Prajnapti, Prajñapti: 16 definitions

Introduction
Image gallery
In Hinduism
1. Purana
In Buddhism
1. Mahayana
In Jainism
1. General definition
Languages
1. Sanskrit
2. Kannada
See also
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Introduction:

Prajnapti means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. 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: Yoga Vasishtha Maharamayana

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति) is the name of an ancient prince from Ilāvati (situated in Kuśadvīpa), according to the Yogavasistha 7.206.—“[...] there is the great island of Kuśadvīpa, surrounded by the seas on all sides; like a watery belt about it, and this land is renowned (for its beauty), all over the three regions of the world. There is the city called Ilāvati, situated on its north eastern side, and is beset by a colonnade of pillars, gilded all over with gold, and glittering with radiant beams, reaching from earth to the skies. There formerly reigned a prince, known by the name of Prajñapti; who ruled on earth as the god Indra in heaven; and to whom this earth or land paid its homage (as the skies do to the regent of heaven)”.

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

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति) refers to “(the nature of pure) designation”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 41).—Accordingly, “[Digression on a case brought against the Buddha; B. The defense].—[9. Simultaneous Teaching of Existence and Non-existence].—[...] Saying that there is no Ātman is stating the emptiness of beings; saying that there are no dharmas is stating the emptiness of things. Saying that there is an Ātman and knowing the nature of pure designation (prajñapti-lakṣaṇa) is not clinging to the ātman; saying that there is an Ātman within the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) is clinging to the ātman. In order to destroy this clinging to the Ātman, it is said: ‘There is only the five aggregates. Impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, peace and nirvāṇa, that is existence’. [...]”.

Source: lirs.ru: The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति) refers to “thought construction” or “mental images”, according to the The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra chapter 3.—“the triple world is no more than thought-construction (prajñapti), there is no reality in its self-nature; by means of this thought-constructed reality, logicians go on discriminating. Individual form, reality, thought-construction, — these are [only] a mental disturbance; transcending all this, my sons will walk where there is no discrimination”.

It is told by the Blessed One, again, that [true] knowledge is gained independent of any object supporting it, and whatever statements one makes about it are no more than thought-construction, and that as this thought-construction is not to be seized as real, the seizing act of the seizer itself ceases, and when there is thus no seizing, knowledge which is known as discrimination no more evolves.

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.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: The Jaina Iconography

1) Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति) or Duritāri is the name of the Yakṣiṇī accompanying Sambhavanātha: the third of twenty-four Tīrthaṃkaras or Jinas, commonly depicted in Jaina iconography.—[...] The first name [Duritārī] belongs to the Śvetāmbara representation, the second [Prajñapti] to the Digambara. Duritārī rides a ram and is four-handed. The hands hold Varada, rosary, fiuit and Abhaya. The Digambara Prajñapti places herself upon a bird. She has six hands, which are adorned with an axe, crescent, fruit, sword, (Iḍhi) and Vara-mudrā.

2) Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति) also refers to one of the sixteen Vidyādevīs (goddesses of learning).—In her Śvetāmbara aspect, Prajñapti rides on a peacock and holds a lotus and a Śakti. According to one text of the same school, she holds Varada, Śakti, citrus and Śakti again. The Digambara image should be represented as bearing a sword anda disc. Prajñapti is identical in name with the Digambara Yakṣiṇī of Sambhavanātha. Thus, we find she has borrowed the vehicle of peacock from Yakṣa Trimukha, Prajñapti’s husband. The peacock symbol with lotus should be Vidyādevī’s characteristic. The name might have been derived either from Prajñapti, meaning “intellect” or Prajñā, meaning “Sarasvatī”.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति) is the name of a Vidyā (Mantra).—The Kalpasūtra 1.212 (cf. ‘Die Kosmographie der Inder’ p. 153a) gives the number as 48 only, but does not give the names, except of 4 mahāvidyās, Gaurī, Gāndhārī, Rohiṇī, Prajñapti.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति).—f.

1) Agreement, engagement.

2) Teaching, informing, communicating.

3) A doctrine.

4) Intellect.

5) Name of a goddess, Vidyādevī (Jainism).

Derivable forms: prajñaptiḥ (प्रज्ञप्तिः).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति).—f. (in Sanskrit recorded once, Bhāg. P., in meaning 1, [Boehtlingk and Roth]; in general used much like Pali paññatti, compare prajñapayati and relatives; see also prajñāpti), (1) making known, declaration: agra-°tiṣu Bodhisattvabhūmi 291.12, see prajñapayati 1; (2) śabda-pra°, manifestation in words (compare Pali sadda-paññatti, Compendium of Philosophy 4), verbal expression: Samādhirājasūtra 8.11 yāvatī ca tatra lokadhātau śabdaprajñaptiḥ, every…in this world (took on the same sound, when the Buddha became enlightened); (3) state- ment, manifesto: icchāmi ekāṃ prajñaptiṃ (I wish, sc. to make, a statement) brāhmaṇapariṣā yadi pramāṇaṃ ti Mahāvastu i.311.5; the brahmans reply, jalpa yā te vijñapti, say what your statement (? request?) is; (4) désignation according to LaV-P. Abhidharmakośa ii.214, where °ti-dharma is contrasted with dravya-dharma, chose en soi; notation, Lévi on Asaṅga (Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra) xix.43 (Tibetan brtags, signe, symbole; Chin. kia, faux, simulé); ‘le mot désigne la notion comme purement verbale, comme moyen de se faire entendre;’ lokānuvartanāṃ buddhā anuvartanti laukikīṃ, prajñaptim anuvartanti yathā lokottarām api Mahāvastu i.168.8-9 (verses), …Buddhas imitate (or follow) the conventions (which pass current in the world; i.e. they seem to carry on worldly activities) as if (all this were) super-worldly (esoterically real); bahubhir abhilā- paiḥ prajñaptaya upacārāḥ (access) kriyante Bodhisattvabhūmi 44.14, and repeatedly in sequel, especially in [compound] °ti-vāda; (rūpādi- saṃjñake) vastuni yā rūpam ity evam-ādyāḥ prajñaptayaḥ tāḥ saṃvṛtaya (see saṃvṛti) ity ucyante Bodhisattvabhūmi 49.4; nāma-saṃketa-°tiḥ 50.10; (nāmadheyamātraṃ saṃketa- mātraṃ saṃvṛtimātraṃ) prajñaptimātraṃ Śikṣāsamuccaya 257.8 (said of the 5 saṃskāra; note samvṛti again, virtually = prajñapti); wrong actions are of two sorts, some like adultery wrong by nature (prakṛti-duṣṭa-tvād), others like remaining in the householder's life blameworthy by con- vention (prajñapti-sāvadya-tvād) Śikṣāsamuccaya 192.13; Buddhas are prajñapti-samatikrāntā(ḥ) Mahāvastu i.176.18, passed beyond convention (exoteric things); in Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 153.10 (verse) an ātman exists prajñapti-satyato, by (exoteric) verbal convention, it is not dravya-sat, real in itself (compare AbhidhK, above), and so in line 11, skandhānāṃ skandhatā tadvat prajñaptyā na tu dravyataḥ, …by conventional designation, not in reality; (5) arrangement, provision (of a seat; n. act. to prajñapayati 2, prajñapta 1): śatasāhasrikā āsana-prajñaptī kriyati Mahāvastu ii.273.12, a seat-provision worth 100,000 was made, i.e. a seat worth that was provided; similarly, āsanaprajñaptī ca me na tādṛśī bhaviṣyati 274.9.

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Prajñāpti (प्रज्ञाप्ति).—f., noted only in Mahāvyutpatti as substitute for the usual prajñapti, q.v., compare vāhana-pra° where in citing Lalitavistara the Mahāvyutpatti substitutes ā for a in the word. Besides this [compound], the word occurs Mahāvyutpatti 1415, 6496, 9213; and see anu-pra°. Tibetan on the first two gdags pa (also used for prajñā), making known, but in 9213 bcas pa (and so for anu-pra°), which is ambiguous (context suggests perhaps meaning of prajñapti 2 or 3), and on 6496 alternatively bcaḥ ba, probably intending the same; Japanese deciding, settling, fixing. (Acc. to LaV-P., Index, also occurs in AbhidhK, = prajñapti.)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति).—f.

(-ptiḥ) 1. An appointment, an agreement, an engagement. 2. Teaching doctrine. (-ptī) One of the Vidya Devis of the Jainas. E. pra before, jñā to know, causal v., aff. ktin .

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति).—i. e. pra-jñā, [Causal.], + tī, f. 1. Teaching, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 3, 25, 1. 2. A certain magical art, [Kathāsaritsāgara, (ed. Brockhaus.)] 30, 6.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति).—[feminine] communication, information.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति):—[=pra-jñapti] [from pra-jña > pra-jñā] f. teaching, information, instruction, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]

2) [v.s. ...] an appointment, agreement, engagement, [Horace H. Wilson]

3) [v.s. ...] arrangement (of a seat), [Divyāvadāna]

4) [v.s. ...] (with Jainas) a [particular] magical art personified as one of the Vidyā-devīs, [Kathāsaritsāgara] ([cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] also tī)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति):—[pra-jñapti] (ptiḥ) 2. f. Giving information; agreement; an appointment. f. Goddess of the Jainas.

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

Prajñapti (प्रज्ञप्ति) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Paṇṇatti.

[Sanskrit to German]

Prajnapti in German

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

Prajñapti (ಪ್ರಜ್ಞಪ್ತಿ):—

1) [noun] the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension; knowledge.

2) [noun] great mental ability; high intelligence.

3) [noun] teaching; instructing; information.

4) [noun] (jain.) Vidyādēvi, a goddess.

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 21 books and stories containing Prajnapti, Pra-jnapti, Pra-jñapti, Prajñapti, Prajñāpti; (plurals include: Prajnaptis, jnaptis, jñaptis, Prajñaptis, Prajñāptis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

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Chapter 2.7 - Arya-Satya Pariksha (examination)

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