Sphurat: 14 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Shaktism
2. Shaivism
3. Shaiva philosophy
4. Kavya
5. Vedanta
In Buddhism
1. Tibetan Buddhism
In Jainism
1. General definition
Languages
1. Sanskrit
See also

Introduction:

Sphurat 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.

In Hinduism

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to “radiant”, representing a quality of the Goddess, according to Tantric texts such as the Kubjikāmata-tantra, the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—According to the Ādisūtra (chapter thirteen of the Kularatnoddyota) we find a reference to the inner Moon. We are told that it is above the Cavity of Brahmā [i.e., brahmarandhra] but not exactly where. In the same vague terms the Kularatnoddyota says that the lunar nectar is within ‘the moonlight’ (candrikā) and this, according to the Kumārikākhaṇḍa, is the form of the goddess Amā. Emerging from the body of the god, the Goddess, free of impurity (amala) is divine, radiant (sphurat) awakened consciousness (avabodha).

Source: archive.org: Shakti and Shakta

Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to “movement (of the lips and tongue)”, according to the Jñānārṇava-tantra, XX.—Accordingly, “Japa is defined as vidhanena mantroccāraṇaṃ, that is (for default of other more suitable words), the utterance or recitation of Mantra according to certain rules. Japa may however be of a nature which is not defined by the word, recitation. It is of three kinds namely, vācika-japa, upāṃśu-japa, mānasa-japa. [...] Upāṃśu-japa is less gross and therefore superior to this. Here the Mantra is not uttered (avyakta) but there is a movement of the lips and tongue (sphurat-vaktra) but no articulate sound is heard. [...]”.

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (shaktism)

Sphurat (स्फुरत्) or Saṃsphurat refers to “shimmering”, according to the King Vatsarāja’s Pūjāstuti called the Kāmasiddhistuti (also Vāmakeśvarīstuti), guiding one through the worship of the Goddess Nityā.—Accordingly, “[...] I seek refuge with the glorious goddess Sundarī, the benefactress of prosperity, the secret heart, whose heart is soaked with compassion. She is blazing with an utmost tenacity steeped in joy, and consequently beaming with plenteous light that shimmers spontaneously (svacchanda-saṃsphurat). [...]”.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions

Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to “flashing” (e.g., ‘that beauty which flashes on one’s body’), according to the Halāyudhastotra verse 34-35.—Accordingly, “The visitation of the wives of the distinguished sages in the Pine Park, the oblation with seed in Fire, the twilight dance: Your behaviour is not reprehensible. O Three-eyed one! The doctrines of the world do not touch those who have left worldly life, having passed far beyond the path of those whose minds are afflicted by false knowledge. The gods all wear gold and jewels as an ornament on their body. You do not even wear gold the size of a berry on your ear or on your hand. The one whose natural beauty, surpassing the path [of the world], flashes (sphurat) on his own body (sphurati sahajaṃ yasya saundaryam aṅge), has no regard for the extraneous ornaments of ordinary men”.

Source: SOAS University of London: Protective Rites in the Netra Tantra

1) Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to “quivering (of the moon)”, according to the Netratantra of Kṣemarāja: a Śaiva text from the 9th century in which Śiva (Bhairava) teaches Pārvatī topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.—Accordingly, [verse 3.17-23, while describing a meditation on Amṛteśa in his form as Mṛtyujit]—“And so now, having constructed the amṛtāmudrā or the padmamudrā, [the Mantrin] should meditate on the Ātman. [...] One should think of him [dressed in] white clothes and ornaments, [draped in] a radiant garland of pearls, bulbs like moonlight, etc., his body is anointed with white sandalwood and dust-colored powdered camphor. In he middle of the somamaṇḍala, [he is] bathed in thick, abundant waves of amṛta [that make the] moon quiver (sphurat-candrāmṛta). [...]”.

2) Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to a “gleaming (crown)” (of rubies).—Accordingly, [verse 13.1-9, while describing the appearance and worship of Viṣṇu, in the form of Nārāyaṇa]—“He should always think of the four-armed Nārāyaṇa arising. [...] Deva bears divine garments [and] sits atop a divine flower [i.e., a lotus]. [He is] decorated with a gleaming crown of rubies (sphurat-mukuṭa-māṇikya), a small bell, and a net [and] wears heavenly earrings. [...]”.

context information

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.

Shaiva philosophy

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (philosophy)

Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to “(becoming) manifest”, according to the Īśvarapratyabhijñāvivṛtivimarśinī 1.93.—Accordingly, “Even though for a [follower of] Sāṅkhya, the twenty-five principles are manifest (sphurat) [as the universe], to begin with, experience, that is, immediate perception, consists in nothing but this: the sole five elements and consciousness—and nothing more. This is why for the master [Bhartṛhari], the universe is [entirely] explained as soon as the six elements are explained—it is with this intention that he has undertaken their Examination (Samīkṣā). [...]”.

context information

Kavya (poetry)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (kavya)

Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to “gleaming (fruits and buds)”, according to Bāṇa’s Kādambarī (p. 225-226).—Accordingly, while describing the shire of the Goddess Caṇḍikā, “[Then follows the image of the Goddess Caṇḍikā, which matches the conception of Kālarātri in the passage from the Mahābhārata:] [...] she was adorned in garlands of bilva-leaves furnished with gleaming (sphurat) fruits and buds anointed with red sandalwood, that were like hanging garlands of infant-heads; she expressed cruelty with limbs worshipped with clusters of kadamba flowers ruddy with blood, which horripilated, it seemed, at the thrill of the flavour of the keen roar of drums during the animal-offering; [...]”.

context information

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’.

Vedanta (school of philosophy)

Source: Wikisource: Ashtavakra Gita

Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to “one who shines” (with the radiance of Infinity), according to the Aṣṭāvakragītā (5th century BC), an ancient text on spirituality dealing with Advaita-Vedānta topics.—Accordingly, [as Aṣṭavakra says to Janaka]: “[...] There are no rules, dispassion, renunciation or meditation for one who is pure receptivity by nature, and admits no knowable form of being? For him who shines (sphurat) with the radiance of Infinity and is not subject to natural causality [sphurato'nantarūpeṇa prakṛtiṃ ca na paśyataḥ] there is neither bondage, liberation, pleasure nor pain. [...]”.

context information

Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to “gleaming (immortality)”, according to the Guru-maṇḍala-arcana [i.e., “Guru Mandala Worship]” ritual often performed in combination with the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, which refers to the primary pūjā and sādhanā practice of Newah Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhists in Nepal.—Accordingly, “A red twilight, producing a sharp essence, an edge as bright as seven suns, A knife killing all enemies, a gleaming immortal striker (sphurat-amṛta-ghanā) held by the right arm”.

context information

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: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Sphurat (स्फुरत्) refers to “trembling (mouths)”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “On the earth even the lord of the snakes with a thousand trembling mouths (sphurat-vaktrasahasra) is not able to describe clearly the entire power of the doctrine. Those who have adopted a heterodox doctrine, lacking in [knowledge of the highest] reality, proclaim various doctrines. They are not aware of the reality of things because they are not competent to examine that [doctrine]”.

context information

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: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Sphurat (स्फुरत्).—a. Throbbing, shining &c.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Sphurat (स्फुरत्).—mfn. (-ran-rantī-rat) 1. Quivering, trembling, shaking, throbbing. 2. Expanding, swelling. 3. Going, moving. 4. Going tremulously. 5. Darting. E. sphur to swell, &c., aff. śatṛ .

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

Sphurat (स्फुरत्):—[from sphur] mfn. ([present participle] [Parasmaipada]) trembling, shaking etc. (See root and cf. [compound])

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

Sphurat (स्फुरत्):—[(n-ntī-t) a.] Quivering, shaking; swelling; moving, darting.

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.

Relevant text

Search found 21 books and stories containing Sphurat; (plurals include: Sphurats). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Verse 2.23.2 < [Chapter 23 - The Killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa During the Rāsa-dance Pastime]

Verse 2.19.6 < [Chapter 19 - The Rāsa-dance Pastime]

Verse 1.2.44 < [Chapter 2 - Description of the Abode of Śrī Goloka]

+ 37 more chapters / show preview

Rig Veda 1.84.8 < [Sukta 84]

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Verse 2.3.34 < [Chapter 3 - Bhajana (loving service)]

Verse 2.3.148 < [Chapter 3 - Bhajana (loving service)]

Verse 2.3.61 < [Chapter 3 - Bhajana (loving service)]

+ 1 more chapters / show preview

Text 10.256 < [Chapter 10 - Ornaments of Meaning]

Text 4.32 < [Chapter 4 - First-rate Poetry]