Kinnari, Kinnarī, Kimnari, Kiṉṉari: 7 definitions

Introduction
Image gallery
In Hinduism
1. Purana
In Buddhism
1. Tibetan Buddhism
Languages
1. Pali
2. Marathi
3. Prakrit
4. Sanskrit
5. Kannada
See also
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Introduction:

Kinnari means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, Tamil. 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.

Images (photo gallery)

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Kinnarī (किन्नरी) refers to a group of deities, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.22. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] On the top of the mountain near the city of Himālaya (śailarājapura), Śiva sported about for a long time in the company of Satī. [...] Many kinds of semid-ivine beings the Aśvamukhas, the Siddhas, the Apsaras, the Guhyakas, etc. roamed there. Their women-folk, the Vidyādharīs, the Kinnarīs and the mountain lasses played about here and there. The celestial damsels played on their lutes, tabours and drums and danced with enthusiasm.”.

context information

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.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: academia.edu: The Structure and Meanings of the Heruka Maṇḍala

Kinnarī (किन्नरी) is the name of a Ḍākinī who, together with the Vīra (hero) named Kinnara forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Ākāśacakra, according to the 10th century Ḍākārṇava chapter 15. Accordingly, the ākāśacakra refers to one of the three divisions of the dharma-puṭa (‘dharma layer’), situated in the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs [viz., Kinnarī] and Vīras are dark blue in color; they each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife. Alternatively, the Ḍākinīs have their own marks and motions according to the taste instead of a small drum and a skull staff.

context information

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

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

kinnarī : (f.) a kinnara woman.

context information

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 Dictionary

kinnarī (किन्नरी).—f (S) A particular musical instrument. 2 A female chorister or musician in svarga.

context information

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.

Prakrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary

Kiṃnarī (किंनरी) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Kinnarī.

context information

Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Kinnarī (किन्नरी) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Kiṃnarī.

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

Kinnari (ಕಿನ್ನರಿ):—

1) [noun] a female belonging to the category of mythical beings in human form with the head of a horse.

2) [noun] an old stringed instrument similar to lute.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Relevant text

Search found 34 books and stories containing Kinnari, Kinnarī, Kimnari, Kiṃnarī, Kiṉṉari; (plurals include: Kinnaris, Kinnarīs, Kimnaris, Kiṃnarīs, Kiṉṉaris). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Chapter XIII - The Kinnarī Jātaka < [Volume II]

Chapter XX - Śyāmaka Jātaka < [Volume II]

Chapter XLIII - The Jātaka of Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa, Nadī-Kāśyapa and Gayā-Kāśyapa < [Volume III]

+ 2 more chapters / show preview

Chapter 5 - Sudhana-avadāna

Chapter 12 - The story of Suśroṇī

Introduction

show preview

Stringed instruments (Tata) < [Chapter 4 - Material Culture of the People]

Musical Instruments (Introduction) < [Chapter 4 - Material Culture of the People]

Solid instruments (Ghana) < [Chapter 4 - Material Culture of the People]

+ 6 more chapters / show preview