Svacchanda, Svacchamda: 21 definitions
Introduction:
Svacchanda means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Svachchhanda.
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In Hinduism
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) is a Sanskrit name referring to one of the eight manifestations of Asitāṅga, who is a form of Bhairava. According to the Rudrayāmala, there are eight main forms of Bhairava who control the eight directions of this universe. Each form (e.g., Asitāṅga) has a further eight sub-manifestations (e.g., Svacchanda), thus resulting in a total of 64 Bhairavas.
When depicting Svacchanda according to traditional iconographic rules (śilpaśāstra), one should depcit him (and other forms of Asitāṅga) with golden complexion and having good looking limbs; he should carry the triśūla, the ḍamaru, the pāśa and the khaḍga. The word Śilpaśāstra refers to an ancient Hindu science of arts and crafts, dealing with subjects such as painting, sculpture and iconography.
Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) is the name of an Āgama or Tantra mentioned in the Kakṣapuṭatantra verse 1.5-7.—“At a previous time, when Pārvatī asked him, Śaṅkara told of the attainments of vidyā in the wide worldly life, in various ways. I observed each teaching taught also by the troops of Gods, Siddhas (those who have attained supernatural power), Munis (saints), Deśikas (spiritual teachers), and Sādhakas (tantric practicioners). They are [, for example]: Svacchanda... I shall carefully extract all the above-mentioned āgamas, which are transmitted from mouth to mouth, like butter extracted from coagulated milk”.
1) Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) or Svacchandabhairava (in Jayantika) refers to one of the “seven Bhairavas”, according to the Vārāṇasīmāhātmya 1.53-54.—Cf. The “eight Bhairavas” (originating from the blood of Andhaka when Śiva strikes him correspond with a set of eight Bhairavas), according to the Vāmanapurāṇa 44.23-38ff.
2) Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) refers to “arbitrary (endeavour)”, according to Utpaladeva’s Vivṛti on Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā 1.5.6.—Accordingly, “To begin with, as far as agents of ordinary human practice are concerned, it is on [the basis of] mere phenomena that [they] manage to an ascertainment in which [they necessarily] engage [in their ordinary activities]; so this pondering over an unperceived reality that is [supposedly] something more [than phenomena and the consciousness manifesting them] is a [purely] arbitrary endeavour (svacchanda-ceṣṭita). [...]”.
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) refers to “one’s own will”, 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 10.7cd-17ab, while describing the worship of Bhairavī and Bhairava]—“[Bhairavī] has the appearance of vermillion or lac. [...] [She is] called Icchāśakti [and she] moves toward union with one’s own will (svacchanda-utsaṅga-gāminī). Having celebrated this form, [the mantrin] thinks of her as Aghoreśī. In all Tantras [this] is taught and secret. It is not made clear. My abode is visible by anyone on earth, [but] difficult to obtain. [...]”.
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
1) Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) refers to “one who is free”, representing an aspect of Mahādeva, according to the Devīpañcaśataka, an important source of the Kālīkrama that developed in Kashmir after the Kālī Mata of the Jayadrathayāmala.—Accordingly, “The Great God—Mahādeva—is beyond Śakti, supreme bliss, free of qualities and supports, unchanging, supreme, pure, free of cause and (without) example, present within all existing things, beyond the Void, free of defects, omnipresent, the doer of all things, free [i.e., svacchanda], full of nectar and, unconditioned, is present in all living beings. [...]”.
2) Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) refers to one of the spiritual disciplines (darśana—systems) issued from the limbs of the body of the Goddess, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—[...] All spiritual disciplines, whatever the tradition, are necessarily grounded in the same energy of the Śāmbhava state. They issue, as the texts put it, from the limbs of the body of the goddess who is this energy. These range from the lowest extremity—the left big toe—where Buddhism originates, to the highest—the End of Sixteen—where the Śāmbhava state is attained which is the source of the Kubjikā tradition. The systems (darśana) and their corresponding places of origin in the Goddess’s body are as follows: [7) Svacchanda (school)—middle of the mouth—mukhamadhya, ...].
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) refers to “(that light which shimmers) spontaneously”, 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). [...]”.
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.
Sports, Arts and Entertainment (wordly enjoyments)
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) refers to “wilfulness” (in matters relating to carnality), according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, “[...] Wise men speak of that wife as a wife who has auspicious marks and who knows the fine arts, who is clever, who is loved by her husband, and who is young and modest. [...] Wealth is obtained by virtue; from wealth emanate desires, and the fulfilment of all desires can be obtained by means of a good wife alone and of nobody else. Therefore, a loving wife is the best fruit of the tree of virtue. Therefore one should by all means try to keep her in good humour by giving up wilfulness (svacchanda) in matters relating to carnality [svacchandācaraṇaṃ hitvā kāmasaṃvedanādiṣu]. [...]”.
This section covers the skills and profiencies of the Kalas (“performing arts”) and Shastras (“sciences”) involving ancient Indian traditions of sports, games, arts, entertainment, love-making and other means of wordly enjoyments. Traditionally these topics were dealt with in Sanskrit treatises explaing the philosophy and the justification of enjoying the pleasures of the senses.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) refers to the “free elephants” (i.e., wild elephants playing freely in their habitat), according to the 15th century Mātaṅgalīlā composed by Nīlakaṇṭha in 263 Sanskrit verses, dealing with elephantology in ancient India, focusing on the science of management and treatment of elephants.—[Cf. chapter 11, “On the keeping of elephants and their daily and seasonal regimen”]: “2. On mountain ridges, in the water of mountain torrents, in lotus pools and rivers, ever remembering how he played freely (svacchanda) with elephant cows in the midst of the jungle [svacchandena kareṇukābhiraṭavīmadhyeṣu vikrīḍitam], an elephant, dejected and beset with manifold troubles, is unwilling to eat stalks of white sugar cane, etc., though repeatedly placed before him”.
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.
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) refers to “freely (wandering about)” (like a madman), according to the Aṣṭāvakragītā (5th century BC), an ancient text on spirituality dealing with Advaita-Vedānta topics.—Accordingly, [as Janaka says to Aṣṭavakra]: “[...] Realising my supreme self-nature in the Person of the Witness, the Lord, and the state of desirelessness in bondage or liberation, I feel no inclination for liberation. The various states of one who is empty of uncertainty within, and who outwardly wanders about as he pleases (svacchanda-cārin) [antarvikalpaśūnyasya bahiḥ svacchandacāriṇaḥ] like a madman, can only be known by someone in the same condition”.
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).
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) refers to “he who acts according to his own desire” and is used to describe Śiva, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.5.26 (“The Vanishing of Viṣṇu’s delusion”).—[Cf. ityākarṇya maheśo hi vacanaṃ tridivaukasām | pratyuvāca mahālīlassvacchandastānkṛtāṃjalīn]
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) is the name of a Bhairava deity [i.e., oṃ svacchandabhairavāya svāhā], according to the Vāruṇī Pūjā [i.e., Varuni 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.
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
svacchanda (स्वच्छंद).—m (S) One's own will or fancy. The implication in the several uses of this word is, that this will is wayward or devious. Mostly used in the oblique cases. Ex. tyācē svacchandāsa ālēṃ tara tō karīla dusaṛyācē sāṅgaṇyānēṃ karāyācā nāhīṃ. 2 It is also used both as a & ad. Ex. kāya tō gulāma svacchanda tyāsīṃ bōlūñca nayē; hā alīkaḍē svacchanda vāgūṃ lāgalā; i.e. wilful, heady, set upon following his own inclination; or wilfully, headlong, perversely &c. The Maraṭhi pronoun āpalā, although the pleonasm is in no measure elegant, is constantly used and by all classes of speakers both with this compound of sva and with numerous others. (See svanāma,svabhāva, svarupa, svahita &c.) Ex. hā ātāṃ āpalyāca svacchandānēṃ vāgūṃ lāgalā lavakara nāśa pāvēla.
svacchanda (स्वच्छंद).—m One's own will or fancy. a, ad Wilful, headlong.
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
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द).—mfn.
(-ndaḥ-ndā-ndaṃ) 1. Unrestrained, uncontrolled, self-willed. 2. Spontaneous. 2. Uncultivated. m.
(-ndaḥ) Own fancy, own choice, independence. E. sva own, and chanda inclination; also svacchandaka mfn.
(-kaḥ-kā-kaṃ).
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द).—1. [masculine] one’s own will or choice, independence; °— & tas at will, spontaneously, freely.
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Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द).—2. [adjective] independent, spontaneous, free, [neuter] [adverb]
1) Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द):—[=sva-cchanda] [from sva] a m. o°’s own or free will, o°’s own choice of fancy ([in the beginning of a compound], dāt, dena, or da-tas, ‘at o°’s own will or pleasure’, ‘spontaneously’, ‘independently’, ‘freely’), [Upaniṣad; Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] Name of [work]
3) [v.s. ...] mf(ā)n. following o°’s own will, acting at pleasure, independent, uncontrolled, spontaneous (am ind.), [Yājñavalkya; Kāvya literature; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā] etc.
4) [v.s. ...] mf(ā)n. uncultivated, wild, [Horace H. Wilson]
5) [v.s. ...] m. Name of Skanda, [Atharva-veda.Pariś.]
6) [=sva-cchanda] b etc. See p. 1275, col. 2.
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द):—
1) m. eigener —, freier Wille: svacchando tra vidhīyatām [Rāmāyaṇa 1, 39, 11.] svacchande na vayaṃ sthitāḥ [34, 28.] svacchandena nach eigenem Gefallen, aus eigenem Antriebe [CŪLIKOP.] in [Weber’s Indische Studien 9, 13.] [Harivaṃśa 7017.] [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 1, 40, 11.] svacchandāt dass. [Mahābhārata 9, 3347.] [Rāmāyaṇa 1, 2, 34 (33 Gorresio). 3, 48, 4.] svacchandatas dass. [Mahābhārata 13, 7793.] —
2) adj. (f. ā) seinem eigenen Willen folgend, nach eigenem Gutdünken verfahrend [Amarakoṣa 3, 1, 15. 16] (a). [3, 4, 25, 194.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 355.] [Halāyudha 2, 224. 5, 47.] [Spr. (II) 3808.] [AṢṬĀV. 18, 21.] [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka 24, 5.] [Kathāsaritsāgara 33, 184.] yaśas (als belebt gedacht) [Kathāsaritsāgara 22, 253.] vom eigenen Willen abhängig, unbeschränkt: bhramaṇa [Spr. (II) 578. 5539.] śakti [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 3, 24, 33. 25, 3. 8, 6, 26.] [KUSUM. 42, 8.] —
3) m adv. nach eigenem Gefallen, aus eigenem Antriebe [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 2, 234.] [Spr. (II) 3808, v. l. 5850. 7170.] [AṢṬĀV. 18, 85.] [Gītagovinda 1, 46.] [Chandomañjarī 69.] —
4) am Anfange eines comp. = svacchandena oder svacchandam. pathagā gaṅgā [Rāmāyaṇa 1, 36, 17 (37, 18 Gorresio).] maraṇa [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 1, 67, 11.] cara [35, 26.] cārin [Spr. (II) 57. 4381.] [AṢṬĀV. 14, 4.] [Kathāsaritsāgara 18, 252. fg.] svacchandācaraṇa [DAŚAR. 4, 31] [?= Sāhityadarpana 199.] hārin [PAÑCAR. 4, 8, 78.] vanajātena śākena von selbst im Walde gewachsen [Spr. (II) 7271.] —
5) Titel eines Werkes [HALL 197. fg.] — Vgl. svācchandya
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Sacchaṃda.
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.
Hindi dictionary
Svacchaṃda (स्वच्छंद) [Also spelled swachchhand]:—(a) self-willed; unrestrained; ~[cara/cārī] moving at will, arbitrary; ~[cāritā] arbitrariness, movement at will; ~[tā] arbitrariness; absence of restraint, liberum arbitrium; ~[tāvāda/~tāvāditā] Romanticism; ~[tāvādī] Romanticist; romantic.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Svacchaṃda (ಸ್ವಚ್ಛಂದ):—
1) [adjective] subject to caprices; tending to change abruptly and without apparent reason; erratic; flighty; capricious.
2) [adjective] self-motivated; inspired from within.
3) [adjective] that is not processed, not refined; crude; coarse; uncultured.
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Svacchaṃda (ಸ್ವಚ್ಛಂದ):—
1) [noun] the tendency of behaving at one’s will or capriciously.
2) [noun] the power, right or liberty of choosing; option.
3) [noun] a man who is not under another’s arbitrary control.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Svacchanda (स्वच्छन्द):—adj. 1. following one's own will; self-willed; 2. unrestrained; uncontrolled; free; independent; spontaneous; wild (as emotions;);
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: Shva.
Starts with (+9): Svacchamdachamda, Svacchamdagami, Svacchamdamiltu, Svacchamdapravritti, Svacchanda-upabhogena, Svacchandabhairava, Svacchandabhairavarasa, Svacchandabhairavatantra, Svacchandabhattarakabrihatpujapattrikavidhi, Svacchandacara, Svacchandacari, Svacchandacarini, Svacchandaceshtita, Svacchandagati, Svacchandamarana, Svacchandamrityuka, Svacchandanaya, Svacchandanayaka, Svacchandapaddhati, Svacchandapataka.
Full-text (+518): Svacchandam, Svacchandacari, Svacchandabhairava, Asvacchanda, Svacchandatantra, Svacchandanayaka, Svacchandashaktagama, Svacchandasamgraha, Svacchandya, Svacchandata, Svacchandacarini, Svacchandamarana, Svacchandacara, Mrityuka, Svacchandamrityuka, Svacchandanaya, Svacchandapaddhati, Svacchandatas, Svacchandabhairavarasa, Svacchandatantraraja.
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Search found 50 books and stories containing Svacchanda, Sva-cchanda, Svacchamda, Svacchaṃda; (plurals include: Svacchandas, cchandas, Svacchamdas, Svacchaṃdas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Svacchandatantra (history and structure) (by William James Arraj)
Svacchandatantra, chapter 1 (Summary) < [Summaries]
Svacchandatantra, chapter 13 (Summary) < [Summaries]
Svacchandatantra, chapter 9 (Summary) < [Summaries]
Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latikā (by Sarasvati Thkura)
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 331 < [Hindi-Gujarati-English Volume 3]
Page 332 < [Hindi-Gujarati-English Volume 3]
Page 491 < [Hindi-Malayalam-English Volume 1]
Gita-govinda of Jayadeva (comparative study) (by Manisha Misra)
14. Comparison of the hero < [Chapter 6 - A comparative analysis of literary merits of both the works]
12. Rhetorical comparison < [Chapter 6 - A comparative analysis of literary merits of both the works]
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 3.5.5 < [Part 5 - Conjugal Love (mādhurya-rasa)]
Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
Text 2.7 < [Chapter 2 - The Natures of Words (śabda)]