Surashtra, aka: Surāṣṭra, Su-rashtra; 8 Definition(s)
Introduction
Surashtra means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi. 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 Surāṣṭra can be transliterated into English as Surastra or Surashtra, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana
1a) Surāṣṭra (सुराष्ट्र).—A western kingdom visited by Vidura from the Sarasvatī. Its king attacked the eastern side of Gomanta with Jarāsandha.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa II. 16. 62; Matsya-purāṇa 163. 72. Bhāgavata-purāṇa III. 1. 24; X 52. 11 [5].
1b) Of the south.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 45. 131.
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.
Arthashastra (politics and welfare)
Surāṣṭra (सुराष्ट्र).—In Kauṭilya’s Arthaśāstra, Surāṣṭras are mentioned as one of the corporations of warriors who lived by agriculture and trade. According to the Arthaśāstra the elephants of Surāṣṭra were inferior to those belonging to Aṅga and Kaliṅga.
(Source): archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions (artha)
Arthashastra (अर्थशास्त्र, arthaśāstra) literature concerns itself with the teachings (shastra) of economic prosperity (artha) statecraft, politics and military tactics. The term arthashastra refers to both the name of these scientific teachings, as well as the name of a Sanskrit work included in such literature. This book was written (3rd century BCE) by by Kautilya, who flourished in the 4th century BCE.
Kavya (poetry)
Surāṣṭra (सुराष्ट्र) is the name a locality mentioned in Rājaśekhara’s 10th-century Kāvyamīmāṃsā.—Kaṭhiāwāḍ and other portion of northern most Gujarat.
(Source): Shodhganga: The Kavyamimamsa of RajasekharaKavya (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’.
Itihasa (narrative history)
Surāṣṭra (सुराष्ट्र) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. III.86.16, VI.10.47, V.72.14, VIII.30.73) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Surāṣṭra) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
(Source): JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and placesItihasa (इतिहास, itihāsa) refers to ‘epic history’ and represents a branch of Sanskrit literature which popularly includes 1) the eighteen major Puranas, 2) the Mahabharata and 3) the Ramayana. It is a branch of Vedic Hinduism categorised as smriti literature (‘that which is remembered’) as opposed to shruti literature (‘that which is transmitted verbally’).
India history and geogprahy
Surāṣṭra (सुराष्ट्र) is place name ending in Rāṣṭra mentioned in the Gupta inscriptions. The Gupta empire (r. 3rd-century CE), founded by Śrī Gupta, covered much of ancient India and embraced the Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Surāṣṭra is used in plural while in it is [also] an adjective of avani (land). Surāṣṭra corresponds with Southern Kathiawar with its Prakrit name Soraṭh. Literally the name means a good country. It was so named probably on account of the naturalfertility of the land, Sorath is well known for rich crops of all kinds, and splendid cattle. Surāṣṭra is mentioned in the Junāgaṛh Rock Inscription of Rudradāman I (A.D. 150). It was governed by Puṣyagupta, under Candragupta Maurya and by a Yavana Tuṣāspa under Aśoka.
The Purāṇas and the Kāvyamīmāṃsā mention Surāṣṭra as a country in the west while the Bṛhatsaṃhitā mentions it as a country in the South. It may be due to the different geographical units made by the authors of the Kāvyamīmāṃsā and the Bṛhatsaṃhitā. Under Gupta emperors Bāmanasthalī (modern Banthali) was the capital of Surāṣṭra, before Valabhī became its capital. In the medieval period, in three directions, Bhavanagar, Porabandar and Somanath (the famous temple) were the limits of Surāṣṭra.
(Source): archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as 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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
surāṣṭra (सुराष्ट्र).—m S (The good territory or district.) The province of Surat.
(Source): DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarysurāṣṭra (सुराष्ट्र).—n The province of Surat.
(Source): DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-EnglishMarathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit-English dictionary
Surāṣṭra (सुराष्ट्र).—Name of a country on the western side of India (Surat). °जम् (jam) a kind of poison.
2) a sort of black bean (Mar. tūra). °ब्रह्मः (brahmaḥ) a Brāhmaṇa of Surāṣṭra.
Derivable forms: surāṣṭram (सुराष्ट्रम्).
Surāṣṭra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms su and rāṣṭra (राष्ट्र).
(Source): DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionarySanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family. 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 definitions
Search found 735 related definition(s) that might help you understand this better. Below you will find the 15 most relevant articles:
| Subhadra | Subhadra (सुभद्र).—To the west of Kuśinagara, not far off, is a stūpa. This is where Subhadra (... | |
| Subhaga | Subhaga (सुभग, “fortunate”) refers to one of the various kinds of Nāma, or “physique-... | |
| Sumeru | Sumeru (सुमेरु) is the name of a Vidyādhara according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 45. Acco... | |
| Sugriva | Sugrīva (सुग्रीव) participated in the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, on the side of the latter, a... | |
| Sukumara | Sukumāra (सुकुमार) refers to one of the ten varieties of “rice” (śāli) according to verse 25.60... | |
| Sugandha | 1) Sugandhā (सुगन्धा) is another name for Vandhyākarkoṭakī, a medicinal plant identified with M... | |
| Svastika | Svastika (स्वस्तिक) refers to a “design of religious significance” and represents one of the la... | |
| Sumukha | 1) Sumukha (सुमुख).—A nāga, son of Kaśyapa Prajāpati by his wife Kadrū. Sumukha was the grandso... | |
| Subahu | Subāhu (सुबाहु) participated in the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, on the side of the latter, as ... | |
| Rashtra | Rāṣṭra (राष्ट्र).—[rāj-ṣṭran Uṇ.4.167]1) A kingdom, realm, empire; राष्ट्रदुर्गबलानि च (rāṣṭrad... | |
| Surupa | Surūpā (सुरूपा).—A daughter of Viśvakarman. Priyavrata, son of Svāyambhuva Manu married Surūpā ... | |
| Sumana | Sumana (सुमन) refers to a “flower”, as mentioned in a list of eight synonyms, according to the ... | |
| Sumitra | Sumitrā (सुमित्रा) is the name of a Yakṣiṇī, as mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 108.... | |
| Sumati | 1) Sumati (सुमति) is the name of a minister (mantrin) of king Ugrabhaṭa from Rāḍhā, according t... | |
| Sukara | Sūkara (सूकर, “pig”) represents an incarnation destination of the tiryaggati (animal realm) acc... |
Relevant text
Search found 17 books and stories containing Surashtra, Surāṣṭra or Su-rashtra. You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Mahabharata - Third Book (by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa)
Section LXXXVIII < [Tirtha-yatra Parva]
The Ganesha Purana (abridged) (by Gregory Baily)
Chapter 6 - Arrival at Bhrigu’s Hermitage
Chapter 1 - The Description of Somakanta
Buddhist records of the Western world (Xuanzang) (by Samuel Beal)
Chapter 10 - Country of Su-la-ch’a (Surashtra) < [Book XI - Twenty-three Countries]
Chapter 9 - Country of ’O-nan-t’o-pu-lo (Anandapura) < [Book XI - Twenty-three Countries]
Chapter 11 - Country of Kiu-che-lo (Gurjara) < [Book XI - Twenty-three Countries]
List of Mahabharata tribes (by Laxman Burdak)
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Part 13: Birth of Vijaya < [Chapter II - Vāsupūjyacaritra]
Part 4: Conquest of Prabhāsatīrtha by Sagara < [Chapter IV - Conquest of Bharatavarṣa by Sagara]
Part 11: The founding of Dvārakā < [Chapter V - Birth of Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Ariṣṭanemi]
Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra (by Baudhāyana)