Rajadatta, Rājadattā: 5 definitions

Introduction:

Rajadatta means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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

Kavya (poetry)

[«previous next»] — Rajadatta in Kavya glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

Rājadattā (राजदत्ता) is the sister of Śīlavatī: a a servant of the merchant Harṣagupta from Tāmraliptī, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 36. Accordingly, “...  and having determined on taking this step, he mounted, with Śīlavatī and Harṣagupta, the elephant Śvetaraśmi, that could fly through the air, and going in person to Tāmraliptī, entered the house of that merchant Harṣagupta. There he asked the astrologers that very day what would be a favourable time for him to be married to Rājadattā, the sister of Śīlavatī”.

The story of Rājadattā was narrated by Śīlavatī in order to demonstrate that “women of good family are guarded by their own virtue as their only chamberlain; but even God himself can scarcely guard the unchaste” in other words, “in no case can anyone guard a woman by force in this world, but the young woman of good family is ever protected by the pure restraint of her own chastity”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Rājadattā, 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.

Kavya book cover
context information

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’.

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In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

An arahant. He belonged to a caravan leaders family of Savatthi, and was so called because he was born through the favour of Vessavana. When he came of age he took a caravan of five hundred carts to Rajagaha. Then, having squandered all his money, he went to Veluvana, and, after hearing the Buddha preach, entered the Order and lived in a charnel field. While wandering about, he saw the mangled body of a murdered courtesan and only with a great effort saved himself from distraction of mind. Later, he induced jhana and won arahantship.

Fourteen kappas ago he had seen a Pacceka Buddha at the foot of a tree and had given him an ambataka (mango?) fruit (Thag. vss. 315-19; ThagA.i.402f).

He is probably identical with Ambataka Thera. Ap.i.394.

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Rajadatta in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Rājadattā (राजदत्ता):—[=rāja-dattā] [from rāja > rāj] f. Name of a woman, [Kathāsaritsāgara]

[Sanskrit to German]

Rajadatta 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.

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