Rudraka: 6 definitions

Introduction:

Rudraka means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, biology. 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»] — Rudraka in Kavya glossary
Source: OpenEdition books: Vividhatīrthakalpaḥ (Kāvya)

Rudraka (रुद्रक) refers to one of the two pupils of Kauśika: an ancient teacher mentioned in the Vividhatīrthakalpa by Jinaprabhasūri (13th century A.D.): an ancient text devoted to various Jaina holy places (tīrthas).—Accordingly, “Master Kauśika has two pupils, Aṅgaṛṣi and Rudraka, who are in charge of the wood loads. One day, the first, disciplined, returns with a load of wood. The second, a rascal, frolic during the day and suddenly realizes that Aṅgaṛṣi has left with the load of wood. He fears being deported. He therefore kills a shepherdess named Jogajasā who was passing by with a load of wood. Back before Aṅgaṛṣi, Rudraka accuses the latter of his crime. Aṅgaṛṣi is expelled. He leads an exemplary life and attains omniscience. The gods, satisfied, reveal to the Master that Rudraka slandered his fellow student. Expelled in his turn, Rudraka conceives remorse over his conduct, is awakened and becomes Pratyekabuddha”.

Cf. Āvasyakaniryukti v. 1293; Āvaśyakacūrṇi II 193.2-9; Āvasyakaniryukti (Haribhadra commentary) b.4-a.5; Trad: Balbir in Granoff 1990 p. 51-52.

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

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: 84000: Samādhi­rāja­sūtra (The King of Samādhis Sūtra)

Rudraka (रुद्रक) is another name for Udraka and represents one of the first teachers of the Buddha, as mentioned in the Samādhirāja-sūtra verse 9.43.—Accordingly, “If you meditate on a worldly samādhi, And do not eliminate the conception of a self, Then the kleśas will arise once more, As happened in the samādhi practice of Udraka”.

Note: The commentary states that Udraka was also known as Digambhara [Digambara], which is also the name of a Jain school. However, the name Udraka (Rudraka in some texts) is best known in Buddhism as one of the first teachers of the Buddha. The Buddha stated that after death he was born in the formless realm but would eventually be reborn as an animal. The story for Udraka given in the commentary is that his motivation to meditate was to attain miraculous powers. He succeeded and was famous for being able to fly. But when he was told that his path was not genuine, he fell from the sky and went to the hells.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
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.

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Biology (plants and animals)

Source: Google Books: CRC World Dictionary (Regional names)

Rudraka in India is the name of a plant defined with Elaeocarpus sphaericus in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Ganitrus sphaerica Gaertn. (among others).

Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):

· Flora Indica, or ‘Descriptions of Indian Plants’ (1832)
· Hortus Bengal. (1814)
· Das Pflanzenreich (1895)
· De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum (1791)
· FBI (1874)
· Adansonia (1980)

If you are looking for specific details regarding Rudraka, for example diet and recipes, side effects, pregnancy safety, extract dosage, chemical composition, health benefits, have a look at these references.

Biology book cover
context information

This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

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

Rudraka (रुद्रक):—[from rud] m. Name of a man, [Buddhist literature] ([varia lectio] udraka).

[Sanskrit to German]

Rudraka 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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