Suryamandala, Surya-mandala, Suryamamdala, Sūryamaṇḍala: 18 definitions
Introduction:
Suryamandala means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
In Hinduism
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल):—One of the four maṇḍalas that make up the Khecarīcakra, according to the kubjikāmata-tantra. This maṇḍala consists of a ring of twenty-four petals, each containing another maṇḍala, which together represent twenty-four pīthas (“sacred sites”) and the seat of twenty-four Khecarīs (“Sky Goddesses”).
This is the list of the twenty-four pīthas (sacred sites) and the corresponding presiding khecarīs (goddesses) in brackets:
- Aṭṭahāsa (Saumyā or Saumyāsyā or Kadambā),
- Caritrā (Kṛṣṇā or Kṛṣṇāsyā or Siddhidā or Susiddhā),
- Kolāgiri (Mahālakṣmī),
- Jayantī (Jvālāmukhī),
- Ujjayinī or Ekāmraka (Mahāmāyā),
- Prayāga (Vāyuvegā),
- Vārāṇasī (Ūrdhvakeśī or Śāṅkarī),
- Śrīkoṭa or Devīkoṭa (Karṇamoṭī),
- Virajā (Ambikā),
- Airuḍī (Agnivaktrā),
- Hastināpura (Piṅgākṣī),
- Elāpura (Kharāsyā),
- Kāśmarī or Narmada (Gokarṇā),
- Marudeśa (Kramaṇī),
- Caitrakaccha or Bhṛgunagara or Nagara (Bimbakacchapā or Cetrakasthā),
- Puṇḍravardhana (Cāmuṇḍā),
- Parastīra (Prasannāsyā),
- Pṛṣṭhāpura (Vidyunmukhī),
- Kuhudī (Mahābalā or Mahākeśī),
- Sopāra (Agnivaktrā or Agnivadanā or Vahnyānanā or Agnijvālā or Agnijihvā),
- Kṣīrika (Lokamātā),
- Māyāpurī (Kampinī),
- Āmrātikeśvara (Pūtanā or Pavanā),
- Rājagṛha (Bhagnanāsā).
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
1) Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल) refers to the “[pure] zone of the sun”, as mentioned in the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.7. Accordingly:—“[...] At the bidding of Śiva, the god of fire sent forth her [viz., Sandhyā’s] body to the pure [śuddha] zone of the sun (sūryamaṇḍala). The sun severed her body into two halves and placed the same on his own chariot for the propitiation of the Pitṛs and the Devas. O great sage, the upper half of her body became the Prātaḥ Sandhyā (dawn) which is at the beginning or in the middle of a day and night. The lower half of her body became the Sāyaṃsandhyā (dusk) which is in the middle of a day and night. The period is always pleasing to the manes. Before the sunrise, when the day breaks, the period is called Prātaḥsandhyā. It delights the Gods. When the sun has set and assumed the hue of a red lotus, the period of Sāyaṃsandhyā sets in. It is delightful to the manes”.
2) Sūryamanḍala (सूर्यमन्डल) refers to the “solar sphere” (through which one should break through in order to attain the highest region), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.5.22 (“Description of Jalandhara’s Battle”).—Accordingly, as Jalandhara said to the Daityas: “[...] Death in battle is preferrable. It yields all cherished desires. It is especially conducive to fame. It has been proclaimed as the bestower of salvation too. The wandering recluse of supreme knowledge and wisdom as well as he who dies fighting face to face, attain the greatest region after breaking through the solar sphere (sūryamanḍala) [sūryasya maṃḍalaṃ bhittvā]. [...]”.
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल).—Seen after 1000 years in the 27th Kalpa; all yogas and mantras came out of this.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 21. 65.
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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल) refers to the “Sun’s orb”, according to Kāśīnātha Upādhye’s Dharmasindhu, a commentary on the Rāma Daivajña’s Muhūrtacintāmaṇi (an astrological work).—Accordingly, “[...] The water clock [i.e., ghaṭīyantra], thus calibrated, should be placed in a copper basin or clay basin, full of water, when half of the Sun’s orb [i.e., sūryamaṇḍala-ardha] has risen or set. There this sacred formula is recited. ‘You have been created long time ago by Brahmā as the foremost among the [time measuring] instruments. For the sake of the state of [their] becoming a married couple you be the means of measuring time’. With this sacred formula, preceded by the worship of Gaṇeśa and Varuṇa, the bowl should be placed [on the water in the basin]. If the bowl thus placed moves to the south-east, south, south-west, or north-west of the basin, it is not auspicious. If it stays in the middle, or moves to other directions, it is auspicious. Likewise, if it fills [and sinks] in the five directions starting from the southeast, it is not auspicious. Thus the discussion of the water clock. [...]”.
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल) refers to the “circle of the sun”.—Internally, within the yogic body, just as the seats of the eight Mothers can be worshipped in the Wheel of Mothers (mātṛcakra) in the heart, these sacred sites may also be worshipped in the Circle of the Sun (sūryamaṇḍala). This Circle, and those of the Moon and Fire that are further in, surround the triangular Yoni in the core of the Wheel of the Skyfaring goddesses (khecarīcakra), which is the highest station of ascent. The sites are arranged on the petals of the lotus in four groups of six. [...]
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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल) refers to the “sphere of the sun”, according to the Amṛtasiddhi, a 12th-century text belonging to the Haṭhayoga textual tradition.—Accordingly, “The sphere of the sun (sūryamaṇḍala) is at the base of the Central Channel, complete with twelve digits, shining with its rays. The lord of creatures (Prajāpati), of intense appearance, travels upwards on the right. Staying in the pathways in the spaces in the channels it pervades the entire body. The sun consumes the lunar secretion, wanders in the sphere of the wind and burns up all the bodily constituents in all bodies”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल) refers to a “Sun Mandala”, 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, “Oṃ Āḥ Hūṃ manifest emptiness in the left palm. Oṃ emptiness within, a red five petaled lotus above the left hand, a sun mandala (sūryamaṇḍala) in the center, By transforming the letter Vaṃ, by transforming the knife, create the same mandala of Vajravārāhī.”.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमंडल).—n (S) The region of the sun; the region supposed to exist around the sun, constituting a lok or heaven of which the sun is the regent.
sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमंडल).—n-lōka m The region of the sun.
Marathi 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 dictionary
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल).—the orb of the sun.
Derivable forms: sūryamaṇḍalam (सूर्यमण्डलम्).
Sūryamaṇḍala is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms sūrya and maṇḍala (मण्डल).
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल) or Sūryyamaṇḍala.—n.
(-laṃ) The orb or disc of the sun. E. sūrya and maṇḍala circle.
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल).—m. or n. the disk of the sun, [Sāvitryupākhyāna] 7, 1.
Sūryamaṇḍala is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms sūrya and maṇḍala (मण्डल).
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल).—[neuter] the orb of the sun.
1) Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल):—[=sūrya-maṇḍala] [from sūrya > sūr] m. Name of a Gandharva, [Rāmāyaṇa]
2) [v.s. ...] n. the orb or disc of the sun, [Taittirīya-āraṇyaka; Maitrī-upaniṣad etc.]
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल):—[sūrya-maṇḍala] (laṃ) 1. n. Disk of the sun.
Sūryamaṇḍala (सूर्यमण्डल):—
1) m. Nomen proprium eines Gandharva [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 2, 100, 45.] —
2) n. die Sonnenscheibe [Taittirīyāraṇyaka 1, 7, 3. 6.] [MAITRYUP. 6, 30] [?(= Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 3, 167). Bhāgavatapurāṇa 5, 7, 12. 7, 10, 57.]
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Sūryamaṃḍala (ಸೂರ್ಯಮಂಡಲ):—[noun] the disc of the sun.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Sūrya-maṇḍala (सूर्य-मण्डल):—n. 1. solar system; 2. the orb or disc of the sun;
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Surya, Mandala.
Starts with (+0): Suryamandalapratibhasottamashri.
Full-text (+64): Surya-mandal, Ri lun, Saptagana, Suryyamandala, Suryaloka, Saumyasya, Jathara, Bhrigunagara, Agnivadana, Geya-cakra, Cetrakastha, Vahnyanana, Mahakeshi, Agnijihva, Pavana, Krishnasya, Susiddha, Siddhida, Agnijvala, Mandala.
Relevant text
Search found 41 books and stories containing Suryamandala, Surya-mandala, Sūrya-maṇḍala, Suryamamdala, Sūryamaṃḍala, Sūryamaṇḍala; (plurals include: Suryamandalas, mandalas, maṇḍalas, Suryamamdalas, Sūryamaṃḍalas, Sūryamaṇḍalas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
108 Tirupathi Anthathi (English translation) (by Sri Varadachari Sadagopan)
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Shishupala-vadha (Study) (by Shila Chakraborty)
Knowledge of Vedāṅga-śāstras in the Śiśupālavadha < [Introduction]
Brahma Sutras (Govinda Bhashya) (by Kusakratha das Brahmacari)
Adhikarana 5: The Departure of the Enlightened Soul < [Adhyaya 4, Pada 2]