujjayinī, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 102. Accordingly, “... and at last [Mṛgāṅkadatta] came near the city of Ujjayinī. Then he reached the river Gandhavatī, and dispelled his fatigue by bathing in it; and after crossing it, he arrived with his companions in that cemetery of Mahākāla”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Gandhavatī, 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.
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
General definition (in Buddhism)
Gandhavatī (गन्धवती).—A city mentioned in the wisdom sutras where Bodhisattva Dharmodgata lived and preached on the perfection of wisdom. According to the Larger Wisdom Sutra, when Sadāprarudita (“ever wailing”) was seeking the teaching of the perfection of wisdom, he heard of Bodhisattva Dharmodgata who was preaching on it in the city of fragrances (Gandhavatī), five hundred yojanas to the east.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Gandhavatī (गन्धवती).—(1) name of a goddess: Mahāvyutpatti 4324; (2) name of a city: Aṣṭasāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā 485.13; (3) name of a lokadhātu: Gaṇḍavyūha 82.6.
1) Gandhavatī (गन्धवती):—[=gandha-vatī] [from gandha-vat > gandha] f. = -mātri, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
2) [v.s. ...] a kind of jasmine, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
3) [v.s. ...] = dhottamā, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
4) [v.s. ...] a kind of perfume, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) [v.s. ...] = -kālī, [Mahābhārata i, 2411]
6) [v.s. ...] Name of a city belonging to Vāyu, [Skanda-purāṇa]
7) [v.s. ...] of a city belonging to Varuṇa, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
8) [v.s. ...] Name of a river, [Meghadūta 34.]
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Gaṃdhavati (ಗಂಧವತಿ):—
1) [noun] the earth.
2) [noun] a kind of jasmine.
3) [noun] a pale-yellow, non-metallic chemical element found in crystalline or amorphous form, which burns with a blue flame and a stifling odour and is used in vulcanizing rubber and in making matches, paper, gunpowder, insecticides, sulphuric acid, etc.; sulphur.
4) [noun] a kind of perfume.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Gandha, Vati.
Starts with: Gamdhavatige, Gamdhavatike, Gandhavatika.
Full-text: Adyaganga, Matysagandhi, Gandha, Manovati, Mahakala, Dikpala, Tejovati, Vayu, Gandhavaha, Ashtadikpalaka, Amaravati, Sadaprarudita, Anitya, Meru, Rupavati, Prithivi.
Relevant text
Search found 32 books and stories containing Gandhavati, Gandhavatī, Gandha-vati, Gandha-vatī, Gamdhavati, Gaṃdhavati; (plurals include: Gandhavatis, Gandhavatīs, vatis, vatīs, Gamdhavatis, Gaṃdhavatis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
List of Mahabharata people and places (by Laxman Burdak)
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Page 338 < [Volume 27 (1937)]
Sanskrit Words In Southeast Asian Languages (by Satya Vrat Shastri)
Page 521 < [Sanskrit words in the Southeast Asian Languages]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 35 - Ruins of Dharmāraṇya Repaired < [Section 2 - Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa]
Chapter 16 - The Efficacy of the River Nīlagandhavatī < [Section 1 - Avantīkṣetra-māhātmya]
Chapter 13 - Gandhavatī and Alakā < [Section 1 - Pūrvārdha]
Shiva Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 42 - Hiraṇyākṣa is slain < [Section 2.5 - Rudra-saṃhitā (5): Yuddha-khaṇḍa]