Shobhavati, Śobhavati, Sobhavatī, Sobhavati, Śobhāvatī: 7 definitions
Introduction:
Shobhavati means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India. 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.
The Sanskrit terms Śobhavati and Śobhāvatī can be transliterated into English as Sobhavati or Shobhavati, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexŚobhavati (शोभवति).—An Apsarasa gaṇa, daughters of Marut.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 18.
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.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraŚobhāvatī (शोभावती) is the name of an ancient city, as mentioned in the fourth story of the Vetālapañcaviṃśati in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 78. Accordingly, “... there is a city on the earth rightly named Śobhāvatī. In it there lived a king of great valour, called Śūdraka. The fire of that victorious king’s might was perpetually fanned by the wind of the chowries waved by the captured wives of his enemies”.
Śobhāvatī or Śobhāvatīpura, as situated in the land of Kaliṅga (Kaliṅgaviṣaya), is also mentioned in the twenty-third story of the Vetālapañcaviṃśati in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 97. Accordingly, “... there is in the land of Kaliṅga a city named Śobhāvatī, like the city of Indra in heaven, the abode of those that act aright.... The only detraction heard in his [king Pradyumna] realm [Śobhāvatī] was that of the string from the bow, the only pressure that of the fingers on the cymbal; vice was only known in the name of the age, and keenness only in the pursuit of knowledge”.
Śobhāvatī. as situated in Kaliṅga, is also mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 104. Accordingly, as a young Brāhman said to Naravāhanadatta: “... there is in the territory of Kaliṅga a city of the name of Śobhāvatī, which has never been entered by the demon Kali, nor touched by evil-doers, nor seen by a foreign foe: such has it been made by the Creator”.
The story of Śobhāvatī is mentioned in the Vetālapañcaviṃśati (twenty-five tales of a vetāla) which is embedded in the twelfth book of the Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’). The main book is a famous Sanskrit epic detailing the exploits of prince Naravāhanadatta in his quest to become the emperor of the vidyādharas (celestial beings). The Kathā-sarit-sāgara is is explained to be an adaptation of Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā which consisted of 100,000 verses and in turn forms part of an even larger work containing 700,000 verses.
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 Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesThe city of birth of Konagamana Buddha. Its king was Sobha (Sobhana). Bu.xxiv.16; J.i.43; D.ii.7.
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).
India history and geography
Source: Ancient Buddhist Texts: Geography of Early BuddhismSobhavatī (सोभवती) is the name of an ancient locality situated in Majjhimadesa (Middle Country) of ancient India, as recorded in the Pāli Buddhist texts (detailing the geography of ancient India as it was known in to Early Buddhism).—Sobhavatī was the capital of King Sobha’s kingdom.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryŚobhāvatī (शोभावती).—name of a city, residence of the former Buddha Krakucchanda: Avadāna-śataka i.286.1; ii.29.9; 100.11; ruled by King Śobha, q.v.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Śobhāvatī (शोभावती):—[=śobhā-vatī] [from śobhā > śobha] f. a kind of metre, [Colebrooke]
2) [v.s. ...] Name of a town (cf. śobhana-vatī), [Kathāsaritsāgara]
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Shobha, Vati.
Full-text: Shobha, Yashahketu, Mekhala, Shudraka, Yashaskara, Gauritirtha, Pradyumna, Yajnasthala, Devasoma, Yajnasoma, Konagamana.
Relevant text
Search found 8 books and stories containing Shobhavati, Śobhavati, Sobhavatī, Sobhavati, Śobhāvatī, Shobha-vati, Śobhā-vatī, Sobha-vati; (plurals include: Shobhavatis, Śobhavatis, Sobhavatīs, Sobhavatis, Śobhāvatīs, vatis, vatīs). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Great Chronicle of Buddhas (by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw)
Buddha Chronicle 23: Koṇāgamana Buddhavaṃsa < [Chapter 9 - The chronicle of twenty-four Buddhas]
Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story) (by Somadeva)
Chapter LXXX < [Book XII - Śaśāṅkavatī]
Chapter XCVII < [Book XII - Śaśāṅkavatī]
Chapter LXXVIII < [Book XII - Śaśāṅkavatī]
The Shiva Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 2 - The liberation of Devarāja < [Śivapurāṇa-māhātmya]
Malatimadhava (study) (by Jintu Moni Dutta)
Part 2d-f - Source of the Mālatīmādhava < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
Impact of Vedic Culture on Society (by Kaushik Acharya)
Study of the Contemporary Literary Sources < [Chapter 3]
Mahavamsa (by Wilhelm Geiger)