Prashanta, Praśānta, Prashamta: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Prashanta means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi. 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 Praśānta can be transliterated into English as Prasanta or Prashanta, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationPraśānta (प्रशान्त) refers to “calmness”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.22. Accordingly as Śiva said to Sitā:—“[...] O my beloved, beautiful woman, clouds will not reach the place where I have to make an abode for you. [...] There in the Himālayas even the beasts of prey are calm (praśānta). It is the abode of many sages and ascetics. It is an abode of Devas and many deer move about in it”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexPraśānta (प्रशान्त).—Agni Pracetas.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 12. 29.
Praśānta (प्रशान्त) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. XIV.8.16, XIV.8) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Praśānta) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: Shodhganga: Iconographical representations of ŚivaPraśānta (प्रशान्त) is the name of a deity who was imparted with the knowledge of the Bimbāgama by Sadāśiva through parasambandha, according to the pratisaṃhitā theory of Āgama origin and relationship (sambandha). The bimba-āgama, being part of the eighteen Rudrabhedāgamas, refers to one of the twenty-eight Siddhāntāgama: a classification of the Śaiva division of Śaivāgamas. The Śaivāgamas represent the wisdom that has come down from lord Śiva, received by Pārvatī and accepted by Viṣṇu.
Praśānta in turn transmitted the Bimbāgama (through mahānsambandha) to Dadhīci who then, through divya-sambandha, transmitted it to the Devas who, through divyādivya-sambandha, transmitted it to the Ṛṣis who finally, through adivya-sambandha, revealed the Bimbāgama to human beings (Manuṣya). (also see Anantaśambhu’s commentary on the Siddhāntasārāvali of Trilocanaśivācārya)
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram1) Praśānta (प्रशान्त) [=Atipraśānta] refers to a “peaceful condition”, according to Arṇasiṃha’s Mahānayaprakāśa verse 134.—Accordingly, “The Śāmbhava (state) is the one in which the power of consciousness suddenly dissolves away into the Great Void called the Inactive (niḥspanda) that is profound and has no abode. Cognitive awareness arises here in the form of a subtle wave of consciousness out of that ocean of emptiness, which is the perfectly peaceful condition [i.e., atipraśānta] of the dissolving away of destruction. [...] Again, that same (principle) free of the cognitive process is the supreme absolute said to be the Śāmbhava state of emptiness”.
2) Praśānta (प्रशान्त) refers to one of the eight Heroes (vīra-aṣṭaka) associated with Nādapīṭha (identified with Kulūta), 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 Heroes (vīrāṣṭaka): Vīreśa, Sumaṅgala, Mahājaṅgala, Huṃkāra, Suśānti, Parama, Prabodha, Praśānta.
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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason Birch1) Praśānta (प्रशान्त) refers to “having quietened (one’s senses)”, according to the Amanaska Yoga treatise dealing with meditation, absorption, yogic powers and liberation.—Accordingly, as Īśvara says to Vāmadeva: “[...] [The Yogin], whose foot-soldiers are his quietened senses (praśānta-indriya) and who is endowed with [a successful king’s] powers [in the form of] his higher faculty of discernment, becomes joyful when he has conquered the hostile mind-king who is accompanied by his [royal] vehicle, the breath. [...]”.
2) Praśānta (प्रशान्त) refers to the “tranquil (mind)”, according to the Bhagavadgītā verse 6.25cd-27.—Accordingly: “Having fixed the mind on the self, [the Yogin] should think of nothing whatsoever. Wherever the fickle and unsteady mind moves, there, having restrained it, he should direct it [back] to the self. For, supreme [transcendental] happiness approaches that untainted Yogin whose mind is tranquil (praśānta-manasa) and his restiveness quelled, [because he has] attained the absolute”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): (Advaita Vedanta)Praśānta (प्रशान्त) or Supraśānta refers to “(that which is) very peaceful”, according to the Māṇḍūkyopaniṣatkārikā 3.37.—Accordingly, while discussing the no-mind state: “Devoid of all expression and having transcended all thought, Samādhi is very peaceful (su-praśānta), its light perpetually [illuminates], [and it is] immovable and fearless”.
Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraPraśānta (प्रशान्त) [=Praśanta?] refers to “pacified (actions)”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 41).—Accordingly, “[The eighteen āveṇika-dharmas (‘special attributes’)]— [...] (13-15). Every physical, vocal or mental action of the Buddha accompanies knowledge.—[...] Furthermore, the Buddha is endowed with three kinds of pure action (pariśuddhakarman), three kinds of pacified actions (praśanta-karma), three kinds of actions not requiring secrecy (ārakṣyakarman). Some people wonder why the Buddha has such actions and this is why the Buddha says: ‘All my bodily, vocal and mental acts (kāyavāgmanaskarman) are preceded by knowledge (jñāna-pūrvaṅgama) and accompany knowledge (jñāna-anuparivartin)’. [...]”.
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: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve ReflectionsPraśānta (प्रशान्त) refers to “(one who is) calm”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Then the wise [man] who has gone beyond virtuous meditation and attained infinite purity commences to meditate on absolutely spotless pure [meditation]. He who is endowed with a robust physique etc., calm (praśānta) [and] whose behaviour is virtuous is also capable of meditating on pure meditation which is of four kinds of”.
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
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarypraśānta (प्रशांत).—p S Composed, assuaged, quieted, stilled. 2 Of composed passions and affections; of subdued will.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishpraśānta (प्रशांत).—p Composed. Of subdued will.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryPraśānta (प्रशान्त).—p. p.
1) Calmed, tranquillized, composed; जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः (jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ) Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 6.7.
2) Calm. serene, quiet, sedate, still; अहो प्रशान्तरमणीयतोद्यानस्य (aho praśāntaramaṇīyatodyānasya).
3) Tamed, subdued, quelled.
4) Ended, ceased, over; तत् सर्वमेकपद एव मम प्रशान्तम् (tat sarvamekapada eva mama praśāntam) Mālatīmādhava (Bombay) 9.36; प्रशान्तमस्त्रम् (praśāntamastram) Uttararāmacarita 6. 'ceased to work or withdrawn'.
5) Dead, deceased; (see śam with pra).
6) Allayed, removed; त्यक्त्वा भयं सर्प इव प्रशान्तः (tyaktvā bhayaṃ sarpa iva praśāntaḥ) Rām.7.69.39.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryPraśānta (प्रशान्त).—name of a śuddhāvāsakāyika devaputra: Lalitavistara 4.13; 6.13; 438.16. Cf. Praśāntacitta.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryPraśānta (प्रशान्त).—mfn. (-ntaḥ-ntā-nta) 1. Calmed, clam, tranquillised. 2. Ceased, discontinued, (as active effort.) 3. Ended. 4. Relieved. E. pra before, śam to be calm, kta aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryPraśānta (प्रशान्त).—[adjective] tranquillized, quiet, calm, indifferent; extinguished, removed, ceased, disappeared, gone, died.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Praśānta (प्रशान्त):—[=pra-śānta] [from pra-śān > pra-śam] a mfn. tranquillized, calm, quiet, composed, indifferent, [Upaniṣad; Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] (in augury) auspicious, boni ominis, [Varāha-mihira]
3) [v.s. ...] extinguished, ceased, allayed, removed, destroyed, dead, [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
4) [=pra-śānta] b etc. See under pra- √śam.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryPraśānta (प्रशान्त):—[pra-śānta] (ntaḥ-ntā-ntaṃ) p. Calmed; ended.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Praśānta (प्रशान्त) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Pasaṃta.
[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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusPraśāṃta (ಪ್ರಶಾಂತ):—
1) [adjective] not disturbed or troubled by noise; calm.
2) [adjective] free from disturbances, agitations, etc.; calm; quiet.
--- OR ---
Praśāṃta (ಪ್ರಶಾಂತ):—
1) [noun] lack of agitation or excitement; tranquility; serenity.
2) [noun] a man not easily excited or disturbed; a quiet man.
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 DictionaryPraśānta (प्रशान्त):—adj. 1. clam; quiet; peaceful; 2. calmed; tranquilized; composed; 3. tamed; subdued; quelled; 4. ended; cased over; 5. dead; deceased;
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 (+11): Prashanta-mahasagara, Prashantabadha, Prashantabhumipala, Prashantacarin, Prashantacaritramati, Prashantaceshta, Prashantacitta, Prashantadhi, Prashantak, Prashantaka, Prashantakama, Prashantakarana, Prashantakarman, Prashantamanas, Prashantamati, Prashantamatitejas, Prashantamurti, Prashantaprabha, Prashantaraga, Prashantarati.
Full-text (+41): Dhiraprashanta, Prashantata, Aprashanta, Prashantaceshta, Prashantacitta, Prashantatman, Prashantakama, Prashantaviniteshvara, Prashantadhi, Prashantaraga, Prashantacarin, Prashantabadha, Prashantamurti, Prashantakarana, Prashantabhumipala, Prashantorja, Prashanta-mahasagara, Prashantamanas, Prashamta, Prashantakarman.
Relevant text
Search found 58 books and stories containing Prashanta, Pra-śānta, Pra-santa, Pra-shanta, Praśāṃta, Praśānta, Prasanta, Prashamta; (plurals include: Prashantas, śāntas, santas, shantas, Praśāṃtas, Praśāntas, Prasantas, Prashamtas). 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)
Verse 1.11.9 < [Chapter 11 - Description of Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra’s Birth]
Bhajana-Rahasya (by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Mahasaya)
Text 36 < [Chapter 1 - Prathama-yāma-sādhana (Niśānta-bhajana–śraddhā)]
Text 11 < [Chapter 3 - Tṛtīya-yāma-sādhana (Pūrvāhna-kālīya-bhajana–niṣṭhā-bhajana)]
Philosophy of Charaka-samhita (by Asokan. G)
Nature of freedom < [Chapter 8 - Ethics]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.1.224 < [Part 1 - Ecstatic Excitants (vibhāva)]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)