Prabhakari, Prabhākarī: 8 definitions
Introduction:
Prabhakari 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.
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In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Prabhākarī (प्रभाकरी) or Prabhākarībhūmi refers to the “shining ground” and represents one of the ten Bodhisattva grounds (bodhisattabhūmi), according to the Daśabhūmikasūtra, or Daśabhūmīśvara, as mentioned in the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 52.—The Bodhisattva-mahāsattva in the third bhūmi (prabhākarī) should devote himself to five dharmas.
What are these five?
- An insatiable desire for learning.
- Choosing the selfless gift of Dharma by preference without deriving any pride.
- The purification of the Buddha-fields, without deriving pride from it.
- [The Bodhisattva “does not tire” of dwelling in saṃsāra].
- Settling into shame, but without deriving any pride from it.
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.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Prabhākarī (प्रभाकरी) or Prabhākarībhūmi refers to one of twelve Bhūmi Goddesses, as commonly depicted in Buddhist Iconography, and mentioned in the 11th-century Niṣpannayogāvalī of Mahāpaṇḍita Abhayākara.—Her Colour is red; her Symbol is a sun on lotus; she has two arms.
Prabhākarī is described in the Niṣpannayogāvalī (dharmadhātuvāgīśvara-maṇḍala) as follows:—
“Prabhākarī is red in colour and holds in her left hand the disc of the sun on a lotus”.
[These twelve bhūmis [viz., Prabhākarī] are two-armed and hold in the right hand the vajra and in the left their own weapons or signs.]
Prabhākarī (प्रभाकरी) refers to a “luminous (level)”, according to the 10th-century Ḍākārṇava-tantra: one of the last Tibetan Tantric scriptures belonging to the Buddhist Saṃvara tradition consisting of 51 chapters.—Accordingly, [while describing the Merit Circle (guṇacakra)]: “On this [Merit Circle], he should recognize the kṣetra (“field,” a class of holy sites). [The circle] comprises all classes of birth in the Desire Realm. They said [that the circle represents] the second continent. [It is] itself of the nature of [united] wisdom and means. [The circle is] also the Luminous Level (prabhākarī-bhūmi). [It is] itself to be venerated as a teacher. [...]”.
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)
Prabhākarī (प्रभाकरी, “light-making”) or Prabhākarībhūmi refers to the third of the “ten stages of the Bodhisattva” (bhūmi) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 64). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., prabhākarī). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D. Prabhākarī is also included in the “thirteen stages of the Bodhisattva” (trayodaśa-bhūmi).
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Prabhākarī (प्रभाकरी).—name of the third bodhisattva-bhūmi: Mahāvyutpatti 888; Dharmasaṃgraha 64; Daśabhūmikasūtra 5.8; Bodhisattvabhūmi 338.17.
Prābhākari (प्राभाकरि):—[=prā-bhākari] [from prā-bhākara > prā] m. [patronymic] of the planet Saturn, [Varāha-mihira]
Prābhākari (प्राभाकरि):—m. Patron. des Planeten Saturn [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka 15,1.]
Prabhākarī (in Sanskrit) can be associated with the following Chinese terms:
1) 發光 [fā guāng]: “radiate”.
2) 發光地 [fā guāng de]: “ground of the emission of light”.
Note: prabhākarī can be alternatively written as: prabhā-karī.
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Pra, Bhakari, Prabha, Karin.
Starts with (+0): Prabhakaribhumi, Prabhakarin.
Full-text (+0): Prabhakaribhumi, Fa guang de, Bhumi, Fa guang, Dvadashabhumi, 'od byed pa, gal chen sbyong ba'i sa, Ming de, Bodhisattabhumi, Bodhisattvabhumi, Ten stages, Shi de.
Relevant text
Search found 10 books and stories containing Prabhakari, Pra-bhakari, Prā-bhākari, Prabhā-karī, Prabha-kari, Prabhākarī, Prābhākari; (plurals include: Prabhakaris, bhakaris, bhākaris, karīs, karis, Prabhākarīs, Prābhākaris). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Brihat Jataka by Varahamihira [Sanskrit/English] (by Michael D Neely)
Verse 15.1 < [Chapter 15 - Pravrajya Yogas]
Dasabhumika Sutra (translation and study) (by Hwa Seon Yoon)
Stage 3: Prabhakari Bhumi < [Chapter 2 - Study: Summary of the Ten Stages]
Part 3 - The Third Stage named Prabhakari < [Chapter 4 - Annotated Translation of the Dasabhumika-Sutra]
Part 11 - Parindana-parivarta (The Presenting Chapter) < [Chapter 4 - Annotated Translation of the Dasabhumika-Sutra]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Bhūmi 3: the shining ground (prabhākarī) < [Chapter XX - (2nd series): Setting out on the Mahāyāna]
Chapter XX - (2nd series): Setting out on the Mahāyāna
Note (2). The ten Bodhisattva grounds or abodes < [Chapter XX - (2nd series): Setting out on the Mahāyāna]
The Sanskrit Buddhist Literature of Nepal (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Page 383 < [The Sanskrit Buddhist Literature of Nepal (pages)]
Page 133 < [The Sanskrit Buddhist Literature of Nepal (pages)]
Page 134 < [The Sanskrit Buddhist Literature of Nepal (pages)]
Phaladeepika by Mantreswara (text and translation) (by Panditabhushana V. Subrahmanya Sastri)
Hevajra Tantra (analytical study) (by Seung Ho Nam)
2.3. Internal Initiation < [Chapter 3 - Tantric Doctrine in Hevajra Tantra]