In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Jainism

Kanakāvali (कनकावलि) is the shorter name of Kanakāvalidvīpa, one of the continents (dvīpa) of the middle-world (madhyaloka) which is encircled by the ocean named Kanakāvalisasamudra (or simply Kanakāvali), according to Jain cosmology. The middle-world contains innumerable concentric dvīpas and, as opposed to the upper-world (adhaloka) and the lower-world (ūrdhvaloka), is the only world where humans can be born.

Kanakāvali is recorded in ancient Jaina canonical texts dealing with cosmology and geography of the universe. Examples of such texts are the Saṃgrahaṇīratna in the Śvetāmbara tradition or the Tiloyapannatti and the Trilokasāra in the Digambara tradition.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

1) Kanakāvali (कनकावलि) refers to a form of penance, according to chapter 2.1 [ajitanātha-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly: “Vimalavāhana practiced penance, the ekāvali, ratnāvali, kanakāvali, and siṃhaniḥkrīḍita long and short. Beginning destruction of karma by a mouth’s fast, he performed penance in the form of fasting ending with a fast of eight months. After he had practiced severe penance in this way and had performed the two saṃlekhanās, at the end he fasted till death, absorbed entirely in tranquillity. Recalling the formula of homage to the Five Supreme Ones, absorbed in abstract meditation, he abandoned his body as easily as a house”.

Note: The kanakāvali is just the same with the substitution of 8 x 3 and 34x3 in the place of 8x2 and 34x2. One series lasts for 1 year, 5 months, and 12 days and the complete penance lasts for 5 years, 9 months, and 18 days. The Pravacanasāroddhāra exchanges the ratnāvali and kanakāvali. In B.’s calculations in his footnotes he does not distinguish between the fast-days and fast-breaking days, but counts each fast-breaking day in with its fast. The net result is the same. The ekāvali is the same as the kanakāvali and ratnāvali with the substitution of 8x1 and 34x1. One series lasts for 1 year, 2 months, and 12 days, and the complete penance for 4 years, 9 months, and 18 days.

2) Kanakāvali (कनकावलि) is the name of a Vidyādhara (Vidyādharī?) from Kāñcanapura, according to the Jain Ramayana and chapter 7.1 [origin of the rākṣasavaṃśa and vānaravaṃśa].—Accordingly:—“[...] He (Indra) established four Dikpālas, seven armies and generals, three assemblies, the thunderbolt as his weapon, his elephant as Airāvaṇa, his courtesans as Rambhā, etc., his minister as Bṛhaspati, and the leader of his infantry with the same name as Naigameṣin. [...] Mākaradhvaji, sprung from the womb of Ādityakirti, lord of Jyotiṣpura, became Soma, the regent of the east. The son of Varuṇā and Megharatha, a Vidyādhara, lord of Meghapura, became Varuṇa, the regent of the west. The son of Sūra and Kanakāvali, lord of Kāñcanapura, was called Kubera, the regent of the north. The son of Kālāgni and Śrīprabhā, lord of Kiṣkindhanagara, became Yama, regent of the south.[...]”.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Kanakāvali (कनकावलि) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—kāvya. Oppert. Ii, 3979.

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

Kanakāvalī (कनकावली):—[from kanaka > kan] f. a golden chain, [Pañcadaṇḍacchattra-prabandha]

[Sanskrit to German]

Kanakavali 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.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Kanakāvaḷi (ಕನಕಾವಳಿ):—[noun] (Jain.) a religious vow of abstaining from food for eighty three days in a year.

context information

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: Kanakavalidvipa, Kanakavalisamudra, Kanakavalivara, Kanakavalivaradvipa, Kanakavalivarasamudra, Kanakavalivaravabhasa, Kanakavalivaravabhasadvipa, Kanakavalivaravabhasasamudra.

Full-text: Kanakavalisamudra, Kanakavalidvipa, Ekavali, Jyotishpura, Kalagni, Kishkindhanagara, Makaradhvaji, Ratnavali, Simhanihkridita, Shriprabha, Megharatha, Sura.

Relevant text

Search found 1 books and stories containing Kanakavali, Kanakāvali, Kanakāvalī, Kanakāvaḷi; (plurals include: Kanakavalis, Kanakāvalis, Kanakāvalīs, Kanakāvaḷis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)

Notes on penances < [Notes]

Notes on muktāvali, sarvatobhadra and bhadra < [Notes]

Part 11: Life as a monk < [Chapter I - Previous incarnation as Vimalavāhana]

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