Shubhadatta, Śubhadatta: 8 definitions
Introduction:
Shubhadatta means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. 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 Śubhadatta can be transliterated into English as Subhadatta or Shubhadatta, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaŚubhadatta (शुभदत्त).—A wood-cutter who lived in Pāṭalīputra.
Śubhadatta earned his living by cutting wood in the forest and selling it for fuel. One day, while cutting wood in the forest he saw four Yakṣas by chance. When he understood from their dress and bearing that they were divine beings, Śubhadatta was frightened. The Yakṣas spoke to him and when they came to know that he was poor, they engaged him as their servant. Śubhadatta served them with devotion. When it was time for their meal they pointed to him a pot and asked him to serve them food from it. But when Śubhadatta saw the pot empty, he was confused. The Yakṣas, with an amused smile asked him to put his hand into the pot and assured him that he would get anything he wished to get from it. (See full article at Story of Śubhadatta 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.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraŚubhadatta (शुभदत्त) is the name of a wood-cutter from Pāṭaliputra, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 57. Accordingly, as Ratnadatta said to Udayana and Naravāhanadatta: “... there lived long ago, in the city of Pāṭaliputra, a man of the name of Śubhadatta, and every day he carried in a load of wood from the forest, and sold it, and so maintained his household”.
The story of Śubhadatta was narrated by Vasantaka to Naravāhanadatta in order to demonstrate that “when men are cursed by destiny (gati), even the wealth they obtain departs” in other words, that “those unfortunate persons, whose intellects are destroyed with the vice of drinking, and other vices, and with infatuation, cannot keep wealth, even if they have obtained it”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Śubhadatta, 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’.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: HereNow4U: Lord Śrī PārśvanāthaŚubhadatta (शुभदत्त).—He was the first Gaṇadharas of Lord Pārśvanātha. He was the resident of Kṣemapurī city. His father’s name was Dhanya and mother's name was Līlāvatī. He became a śrāvaka under monk Saṃbhūta. After the death of his parents he became disinclined. He heard the sermon of Lord Pārśvanātha at Āśramapada garden at the 1st Samavaśaraṇa and became a mendicant and the first Gaṇadhara.
Source: HereNow4u: Jain Dharma ka Maulika Itihasa (2)Śubhadatta (शुभदत्त) is the son of Dhanya and Līlāvatī.—[...] The ‘Śrī Pāsanāha Cariyaṃ’ gives the following description of Lord Pārśvanātha’s Gaṇadharas (principal disciples).—“[...] Śubhadatta: He was the first Gaṇadharas of Lord Pārśvanātha. He was the resident of Kṣemapurī city. His father's name was Dhanya and mother's name was Līlāvatī. He became a śrāvaka under monk Saṃbhūta. After the death of his parents he became disinclined. He heard the sermon of Lord Pārśvanātha at Āśramapada garden at the 1st Samavaśaraṇa and became a mendicant and the first Gaṇadhara”.
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
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryŚubhadatta (शुभदत्त).—(so mss.), name of a former Buddha: Mahāvastu i.138.7 (Senart em. °danta; but this name occurs in KSS).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚubhadatta (शुभदत्त).—[masculine] [Name] of a man.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚubhadatta (शुभदत्त):—[=śubha-datta] [from śubha > śubh] m. Name of a man, [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: Shubha, Datta.
Full-text: Lilavati, Dhanya, Ashramapada, Sambhuta, Kshemapuri.
Relevant text
Search found 3 books and stories containing Shubhadatta, Shubha-datta, Śubha-datta, Subha-datta, Śubhadatta, Subhadatta; (plurals include: Shubhadattas, dattas, Śubhadattas, Subhadattas). 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)
Hitopadesha (English translation) (by Sir Edwin Arnold)
Chapter 2 - The Story of the Monkey and the Wedge < [Book Two - The Parting of Friends]
Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story) (by Somadeva)
Chapter LVII < [Book X - Śaktiyaśas]