Ratnapura, Ratna-pura: 7 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Kavya
In Jainism
1. General definition
Languages
1. Sanskrit
See also

Introduction:

Ratnapura means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. 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)

Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

Ratnapura (रत्नपुर) is the name of a city, in which the two thieves, Śiva and Mādhava, used to rob the rich men by means of trickery, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 24. The story was told by princess Kanakarekhā to her father Paropakārin in order to demonstrate that “all kinds of deceptions are practised on the earth by rogues”.

Ratnapura is also mentioned as being situated on the bank of the river Veṇā, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 123. Accordingly, as Rūpavatī said: “... there is on the bank of the River Veṇā a city named Ratnapura; I am a Brāhman householder in that city, the son of a rich man, and my name is Kandarpa. One evening I went down to the River Veṇā to draw water, and I slipped and fell into it, and was carried away by the current”.

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

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’.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: The Jaina Iconography

Ratnapura (रत्नपुर) is the birth-place of Dharmanātha: the fifteenth of twenty-four Tīrthaṃkaras or Jinas, commonly depicted in Jaina iconography.—Dharmanātha’s father’s name was Bhānu Rāja and his mother’s name Suvratā. He was born at Ratnapura. He obtained the name of Dharmanātha because he saved mankind from miseries. There is tradition also that the Jina’s mother performed many acts of religion while bearing him in the womb. Hence the name of the child as Dharmanātha.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

1) Ratnapura (रत्नपुर) is the name of a Vidyādhara-city, situated on mount Vaitāḍhya (in the northern row), according to chapter 1.3 [ādīśvara-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly, “[...] Taking their families and all their retinue and ascending the best of cars, they went to Vaitāḍhya. [...] Ten yojanas above the earth, King Vinami made at once sixty cities in a northern row at the command of the Nāga-king. [viz., Ratnapura]. Vinami himself, who had resorted to Dharaṇendra, inhabited the city Gaganavallabha, the capital of these. [...] The two rows of Vidyādhara-cities looked very magnificent, as if the Vyantara rows above were reflected below. After making many villages [viz., Ratnapura] and suburbs, they established communities according to the suitability of place. The communities there were called by the same name as the community from which the men had been brought and put there. [...]”.

2) Ratnapura (रत्नपुर) is the birth-place of Dharma, the fifteenth Tīrthaṅkara, according to chapter 1.6, “[...] In Bharata there will be twenty-three other Arhats and eleven other Cakrins. [...] In Ratnapura, Dharma, the son of Bhānu and Suvratā, gold-color, living for ten lacs of years, forty-five bows tall, will have two and a half lacs after initiation, and the interval between Ananta’s mokṣa and his will be four sāgaras”.

context information

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: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Ratnapura (रत्नपुर).—[neuter] [Name] of a city.

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

1) Ratnapura (रत्नपुर):—[=ratna-pura] [from ratna] n. Name of a town, [Kathāsaritsāgara; Vīracarita]

2) Ratnāpura (रत्नापुर):—[=ratnā-pura] [from ratna] n. Name of a town, [Rājataraṅgiṇī]

[Sanskrit to German]

Ratnapura 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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Search found 6 books and stories containing Ratnapura, Ratna-pura, Ratnāpura, Ratnā-pura; (plurals include: Ratnapuras, puras, Ratnāpuras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Part 2: Previous births of Sanatkumāra as Jinadharma and of Asitākṣa as Agniśarman < [Chapter VII - Sanatkumāracakricaritra]

Part 2: Incarnation as Dharmanātha < [Chapter V - Śrī Dharmanāthacaritra]

Part 10: Lakṣmaṇa’s household < [Chapter VIII - The abandonment of Sītā]

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Introduction To George Turnour’s Edition Of The Mahavansa

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Appendix III: Elephant on other Coins

Appendix I: List of Inscriptions

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Chapter CXXIII < [Book XVIII - Viṣamaśīla]

Chapter XXIV < [Book V - Caturdārikā]

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