Rabhasa, Rabha-asa, Rabhasā: 21 definitions
Introduction:
Rabhasa means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, 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.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Rabhasa (रभस):—Son of Rābha (son of Āyu). He had a son who was called Gambhīra. (see Bhāgavata Purāṇa 9.17.10)
Rabhasā (रभसा) is the name of a mind-born ‘divine mother’ (mātṛ), created for the purpose of drinking the blood of the Andhaka demons, according to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.8. The Andhaka demons spawned out of every drop of blood spilled from the original Andhakāsura (Andhaka-demon). According to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.35, “Most terrible they (e.g., Rabhasā) all drank the blood of those Andhakas and become exceedingly satiated.”
The Matsyapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, and was originally composed of 20,000 metrical verses, dating from the 1st-millennium BCE. The narrator is Matsya, one of the ten major avatars of Viṣṇu.
1) Rabhasa (रभस).—A monkey in Śrī Rāma’s army. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddhakāṇḍa, Canto 4).
2) Rabhasa (रभस).—A Rākṣasa on Rāvaṇa’s side. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Canto 9).
Rabhasa (रभस) refers to “loudly” (e.g., the “loud” braying of asses), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.15 (“The penance and reign of Tārakāsura”).—Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated: “[...] At the same time, several phenomena of evil portent forboding misery and distress happened, when the son of Varāṅgī was born making the gods miserable. [...] O dear, groups of mad asses ran here and there braying loudly [i.e., khārkāra-rabhasa] and digging the ground with their hoofs. Terrified by the asses, birds flew up from their nests. In their excitement and flutter they honked and cronked. They did not find a peaceful perch anywhere. [...]”.
1) Rabhasa (रभस).—A son of Rambha, and father of Gambhīra.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 17. 10.
2) Rabhasā (रभसा).—A mind-born mother.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 179. 26.
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Rabhasa (रभस) refers to “using force” (i.e., eagerness to make one one’s dispciple) , according to the according to the Kularatnoddyota, one of the earliest Kubjikā Tantras.—Accordingly, after Vṛkṣanātha took food with those belonging to the Cāṇḍāla caste: “[...] Then (having said that), praised by all the hosts of demons and gods, he entered the fire (prepared to test him). When he emerged out of the mouth of the fire all the Brahmins residing in the city praised him. O goddess, once he had acquired fame in the Wheel of the Void and quickly and with force (rabhasa-kṛt) made one hundred thousand Brahmins (his disciples) in this way, the leaders of the towns made a sound (of approval) (?). [...]”.
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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Rabhasa (रभस) refers to “impetuous elephants”, according to the 15th century Mātaṅgalīlā composed by Nīlakaṇṭha in 263 Sanskrit verses, dealing with elephantology in ancient India, focusing on the science of management and treatment of elephants.—[Cf. chapter 12, “On the qualities of elephant drivers, etc.”]: “5. Controlling the rogues, speedily bringing on must in those in whom it is not accomplished, making elephants that have no swiftness to acquire impetuosity (rabhasa) [javanarahitānāttarabhasān], making those that have no desire to strike skilled in striking, clever at mounting elephants, (such a driver is) beloved of the king and people”.
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Rabhasa, (rabh=labh, which see for etym. Cp. also Lat rabies.—Dhtp 205 explains rabh (correctly) by ārambha & Dhtm 301 by rābhassa) wild, terrible, violent D. I, 91, explained by “bahu-bhāṇin” at DA. I, 256. There are several vv. ll. at this passage. (Page 565)
[Pali to Burmese]
rabhasa—
(Burmese text): (၁) အလွန်အမင်းပြုတတ်သူ။ ညှဉ်းဆဲ-နှိပ်စက်-တတ်သူ။ (၂) အနိုင်အထက် နှိပ်စက်-နိုင်ထက်ကလူပြုမူ-တတ်သူ။
(Auto-Translation): (1) A person who is very skilled at oppression; someone who can control and manipulate. (2) A person who dominates and controls others, behaving in ways that are superior to others.
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionary
rābhasa (राभस).—a See rābasa.
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
Rabhasa (रभस).—a. [rabh-acas Uṇ 3.116]
1) Violent, impetuous, fierce, wild.
2) Strong, intense, vehement, powerful, ardent, eager (as desire &c.); रभसया नु दिगन्तदिदृक्षया (rabhasayā nu digantadidṛkṣayā) Kirātārjunīya 5.1; R.9.61; Mu.5.24.
3) Rash, precipitate.
4) Joyful, glad.
5) Ved. Strengthening.
-saḥ 1 Violence, force, impetuosity, haste, speed, hurry, vehemence; आलीषु केलीरभसेन बाला मुहुर्ममालापमुपालपन्ती (ālīṣu kelīrabhasena bālā muhurmamālāpamupālapantī) Bv.2.12; त्वभि- सरणरभसेन वलन्ती (tvabhi- saraṇarabhasena valantī) Gītagovinda 6; Śi 6.13;11.23; Kirātārjunīya 9.47; Bhāgavata 7.9.15.
2) Rashness, precipitateness, headlong haste; अतिरभसकृतानां कर्मणामाविपत्तेर्भवति हृदयदाही शल्यतुल्यो विपाकः (atirabhasakṛtānāṃ karmaṇāmāvipatterbhavati hṛdayadāhī śalyatulyo vipākaḥ) Bhartṛhari 2.99; त्यजति न मृगव्याधरभसः (tyajati na mṛgavyādharabhasaḥ) Śiva-mahimna 22.
3) Anger, passion, rage, fury; रक्तेक्षणेन च मनाग्रभसं दधानौ (raktekṣaṇena ca manāgrabhasaṃ dadhānau) Bhāgavata 3.15.28.
4) Regret, sorrow.
5) Joy, pleasure, delight; मनसि रभसविभवे हरिरुदयतु सुकृतेन (manasi rabhasavibhave harirudayatu sukṛtena) Gīt. 5.
6) Ardent desire, eagerness.
7) Poison.
8) Name of a magical incantation recited over weapons.
Rabhasa (रभस).—m.
(-saḥ) 1. Speed, velocity. 2. Joy, delight. 3. Consideration of causes and events, or the past and future. 4. Regret, sorrow for something lost or absent. 5. Rashness, Precipitation. 6. Passion, rage. f.
(-sā) 1. Violent, fierce, wild. 2. Eager, strong, powerful. E. rabh to begin, asac Unadi aff.
Rabhasa (रभस).—[rabhas + a], I. adj. Joyful, [Kirātārjunīya] 5, 1. Ii. m. 1. Joy. 2. Passion, rage, [Daśakumāracarita] in
Rabhasa (रभस).—[adjective] impetuous, fierce, violent, strong. [masculine] = [preceding] + energy, zeal, ardent desire of (—°); °—, [instrumental], & [ablative] = [preceding] [adverb]
1) Rabhasā (रभसा):—[from rabhas > rambh] ind. violently, impetuously, forcibly, roughly, [Mahābhārata; Purāṇa]
2) Rabhasa (रभस):—[from rambh] mf(ā)n. ([from] [preceding]) impetuous, violent, rapid, fierce, wild, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.
3) [v.s. ...] (ifc.) eager for, desirous of [Kālidāsa]
4) [v.s. ...] strong, powerful (said of the Soma), [Ṛg-veda]
5) [v.s. ...] shining, glaring, [ib.]
6) [v.s. ...] m. impetuosity, vehemence, hurry, haste, speed, zeal, passion, eager desire for ([compound]), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc. (also f(ā). , [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]; rabhasa [in the beginning of a compound]; āt ind. and ena ind. violently, impetuously, eagerly, quickly)
7) [v.s. ...] m. joy, pleasure, [Gīta-govinda]
8) [v.s. ...] regret, sorrow, [Horace H. Wilson]
9) [v.s. ...] poison, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
10) [v.s. ...] Name of a magical incantation recited over weapons, [Rāmāyaṇa]
11) [v.s. ...] of a Dānava ([varia lectio] raśmisa)
12) [v.s. ...] of a king (son of Rambha), [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
13) [v.s. ...] of a Rākṣasa, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
14) [v.s. ...] of a lexicographer (also called rabhasa-pāla), [Catalogue(s)]
15) [v.s. ...] of a monkey, [Rāmāyaṇa]
Rabhasa (रभस):—(saḥ) 1. m. Speed; force; joy; consideration; regret.
Rabhasa (रभस):—
Rabhasa (रभस):——
1) Adj. (f. ā) — a) wild , ungestüm , mit Ungestüm verlangend nach (im Comp. vorangehend) , gewaltig überh. ; vom Soma so v.a. stark , scharf. — b) von lebhafter , stechender Farbe. —
2) m. — a) Ungestüm , Schnelligkeit , Heftigkeit , Eifer ([Jayadeva's Prasannarāghava 50,12]) ; heftiges Verlangen nach (im Comp. vorangehend [Jayadeva's Prasannarāghava 22,11.] [Böhtlingk’s Sanskrit-Chresthomathie 321,5]) rabhasāt , rabhasena und rabhasa mit Ungestüm , leidenschaftlich ([313,20]), in aller Eile , in Hast , schnell. Am Ende eines adj. Comp. f. ā. — b) *Freude. — c) ein best. über Waffen gesprochener Zauberspruch. — d) Nomen proprium — α) eines Dānava. v.l. raśmisa. — β) eines Fürsten , eines Sohnes des Rambha. — γ) eines Lexicographen. — δ) eines Affen. —
3) *f. rabhasā = 2)a).
Rabhasa (रभस) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Raha, Rahaiṃ, Rahasa, Rahasā.
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
Rabhasa (ರಭಸ):—
1) [noun] speed or vehemence of an action.
2) [noun] a loud uproar; clamour.
3) [noun] strong, stern or fierce anger; wrath.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Rabhasakosha, Rabhasana, Rabhasanandin, Rabhasapala, Rabhasat, Rabhassa.
Full-text (+19): Sarabhasa, Rabhasapala, Sarabhasam, Gorabhasa, Atirabhasa, Rashmisa, Rabhasya, Baddharabhasa, Rabhasanandin, Rahasa, Nabhasa, Gambhira, Rabhasakosha, Rabhassa, Sahasarabhasa, Rahaim, Rabhasana, Udojas, Rabhasena, Rabhasat.
Relevant text
Search found 28 books and stories containing Rabhasa, Rabha-asa, Rabhasā, Rābhasa; (plurals include: Rabhasas, asas, Rabhasās, Rābhasas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Svalpa Matsya-purana < [Purana, Volume 6, Part 1 (1964)]
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.1.65 < [Part 1 - Ecstatic Excitants (vibhāva)]
Verse 4.8.28 < [Part 8 - Compatible & Incompatible Mellows (maitrī-vaira-sthiti)]
Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study) (by A. Yamuna Devi)
Introduction (Kṣīrasvāmin’s knowledge of grammar) < [Chapter 6 - Grammatical Aspects]
Position of Women < [Chapter 3 - Social Aspects]
Rudra-Shiva concept (Study) (by Maumita Bhattacharjee)
18. Śarabha incarnation < [Chapter 5 - Rudra-Śiva in the Purāṇic Literature]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)