Shridatta, Śrīdatta: 10 definitions
Introduction:
Shridatta means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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 term Śrīdatta can be transliterated into English as Sridatta or Shridatta, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraŚrīdatta (श्रीदत्त) is the name of the son of Kālanemi, son of Yajñasoma, who was a Brāhman from the country of Mālava whose story is told in the “story of Śridatta and Mṛgāṅkavatī”, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 10. Accordingly, “So the father, whose desires were now accomplished, called that son Śrīdatta, because he had been obtained by the favour of the Goddess of Fortune.” His wife was Mṛgāṅkavatī, the daughter of Bimbaki, King of Avanti.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Śrīdatta, 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.
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’.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaŚrīdatta (श्रीदत्त).—Son of Kālanemi a Brāhmaṇa of Mālava land. Kālanemi and Vigatabhaya were the sons of a Brāhmaṇa named Yajñasena. After the death of their father they went to Pāṭalīputra for education. The teacher gave his two daughters in marriage to them. By the blessing of goddess Lakṣmī, Kālanemi became rich in course of time and he was also blessed with a glorious son. Since he was given by the blessing of Lakṣmī (Śrī) he was named Śrīdatta.
Śrīdatta grew up and became an expert in archery. Kālanemi’s younger brother, Vigatabhaya left home and went on a pilgrimage after his wife’s death by snake-bite. Kālanemi’s king, Vallabhaśakti was pleased with Śrīdatta and invited him to live in the palace. In this way, he became the intimate friend of the king’s son, Vikrama Śakti. After that, Bāhuśāli and Vajramuṣṭi, the princes of Avantī became the friends of Śrīdatta. Mahābala, Vyāghrabhaṭa, Upendrabala and Niṣṭhūraka, who were the Minister’s sons, also sought the protection of Śrīdatta. (See full article at Story of Śrīdatta from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhist Teachers, Deities and other Spiritual beingsŚrīdatta (श्रीदत्त) is another name for Śūradatta—one of the “Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas” (Tibetan: ltung bshags kyi sangs rgyas so lnga) according to various sources in Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism such as the Triskandhadharma-Sutra and the Ratnakuta-Sutra.—These texts describe the practice of purification by confession and making prostrations to these Buddhas [e.g., śrīdatta] while incorporating visualization techniques using a variety of iconographic depictions. The purpose of such practice is to purify negative karma.
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.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra1) Śrīdattā (श्रीदत्ता) from Śaṅkhapura is a previous incarnation of Kanakaśrī, according to chapter 5.2 [śāntinātha-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, as Muni Kīrtidhara said to Kanakaśrī regarding her previous life:—“There is a flourishing village, Śaṅkhapura, in east Bharata in the continent Dhātakīkhaṇḍa. A woman lived there, named Śrīdattā, afflicted with poverty, who earned a living by working in other people’s houses. She spent the whole day in threshing, grinding, carrying water, sweeping the house, smearing the house (with cow-dung), etc. She took her food after the whole day had passed. Verily, her lot was a miserable one, like the sight of an owl. [...]”.
2) Śrīdattā (श्रीदत्ता) is the wife of the trader Dharmamitra from Vindhyapura, according to chapter 5.3 [śāntinātha-caritra].—Accordingly, as king Vajrāyudha said to the Vidyādhara Pavanavega:—“[...] Vindhyadatta was king in the city Vindhyapura in Airāvata in this same Jambūdvīpa. He had a son, Nalinaketu, with all the male auspicious marks, by his wife, Sulakṣaṇā. In that same city there was the crest-jewel of traders, Dharmamitra, like the sun to the lotuses of friends. His wife, Śrīdattā, bore a son, Datta; and Datta had a wife, Prabhaṅkarā, of divine form. [...]”.
3) Śrīdatta (श्रीदत्त) refers to one of the Kapis fighting in Rāma’s army, according to the Jain Ramayana and chapter 7.7 [The killing of Rāvaṇa].—Accordingly, “[...] When the battle had been going on for a long time, the army of the Rākṣasas was broken by the Vānaras like a forest by winds. [...] Then Śrīdatta obstructed Jambumālin. [...] Other Kapis obstructed other Rākṣasas in this way and fought with them like sea-monsters with sea-monsters in the ocean.”.
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.
India history and geography
Source: archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptionsŚrīdatta (श्रीदत्त) is an example of a Vaiṣṇavite name mentioned in the Gupta inscriptions. Classification of personal names according to deities (e.g., from Vaiṣṇavism) were sometimes used by more than one person and somehow seem to have been popular. The Gupta empire (r. 3rd-century CE), founded by Śrī Gupta, covered much of ancient India and embraced the Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Derivation of personal names (e.g., Śrīdatta) during the rule of the Guptas followed patterns such as tribes, places, rivers and mountains.
Source: Shodhganga: a concise history of Sanskrit Chanda literature (history)Śrīdatta (श्रीदत्त) was the grand-father of Padmanābha-datta (1350-1400 C.E.): well-known as the founder of Saupadma school of Sanskrit Grammar. He is a resident of Bhoragrāma of Mithilā (now in modern Bihar state). He is the son of Dāmodara and grandson of Śrīdatta.
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: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚrīdatta (श्रीदत्त).—[masculine] a man’s name.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum1) Śrīdatta (श्रीदत्त) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—Quoted in Jainendravyākaraṇa. Zachariae in Bezzenberger's Beitra7ge V, 299.
2) Śrīdatta (श्रीदत्त):—Naiṣadhīyapūrvabhāgaṭīkā.
3) Śrīdatta (श्रीदत्त):—C. on Brahmagupta's Khaṇḍakhādya.
4) Śrīdatta (श्रीदत्त):—Śrāddhavidhi.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚrīdatta (श्रीदत्त):—[=śrī-datta] [from śrī] m. ‘Fortune-giver’, Name of various authors etc. (also with bhaṭṭa and maithila), [Kathāsaritsāgara; Vetāla-pañcaviṃśatikā; Catalogue(s)]
[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)
Starts with: Shridatta maithila.
Full-text (+32): Bhatta shridatta, Shridatta maithila, Upendrabala, Nishthuraka, Mahabala, Vyaghrabhata, Mrigankavati, Bahushali, Maithilashridatta, Acaradarpana, Bhavanika, Shribimbaki, Chandogahnika, Vratasara, Shishtakopa, Pitristuti, Acaradarsha, Mrigankaka, Ciritattam, Pitribhakti.
Relevant text
Search found 26 books and stories containing Shridatta, Shri-datta, Śrī-datta, Sri-datta, Śrīdatta, Sridatta; (plurals include: Shridattas, dattas, Śrīdattas, Sridattas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story) (by Somadeva)
Chapter X < [Book II - Kathāmukha]
Foreword to volume 7 < [Forewords]
Foreword to volume 1 < [Forewords]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Kathasaritsagara (cultural study) (by S. W. Chitale)
The Village Administration < [Chapter 2 - Political conditions]
Succession (of the crown) < [Chapter 2 - Political conditions]
Social Conditions—Introduction < [Chapter 4 - Social Conditions]
Paumacariya (critical study) (by K. R. Chandra)
54. The previous births of Rama, Sita, Laksmana, Ravana, Sugriva etc. < [Chapter 4 - Intervening Stories]