Pralamba, Prālamba: 23 definitions
Introduction:
Pralamba means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Hindi. 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
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaPralamba (प्रलम्ब).—An asura (demon). He attacked Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and was killed by Balarāma. (10th Skandha, Bhāgavata).
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationPralamba (प्रलम्ब) is the name of an ally of Tāraka-Asura, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.4.11 (“The Victory of Kumāra”).—Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated to Nārada: “[...] Then Kumuda the son of Śeṣa who was harassed by the Asuras came and sought refuge in Kumāra. Another follower of Tāraka—Pralamba who had fled from the previous battle wrought great havoc with full force. Kumuda, the great son of Śeṣa the lord of serpents, sought refuge in Kumāra the son of Pārvatī and eulogised him. [...]”.
Note: According to this account, Kumuda, the son of the serpent-chief Śesa, was troubled by the Asura Pralamba who was the ally of Tāraka. Kumuda slew Pralamba and relieved Kumuda of distress. This Pralamba is distinct from the Asura of the same name whose destruction at the hands of Balarāma is recorded in the Mahābhārata.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexPralamba (प्रलम्ब).—An Asura friend of Kaṃsa;1 in the guise of a gopa, was admitted to the games by Kṛṣṇa's playmates, as Kṛṣṇa had decided on his death. In a game Rāma was to carry on his back the Assura. While doing so, the Asura grew to a huge size to defeat Rāma. By the fist of his hand, Rāma broke his head and killed him.2
- 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa II. 7. 34; X. 2. 1; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 6. 15; IV. 29. 123; Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 1. 24; 4. 1-2; 15. 1.
- 2) Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 18. 17-30; 20. 1; 43. 30; 46. 26; 51. 42; Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 9. 13 to the end; Vāyu-purāṇa 68. 15.

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.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraPralamba (प्रलम्ब) is the name of a king whose strength is considered as equaling a half-power warrior (ardharatha), according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 47. Accordingly, as the Asura Maya explained the arrangement of warriors in Sunītha’s army: “... [Pralamba, and others], are considered half-power warriors”.
The story of Pralamba was narrated by the Vidyādhara king Vajraprabha to prince Naravāhanadatta in order to relate how “Sūryaprabha, being a man, obtain of old time the sovereignty over the Vidyādharas”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Pralamba, 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.
Source: archive.org: Aspects of Bengal society: Ship-building and commercePralamba is the name of an ancient city mentioned by the author of the Kavikankan’s Chandikāvya pp. 195-202.—Accordingly, after the performance of the usual ceremonies before sailing, the merchant Dhanapati passed the following places: [...]—all by the side of the Ganges. Then he reached the very celebrated inland port of Bengal known as Saptagram near the Tribeni. The poet here incidentally praised this port and gave it a superiour place among the following ports and places: [e.g., Pralamba, etc...]. According to the poet the merchants of the above places visit Saptagram but the merchants of Saptagram do never visit those ports and places.
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (kavya)Prālamba (प्रालम्ब) refers to “hanging (garlands)”, according to Bāṇa’s Kādambarī (p. 225-226).—Accordingly, while describing the shire of the Goddess Caṇḍikā, “[Then follows the image of the Goddess Caṇḍikā, which matches the conception of Kālarātri in the passage from the Mahābhārata:] [...] she was adorned in garlands of bilva-leaves furnished with gleaming fruits and buds anointed with red sandalwood, that were like hanging garlands of infant-heads (bālaka-muṇḍa-prālamba); she expressed cruelty with limbs worshipped with clusters of kadamba flowers ruddy with blood, which horripilated, it seemed, at the thrill of the flavour of the keen roar of drums during the animal-offering; [...]”.

Kavya (काव्य, kavya) refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram1) Pralamba (प्रलम्ब) refers to one of the eight Guardians (kṣetrapāla-aṣṭaka) associated with Pūrṇagiri or Pūrṇapīṭha (which is located in the northern quarter), according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—[...] The eight guardians: Agnijihva, Pralamba, Vidyādhipa, Viśeśvara, Sumukha, Mahāmuṇḍa, Mahodara, Pinākin.
2) Pralamba (प्रलम्ब) refers to one of the eight Bhairavas (bhairava-aṣṭaka) associated with Tisrapīṭha (located in the ‘end of sound’—nādānta).—[...] The eight Bhairavas (bhairavāṣṭaka): Candragarbha, Arghīśa, Mahānanda, Kāmāri, Pralamba, Viśveśvara, Śrīkaṇṭha, Vilamba.

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: SOAS University of London: Protective Rites in the Netra TantraPralamba (प्रलम्ब) refers to a “bent (head)”, according to the Netratantra of Kṣemarāja: a Śaiva text from the 9th century in which Śiva (Bhairava) teaches Pārvatī topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.—Accordingly, [verse 13.29-36, while describing the appearance and worship of Rudra]—“The Buddha, the great Yogi, sits on a lotus, [head] bent (pralamba), listening, and wearing mendicant's rags. [He possesses] beautiful lotus eyes, has a lotus-shaped mark, and is fixed with a jewel. [He is] established in the world, positioned in samādhi, his hands [making the] wish-granting and protection [mudrās]. Deva holds a rudrākṣa and a lotus. Thus, [the Mantrin] should worship and meditate upon Buddha, [who] grants the fruits of mokṣa to women”.

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Sports, Arts and Entertainment (wordly enjoyments)
Source: archive.org: Syainika Sastra of Rudradeva with English Translation (art)Pralamba (प्रलम्ब) refers to a “long (bird)”, according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, [while discussing the yellow-eyed division of hawks]: “The Vājas are of five kinds. Their descriptions are given separately. [...] Kālaka is that class which is long (pralamba) and black like the Kaṅka or water-hen. It is very difficult to tame, and once tamed it becomes wild again”.

This section covers the skills and profiencies of the Kalas (“performing arts”) and Shastras (“sciences”) involving ancient Indian traditions of sports, games, arts, entertainment, love-making and other means of wordly enjoyments. Traditionally these topics were dealt with in Sanskrit treatises explaing the philosophy and the justification of enjoying the pleasures of the senses.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: Een Kritische Studie Van Svayambhūdeva’s PaümacariuPralamba (प्रलम्ब) participated in the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, on the side of the latter, as mentioned in Svayambhūdeva’s Paumacariu (Padmacarita, Paumacariya or Rāmāyaṇapurāṇa) chapter 57ff. Svayambhū or Svayambhūdeva (8th or 9th century) was a Jain householder who probably lived in Karnataka. His work recounts the popular Rāma story as known from the older work Rāmāyaṇa (written by Vālmīki). Various chapters [mentioning Pralamba] are dedicated to the humongous battle whose armies (known as akṣauhiṇīs) consisted of millions of soldiers, horses and elephants, etc.

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 dictionaryPralamba (प्रलम्ब).—a.
1) Pendulous, hanging down; as in प्रलम्बकेश (pralambakeśa).
2) Prominent; as in प्रलम्बनासिकः (pralambanāsikaḥ).
3) Slow, dilatory.
-mbaḥ 1 Hanging on or from, depending.
2) Anything hanging down.
3) A branch.
4) A garland worn round the neck.
5) A kind of necklace.
6) The female breast.
7) Tin or lead.
8) Name of a demon killed by Balarāma.
9) A shoot of the vine-palm.
1) A cucumber.
11) A verse (gāthā).
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Prālamba (प्रालम्ब).—a.
1) Pendent, hanging down; प्रालम्बद्विगुणितचामरप्रहासः (prālambadviguṇitacāmaraprahāsaḥ) Ve.2.28.
-mbaḥ 1 A kind of pearl-ornament.
2) A female breast.
-mbam A garland worn round the neck and reaching to the breast; प्रालम्बमुत्कृष्य यथावकाशं निनाय साचीकृतचारुवक्त्रः (prālambamutkṛṣya yathāvakāśaṃ nināya sācīkṛtacāruvaktraḥ) R.6.14; मुक्ताप्रालम्बेषु (muktāprālambeṣu) K.52.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryPralambā (प्रलम्बा).—name of a piśācī: Mahā-Māyūrī 238.19. See also s.v. Vilambā.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryPralamba (प्रलम्ब).—mfn.
(-mbaḥ-mbā-mbaṃ) 1. Hanging down, depending from, pendulous. 2. Slow, dilatory. m.
(-mbaḥ) 1. Depending, hanging on or from. 2. The new shoot or bud of a creeping plant. 3. A garland of flowers worn round the neck. 4. A branch. 5. The female breast. 6. The name of a Daitya, killed by Balarama. 7. Head. E. pra before, lavi to oppose, aff. ac .
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Prālamba (प्रालम्ब).—n.
(-mbaṃ) A garland hanging round the neck, and reaching to the breast. E. pra and āṅ before, lavi to hang or fall, aff. ac; also with kan added prālambaka .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryPralamba (प्रलम्ब).—[pra-lamb + a], I. adj. 1. Hanging down, pendulous, [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 4, 19. 2. Prominent, [Johnson's Selections from the Mahābhārata.] 55, 142. 3. Dilatory, slow. Ii. n. 1. Hanging on or from. 2. The new shoot or bud of a crceping plant. 3. A branch. 4. A garland of flowers worn round the neck. 5. The name of a demon kolled by Balarāma.
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Prālamba (प्रालम्ब).—i. e. pra-ā-lamb + a, n. A garland hanging down from the neck to the breast, [Raghuvaṃśa, (ed. Stenzler.)] 6, 14.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryPralamba (प्रलम्ब).—[adjective] hanging down, pendulous; [masculine] [Name] of a Daitya etc.
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Prālamba (प्रालम्ब).—[adjective] hanging down; [substantive] a kind of pearl ornament.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Pralamba (प्रलम्ब):—[from pra-lamb] mf(ā)n. hanging down, depending, pendent, pendulous (generally [in the beginning of a compound]), [Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra [Scholiast or Commentator]; Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa; Rāmāyaṇa]
2) [v.s. ...] bending the upper part of the body forward, [Mahābhārata]
3) [v.s. ...] prominent, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]
4) [v.s. ...] slow, dilatory, [Horace H. Wilson]
5) [v.s. ...] m. hanging on or from, depending, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) [v.s. ...] a branch, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) [v.s. ...] a shoot of the vine-palm, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
8) [v.s. ...] a cucumber, [Bhāvaprakāśa]
9) [v.s. ...] a garland of flowers worn round the neck, [Horace H. Wilson]
10) [v.s. ...] a kind of necklace of pearls, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
11) [v.s. ...] the female breast, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
12) [v.s. ...] tin (?), [Horace H. Wilson]
13) [v.s. ...] Name of a Daitya slain by Balarāma or Kṛṣṇa, [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa; Kathāsaritsāgara] etc.
14) [v.s. ...] of a mountain, [Rāmāyaṇa]
15) [v.s. ...] m. (f(ā). Name of a Rākṣasī, [Buddhist literature])
16) Prālamba (प्रालम्ब):—[=prā-lamba] [from prā] a mf(ī)n. hanging down, [Rāmāyaṇa]
17) [v.s. ...] m. a kind of pearl ornament, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
18) [v.s. ...] the female breast, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
19) [v.s. ...] a species of gourd, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
20) [v.s. ...] n. (?) a garland hanging down to the breast, [Raghuvaṃśa] (also baka, n. and bikā f., [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.])
21) b prāleya etc. See under 3. prā, p. 702, col. 2.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryPralamba (प्रलम्ब):—[pra-lamba] (mbaḥ-mbā-mbaṃ) a. Hanging down; slow. m. A hanging down; a bud; tin; the female breast; a branch; a garland; a demon.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Pralamba (प्रलम्ब) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Palaṃba, Pālaṃba.
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryPralaṃba (प्रलंब) [Also spelled pralamb]:—(a) pendulous; suspended; prolonged; lengthened; also ~[bita] (a).
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusPralaṃba (ಪ್ರಲಂಬ):—
1) [adjective] hung by a support from above; suspended.
2) [adjective] being long or longer.
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Pralaṃba (ಪ್ರಲಂಬ):—
1) [noun] a long necklace hanging round the neck.
2) [noun] a necklace or string, in gen., worn round the neck.
3) [noun] a division or subdivision of the stem or a woody extension of a tree or shrub; a branch.
4) [noun] the long fruit of the plant Cucumis sativus of Cucurbitaceae family, having a green rind and firm, white flesh.
5) [noun] a soft, silver-white, crystalline, metallic chemical element, malleable at ordinary temperatures, capable of a high polish, and used as an alloy in tinfoils, solders, utensils, type metals, superconducting magnets, etc. and in making tin plate (symbol Sn.); tin.
6) [noun] a composition in verse; a poem.
7) [noun] either of two milk-secreting glands protruding from the upper, front part of a woman’s body; the breast.
8) [noun] the state or quality of being in greater quantity, degree, number, etc. than required or necessary.
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Praḷaṃba (ಪ್ರಳಂಬ):—
1) [adjective] hung by a support from above; suspended.
2) [adjective] being long or longer.
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Praḷaṃba (ಪ್ರಳಂಬ):—
1) [noun] a long necklace hanging round the neck.
2) [noun] a necklace or string, in gen., worn round the neck.
3) [noun] a division or subdivision of the stem or a woody extension of a tree or shrub; a branch.
4) [noun] the long fruit, with a green rind and firm, white, flesh, of the plant Cucumis sativus of Cucurbitaceae family.
5) [noun] a soft, silver-white, crystalline, metallic chemical element, malleable at ordinary temperatures, capable of a high polish, and used as an alloy in tinfoils, solders, utensils, type metals, superconducting magnets, etc. and in making tin plate (symbol Sn.); tin.
6) [noun] a composition in verse; a poem.
7) [noun] either of two milk-secreting glands protruding from the upper, front part of a woman’s body; the breast.
8) [noun] the state or quality of being in greater quantity, degree, number, etc. than required or necessary.
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Prālaṃba (ಪ್ರಾಲಂಬ):—[adjective] hanging freely; swinging back and forth or from side to side.
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Prālaṃba (ಪ್ರಾಲಂಬ):—[noun] a long necklace.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English Dictionary1) Pralamba (प्रलम्ब):—n. 1. hanging; down; 2. branch; 3. Mythol. name of a demon slaughtered by Balaram;
2) Prālamba (प्रालम्ब):—adj. pendent; hanging down; n. object hanging down (pearl ornament, etc.);
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+4): Pralambabahu, Pralambabahuta, Pralambabhid, Pralambabhuja, Pralambacarmakosha, Pralambaghna, Pralambahan, Pralambahantri, Pralambaka, Pralambakamala, Pralambakesha, Pralambamathana, Pralamban, Pralambana, Pralambanasha, Pralambanasika, Pralambanda, Pralambapadasana, Pralambari, Pralambasura.
Full-text (+69): Muktapralamba, Talapralamba, Pralambabahu, Pralambanda, Pralambaka, Pralambaghna, Apralambam, Apralamba, Pralambabhid, Pralambabhuja, Pralambamathana, Pralambakesha, Pralambata, Pralambahan, Pralambabahuta, Pralambika, Tripralamba, Pralambin, Pralamb, Pralambita.
Relevant text
Search found 47 books and stories containing Pralamba, Pra-lamba, Prā-lamba, Prālamba, Pralambā, Pralaṃba, Praḷaṃba, Praḷamba, Prālaṃba; (plurals include: Pralambas, lambas, Prālambas, Pralambās, Pralaṃbas, Praḷaṃbas, Praḷambas, Prālaṃbas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verses 4.10.8-9 < [Chapter 10 - The Story of the Pulindā Women]
Verse 1.7.1 < [Chapter 7 - Description of the Conquest of All Directions]
Verse 1.7.41 < [Chapter 7 - Description of the Conquest of All Directions]
Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala (study) (by Shri N. M. Kansara)
17. Description of the Ornaments of women < [Chapter 12 - Cultural Data]
16. Description of the Ornaments of men < [Chapter 12 - Cultural Data]
3. Description of Temple architecture < [Chapter 12 - Cultural Data]
Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 36 - Description of the Five Liṅgas Concluded < [Section 2 - Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa]
Chapter 80 - Importance of the Sight of Viṣṇu < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Chapter 1 - Does God endure in the Kaliyuga? < [Section 4 - Dvārakā-māhātmya]
Cosmetics, Costumes and Ornaments in Ancient India (by Remadevi. O.)
2.4. Various other Neck Ornaments < [Chapter 3 - Ornaments]
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.1.258 < [Part 1 - Ecstatic Excitants (vibhāva)]
Verse 3.3.28 < [Part 3 - Fraternal Devotion (sakhya-rasa)]
Verse 2.5.66 < [Part 5 - Permanent Ecstatic Mood (sthāyī-bhāva)]
Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study) (by A. Yamuna Devi)
Daily Life (2): Dress and Ornaments < [Chapter 3 - Social Aspects]
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