Janapada, Jānapada, Jana-pada: 25 definitions
Introduction:
Janapada 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.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Janapada (जनपद).—Get deserted and desolate in Kali;1 are left in a state of arājaka.2
1b) The seven of Krauñcadvīpa viz., Uṣṇa, Pīvara, Andhakāra, Muni, Dundubhi, Kuśala and Manuja.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 33. 23.
2) Jānapada (जानपद).—Country people; treated with love by Pṛthu;1 were provided with seats in the wrestling enclosure of Kaṃsā.2
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)
Source: Wisdom Library: Raj NighantuJanapada (जनपद) is a synonym for Deśa (“region”), according to the second chapter (dharaṇyādi-varga) of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu (an Ayurvedic encyclopedia). The Dharaṇyādi-varga covers the lands [viz., Janapada], soil, mountains, jungles and vegetation’s relations between trees and plants and substances, with their various kinds.
Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of termsJanapada (जनपद):—Group of peoples leaving in specific location, i. e community
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
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesA district in Northern Malaya in Ceylon, near the frontier of the Dakkhinadesa. Cv.xliv.56, etc. For identification, see Cv. Trs.i.79, n.4; 262, n.1.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāJanapada (जनपद) refers to “provinces”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly: “Then the Bodhisattva Apāyajaha addressed himself to the Bodhisattva Gaganagañja: ‘Son of good family, please pacify three evil existences’. [...] Then, the rain of gifts, such as [...] chariots, foot-soldiers, vehicles, houses, villages, cities, towns, provinces (janapada), kingdoms, capitals, gardens, pavilions, palaces, portals, windows, half-moon shaped decorations on building, thrones, palanquin, and chariots drawn by four cattle, sixteen cattle, and a thousand of good horses, poured down from the open space. [...]”.
Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on AgricultureJanapada (जनपद) refers to a “region”, according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly, [as the great Nāga kings said to the Bhagavān]: “[...] O Bhagavān, we will always consider that place to be similar to a Tathāgata caitya. We will always provide protection, shelter and safeguard in that province, city, region (janapada), village, forest, hamlet, house or monastery. We will ward off all cold spells, winds, thunderbolts and untimely clouds. [...]”.
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.
India history and geography
Source: archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptionsJanapada (जनपद) refers to a “tribal settlement” and represents a name-ending for place-names mentioned in the Mahābhārata I.2-8, according to which, “a place must be named after any of its peculiar features”. We find Rāṣṭra as the oldest right from the Ṛgveda, and used for the biggest unit. Its equivalent Janapada came into being in the Brāhmaṇa-period.
The ordinary people of a Janapada were called Viś which were divided into grāmas or unions of many families. So whenever the people of grāmas settled they were termed as grāmas (villages) and hence the word Saṃgrāma came into being when a number of grāmas united for a battle. Every Janapada had a pura or chief city (capital) where the king resided. Every Janapada was politically named as Rāṣṭra. Pāṇini mentions a number of Janapadas in the Aṣṭādhyātī. Kauṭilya also uses the term Janapada for territory as the constituent of State. We find the mention of sixteen Mahājanapadas of Āryāvarta in many places in the Buddhist literature.
Source: Early History Of The Deccan Pts.1 To 6: Principal Administrative Divisions from the Rise of the SātavāhanasJanapada (जनपद) refers to a “tract of land”.—We have seen that from the days of the Brāhmaṇas the word janapada has been used to denote a particular people or territory in ancient India. The term seems to have had at first an ethnic rather than an administrative significance, being applied to a tract of land occupied by a particular race, tribe, or clan rather than an area marked out for administrative convenience by a government. But the janapada was not a mere habitat of anunorganized people. It formed a political community. Such was the janapadaof the Uttara-Kurus and the janapada of the Uttara-Madras in the Aitareya-brāhmaṇa.
In the Myakadani inscriptionof the Sātavāhana king Pulumāyi, however, a janapada is expressly mentioned as a district under a military governor. The word, however, very rarely occurs as a designation of an administrative area in later ages. It continues to be used in compositions of a geographical character, e.g. the Bhuvanakoṣa of the Purāṇas, or the deśa-vibhāga of the Kāvyamīmāṃsā, in its original sense of an area associated with a particular race, tribe, or clan often claiming a common ancestry.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryJanapada or Jānapada.—(IE 8-3; EI 23, 33), people of the countryside; regarded by some as an official designation (EI 26), and by others as a corporate body (EI 21). Note: janapada is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionaryjanapada : (m.) a province; a country; country-side. || jānapada (adj.) belonging to the country; (m.) a rustic. plu. country-folk.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryJanapada, (jana+pada, the latter in function of collective noun-abstract: see pada 3) inhabited country, the country (opp. town or market-place), the continent; politically: a province, district, county D. I, 136 (opp. nigama); II, 349; A. I, 160, 178; Sn. 422, 683, 995, 1102; J. I, 258; II, 3 (opp. nagara), 139, 300; PvA. 20, 32, 111 (province). See also gāma. The 16 provinces of Buddhist India are comprised in the soḷasa mahā-janapadā (Miln. 350) enumerated at A. I, 213=IV. 252 sq. =Nd2 247 (on Sn. 1102) as follows: Aṅgā, Magadhā (+Kālingā, Nd2) Kāsī, Kosalā, Vajjī, Mallā, Cetī (Cetiyā A. IV, ), Vaṃsā (Vaṅgā A. I, ), Kurū, Pañcālā, Majjā (Macchā A), Sūrasenā, Assakā, Avantī, Yonā (Gandhārā A), Kambojā. Cp. Rhys Davids, B. India p. 23.
— or —
Jānapada, (adj. -n.) (fr. janapada) belonging to the country, living in the c.; pl. country-folk (opp. negamā townsfolk) D. I, 136, 142; M. II, 74; J. II, 287, 388; DA. I, 297 (=janapada-vāsin). (Page 282)
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Janapada refers to: country see sep.;
Note: janapada is a Pali compound consisting of the words jana and pada.
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.
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryjanapada (जनपद).—m S Any inhabited country.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishjanapada (जनपद).—m Any inhabited country.
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.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryJānapada (जानपद).—[jānena utpattyā padyate pad ap; janapade bhavaḥ, aṇ vā]
1) An inhabitant of the country, a rustic, boor, peasant (opp. paura); ततः कतिपयाहःसु वृद्धो जानपदो युवा (tataḥ katipayāhaḥsu vṛddho jānapado yuvā) Rām.7.73.2.
2) A country.
3) A tax &c. from peasants.
4) subject.
-dā A popular expression.
-dī Profession, business.
Derivable forms: jānapadaḥ (जानपदः).
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Janapada (जनपद).—
1) a community, race, nation; Y.1.361 v. l.
2) A kingdom, an empire, an inhabited country; जनपदे न गदः पदभादधौ (janapade na gadaḥ padabhādadhau) R.9.4; दाक्षि- णात्ये जनपदे (dākṣi- ṇātye janapade) Pañcatantra (Bombay) 1; Meghadūta 48.
3) the country (opp. the town pura, nagara); जनपदवधूलोचनैः पीयमानः (janapadavadhūlocanaiḥ pīyamānaḥ) Meghadūta 16.
4) the people, subjects (opp. the sovereign); जनपदहितकर्ता त्यज्यते पार्थिवेन (janapadahitakartā tyajyate pārthivena) Pañcatantra (Bombay) 1.131.
5) mankind.
6) a. considering his subjects as authority; आपौरप्रकृतिजनपदो राजा (āpauraprakṛtijanapado rājā) Bhāgavata 5.4.5.
Derivable forms: janapadaḥ (जनपदः).
Janapada is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms jana and pada (पद).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryJānapada (जानपद).—(= janapada; otherwise, in Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit jāṇavaya, only in meaning inhabitant of the country), country: yaṃ velaṃ dharmalabdho kṣemena vārāṇasyāṃ jānapado (so mss., Senart em. °daṃ, read rather °de, loc.) prāptaḥ Mahāvastu iii.291.8 (prose); nagarehi ca nigamehi ca jānapadehi ca 13 (prose, no v.l.). Perhaps read jana° both times.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryJanapada (जनपद).—m.
(-daḥ) 1. Any inhabited country. 2. Man, mankind E. jana man, and pada going. janāḥ padyante gacchanti yatra . pada ādhāre gha .
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Jānapada (जानपद).—m.
(-daḥ) 1. Man, mankind. 2. An inhabited country. E. janapada the same, and ap aff. jānena utpattyā padyate pada-ap .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryJānapada (जानपद).—i. e. jana-pada + a, I. m. An inhabitant of a country, a subject, [Yājñavalkya, (ed. Stenzler.)] 2, 36. Ii. adj. 1. Living in the country, [Rāmāyaṇa] 2, 50, 4. 2. Referring to districts, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 8, 41.
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Janapada (जनपद).—m. 1. country, [Rāmāyaṇa] 1, 5, 5. 2. pl. and sing. people, [Yājñavalkya, (ed. Stenzler.)] 1, 360.
Janapada is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms jana and pada (पद).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryJanapada (जनपद).—[masculine] district, country (lit. tribe-place); (also [plural]) people, [especially] country people, subjects ([opposed] prince).
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Jānapada (जानपद).—[adjective] living in the country; [masculine] countryman (in both mgs), subject.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Janapada (जनपद):—[=jana-pada] [from jana > jan] m. sg. or [plural] a community, nation, people (as opposed to the sovereign), [Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa ii; Aitareya-brāhmaṇa viii, 14; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa xiii f.] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] sg. an empire, inhabited country, [Mahābhārata] etc. (ifc. f(ā). , [Rāmāyaṇa iii, 61, 27])
3) [v.s. ...] mankind, [Horace H. Wilson]
4) Jānapada (जानपद):—[from jātṛ] mfn. ([gana] utsādi) living in the country (jana-pada)
5) [v.s. ...] m. inhabitant of the country, [Mahābhārata] ([Nalopākhyāna xxvi, 30]), [Rāmāyaṇa; Raghuvaṃśa; Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
6) [v.s. ...] belonging to or suited for the inhabitants of the country, [Manu-smṛti viii, 41; Rāmāyaṇa i, 12, 13]
7) [v.s. ...] m. one who belongs to a country, subject, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa xiv; Yājñavalkya ii, 36; Mahābhārata xii; Rāmāyaṇa]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Janapada (जनपद):—[jana-pada] (daḥ) 1. m. Any inhabited country; man; multitude.
2) Jānapada (जानपद):—[jāna-pada] (daḥ) 1. m. Man, people; an inhabited country.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Janapada (जनपद) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Jaṇavaya, Jāṇavaya.
[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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryJānapada (जानपद):—(a) pertaining, belonging to, or related with, a [janapada].
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusJanapada (ಜನಪದ):—
1) [noun] the persons belonging to a country; the people; the nation.
2) [noun] the whole land or territory of a nation or state.
3) [noun] rural districts, including farmland, small towns and other sparsely populated areas, as opposed to cities or towns.
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Jānapada (ಜಾನಪದ):—
1) [adjective] relating to a people, country, etc.
2) [adjective] of or characteristic of the country, country life or country people; rustic; rural.
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Jānapada (ಜಾನಪದ):—
1) [noun] that which is relating to, coming from or has the characteristic of the countryside.
2) [noun] (gen.) that which is related to, made by etc. of the people of a nation.
3) [noun] a native, inhabitant or denizen of a country.
4) [noun] the whole land or territory of a nation or state.
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: Janapada Sutta, Janapadacarika, Janapadadharma, Janapadadhipa, Janapadaghataka, Janapadagite, Janapadakalyani, Janapadakalyani Nanda, Janapadakalyani Sutta, Janapadakatha, Janapadamahattara, Janapadamandala, Janapadapadesa, Janapadasahitya, Janapadatthavariya, Janapadavadya, Janapadavyuha, Janapadayuta.
Ends with: Alajanapada, Ambila Janapada, Bhoga-janapada, Dakkhinajanapada, Dakkhinamalayajanapada, Jatijanapada, Mahajanapada, Majjhima Janapada, Mangujanapada, Moriyajanapada, Paccantajanapada, Paurajanapada, Pratyantajanapada, Prithagjanapada, Roliya Janapada, Sajanapada, Samanajanapada, Tirojanapada.
Full-text (+406): Janavaya, Paurajanapada, Janapadadhipa, Janapadika, Jatijanapada, Janapadamahattara, Janapadamandala, Janapadaghataka, Janapadi, Janapadeshvara, Prithagjanapada, Janapadayuta, Samanajanapada, Mattakashika, Janapadoddhvamsaniya, Janavadika, Janapadiya, Desha, Janarajya, Ekantaka Sutta.
Relevant text
Search found 36 books and stories containing Janapada, Jānapada, Jana-pada, Jāna-pada, Jānapāda; (plurals include: Janapadas, Jānapadas, padas, Jānapādas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
List of Mahabharata tribes (by Laxman Burdak)
Vastu-shastra (2): Town Planning (by D. N. Shukla)
Towns or Cities in ancient Indian town-planning < [Chapter 2 - Villages, Towns and Forts in General]
Villages in ancient Indian town-planning < [Chapter 2 - Villages, Towns and Forts in General]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 8.41 < [Section X - Knowledge of Law, Custom and Usage necessary for the King]
Yajnavalkya-smriti (Vyavaharadhyaya)—Critical study (by Kalita Nabanita)
Chapter 5.4 - Laws Relating to Written Document (likhita) < [Chapter 5 - Vyavahārādhyāya and the Modern Indian Laws]
Chapter 4.3 - Special Adjudicatory Machinery < [Chapter 4 - The Political Aspect Reflected in the Vyavahārādhyāya]
Impact of Vedic Culture on Society (by Kaushik Acharya)
Systems of Administration Prevalent In the Vedic Period < [Chapter 5]
Changes in Administration and Polity in Later Vedic Era < [Chapter 5]
Central Administration < [Chapter 5]
Abhidhamma in Daily Life (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa) (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa)
Factor 4 - Uddhacca (distraction, restlessness, wavering) < [Chapter 2 - On akusala cetasikas (unwholesome mental factors)]
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