Shreyamsa, Shreyamsha, Shreyansa, Śreyāṃsa: 9 definitions
Introduction:
Shreyamsa means something in Jainism, Prakrit, 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.
The Sanskrit term Śreyāṃsa can be transliterated into English as Sreyamsa or Shreyamsa, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Śreyāṃsa (श्रेयांस):—The eleventh Tīrthaṅkara (Janism recognizes 24 such teachers or Siddhas). He is also known as Śreyāṃsanātha. His colour is gold (kāñcana), according to Aparājitapṛcchā (221.5-7). His height is 80 dhanuṣa (a single dhanuṣa (or, ‘bow’) equals 6 ft), thus, roughly corresponding to 146 meters. His emblem, or symbol, is a Rhinoceros.
Śreyāṃsa’s father is Viṣṇu and his mother is Viṣṇu according to Śvetāmbara or Veṇudevī according to Digambara. It is an ancient Jain practice to worship the Tīrthaṅkara’s parents in various rites, such as the pratiṣṭhāvidhi, according to the Ācāradinakara (14th century work on Jain conduct written by Vardhamāna Sūri).
1) Śreyāṃsa (श्रेयांस) refers to the eleventh of the twenty-four Tīrthaṅkaras praised in the first book (ādīśvara-caritra) [chapter 1] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.
Accordingly, “[...] we worship the Arhats, who at all times and all places purify the people of the three worlds by their name, representation, substance, and actual existence. [...] May Śreyāṃsa, the sight of whom is a physician for creatures afflicted with the disease of existence, the lover of the Śrī of emancipation, be for your emancipation”.
Śreyāṃsa is the son of Viṣṇurāja and Viṣṇu, according to chapter 4.1, “[...] At dawn Viṣṇurāja held a great festival. Then there was joy spread like one umbrella over the earth. On an auspicious day the Jina’s father and mother named him Śreyāṃsa at a great festival. Cherished by five nurses appointed by Śakra, sucking his thumb which had nectar injected by Śakra, the Master grew up. [...] Eighty bows tall, the Master married princesses at his father’s insistence, even though he felt disgust with existence. When twenty-one lacs of years had passed after his birth, at his father’s request the Lord took the burden of the kingdom. Śreyāṃsa, the depository of good fortune, guarded the earth with undiminished power for forty-two lacs of years”.
2) Śreyāṃsa (श्रेयांस) is the name of a king of Gajapura, according to chapter 1.3.—Accordingly, “[...] the Master set out to obtain alms and arrived at the city Gajapura, the ornament of a circle of cities. In this city King Śreyāṃsa, the heir of King Somaprabha who was the son of Bāhubali, saw in a dream: ‘Meru, entirely dark, was made extremely brilliant by my sprinkling it with pitchers of water’.”
3) Śreyāṃsa (श्रेयांस) is the name of an ancient Muni, according to chapter 4.4 [anantanātha-caritra].—Accordingly:—“[...] Suffering from the disgrace like an arrow in his heart, he took initiation under Muni Śreyāṃsa. He practiced very severe penance and made the nidāna,—‘As a result of this penance, may I kill Nandā’s abductor’. He limited the fruit of his penance by that nidāna and, when he died according to destiny, became a god in Sahasrāra. [...]”.
1) Śreyāṃsa (श्रेयांस) or Śreyāṃsakathā refers to one of the 157 stories embedded in the Kathāmahodadhi by Somacandra (narrating stories from Jain literature, based on the Karpūraprakara), which is included in the collection of manuscripts at the ‘Vincenzo Joppi’ library, collected by Luigi Pio Tessitori during his visit to Rajasthan between 1914 and 1919.—The Kathāmahodadhi represents a repository of 157 stories [e.g., Śreyāṃsa-kathā] written in prose Sanskrit, although each of them is preceded by a verse. Together, they stage a large number of Jain characters (including early teachers). [...]
2) Śreyāṃsa (श्रेयांस) or Śreyāṃsagīta refers to one of the twenty-four songs (gīta) embedded in the Caturviṃśatijinagīta by Jinarāja (dealing with classical hymns and stotras from Jain literature).
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
Śreyāṃśa (श्रेयांश).—m.
(-śaḥ) The eleventh Jina or Jaina pontiff of the present era; also śreyāṃsa .
Śreyāṃsa (श्रेयांस):—[from śreyas] m. Name of the 11th Arhat of the present Avasarpiṇī, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Śreyāṃśa (श्रेयांश):—(śaḥ) 1. m. 11th Jaina pontiff of this era.
Śreyāṃsa (श्रेयांस):—(Nebenform von śreyaṃs) m. Nomen proprium des 11ten Arhant's der gegenwärtigen Avasarpiṇī [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 29] (vgl. [Oxforder Handschriften 186], b, [15]). śreyāṃśa fehlerhafte Lesart.
Śreyāṃsa (श्रेयांस) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Seaṃsa, Sejjaṃsa.
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Śrēyāṃsa (ಶ್ರೇಯಾಂಸ):—
1) [noun] a man who has progressed, prospered in any field.
2) [noun] (jain.) name of the eleventh Tīrthaṃkara, the spiritual teacher.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+0): Shreyamsagita, Shreyamsakatha, Shreyamsanatha.
Full-text (+21): Shreyamsanatha, Shreyamsagita, Shreyamsakatha, Simhapuri, Akshayatritiya, Seamsa, Sejjamsa, Vishnu, Venudevi, Adityapitha, Somayashas, Adikritmandala, Simhapura, Tinduga, Tirthankara, Vidyakirti, Cakora, Vidyakirtigani, Palasha, Sugar-cane juice.
Relevant text
Search found 18 books and stories containing Shreyamsa, Shreyamsha, Shreyansa, Śreyāṃsa, Sreyamsa, Śreyāṃśa, Śrēyāṃsa, Śrēyāmsa; (plurals include: Shreyamsas, Shreyamshas, Shreyansas, Śreyāṃsas, Sreyamsas, Śreyāṃśas, Śrēyāṃsas, Śrēyāmsas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
International Ayurvedic Medical Journal
Review on balatantra - a great treatise < [2022, Issue 06 June]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 8.279 < [Section XLII - Assaults]
Verse 8.96 < [Section XII - Exhortation and Examination of Witnesses]
Verse 4.57 < [Section IX - Personal Cleanliness]
Taittiriya Upanishad Bhashya Vartika (by R. Balasubramanian)
Verse 1.175 < [Book 1 - Śīkṣāvallī]
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Part 7: The fast-breaking of Ṛṣabha < [Chapter III]
Part 8: Śreyāṃsa’s life before initiation < [Chapter I - Śreyāṃsanāthacaritra]
Part 6: Continuation of Ṛṣabha’s life as a sādhu < [Chapter III]
Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad (study) (by Borthakur Madhusnita)
Part 2.4 - Discussion on the Brāhmaṇa caste < [Chapter 4 - Socio Cultural Thought]