Shvetambara, Śvetāmbara, Svetambara, Shveta-ambara: 13 definitions

Introduction:

Shvetambara means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, Hindi. 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 Śvetāmbara can be transliterated into English as Svetambara or Shvetambara, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Swetambar.

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

[«previous next»] — Shvetambara in Ayurveda glossary

Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)

Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭu

Śvetāmbara (श्वेताम्बर) is another name for Śitāvarī, an unidentified medicinal plant, according to verse 4.50-52 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The fourth chapter (śatāhvādi-varga) of this book enumerates eighty varieties of small plants (pṛthu-kṣupa). Note: Dr. J.K. Ojhā identifies Śitāvarī as Celosia argentea Linn (“plumed cockscomb”; of the Amaranthaceae family) while the commentator of the Rājanighaṇṭu identifies it with Blepharis edulis Pers (“uttanjan”; from the Acanthaceae family); both are quite apart from each other. Together with the names Śvetāmbara and Śitāvarī, there are a total of fifteen Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.

Ayurveda book cover
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Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

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In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

[«previous next»] — Shvetambara in Jainism glossary
Source: WikiPedia: Jainism

The Śvētāmbara is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being the Digambara. Śvētāmbara "white-clad" is a term describing its ascetics' practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from the Digambara "sky-clad" Jainas, whose ascetic practitioners go naked. Śvētāmbaras, unlike Digambaras, do not believe that ascetics must practice nudity.

Śvētāmbaras also believe that women are able to obtain moksha. Śvētāmbaras maintain that the 19th Tirthankara, Mallinath, was a woman. In 2006, there were 2,510 monks and 10,228 nuns in the Śvētāmbara sects while there were 548 Digambara monks and 527 Digambara nuns. The Śvētāmbara tradition follows the lineage of Acharya Sthulibhadra Suri. The Kalpa Sūtra mentions some of the lineages in ancient times. The Śvētāmbara monastic orders are branches of the Vrahada Order, which was founded in 937 AD. The most prominent among the classical orders today are the Kharatara (founded 1024 AD), the Tapa (founded 1228 AD) and the Tristutik.

Some Śvētāmbara monks and nuns cover their mouth with a white cloth or muhapatti to practise ahimsa even when they talk. By doing so they minimize the possibility of inhaling small organisms.

etymology: Śvētāmbara (/ʃwɛˈtʌmbərə/; Sanskrit: श्वेतांबर or श्वेतपट śvētapaṭa; also spelled Svetambar, Shvetambara, Shvetambar,Swetambar or Shwetambar)

Source: HereNow4U: Glossary

The Svetambara (श्वेतांबर, श्वेतपट) is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being Digambar. Svetambar literally means "white-clad", describing the practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from Digambar ("space clad"), whose practitioners wear no clothes.

etymology: Shvetambar, Shvetambara, Shwetambar, Shwetamber, Svetambar, Svetambaras, Swetambar, Śvetambara, Śvetāmbara, Śvetāmbaras, Śvetāmbera

General definition book cover
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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.

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India history and geography

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Śvetāmbara.—(IA 7), a Jain sect; same as Śvetapaṭa. Note: śvetāmbara is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

India history book cover
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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.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Shvetambara in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Śvetāmbara (श्वेताम्बर).—m. a class of Jaina ascetics.

Derivable forms: śvetāmbaraḥ (श्वेताम्बरः).

Śvetāmbara is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms śveta and ambara (अम्बर). See also (synonyms): śvetavāsas.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Śvetāmbara (श्वेताम्बर).—[adjective] clad in white; [masculine] a Jaina sect.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Śvetāmbara (श्वेताम्बर) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—Chandomātaṅga. Quoted in Vṛttaratnākarādarśa Io. 1555.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Śvetāmbara (श्वेताम्बर):—[from śveta > śvit] mfn. clad in wh°

2) [v.s. ...] m. Name of the second great Jaina sect (opp. to the Dig-ambara, q.v.), [Monier-Williams’ Buddhism 532 etc.]

3) [v.s. ...] a form of Śiva, [Catalogue(s)]

4) [v.s. ...] Name of an author, [ib.]

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Śvetāmbara (श्वेताम्बर) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Siaṃbara, Seaṃbara.

[Sanskrit to German]

Shvetambara in German

context information

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.

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Hindi dictionary

[«previous next»] — Shvetambara in Hindi glossary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Śvetāṃbara (श्वेतांबर) [Also spelled swetambar]:—(nm) one who dons white; one of the two chief sects of Jainism (the other being [digaṃbara]).

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Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Shvetambara in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Śvētāṃbara (ಶ್ವೇತಾಂಬರ):—

1) [noun] a white cloth.

2) [noun] (jain.) one of the two two main jaina sects who abandoned the practice of nudity and wore white clothes.

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Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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Nepali dictionary

[«previous next»] — Shvetambara in Nepali glossary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English Dictionary

Śvetāmbara (श्वेताम्बर):—n. name of one of the two main Jaina sects;

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Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.

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