Purvashadha, Pūrvāṣāḍhā, Purva-ashadha: 16 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
In Buddhism
1. Mahayana
2. Tibetan Buddhism
Languages
1. Marathi
2. Sanskrit
3. Kannada
See also

Introduction:

Purvashadha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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 Pūrvāṣāḍhā can be transliterated into English as Purvasadha or Purvashadha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

Source: Wisdom Library: Jyotiṣa

Pūrvāṣāḍha (पूर्वाषाढ):—Name for a particular section of the ecliptic. It is also known as Pūrvāṣāḍha-nakṣatra. Nakṣatra means “Lunar mansion” and corresponds to a specific region of the sky through which the moon passes each day. Pūrvāṣāḍha means “first of the aṣāḍhā” (where aṣāḍhā means “the invincible one” being the name of a constellation) and is associated with the deity known as Apa (Goddess of water). The presiding Lord of this lunar house is Śukra (Venus).

Indian zodiac: |13°20'| – |26°40' Dhanuṣa|
Dhanuṣa (धनुष, “bow”) corresponds with Sagittarius.

Western zodiac: |9°20'| – |22°40' Capricorn|
Capricorn corresponds with Makara (मकर, “sea-monster”).

context information

Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा).—A nakṣatra.^*

* Bhāgavata-purāṇa V. 23. 6; XII. 2. 32.

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.

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा) is the Sanskrit name for an asterism (Delta-Sagittarii). According to the Nāṭyaśāstra 3.14-15, the master of the dramatic art (nāṭyācārya) should perform raṅgapūjā after offering pūjā to the Jarjara (Indra’s staff). Accordingly, “After proceeding thus according to rules and staying in the phayhouse for the night, he should begin pūjā as soon as it is morning. This pūjā connected with the stage should take place under the asterism Ārdrā, Maghā, Yāmyā, Pūrvaphalgunī, Pūrvāṣāḍhā, Pūrvabhādrapadā, Aśleṣā or Mūlā”.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

Vastushastra (architecture)

Source: Wisdom Library: Vāstu-śāstra

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा) refers to the twentieth of twenty-seven constellations (ṛkṣa), according to the Mānasāra. Ṛkṣa is the third of the āyādiṣaḍvarga, or “six principles” that constitute the “horoscope” of an architectural or iconographic object. Their application is intended to “verify” the measurements of the architectural and iconographic object against the dictates of astrology that lay out the conditions of auspiciousness.

The particular nakṣatra, also known as ṛkṣa (e.g., pūrvāṣāḍhā) of all architectural and iconographic objects (settlement, building, image) must be calculated and ascertained. This process is based on the principle of the remainder. An arithmetical formula to be used in each case is stipulated, which engages one of the basic dimensions of the object (breadth, length, or perimeter/circumference). In the context of village planning and measurement, the text sates that among the stars (ṛkṣa), the ones that are pūrṇa (odd), are auspicious and the ones that are karṇa (even), inauspicious.

context information

Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा) refers to one of the twenty-seven constellations (nakṣatra) according to according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XIV).—Pūrvāṣāḍhā is the Sanskrit equivalent of Chinese Ki, Tibetan Chu-stod and modern Sagittarii.

Pūrvāṣāḍhā is classified in the second group: “The moon revolves around the earth in 28 days. If the moon enters one of the six following constellations (e.g., Pūrvāṣāḍhā), then at that moment the earth trembles as if it would collapse and this trembling extends as far as the Nāgas. Then there is no more rain, the rivers dry up, the year is bad for grain, the emperor (T’ien tseu) is cruel and the great ministers are unjust”.

Source: archive.org: Bulletin of the French School of the Far East (volume 5)

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा) is the name of a Nakṣatra mentioned in chapter 18 of the Candragarbha: the 55th section of the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra, a large compilation of Sūtras (texts) in Mahāyāna Buddhism partly available in Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese.—Chapter 18 deals with geographical astrology and, in conversation with Brahmarāja and others, Buddha explains how he entrusts the Nakṣatras [e.g., Pūrvāṣāḍhā] with a group of kingdoms for the sake of protection and prosperity.

The Pūrvāṣāḍhānakṣatra and Mūlanakṣatra comprises the following realms:

Kia-chö-fou (Gaśapu?),
Kia-lo-p'o (Karava?),
Kia-kia-po-t'o (Kākapāda?),
Si-t'o-tch'a (Sidakṣa?),
You-chö-tch'a-lo-p'o (Uṣṭarava?),
Ti-lo-nan (Tiraṇa or Dakṣiṇatira?),
A-lo-p'i (Aravi?),
Na-p'o (Nava?),
Fou-chö-kia-lo-p'o (Puṣkarava?),
Mo-teou-li (Maturi?),
Kia-lin-kia-po-ti (Kaliṅgapati),
Mo-yu-ta-li (Mayudhari),
Pi-kiang-chö (Vikaṃja?),
Po-li-si-lo-p'o (Pariserava?).

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.

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: archive.org: The Indian Buddhist Iconography

Pūrvāṣādhā (पूर्वाषाधा) refers to the twentieth of the 28 nakṣatras (“constellations”) of the zodiac, as commonly depicted in Buddhist Iconography, and mentioned in the 11th-century Niṣpannayogāvalī of Mahāpaṇḍita Abhayākara.—The nakṣatras are described collectively in the dharmadhātuvāgīśvara-maṇḍala of the Niṣpannayogāvalī. In this maṇḍala the nakṣatras are given one face and two arms, which are clasped against the chest in the añjalimudrā:—“the deities [viz., Pūrvāṣādhā] are decked in bejewelled jackets and they all show the añjali-mudrā”.—In colour, however, they differ. [viz., Pūrvāṣādhā is given the colour blue].

context information

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा).—f S The first of the two lunar asterisms called āṣāḍha, and the twentieth of the whole.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा).—f The twentieth lunar mansion.

context information

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 dictionary

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा).—Name of the 2th lunar mansion consisting of two stars.

Pūrvāṣāḍhā is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms pūrva and āṣāḍhā (आषाढा).

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

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा) or Pūrvvāṣāḍhā.—f.

(-ḍhā) The first of two constellations, each called A'shar'ha, and the 20th of the lunar asterisms, containing two stars of which one is Sagitarii. E. pūrva first, āṣāḍhā A'shar'ha.

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

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा):—[from pūrva] f. the first of two constellations called Aṣāḍhā (the 18th or 20th Nakṣatra or lunar asterism), [Varāha-mihira; Purāṇa]

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

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (पूर्वाषाढा):—[pūrvā+ṣāḍhā] (ḍhā) 1. f. The 20th of the lunar asterisms.

[Sanskrit to German]

Purvashadha 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

Pūrvāṣāḍha (ಪೂರ್ವಾಷಾಢ):—

1) [noun] the twentieth of the twenty seven lunar mansions, that contains two stars Delta and Epsilo sagittarius.

2) [noun] rain that comes during the period when the moon is associated with this mansion.

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 16 books and stories containing Purvashadha, Pūrva-āṣāḍhā, Pūrva-aṣāḍhā, Purvasadha, Pūrvāṣāḍhā, Purva-ashadha, Purva-asadha, Pūrvāṣāḍha, Pūrva-āṣāḍha; (plurals include: Purvashadhas, āṣāḍhās, aṣāḍhās, Purvasadhas, Pūrvāṣāḍhās, ashadhas, asadhas, Pūrvāṣāḍhas, āṣāḍhas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Part 4: Śītala’s birth < [Chapter VIII - Śītalanāthacaritra]

Part 13: Śītala’s mokṣa (emancipation) < [Chapter VIII - Śītalanāthacaritra]

Part 8: Śītala’s omniscience < [Chapter VIII - Śītalanāthacaritra]

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Chapter 23 - On rain (pravarṣaṇa)

Appendix 3 - List of 28 yogatārās (chief stars) of the constellations (nakṣatras)

Chapter 102 - On the division of the Zodiac into signs (rāśi-vibhāga)

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Chapter 126 - Combinations of good and bad asterisms (nakṣatra-nirṇaya)

Chapter 121 - The science of Jyotiṣa (Astronomy and Astrology) [jyotiḥśāstra]

Chapter 136 - The diagram of asterisms indicating the period for undertaking a journey

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