Pradyumna; 14 Definition(s)

Introduction

Pradyumna means something in 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.

In Hinduism

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्न, “The illuminator”):—One of the twenty-four forms of Viṣṇu through which Nārāyaṇa manifests himself. He is accompanied by a counterpart emanation of Lakṣmī (an aspect of Devī) who goes by the name Prīti.

Pradyumna—with this Vyūha the duality of Spirit (Puruṣa) and Matter (Prakṛti) makes its appearance, by means of the aiśvarya (abso lute independence) guṇa.

context information

Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

The stone known, as Pradyumna, is of a yellow colour, has a small ring-like mark, is of an elongated shape and bears on its surface a large number of impressions like pin-holes.

Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्न).—General information. A son born to Śrī Kṛṣṇa of his wife Rukmiṇī, Pradyumna was the rebirth of Kāmadeva. (For genealogy see under Kṛṣṇa). (See full article at Story of Pradyumna from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

1a) Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्न).—The eldest son of Kṛṣṇa by Rukminī; in his previous birth the God of Love (Kāma, Smara);¹ within ten days of his birth Śambara stole him and threw the babe into the sea; was swallowed by a fish; fishermen who caught the fish presented it to Śambara who asked the cooks to cook it; when cut open there was the child inside and Nārada asked Māyāvatī in charge of the kitchen to take care of the child after telling her the truth about it; that it was the re-incarnation of her husband Kāma; she brought up the child more as a lover; asked by Pradyumna why she was not behaving as a mother but as a wife she explained that she was Ratī and himself Kāma, and also as to how he came there by Śambara's act; taught Māyāvatī the vidyā of mahāmāyā he invited Śambara to battle and cut off his head; then Māyāvatī took him by air to Dvārakā the residence of Rukmiṇī and Kṛṣṇa; in Kṛṣṇa's palace, women found the likeness of Kṛṣṇa in him and Rukminī thought of her lost son; to their wonder and joy Nārada related the life story of Pradyumna; the couple were embraced by all of them and the whole Dvārakā was filled with satisfaction.² Won his wife Rukmāvatī (Vaidarbhī) in a svayaṃvara after vanquishing his rivals; father of Aniruddha;³ attended his son's marriage at Bhojakaṭa;⁴ Picture drawn by Citralekha;⁵ one among the Vṛṣṇis who went to attack Bāṇa's city;⁶ fought with Guha;⁷ went along with his brothers to play and seeing a huge lizard in a well reported the same to Kṛṣṇa;⁸ defended Dvārakā with other Yadus when Śālva besieged it; defeated Śālva's commander-in-chief and did other feats of valour; had a hit in the chest by Śālva's minister Dyumat and was taken out by his charioteer, whom he chided for his action; the charioteer defended his action under the ethics of war; attacked and vanquished Dyumat;⁹ went to Syamantapañcaka for the solar eclipse;¹⁰ went with Kṛṣṇa's sacrificial horse;¹¹ unable to recover the dead son of the Dvārakā Brahmana;¹² fought with Sāmba at Prabhāsa deluded by Kṛṣṇa;¹³ at his death his wives burnt themselves in fire.¹⁴

• 1) Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 15. 37; V. 26. 12 to the end; ch. 27 (whole); 28. 6-7; 32. 1 and 6; Bhāgavata-purāṇa I. 10. 29; 11. 17; 14. 30; X. 40. 21; 61. 7 and 9; 90. 35; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 71. 245; 72. 1; IV. 29. 128; Vāyu-purāṇa 96. 237.
• 2) Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. ch. 55 (whole); Matsya-purāṇa 47. 15, 23; 93. 51; 101; 10; 248. 48.
• 3) Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 61. 18, 22, 23 [8]; 90. 36. Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 15. 39.
• 4) Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 61. 26.
• 5) Ib. X. 62. 20; Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 32. 24.
• 6) Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 63. 3.
• 7) Ib. X. 63. 7.
• 8) Ib. X. 64. 1-4.
• 9) Ib. X. 76. 13-33. 77. 1-3.
• 10) Ib. X. 82. 6.
• 11) Ib. X. 89. 22. [2].
• 12) Ib. X. 89. 31 and 41; 90. 33.
• 13) Ib. XI. 30. 16.
• 14) Ib. X. 31. 20; Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 33. 12; 37. 46.

1b) A son of Cākṣuṣa Manu.^*

• * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IV. 13. 16

1c) A son of Bhānumān.^*

• * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 64. 19; Vāyu-purāṇa 89. 19.

1d) An epithet of Viṣṇu;¹ worship of.²

• 1) Matsya-purāṇa 276. 8; Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 18. 58; Vāyu-purāṇa 111. 21.
• 2) Bhāgavata-purāṇa I. 5. 37; IV. 24. 35; VI. 16. 18.

1e) A Vaṃśavīra.^*

• * Vāyu-purāṇa 97. 1.

Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्न) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.59.43, I.65, I.61.91) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Pradyumna) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

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.

Shilpashastra (iconography)

Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्न) refers to one of the many varieties of the Śālagrāma (ammonite fossil stones).—The Pradyumna is cloud-coloured or yellowish hue (pītaka); a very small cakra at the opening (sūkṣma-cakra); many holes (bahu-chidra) and dents. Śālagrāma stones are very ancient geological specimens, rendered rounded and smooth by water-currents in a great length of time. They (eg., Pradyumna stones) are distinguished by the ammonite (śālā, described as “vajra-kīṭa”, “adamantine worms”) which having entered into them for residence, are fossilized in course of time, leaving discus-like marks inside the stone.

Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्न) is the name of a deity corresponding to the third vyūha (part of five-fold manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness) according to Pāñcarātrins thought.—The third (Pradyumna) form of the Supreme Lord is clothed in a red silk shining with the fish in the flag who has the radiance of fire-flies rising (appearing) during the night of the rainy season has a single face and four hands, the two main hands are to be meditated upon as before, O wise man! the bow śārṅga in the hind (other) left hand and the fire arrows in the right.

All these (eg., Pradyumna) wear vanamālā, have the marks of Śrīvatsa, and shine with Kaustubha, the king of gems in the chest. They are to be thought of as always having crown, crest, beautiful necklace, armlets and anklets, variegated ornamental marks in the forehead, have the shining ear rings resembling the crocodiles, have different kinds of garlands and adorned with smearing of the beautiful camphor etc.

Pradyumna is to be thought of in the petal which is in the midst of north and west.

context information

Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.

Katha (narrative stories)

1) Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्न) or Pradyumnaśikhara is the name of a doorway leading to Pātāla (lower regions) made by Pradyumna, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 73. Accordingly, as Śiva (Tryambaka) said to a certain ascetic: “... and Pradyumna, in order to deliver his son, laid it open, making a door in one place with the peak of a mountain, and he placed Durgā there, under the name of Śārikā, to guard that door, after propitiating her with hundreds of praises. Consequently even now the place is called by the two names of Peak of Pradyumna and Hill of Śārikā (Pradyumna-śikhara). So go and enter Pātāla with your followers by that famous opening, and by my favour you shall succeed there”.

2) Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्न) is the name of an ancient king from Śobhāvatī, according to the twenty-third story of the Vetālapañcaviṃśati in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 97. Accordingly, “... it [Śobhāvatī] was ruled by a king named Pradyumna, whose sway was mighty, and who, like the god Pradyumna, was celebrated for his exceeding power and valour... In a certain part of that town there was a grant named Yajñasthala, given by that king [Pradyumna], on which many Brāhmans were settled”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Pradyumna, is a famous Sanskrit epic story revolving around prince Naravāhanadatta and his quest to become the emperor of the vidyādharas (celestial beings). The work is said to have been an adaptation of Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā consisting of 100,000 verses, which in turn is part of a larger work containing 700,000 verses.

context information

Katha (कथा, kathā) refers to narrative Sanskrit literature often inspired from epic legendry (itihasa) and poetry (mahākāvya). Some Kathas reflect socio-political instructions for the King while others remind the reader of important historical event and exploits of the Gods, Heroes and Sages.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Pradyumna was the son of Krishna and Rukmini. He was very accomplished with the bow, rivalling the prowess of his illustrious father.

Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्‍न) is also a character in the Srimad Bhagavatam. He was the son of Krishna and Rukmini. Pradyumna is considered as one of the four vyuha avatar of Vishnu. When he was a baby he was abducted by the demon Sambara. He was then cast into the sea and swallowed by a fish, but that fish was caught and carried to the house of Sambara. The fish was opened and the child was found inside. He was given to a woman in Sambara's house to raise. Narada informed her about the true identity of the child. When Pradyumna grew up, he battled the demon Sambara, defeated him. Pradyumna was later killed in a brawl in his father's court at Dwaraka. According to some accounts, Pradyumna was an incarnation of Kama, the god of love.

Pradyumna was son of Lord Krishna and 61st grandson of Adinarayan. His mother was Rukmini, whom Lord Krishna got from her father Bhimkashen Narayan. He was the version of God Kamdev. In the Treta Yuga, Kamdev was burnt by Shiva when he became a barrier to Shiva's meditation. Shiva blessed Kamdev's distraught wife, Rati and promised her that in his next birth Kamdev will be a part of Krishna and Rati will be the daughter of Bhimkaraya and that she will marry him.

Pradyumna is also a name of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is one in 24 Keshava Namas (names), praised in all pujas. It is also the only name in Sanskrit with all the 3 letters joint (referred as जोडाक्षर)

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Pradyumna (प्रद्युम्न).—An epithet of Cupid, the god of love. [He was a son of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī. When only six years old, he was stolen away by the demon Śambara for he was foretold that Pradyumna would be his destroyer. Śambara cast the child into the roaring sea, and a large fish swallowed it. This fish was caught by a fisherman and taken to the demon; and when it was cut up, a beautiful child came out from the belly, and Māyāvatī, the mistress of Śambara's household, at the desire of Nārada, carefully reared him from childhood. As he grew up, she was fascinated by the beauty of his person, but Pradyumna reproved her for entertaining towards himself feelings so unbecoming a mother as he considered her. But when he was told that he was not her son, but of Viṣṇu and was cast into the sea by Śambara, he became enraged, and, challenging him to fight, succeeded in killing him by the force of illusions. He and Māyāvatī afterwards repaired to the house of Kṛṣṇa, where Nārada told him and Rukmiṇī that the boy was their own and that Māyāvatī was his wife.]

Derivable forms: pradyumnaḥ (प्रद्युम्नः).

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