Nagasena, Nāgasena: 11 definitions
Introduction:
Nagasena means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India. 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.
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In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
1. Nagasena Thera
An arahant, celebrated for his discussions with King Milinda. He was the son of the Brahmin Sonuttara, in the village of Kajangala in the Himalaya.
He was well versed in the Vedas, and entered the Order under Rohana to learn the Buddhas teaching. Later he went to Assagutta of the Vattaniya senasana and studied under him. There, one day, at the conclusion of a meal, while giving thanks to a lay woman who had looked after Assagutta for more than thirty years, Nagasena became a Sotapanna. Then he was sent to Pataliputta, where he studied under Dhammarakkhita, and there he attained arahantship. Subsequently he went to the Sankheyya parivena in Sagala, where he met Milinda.
It is said that in his previous birth he was a deva, named Mahasena, living in Tavatimsa, in a palace called Ketumati, and that he consented to be born among men at the insistent request of Sakka and the arahants led by Assagutta.
In an earlier life he had made an aspiration to be able to defeat Milinda in discussion.
For further details see Milindapanha, 6ff.
2. NagasenaA king of Jambudipa, descendant of Mahasammata. Dpv.iii.40.
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).
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Nāgasena (नागसेन) refers to one of the Sixteen Arhats (known in Tibetan as gnas brtan bcu drug) who were chosen by Buddha Shakyamuni to remain in the world and protect the Dharma until the arrival of the future Buddha Maitreya. They vowed to maintain the Dharma for as long as beings could benefit from it. These legendary Arhats [e.g., Nāgasena] were revered in countries such as China, Japan, India and Tibet—a tradition which continues up until this day, for example in Zen Buddhism and Tibetan art.
Nāgasena is associated with Mount Urumuṇḍa (Rurumuṇḍa) in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is also known in Tibetan as (1) Lüdé (2) Lü Dé [klu sde] (3) [klu'i sde]; and in Chinese as 那伽犀那尊者 [Pinyin: nàjiāxīnà zūnzhě; Romaji: nagasaina sonja]
Nagasena refers one of the Sixteen Arhats who where requested by the Buddha to protect the Dharma for as long as beings are capable of benefitting from the teachings.—Born into a royal family he saw that his future duties might involve him in war and judging others, so he renounced his inheritance, went to the Buddha and was accepted into the Sangha. He studied the Tripitaka deeply and was renowned for his detachment from the world. In gratitude to the Buddha he devoted his life to teaching the Dharma and helping others to attain realization. With 1,200 arhats he dwells on Mt. Vipulaparshva. Nagasena holds a monk’s staff in his right hand and a vase which removes poverty and spiritual deficiencies in his left. Visualizing his staff and listening for the sound of its bells frees the mind from confusion and awakens confidence in the Three Jewels.
Nagasena is known in Sanskrit as Nāgasena and in Tibetan as Lü Dé [klu sde].
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.
General definition (in Buddhism)
Nāgasena (नागसेन) is the son of Dhammasena: an ancient king from the Solar dynasty (sūryavaṃśa) and a descendant of Mahāsaṃmata, according to the Mahābuddhavaṃsa or Maha Buddhavamsa (the great chronicle of Buddhas) Anudīpanī chapter 1, compiled by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw. Vijitasena’s son was King Dhammasena. Dhammasena’s son was King Nāgasena. Nāgasena’ s son was King Samiddha.
Yavana King Milinda and Buddhist monk Nagasena (1365-1325 BCE).—According to Milindapanho, Yavana king Milinda patronized Buddhism in north-western India. Nagasena was the contemporary of Milinda. Both lived 500 years after Buddha nirvana (1865 BCE).
India history and geography
Nāgasena (नागसेन) is an example of a name based on Nāga mentioned in the Gupta inscriptions. The Gupta empire (r. 3rd-century CE), founded by Śrī Gupta, covered much of ancient India and embraced the Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Derivation of personal names (e.g., Nāgasena) during the rule of the Guptas followed patterns such as tribes, places, rivers and mountains.
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
Sanskrit dictionary
1) Nāgasena (नागसेन):—[=nāga-sena] [from nāga] m. Name of a, [Buddhist literature] Sthavira, [Monier-Williams’ Buddhism 141; 192 n. lx]
2) [v.s. ...] of a king of Āryā-varta and contemporary of Samudra-gupta, [Inscriptions]
Nāgasena (नागसेन):—(1. nāga + senā) m. Nomen proprium eines buddh. Sthavira, [Lebensbeschreibung Śākyamuni’s 322 (92).] = nāgārjuna [Burnouf 570.] eines Königs von Āryāvarta und Zeitgenossen des Samudragupta [Lassen’s Indische Alterthumskunde II, 952.]
Nāgasena (नागसेन):—m. Nomen proprium verschiedener Männer.
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.
Pali-English dictionary
nāgasena (နာဂသေန) [(pu) (ပု)]—
[yadicchā]
[ယဒိစ္ဆာနာမ်]
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Nagasenabhikshusutra, Nagasenakatha, Nagasenasadda, Nagasenatthera, Nagasenattheravacana, Nagasenavisajjana.
Full-text (+41): Nagasenakatha, Nagasenasadda, Na xian, Na jia xi na, Long jun, Milinda, Nagasenatthera, Sixteen arhats, Nagasenabhikshusutra, Wa er luo han, Assagutta, Na xian bi qiu jing, Samiddha, Devamantiya, Nagasenattheravacana, Milindaprashna, Mankura, Sankheyya Parivena, Vijambhavatthu, Nagamudra.
Relevant text
Search found 52 books and stories containing Nagasena, Naga-sena, Nāga-sena, Nāgasena; (plurals include: Nagasenas, senas, Nāgasenas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Buddhist Path to Enlightenment (study) (by Dr Kala Acharya)
6.2. Nibbāna in Pāli Commentarial Texts < [Chapter 4 - Comparative Study of Liberation in Jainism and Buddhism]
6.6. Where Nibbāna is < [Chapter 4 - Comparative Study of Liberation in Jainism and Buddhism]
2(a). The Four Noble Truths < [Chapter 3 - Seven Factors of Enlightenment and Noble Eightfold Path]
Expansion of the Gupta Empire < [May-June, 1929]
The Silence of the Mystics < [November 1937]
Reviews < [April - June 1975]
The Uses of Human Malleability < [Volume 11, Issue 5 (2020)]
The Embodiment of Buddhist History < [Volume 14, Issue 1 (2023)]
What Does It Mean To Be a Badly Behaved Animal? An Answer from the Devadatta... < [Volume 10, Issue 4 (2019)]
The Great Buddhist Emperors of Asia (by Shibani Dutta)
Guide to Tipitaka (by U Ko Lay)
Part 18 - Milindapanha Pali < [Chapter VIII - Khuddaka Nikaya]
Milindapanha (questions of King Milinda) (by T. W. Rhys Davids)
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