Saphala, Saphalā: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Saphala means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, Hindi. 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Safal.
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In Hinduism
Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)
Saphalā (सफला) refers to the third of twenty-six ekādaśīs according to the Garga-saṃhitā 4.8.9. Accordingly, “to attain Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy you should follow the vow of fasting on ekādaśī. In that way You will make Lord Kṛṣṇa into your submissive servant. Of this there is no doubt”. A person who chants the names of these twenty-six ekādaśīs (e.g., Saphalā) attains the result of following ekādaśī for one year.
Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Saphala (सफल) refers to a classification of pūjā (ritualistic worship) according to the Kāraṇāgama.—The Āgamas have several different classifications of nityapūjā (daily worship), based on the number of offerings, frequency, time duration and so on. The nomenclature also varies between Āgamas. The essence however is similar. Saphala is mentioned in the Kāraṇāgama (30.405) as “the pūjā that ends with prāṇāgnihotra”.
Saphala (सफल) refers to “becoming successful”, according to the Netratantra of Kṣemarāja: a Śaiva text from the 9th century in which Śiva (Bhairava) teaches Pārvatī topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.—Accordingly, [verse 22.5-10ab]—“[...] This Parameśvara is the ultimate substrate of [the mantras]. They have arisen through his will [i.e., they are self-arisen or self-illuminated consciousness] and [the mantras are] impelled [to act] through his Śakti. [Therefore,] all [mantras] become successful (saphala) because they have authority everywhere. Wherever [there is] grounding (ālaya) [there is] Śiva, [that] is the highest ground of all . Mantras and fruitful [because their] power arises from him”.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Saphala (सफल) refers to that which is “fruitful” (viz., a sacrifice), as mentioned in the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.27. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] when the sage Dadhīci and others staged a walkout, the evil-minded Dakṣa, inimical to Śiva, said mocking at them.:—‘[...] They are slow-witted and senseless. They are rogues indulging in false deliberations and discussions. They are out of the Vedic circle. These men of evil conduct shall be eschewed from sacrificial rites. You all, Brahmins, sages and Devas with Viṣṇu at the head shall make my sacrifice fruitful (saphala)’”.
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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Agriculture (Krishi) and Vrikshayurveda (study of Plant life)
Saphala (सफल) refers to the “fertile” type of Puṣpa (“flower”); it is a technical term related to the morphology branch of “plant science”, which ultimately involves the study of life history of plants, including its origin and development, their external and internal structures and the relation of the members of the plant body with one another.—The word ‘puṣpa’ denotes the blossomed stage when the parts of the flower such as petals, stamens etc. are opened and manifested. Flowers by nature may be fertile or sterile. A flower is called saphala (fertile) when the ovary is present. When it is absent the flower is called niṣphala (sterile). As a consequence, the plants also may be fertile or sterile. Rarely both fertile and sterile flowers are borne on the same plant or on the same inflorescence
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Saphala (सफल) is the name of a Śrāvaka mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Saphala).
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
Pali-English dictionary
saphala : (adj.) having its reward; bearing fruit.
Saphala, (adj.) (sa3+phala) bearing fruit, having its reward Dh. 52. (Page 680)
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
saphala (सफल).—a (S) pop. saphaḷa a Bearing fruit (not fructiferous or fruitbearing, but) now bearing fruit--a tree; as saphaḷa dēkhōni divya druma || bahu dhāva- ti jēvīṃ vihaṅgama ||. 2 fig. That is now yielding profit--a trade or business: also that is fruitful, profitable, productive, remunerative, or advantageous--a business or matter in general.
saphala (सफल) [-ḷa, -ळ].—a That is fruitful, profitable.
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
Saphala (सफल).—a.
1) Fruitful, bearing or yielding fruit, productive (fig. also).
2) Accomplished, fulfilled, successful.
3) Not emasculated; Rām.
Saphala (सफल).—mfn.
(-laḥ-lā or lī-laṃ) Productive, fruitful, bearing fruit, yielding a profit, &c. E. sa for saha with, and phala fruit.
Saphala (सफल).—adj. 1. bearing fruit, [Hitopadeśa] i. [distich] 10, M. M.; rewarded, [Vikramorvaśī, (ed. Bollensen.)] 10, 9; fulfilled, [Vikramorvaśī, (ed. Bollensen.)] [distich] 27. 2. yielding a profit. 3. blessed, [Rājataraṅgiṇī] 5, 373.
Saphala is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms sa and phala (फल).
Saphala (सफल).—[adjective] having fruits or testicles; having reward, profit, or success.
1) Saphala (सफल):—[=sa-phala] mf(ā)n. together with fruits, having or bearing fruit or seed, fruitful (as a tree), [Pāraskara-gṛhya-sūtra; Mahābhārata; Kathāsaritsāgara]
2) [v.s. ...] ‘having seed’ id est. possessing testicles, not emasculated, [Rāmāyaṇa]
3) [v.s. ...] having good results, productive, profitable, successful (with √kṛ, ‘to fulfil’, ‘keep a promise’), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
4) [v.s. ...] together with the result, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]
Saphala (सफल):—[sa-phala] (laḥ-lā-laṃ) a. Having fruit, productive, profitable, successful, of use.
Saphala (सफल):—(2. sa + phala) adj. (f. ā)
1) mit Früchten behängt: ein Zweig [Pāraskara’s Gṛhyasūtrāṇi 2, 10.] pādapa [Kathāsaritsāgara 25, 13.] —
2) Lohn —, Gewinn bringend, Erfolg habend, sein Ziel erreichend, erfolgreich: janman, jīvita [Mahābhārata 3, 2099.] [Rāmāyaṇa] [Gorresio 1, 21, 20. 71, 12. 4, 44, 8. 5, 15, 6.] [Spr. (II) 2952. 5383.] [Mārkāṇḍeyapurāṇa 61, 37.] [PAÑCAR. 1, 3, 14.] — [Rāmāyaṇa 2, 37, 17. 3, 77, 10. 5, 57, 2. 90, 31.] ārambha [Mṛcchakaṭikā 174, 3.] [Vikramorvaśī 10, 9.] [Spr. (II) 4730.] [Rājataraṅgiṇī 5, 373.] [Vetālapañcaviṃśati] in [Lassen’s Anthologie (III) 24, 2.] yajñasamṛddhi sich erfüllend [Rāmāyaṇa 1, 50, 13 (51, 13 Gorresio).] āśā [Mahābhārata 3, 13648.] jayāśā [7, 51.] prārthana adj. [Vikramorvaśī 21, 17.] tarka [Spr. (II) 4282, v. l.] pratijñāṃ saphalāṃ kar erfüllen, halten [Rāmāyaṇa 4, 13, 31. 39.] karoti saphalaṃ vacaḥ [KĀM. NĪTIS. 17, 30.] lakṣaṇaṃ saphalam nebst Erfolg [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 20, 5.] —
3) Hoden habend, unverschnitten [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 1, 50, 4 (49, 4] [SCHL.][). 10.] — Vgl. sāphalya .
Saphala (सफल) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Saphala, Sahala.
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.
Hindi dictionary
Saphala (सफल) [Also spelled safal]:—(a) successful; effective; fruitful; ~[tā] success; achievement; •[kī kuṃjī] key to success; —[honā] to succeed.
...
Prakrit-English dictionary
Saphala (सफल) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Saphala.
Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.
Kannada-English dictionary
Saphala (ಸಫಲ):—
1) [adjective] bearing fruit or much fruit.
2) [adjective] producing results; profitable; not useless; fruitful.
--- OR ---
Saphala (ಸಫಲ):—[noun] the state of being profitable, fruitful; fruitfulness.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Saphala (सफल):—adj. 1. fruitful; profitable; 2. successful; 3. fulfilled;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Phala, Sha, Ca.
Starts with (+0): Saphala krishnaikadashi paushi, Saphala-hunu, Saphalagolisu, Saphalaka, Saphalaprarthana, Saphalapushpa, Saphalata, Saphalate, Saphalatreya, Saphalatva, Saphalavritti, Saphalay, Saphalaya, Saphalodarka.
Full-text (+24): Saphalaprarthana, Saphalodarka, Saphalya, Saphalatva, Saphala krishnaikadashi paushi, Saphali, Safal, Shaphara, Saphalibhu, Capalam, Saphalavritti, Saphala-hunu, Sujivita, Sahala, Saphalaka, Cavalam, Safal-hunu, Saphalikri, Saphalodaya, Saphalibhuta.
Relevant text
Search found 44 books and stories containing Saphala, Sa-phala, Saphalā; (plurals include: Saphalas, phalas, Saphalās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 6.10.28 < [Chapter 10 - In the Description of the Gomatī River, the Glories of Cakra-tīrtha]
Verses 6.17.3-5 < [Chapter 17 - Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa Meet at Siddhāśrama and the Nature of Śrī Rādhā’s Love Is Revealed]
Verse 2.5.21 < [Chapter 5 - The Liberation of Bakāsura]
Brahma Archana Paddhati (text and translation) (by Prabhunath Dwivedi)
Chapter 12 - Narada-krita Brahmastuti (The Prayer of Brahma done by Narada)
Chapter 26 - Brahmanah Puja-vidhana (The method of worship of Brahma)
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 365 < [Hindi-English-Nepali (1 volume)]
Page 407 < [Telugu-English-Malayalam (1 volume)]
Page 44 < [Hindi-English-Nepali (1 volume)]
Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)
Chapter 40 - Saphalā Ekādaśī < [Section 6 - Uttara-Khaṇḍa (Concluding Section)]
Chapter 41 - Putradā Ekādaśī < [Section 6 - Uttara-Khaṇḍa (Concluding Section)]
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.1.96 < [Part 1 - Ecstatic Excitants (vibhāva)]