Padmoshnisha, Padmoṣnīṣa, Padma-ushnisha: 3 definitions

Introduction:

Padmoshnisha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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.

The Sanskrit term Padmoṣnīṣa can be transliterated into English as Padmosnisa or Padmoshnisha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Padmoshnisha in Mahayana glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Lokottaravāda

Padmoṣṇīṣa (पद्मोष्णीष) is the name of a Buddha under whom Śākyamuni (or Gautama, ‘the historical Buddha’) acquired merit along the first through nine bhūmis, according to the Mahāvastu. There are in total ten bhūmis representing the ten stages of the Bodhisattva’s path towards enlightenment.

Padmoṣṇīṣa is but one among the 500 Buddhas enumerated in the Mahāvastu during a conversation between Mahākātyāyana and Mahākāśyapa, both principle disciples of Gautama Buddha. The Mahāvastu is an important text of the Lokottaravāda school of buddhism, dating from the 2nd century BCE.

Mahayana book cover
context information

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.

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Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: archive.org: The Indian Buddhist Iconography

Padmoṣṇīṣa (पद्मोष्णीष) presides over the West and represents one of the eight Uṣṇīṣa Gods, commonly depicted in Buddhist Iconography, and mentioned in the 11th-century Niṣpannayogāvalī of Mahāpaṇḍita Abhayākara.—His Colour is red; his Symbol is the dhyāna.—The third deity in the series of eight Uṣṇīṣa gods is called Padmoṣṇīṣa.

Padmoṣṇīṣa is described in Niṣpannayogāvalī (durgatipariśodhana-maṇḍala) as follows:—

“On the Western spoke there is Padmoṣṇīṣa who is red in colour and shows the dhyana-mudrā”.

[The Uṣṇīṣa deities like all other deities of the maṇḍala are two-armed and one-faced. They wear rich dress and ornaments, and a bejewelled crown. They sit on human beings.]

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
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.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Padmoshnisha in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Padmoṣṇīṣa (पद्मोष्णीष).—name of a former Buddha: Mahāvastu i.138.2.

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.

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