Somasharman, Somaśarman: 8 definitions
Introduction:
Somasharman means something in 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 Somaśarman can be transliterated into English as Somasarman or Somasharman, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Google Books: Cultural History from the Vāyu PurānaSomaśarman (सोमशर्मन्):—In the 27th dvāpara, Śiva will be dvija named Somaśarman who will reside at the Prabhāsa-tīrtha.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexSomaśarman (सोमशर्मन्).—A son of Śāliśūka and father of Śatadhanva.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa XII. 1. 14-5; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 24. 30.
Somaśarman (सोमशर्मन्) is the name of a Brāhmaṇa from Avanti, according to the 10th century Saurapurāṇa: one of the various Upapurāṇas depicting Śaivism.—The story of the origin of Kubera (“lord of the Yakṣas” and “god of wealth”) runs like this:—“[...] A Brāhmaṇa named Somaśarman in Avanti left home in greed of gain. His wife, deserted by him developed illicit connection with a Śūdra. As a result she was blessed with a son named Duḥsaha. Due to such confusion of caste, the child so born, was looked down upon by his kinsfolk”.
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: KathāsaritsāgaraSomaśarman (सोमशर्मन्) is the name of a Brāhman from Supratiṣṭhita, whose story is related in the ‘story of Guṇāḍhya’, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara chapter 6. Somaśarman had 2 sons named Vatsa and Gulma, and he also had a daughter named Śrutārthā.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Somaśarman, 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’.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: academia.edu: KāpālikasSomaśarman (सोमशर्मन्) is the name of a Brahman into whose family Śiva descended, during this Kali age.—According to a copper-plate inscription found in Malhar, Chhattisgarh, written around 650 CE: “Now having reached the kali age, Śiva descended in this world as Lord Lakulīśa. He was born in the family of a Brahman called Somaśarman (“Whose Shelter Is the Moon”), was initiated by him into the mahāvrata, and became Jagadindu (“Moon of the World”). He then initiated Musalisa. Then, in due course, the venerable Bhīmasoma, disciple of Tejasoma and grand-disciple of Rudrasoma, [was also initiated] according to the tradition started by Soma”.
According to the inscription, it is Somaśarman who initiates Śiva’s incarnation, Lakulīśa, into the mahāvrata. It is perhaps also Somaśarman who gives Lakulīśa an initiation name, Jagadindu (unless we interpret this as a mere epithet), of which the second half, indu, is a synonym of soma, the moon.
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric TraditionsSomaśarman (सोमशर्मन्) is the name of a Kāpālika mentioned in the Malhar or Junwani copper plate inscription (647CE, see Bakker 2000 and 2015; Sanderson 2012).—This mentions Somaśarman and the “line of tradition starting with Soma” (continuing later with Rudrasoma, Tejasoma, Bhīmasoma). It is in Somaśarman’s house that Lakulīśa, founder of the Pāśupata order, is said to have been born as an incarnation (avatāra) of Śiva. Lakulīśa was then initiated into or through the mahāvrata, perhaps by Somaśarman himself: [...]
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionarySomaśarman (सोमशर्मन्):—[=soma-śarman] [from soma] m. Name of various men, pur, [Pañcatantra etc.]
[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: Sharman, Soma.
Full-text (+18): Gulmaka, Soma sharman, Kanada, Avatara, Musalisa, Devadatta jyotirvid, Akshapada, Shalishuka, Jagadindu, Bhudhara, Shrutartha, Sumana, Gulma, Vatsa, Kapalika, Tejasoma, Rudrasoma, Sthanaguru, Lakulishanatha, Bhimasoma.
Relevant text
Search found 14 books and stories containing Somasharman, Somaśarman, Somasarman, Soma-sharman, Soma-śarman, Soma-sarman; (plurals include: Somasharmans, Somaśarmans, Somasarmans, sharmans, śarmans, sarmans). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)
Chapter 20 - The Birth of Suvrata < [Section 2 - Bhūmi-khaṇḍa (section on the earth)]
Chapter 4 - Somaśarman’s Devotion Put to Severe Test < [Section 2 - Bhūmi-khaṇḍa (section on the earth)]
Chapter 17 - The Story of Somaśarman’s Previous Birth < [Section 2 - Bhūmi-khaṇḍa (section on the earth)]
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Part 3: Gajasukumāla < [Chapter X - The recovery of draupadī]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 10 - Eminence of Kṛkalāsa alias Nṛga Tīrtha < [Section 4 - Dvārakā-māhātmya]
Rudra-Shiva concept (Study) (by Maumita Bhattacharjee)
15. Yogācārya incarnation of Śiva < [Chapter 5 - Rudra-Śiva in the Purāṇic Literature]
The Shiva Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 9 - Śiva’s incarnations as Yogācāryas < [Section 7.2 - Vāyavīya-saṃhitā (2)]
Chapter 5 - The nineteen incarnations of Śiva < [Section 3 - Śatarudra-saṃhitā]