Heramba: 13 definitions
Introduction:
Heramba 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)
1) Heramba (हेरम्ब) is the name of a gaṇa (attendant of Śiva), mentioned in the Skandapurāṇa 4.2.53. In this chapter, Śiva (Giriśa) summons his attendants (gaṇas) and ask them to venture towards the city Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) in order to find out what the yoginīs, the sun-god, Vidhi (Brahmā) were doing there. While the gaṇas such as Heramba were staying at Kāśī, they were desirous but unable of finding a weakness in king Divodaśa who was ruling there. Kāśī is described as a fascinating place beyond the range of Giriśa’s vision, and as a place where yoginīs become ayoginīs, after having come in contact with it. Kāśī is described as having both the power to destroy great delusion, as well as creating it.
The Skandapurāṇa narrates the details and legends surrounding numerous holy pilgrimages (tīrtha-māhātmya) throughout India. It is the largest Mahāpurāṇa composed of over 81,000 metrical verses, with the core text dating from the before the 4th-century CE.
2) Heramba (हेरम्ब, “boastful hero”) refers to one of the fifty-six vināyakas located at Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), and forms part of a sacred pilgrimage (yātrā), described in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Skanda-purāṇa 4.2.57). He is also known as Herambavināyaka, Herambagaṇeśa and Herambavighneśa. These fifty-six vināyakas are positioned at the eight cardinal points in seven concentric circles (8x7). They center around a deity named Ḍhuṇḍhirāja (or Ḍhuṇḍhi-vināyaka) positioned near the Viśvanātha temple, which lies at the heart of Kāśī, near the Gaṅges. This arrangement symbolises the interconnecting relationship of the macrocosmos, the mesocosmos and the microcosmos.
Heramba is positioned in the North-Western corner of the third circle of the kāśī-maṇḍala. According to Rana Singh (source), his shrine is located at “Maldahia, Valmiki Tila, C 21 / 14”. Worshippers of Heramba will benefit from his quality, which is defined as “the fulfiller of th edesires of Kāśī-dwellers”. His coordinates are: Lat. 25.19432, Lon. 82.59851 (or, 25°11'39.6"N, 82°35'54.6"E) (Google maps)
Heramba, and the other vināyakas, are described in the Skandapurāṇa (the largest of the eighteen mahāpurāṇas). This book narrates the details and legends surrounding numerous holy pilgrimages (tīrtha-māhātmya) throughout India. It is composed of over 81,000 metrical verses with the core text dating from the before the 4th-century CE.
1a) Heramba (हेरम्ब).—A name of Vināyaka.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 42. 8.
1b) A group of seven crores of divinities with Mahāgaṇapati as their lord.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 27. 82.

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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Heramba (हेरम्ब) or Herambatantra is the name of a work related to Ayurveda and medicine referenced by the “cikitsa bidhane tantrasastra”—a Bengali work authored by ‘Krishna Chaitanya Thakur’ in three volumes dealing with the treatments for diseases and disorders collected from Tantric and Ayurvedic texts.—Eastern India is one of the major strongholds of Tantrism in South Asia, and this region, particularly Bengal, has played and still plays a prominent role in the development of Āyurveda. It is indeed a fact that much medically relevant material is to be found in [the Heramba-tantra, or other] Tantric texts. The “cikitsā bidhāne tantraśāstra” (by Kṛṣṇacaitanya Ṭhākur) contains wealth of medicines and remedies for a large variety of diseases and disorders, arranged according to the individual diseases or disorders. The material presented is culled from a variety of texts [e.g., heramba-tantra], [most of which] seem to be classed as Tantric, but some are quite obviously not so, though their material may be related to that to be found in Tantric texts.

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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Heramba (हेरम्ब) is the name of a deity, according to the Kalaśa Pūjā [i.e., Kalasha Worship] ritual often performed in combination with the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, which refers to the primary pūjā and sādhanā practice of Newah Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhists in Nepal.—Accordingly, “Oṃ Heramba most divine, granter of success, remover of obstacles, The form of good fortune perfected, accomplisher of my bodily bliss”.

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Heramba (हेरम्ब).—[he śive rambati ramb-ac aluk samā° Tv.]
1) Name of Gaṇeśa; जेता हेरम्बभृङ्गिप्रमुखगणचमूचक्रिणस्तारकारेः (jetā herambabhṛṅgipramukhagaṇacamūcakriṇastārakāreḥ) Mv. 2.17; हे हेरम्ब, किमम्ब, रोदिषि कथं, कर्णौ लुठत्यग्निभूः (he heramba, kimamba, rodiṣi kathaṃ, karṇau luṭhatyagnibhūḥ) Subhāṣ.
2) A buffalo.
3) A boastful hero.
Derivable forms: herambaḥ (हेरम्बः).
Heramba (हेरम्ब).—m.
(-mbaḥ) 1. Ganesa. 2. A buffalo. 3. A hero inflated with his own valour and prowess. 4. A Bud'dha or Baud'dha deity. E. he calling or defying, ravi to sound, aff. ac.
Heramba (हेरम्ब).—m. 1. Gaṇeśa, [Mālatīmādhava, (ed. Calc.)] 144, 21. 2. A buffalo. 3. A proud hero.
Heramba (हेरम्ब).—[masculine] buffalo, [Epithet] of Ganeśa.
1) Heramba (हेरम्ब):—n. Name of Gaṇeśa, [Mahābhārata; Kathāsaritsāgara] etc. ([Religious Thought and Life in India 218])
2) a buffalo, [Mālatīmādhava]
3) a boastful hero, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
4) a [particular] Buddha (= heruka), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Heramba (हेरम्ब):—(mbaḥ) 1. m. Ganesha; a buffalo; a proud hero; a Buddhist.
[Sanskrit to German]
Heramba (हेरम्ब) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Heriṃba.
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
Hēraṃba (ಹೇರಂಬ):—
1) [noun] an epithet of Gaṇēśa, the God of knowledge.
2) [noun] a buffalo.
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)
Starts with: Herambaganesha, Herambahatta, Herambajanani, Herambaka, Herambakam, Herambakananamahatmya, Herambakasena, Herambamantra, Herambapala, Herambasena, Herambatantra, Herambavighnesha, Herambavinayaka, Herambopanishad, Herambopasthana.
Full-text (+10): Herambajanani, Herambahatta, Herambopanishad, Herambha, Herambasena, Hairamba, Herambapala, Herambamantra, Herambakananamahatmya, Erampam, Erampan, Herambaka, Herambavighnesha, Herambaganesha, Herimba, Herambakasena, Herambavinayaka, Cakrasamvara, Nishumbhin, Karyasiddhi.
Relevant text
Search found 28 books and stories containing Heramba, Hēraṃba, Hēramba; (plurals include: Herambas, Hēraṃbas, Hērambas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Satirical works of Kshemendra (study) (by Arpana Devi)
2. Kavisamaya or the poetic convention < [Chapter 4 - Literary study of the Three Satirical Works]
2. Summary of the Deśopadeśa < [Chapter 3 - Satirical Works of Kṣemendra]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Iconography of Buddhist and Brahmanical Sculptures (by Nalini Kanta Bhattasali)
Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)
Chapter 65 - The Slaying of Kālakeya < [Section 1 - Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa (section on creation)]
Chapter 63 - A Hymn to Gaṇapati < [Section 1 - Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa (section on creation)]
Chapter 74 - The Slaying of Tripura’s Son < [Section 1 - Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa (section on creation)]
Lalitopakhyana (Lalita Mahatmya) (by G.V. Tagare)
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