Shvetabhadra, Śvetabhadra: 6 definitions
Introduction:
Shvetabhadra means something in Buddhism, Pali, 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 Śvetabhadra can be transliterated into English as Svetabhadra or Shvetabhadra, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaŚvetabhadra (श्वेतभद्र).—A Guhyaka (guardian of treasury). Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 10, Verse 15 mentions that he serves Kubera in Kubera’s assembly. He was the guardian of Kubera’s treasury.
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 BuddhismŚvetabhadra (श्वेतभद्र) is the name of a Nāga 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 Śvetabhadra).
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: Wisdom Library: Jainism1) Śvetabhadra (श्वेतभद्र) is the name of a Yakṣa mentioned in the Tattvārtha-bhāṣya amongst a list of thirteen. The Tattvārtha-bhāṣya is a commentary on the Tattvārtha-sūtra, an ancient and foundational Jain text written in the 2nd century by Umāsvāti. It contains philosophy accepted as authoritative by both the Digambara and the Śvetāmbara sects of Jainism.
2) Śvetabhadra (श्वेतभद्र) refers to a class of yakṣa deities according to Śvetāmbara while the Digambara tradition does not reccognize this class. The yakṣas refer to a category of vyantaras gods which represents one of the four classes of celestial beings (devas). The assigned color of yakṣas is black and their caitya-vṛkṣa (sacred tree) is the “banyan tree” (vaṭa).
The deities such as the Śvetabhadras are defined in ancient Jain cosmological texts such as the Saṃgrahaṇīratna in the Śvetāmbara tradition or the Tiloyapaṇṇati by Yativṛṣabha (5th century) in the Digambara tradition.
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 DictionaryŚvetabhadra (श्वेतभद्र).—name of a nāga king: (Ārya-)Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa 18.12.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚvetabhadra (श्वेतभद्र):—[=śveta-bhadra] [from śveta > śvit] m. Name of a Guhyaka, [Mahābhārata]
[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: Shveta, Bhadra.
Full-text: Yaksha.
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Search found 1 books and stories containing Shvetabhadra, Śvetabhadra, Svetabhadra, Shveta-bhadra, Śveta-bhadra, Sveta-bhadra; (plurals include: Shvetabhadras, Śvetabhadras, Svetabhadras, bhadras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
Section X < [Lokapala Sabhakhayana Parva]