Svayamprabha, Svayamprabhā, Svayam-prabha: 12 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Purana
2. Kavya
In Jainism
1. General definition
Languages
1. Sanskrit
See also
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Introduction:

Svayamprabha means something in 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

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Wisdom Library: Varāha-purāṇa

Svayamprabhā (स्वयम्प्रभा) is the name of a beautiful damsel (kanyā), with black curly hair and red lips, according to the Varāhapurāṇa chapter 92. Svayamprabhā (and other innumerable ladies) arose out of the agitation of Vaiṣṇavī while she was doing penance at Viśālā. For these young women, Vaiṣṇavī created the city Devīpura, containing numerous mansions with golden balconies, crystal stairs and water fountains, with jewelled windows and gardens.

Vaiṣṇavī is the form of Trikalā having a red body representing the energy of Viṣṇu. Trikalā is the name of a Goddess born from the combined looks of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara (Śiva).

The Varāhapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, and was originally composed of 24,000 metrical verses, possibly originating from before the 10th century. It is composed of two parts and Sūta is the main narrator.

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Svayamprabhā (स्वयम्प्रभा).—A daughter of Maya, an asura. Two daughters named Svayamprabhā and Somaprabhā were born to Mayāsura. From birth Svayamprabhā became a celibate. Nalakūbara the son of Vaiśravaṇa married Somaprabhā.

Svayamprabhā, the celibate, became the maid of Rambhā. (For the rest of the story, see under Rāma Para 25). (Kathāsaritsāgara, Madanamañcukālambaka, Taranga 3).

context information

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: Kathāsaritsāgara

Svayamprabhā (स्वयम्प्रभा) is the elder daughter of the Asura Maya (the younger being named Somaprabhā), as mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 29. Accordingly, inquired by Kaliṅgasenā about her name and lineage, Somaprabhā answered: “my sister and I [Somaprabhā] are the two daughters of that Maya. My elder sister, named Svayamprabhā, follows a vow of virginity, and lives as a maiden in my father’s house”.

Svayamprabhā (स्वयम्प्रभा) is mentioned as the wife of Trailokyamālin in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 118. Accordingly, “... and then Svayaṃprabhā, the wife of Trailokyamālin, began austerities in order to bring about the welfare of her imprisoned husband, and in the same way her daughters, Trailokyaprabhā and Tribhuvanaprabhā, began austerities for the welfare of their father.”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Svayamprabhā, 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.

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’.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Jainism

1) Svayamprabha (स्वयम्प्रभ) is one of the four Añjana-mountains situated in the western direction of the central part of Nandīśvaradvīpa, according to Jain cosmology. It has a black colour and on the top are temples of the Arhats (tīrthaṅkaras), decorated with jewelled platforms (maṇipīṭhikā), diases (devacchandaka) and statues (śāśvata-bimba) of Ṛṣabha, Vardhamāna, Candrāmana and Vāriṣeṇa in the paryaṅka posture.

The Svayamprabha mountain lies in Nandīśvaradvīpa, which is one of the continents (dvīpa) of the middle-world (madhyaloka) and is mentioned in ancient Jaina canonical texts dealing with cosmology and geography of the universe. Examples of such texts are the Saṃgrahaṇīratna in the Śvetāmbara tradition or the Tiloyapannatti and the Trilokasāra in the Digambara tradition.

2) Svayamprabha (स्वयम्प्रभ) is the wife of Pratiśruti, who is a kulakara (law-giver) according to Śvetāmbara sources. The kulakaras (similair to the manus of the Brahmanical tradition) figure as important characters protecting and guiding humanity towards prosperity during ancient times of distress, whenever the kalpavṛkṣa (wishing tree) failed to provide the proper service.

These law-givers and their wifes (e.g., Svayamprabhā) are listed in various Jain sources, such as the Bhagavatīsūtra and Jambūdvīpaprajñapti in Śvetāmbara, or the Tiloyapaṇṇatti and Ādipurāṇa in the Digambara tradition.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

1a) Svayamprabhā (स्वयम्प्रभा) is the name of a Goddess in the Īśāna heaven, as mentioned in chapter 1.1 [ādīśvara-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly, as Mahābala (i.e., previous incarnation of Ṛṣabha) incarnated in the Īśāna heaven:—

“There the lord of Śrīprabha, greatly delighted, saw a goddess, Svayamprabhā by name, who surpassed the lightning in radiance

[Physical description of Svayamprabhā]: She was like a bed of lotuses in a river of loveliness under the guise of exceedingly tender feet, hands, eyes, and face. She had round and tapering thighs like Puṣpadhanvan’s quivers that had been deposited. She was adorned with broad hips clothed in-white, like a river with a sandy beach covered with groups of kalahaṃsas. She looked like the middle part of a thunderbolt with her waist very slender as if from carrying the weight of her high, swelling breasts. She shone with a neck that had three folds, and a deep voice announcing the great victory of King Love as if by a conch. She was adorned with lips that surpassed the bimba (in redness), and with a nose that had the beauty of the stalk of the eye-lotuses. She stole away the heart by her lovely smooth cheeks and forehead that stole the wealth of the Lakṣmī of the full moon divided. She had ears that were thieves of the grace of Ratipati’s pleasures-wing, eye-brows that stole the beauty of Smara’s bow.

[Decorative description of Svayamprabhā]: She was decorated with a braid of hair that had the glossy beauty of collyrium, that was like a circle of bees following her lotus-face. From the wealth of jeweled ornaments on her body, she gave the impression of a kalpa-creeper endowed with motion. She was entirely surrounded by thousands of charming lotus-faced Apsarases, like the Gaṅgā by rivers”.

1b) Svayamprabhā (स्वयम्प्रभा) is the daughter of king Jvalanajaṭin Vāyuvegā, according to chapter 4.1 [śreyāṃsanātha-caritra].—Accordingly, “Jvalanajaṭin’s chief-queen was named Vāyuvegā, the supreme abode of Prīti, slow in gait like a swan. By this queen a son, who was named Arkakīrti from the sight of a sun in a dream, was borne to the king. In time he had a daughter, also, named Svayamprabhā, because of the sight in a dream of a digit of the moon by whose own light the sky was made white. The king established Arkakīrti, when he was grown, as his heir-apparent, long-armed, Mount Hima to the Gaṅgā of fame. [...]”.

2a) Svayamprabha (स्वयम्प्रभ) refers to one of the Añjana mountains, according to chapter 1.2.—Accordingly, after the Jina’s bath: “[...] The Indra Bali also descended to the Añjana mountain, named Svayamprabha from its beautiful clouds, located in the west. He likewise made a festival purifying the eyes of the gods to the eternal images of Ṛṣabha, etc. His Dikpālas also made a festival to the eternal images on the lofty Dadhimukha Mountains in its lakes. [...]”.

2b) Svayamprabha (स्वयम्प्रभ) is the name of an ancient Muni, according to chapter 5.2 [śāntinātha-caritra].—Accordingly:—“The two brothers (i.e., Aparājita and Anantavīrya), with their fair and dark bodies looked like autumn- and rainy season-clouds that had met in one place. [...] One day Muni Svayamprabha, endowed with various supernatural powers, came there and stopped in a certain garden. [...] While he (i.e., King Stimitasāgara) rested a moment, he saw in front of him the Muni at the foot of an aśoka, engaged in meditation, standing in pratimā. Horripilation appeared at once from devotion as if from extreme cold, and the king circumambulated and paid homage to the Muni. [...]”.

2c) Svayamprabha (स्वयम्प्रभ) or Svayamprabhapura is the name of an ancient city, according to the Jain Ramayana and chapter 7.1 [origin of the rākṣasavaṃśa and vānaravaṃśa].—Accordingly, “The lord of Jambūdvīpa [i.e., Anādṛta] asked Rāvaṇa’s forgiveness. For humble submission is atonement for a sin against the great. The Yakṣa, expert, made a city, Svayamprabha, for Rāvaṇa, as if wishing to make atonement for hindering. When they heard of his subduing of vidyās, his parents, sister, and kinsmen came there and paid homage. [...]”.

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

Svayamprabha (स्वयम्प्रभ).—a. self-shining.

Svayamprabha is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms svayam and prabha (प्रभ).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Svayaṃprabha (स्वयंप्रभ).—name of a former Buddha: Mahāvastu iii.237.2.

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

Svayamprabha (स्वयम्प्रभ).—m.

(-bhaḥ) A Jaina of the future era. E. svayam self, prabha illustrious.

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

Svayaṃprabha (स्वयंप्रभ).—[adjective] self-shining.

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

1) Svayamprabha (स्वयम्प्रभ):—[=svayam-prabha] [from svayam > sva] mfn. self-shining, [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa; Bhāgavata-purāṇa]

2) [v.s. ...] m. (with Jainas) Name of the fourth Arhat of the future Utsarpiṇī, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

3) Svayamprabhā (स्वयम्प्रभा):—[=svayam-prabhā] [from svayam-prabha > svayam > sva] f. Name of an Apsaras, [Mahābhārata]

4) [v.s. ...] of a daughter of Hemasāvarṇi, [Rāmāyaṇa]

5) [v.s. ...] of a daughter of Maya, [Kathāsaritsāgara]

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

Svayamprabha (स्वयम्प्रभ):—[svaya-mprabha] (bhaḥ) 1. m. A Jina of the future era.

[Sanskrit to German]

Svayamprabha in German

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.

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Search found 13 books and stories containing Svayamprabha, Svayamprabhā, Svayam-prabhā, Svayaṃprabha, Svayam-prabha, Svayaṃprabhā, Svaya-mprabha; (plurals include: Svayamprabhas, Svayamprabhās, prabhās, Svayaṃprabhas, prabhas, Svayaṃprabhās, mprabhas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Part 6: Fourth incarnation as Amitatejas < [Chapter I - Five previous incarnations]

Part 20: Rivalry for Svayamprabhā < [Chapter I - Śreyāṃsanāthacaritra]

Part 3: The childhood of Aparājita and Anantavīrya < [Chapter II - Sixth incarnation as Aparājita]

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Chapter CXIX < [Book XVII - Padmāvatī]

Chapter CXVIII < [Book XVII - Padmāvatī]

Chapter XXIX < [Book VI - Madanamañcukā]

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Story of Maya

Story of Rambhā