Jyotsna, Jyotsnā: 23 definitions
Introduction:
Jyotsna means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Hindi, biology. 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
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना, “Moonlight”):—Third of the eight Mātṛs born from the body of Śaśinī, according to the Kubjikāmata-tantra. These eight sub-manifestations (mātṛ), including Jyotsnā, symbolize a connection to the moon. They are presided over by the Bhairava Krodha and his consort Vaiṣṇavī. Śaśinī is the third of the Eight Mahāmātṛs, residing within the Mātṛcakra (third of the five cakras) and represents the moon.
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Jyotsna (ज्योत्स्न) refers to the “bright one”, and is used to describe Śiva, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.41.—Accordingly, as Viṣṇu and others eulogized Śiva:—“[...] obeisance to Śiva who is calm, the supreme and the highest soul, of matted hair, great lord and the bright one (jyotsna). You are the creator of the creators of the universe. You are the sustainer and the forefather, possessed of three attributes and attributeless. You are greater than primordial nature and the supreme Being”.
1a) Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना).—A river from the Sarayū (or Mānasa?).*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 18. 71.
1b) A kala of the moon.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 35. 92.
1c) A tanu of Prajāpati; men created from it were all delightful beings; of satva quality.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 9. 20; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 8. 21.
1d) A R. from the Śveta.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 47. 68.
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.
Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना).—(Ι) name of a commentary by Rāmacandra possibly belonging to the 18th century on the Vājasaneyi Prātiśākhya; (2) name of a commentary on Nāgeśa's 'Laghuśabdenduśekhara by Udayaṃakara Pāṭhaka of Vārāṇasi in the 18th century.
Vyakarana (व्याकरण, vyākaraṇa) refers to Sanskrit grammar and represents one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas. Vyakarana concerns itself with the rules of Sanskrit grammar and linguistic analysis in order to establish the correct context of words and sentences.
Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना) is the name of a catuṣpadi metre (as popularly employed by the Apabhraṃśa bards), as discussed in books such as the Chandonuśāsana, Kavidarpaṇa, Vṛttajātisamuccaya and Svayambhūchandas.—Jyotsnā has 13 mātrās in each of its four lines (5, 5, IS).—Note: Khaṇḍa, Saṃgalitā, Padagalitā, Sundarāgalitā, Jyotsnā Upakhaṇḍa and Uddohaka are but other names of the Apsarovilasita.—[Apsarovilasita has 13 mātrās in each of its four lines, divided into the groups of 6, 4 and 3 mātrās or 4, 4 and 5 mātrās or 5, 5 and 3 mātrās.]
Chandas (छन्दस्) refers to Sanskrit prosody and represents one of the six Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines belonging to the study of the Vedas). The science of prosody (chandas-shastra) focusses on the study of the poetic meters such as the commonly known twenty-six metres mentioned by Pingalas.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना) refers to the “lustre of the moon”, according to the Śrīmatottara-tantra, an expansion of the Kubjikāmatatantra: the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, “[...] (These energies) [i.e., of the syllables of the Goddess’s Vidyā?] are (white) like the foam of a stream of milk and their light is like the lustre of the moon [i.e., jyotsnā-dyuti-samaprabha]. They rain down in a great stream onto the body with drops that are (like) streams of milk. One should think that the Self is there in middle (of the body) and its colour is (white like) milk. O goddess, this is the Wheel of the Moon”.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना) is the name of a work dealing with the Yoga system of Philosophy. It deals with—aliat Haṭha-dīpikā-ṭīkā. A commentary on the Haṭha-dīpikā of Svātmārāma. By Brahmānanda. Cf. Mitra’s Notices of Sanskrit MSS. IV.
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना) refers to “moonlight”, according to the Amṛtasiddhi, a 12th-century text belonging to the Haṭhayoga textual tradition.—Accordingly, “The [four] bodily blisses whose last is [the bliss of] cessation all arise from bindu, just as moonlight (jyotsnā) arises from the moon”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Ayurveda (science of life)
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना) refers to the “moonlight”, according to the 15th century Mātaṅgalīlā composed by Nīlakaṇṭha in 263 Sanskrit verses, dealing with elephantology in ancient India, focusing on the science of management and treatment of elephants.—[Cf. chapter 8, “on marks of character”]: “15. The colors of elephants are fourfold: tawny, yellow, black, and white; respectively from blood (rakta) mingled with gall, from blood mingled with phlegm, from gall, and from phlegm they are produced, be it known, like unto (a peacock’s) tail feathers, to gold, to a cloud, and to moonlight (jyotsnā). But among these that black one alone exists here on earth; the other three are in the heavenly world”.
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)
1) Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना) is the name of Vidyārājñī (i.e., “wisdom queen”) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Jyotsnā).
2) Jyotsna (ज्योत्स्न) is the name of a Rāśi (zodiac sign) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa.
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.
Biology (plants and animals)
Jyotsna in India is the name of a plant defined with Trichosanthes cucumerina in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Trichosanthes cucumerina Wall. (among others).
Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):
· Flora Japonica (Thunberg) (1784)
· Numer. List (6688)
· Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (1942)
· J. Cytol. Genet. (1996)
· Journal of Botany, British and Foreign (1939)
· FBI (1879)
If you are looking for specific details regarding Jyotsna, for example extract dosage, side effects, pregnancy safety, chemical composition, health benefits, diet and recipes, have a look at these references.
This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना).—[jyotirastyasyāṃ jyotiṣa upadhālopo naśca pratyayaḥ P.V.2.114 Sk.]
1) Moonlight; स्फुरत्स्फारज्योत्स्ना- धवलिततले क्वापि पुलिने (sphuratsphārajyotsnā- dhavalitatale kvāpi puline) Bhartṛhari 3.42; ज्योत्स्नावतो निर्विशति प्रदोषान् (jyotsnāvato nirviśati pradoṣān) R.6.34.
2) Light (in general).
3) An epithet of Durgā.
4) A moonlight-night.
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना).—f.
(-tsnā) 1. Moonlight. 2. Amoonlight night. 3. A small cucumber: see jyotsnī. E. jyotis light, ta affix, and the penultimate rejected, deriv. irr. fem. affix ṭāp; also with ṅiṣ, jyotsnī q. v.
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना).—i. e. jyut + sna, f. 1. Moonlight, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 4, 28, 34. 2. Light, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 3, 28, 21 (pl.) 3. The name of a body of Brahman, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 3, 20, 39.
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना).—[feminine] moonlight night, moonshine.
1) Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—a
—[commentary] on Hiraṇyakeśikalpasūtra. L. 1505.
—by Gopīnātha Bhaṭṭa. Np. Vi, 8.
2) Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—a
—[commentary] on the Vājasaneyiprātiśākhya, by Rāmacandra.
3) Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—Haṭhadīpikāṭīkā by Brahmānanda. L. 513.
4) Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—Śabdenduśekharaṭīkā. B. 3, 26. Kāṭm. 9.
—by Udayaṃkara. K. 82. Bhk. 28.
5) Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—Haṭhadīpikāṭīkā. read L. 1513.
1) Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—[from jyut] f. ([Pāṇini 5-2, 114]) a moonlight night, [Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa ii, 2, 9, 7]
2) [v.s. ...] moonlight, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc. (ifc. f(ā). , [Kathāsaritsāgara cvii])
3) [v.s. ...] [plural] light, splendour, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa iii, 28, 21]
4) [v.s. ...] one of Brahmā’s bodies, 20, 39
5) [v.s. ...] one of the moon’s 16 Kalās, [Brahma-purāṇa ii, 15]
6) [v.s. ...] Durgā, [DevīP.; Devī-māhātmya]
7) [v.s. ...] the plant jyotsnī, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc. [Scholiast or Commentator]]
8) [v.s. ...] the plant ghoṣātakī, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—(tsnā) 1. f. Moonlight.
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—(von jyotis) f. [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 5, 2, 114.] oxyt. Sch. parox. [Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa]
1) eine mondhelle Nacht [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha 2, 266.] [Medinīkoṣa Nalopākhyāna 8.] Gegens. tamisrā [Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa 2, 2, 9, 7.] —
2) Mondschein [Amarakoṣa 1, 1, 2, 18.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 107.] [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] [Sāvitryupākhyāna 5, 106.] prāvaraṇaścendurdṛśyate hyudito mbare [Rāmāyaṇa 3, 5, 10. 22, 14. 69, 1.] [Suśruta 1, 5, 3. 114, 6.] [Pañcatantra 162, 10. V, 42.] na hi saṃharate jyotsṇāṃ candraścāṇḍālaveśmani [Hitopadeśa I, 55.] anvadhāvata pāṇḍyeśaṃ jyotsneva rajanīkaram [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 4, 28, 34.] purāṇapūrṇacandreṇa śrutijyotsnāḥ prakāśitāḥ [Mahābhārata 1, 86.] Licht, heller Schein überh., pl. [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 3, 28, 21.] Bez. eines der Körper Brahman's [Viṣṇupurāṇa 40.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 3, 20, 39.] —
3) N. einer der 16 Kalā des Mondes [Brahmapurāṇa] in [Oxforder Handschriften 18],b. —
4) Beiname der Durgā [Devīpurāṇa] und [DEVĪM. im Śabdakalpadruma] —
5) Name zweier Pflanzen: a) = jyotsnī [SVĀMIN] zu [Amarakoṣa 2, 4, 4, 6.] [Śabdakalpadruma] — b) = ghoṣātakī [Ratnamālā 65.]
--- OR ---
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—
2) sajyotsnā adj. mit Mondschein versehen [Kathāsaritsāgara 107, 39.] —
6) Titel eines Commentars [HALL 69.]
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—f. —
1) eine mondhelle Nacht. —
2) Mondschein. Am Ende eines adj. Comp. f. ā. —
3) Pl. Licht , heller Schein. —
4) Bez. eines der Körper Brahman's. —
5) Name einer der 16 Kalā des Mondes. —
6) Beiname der Durgā. —
7) *eine Gurkenart und * = ghoṣātakī. —
8) Titel eines Commentars.
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Juṇhā, Joisiṇā, Joṇhā.
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
Jyotsnā (ज्योत्स्ना):—(nf) the moonlight.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Jyōtsna (ಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸ್ನ):—[noun] = ಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸ್ನೆ - [jyotsne -] 1.
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: Jyotsnadhya, Jyotsnadi, Jyotsnakali, Jyotsnamaya, Jyotsnamukhi, Jyotsnanvita, Jyotsnapakshatantra, Jyotsnapriya, Jyotsnavant, Jyotsnavapi, Jyotsnavat, Jyotsnavriksha, Jyotsnesha.
Full-text (+88): Jyotsnavriksha, Jyotsnapriya, Jyotsnesha, Sharajjyotsna, Jyotsnakali, Jyotsnamaya, Siddhantajyotsna, Ramacandrajyotsna, Sajyotsna, Jyotsnavat, Sadashanajyotsna, Jyotsnavapi, Vanajyotsna, Jyotsnavant, Jyautsna, Junha, Grahapati, Jyotsnika, Jyotsnapakshatantra, Parajyotsna.
Relevant text
Search found 62 books and stories containing Jyotsna, Jyotsnā, Jyōtsna; (plurals include: Jyotsnas, Jyotsnās, Jyōtsnas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
Text 10.174 < [Chapter 10 - Ornaments of Meaning]
Text 10.113 < [Chapter 10 - Ornaments of Meaning]
Text 7.19 < [Chapter 7 - Literary Faults]
Hanuman Nataka (critical study) (by Nurima Yeasmin)
7. Kavisamayas in the Hanumannāṭaka < [Chapter 4]
2. Influence of other Poets upon Śrī Dāmodara Miśra < [Chapter 6]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
The body in early Hatha Yoga (by Ruth Westoby)
The Jyotsnā commentary and Haṭha Yoga < [Introduction: Female:body]
Bound by karma, kāma and kāla < [Chapter 1 - The matter of the body]
The Haṭhapradīpikā and Haṭha Yoga < [Introduction: Female:body]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture) (by Bhagyashree Sarma)
7(e): Reflection of Symbolization in Portrait through Painting < [Chapter 5 - Painting and Image Making]