Vaishampayana, Vaisampayana, Vaiśampāyana: 18 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
In Buddhism
1. Tibetan Buddhism
Languages
1. Sanskrit
2. Prakrit
3. Kannada
See also
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Introduction:

Vaishampayana 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.

The Sanskrit term Vaiśampāyana can be transliterated into English as Vaisampayana or Vaishampayana, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Wisdom Library: Itihasa

Vaishampayana was the first narrator (not composer) of the Mahabharata. He told (recited) the chapters (slokas) of the Mahabharata to King Janamejaya during his snake sacrifice. Vaishampayana was an important and intelligent disciple of Vyasa (who composed the Bharata)

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन).—General information. A prominent disciple of Vyāsa. It is mentioned in Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 1, that the main disciples of Vyāsa were Asita, Devala, Vaiśampāyana, Sumantu, Jaimini, Paila and some others. (See under Bhārata). Other details.

(i) It was Vaiśampāyana who told the story of Bhārata composed by Vyāsa, to King Janamejaya. (Mahābhārata Ādi Parva, Chapter 1, Stanza 20).

(ii) Vaiśampāyana told Janamejaya the story of Bhārata at the instruction of Vyāsa. (Mahābhārata Ādi Parva, Chapter 60, Verse 22).

(iii) Vaiśampāyana praised Mahābhārata and spoke of its greatness. (Mahābhārata Ādi Parva, Chapter 62, Stanza 12).

(iv) Once Vaiśampāyana was overpowered by ignorance, and he killed a Brahmin. It is mentioned in Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 6, Stanza 36, that in spite of it he attained heaven. (See full article at Story of Vaiśampāyana from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन) is the name of a Sage (Muni) who once attended a great sacrifice by Dakṣa, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.27. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] once a great sacrifice was started by Dakṣa, O sage. To partake in that sacrifice, the celestial and terrestrial sages and Devas were invited by Śiva and they reached the place being deluded by Śiva’s Māyā. [Vaiśampāyana, ...] and many others along with their sons and wives arrived at the sacrifice of Dakṣa—my son”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन).—A pupil of Vyāsa in charge of the yajus; was taught Nigada (Yajurveda). His pupils were Carakādhvaryus. Yājñavalkya was one of the pupils; was also a Paurāṇika.¹ A Śrutaṛṣi, divided the Yajur Veda into 86 parts and distributed them among his 86 pupils;² did not attend the Meru conference and ordered his pupils to take to Brahma vidyā.³

1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa I. 4. 21; XII. 6. 52 and 61; XII. 7. 5. Vāyu-purāṇa 60. 13; 61. 5.
2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 1. 13; 33. 5; 34. 13; 35. 8-9, 20-22.
3) Vāyu-purāṇa 61. 14-16.

1b) A sage who was invited for the Rājasūya of Yudhiṣṭhīra.^*

* Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 74. 8.

1c) The sage who cursed king Janamejaya; questioned by Śaunaka for light on rituals conducive to realisation of one's desires.^*

* Matsya-purāṇa 50. 58; 93. 1; Vāyu-purāṇa 99. 251.

1d) Of Bhārgava gotra.^*

* Matsya-purāṇa 195. 24.

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

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन) is the son Śukanāsa, the minister of king Tārāpīḍa from Ujjayinī, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara (story of king Sumanas).—Jābāli’s story was as follows: Tārāpīḍa, King of Ujjayinī, won by penance a son, Candrāpīḍa, who was brought up with Vaiśampāyana, the son of his minister, Śukanāsa. In due time Candrāpīḍa was anointed as Crown Prince, and started on an expedition of world-conquest. At the end of it he reached Kailāsa, and, while resting there, was led one day in a vain chase of a pair of Kinnaras to the shores of the Acchoda Lake.

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’.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: archive.org: Vedic index of Names and Subjects

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन, ‘descendant of Viśaṃpa’) is the name of a teacher, famous later, but in the earlier Vedic literature known only to the Taittirīya-āraṇyaka (i. 7, 5) and the Gṛhya-sūtras.

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Vaiśampāyana (वैशंपायन): A celebrated sage who was the original teacher of the Black Yajur-Veda. He was a pupil of the great Vyasa, from whom he learned the Mahabharata, which he afterwards recited to King Janamejaya at a festival.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhism

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन) refers to one of the various Ṛṣis (sages) and Mahārṣis (great sages) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Vaiśampāyana).

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन).—Name of a celebrated pupil of Vyāsa; जनमेजयेन पृष्टः सन् ब्राह्मणैश्च सहस्रशः । शशास शिष्यमासीनं वैशम्पायन- मन्तिके (janamejayena pṛṣṭaḥ san brāhmaṇaiśca sahasraśaḥ | śaśāsa śiṣyamāsīnaṃ vaiśampāyana- mantike) || Mb. [It was he who made Yājñavalkya 'disgorge the whole of the Yajurveda he had learnt from him which was picked up by his other pupils in the form of Tittiris or partridges; and hence the Veda was called 'Taittirīya'. Vaīśampāyana was celebrated for his great skill in narrating Purāṇas, and is said to have recounted the whole of the Mahābhārata to king Janamejaya].

Derivable forms: vaiśampāyanaḥ (वैशम्पायनः).

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

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन).—m.

(-naḥ) A sage, the original teacher of the Yajur-Veda, and narrator of the Mahabharata to Janambjaya.

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

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन).—m. The name of a Muni or sage, Mahābhārata 1, 97; 107.

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

Vaiśaṃpāyana (वैशंपायन).—[masculine] [Name] of an ancient Ṛṣi etc.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Vaiśaṃpāyana (वैशंपायन) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—
—[commentary] on the Sabhāparvan of the Mahābhārata. He quotes Devasvāmin. Burnell. 184^a. He is mentioned by Arjunamiśra W. p. 104.

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

1) Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन):—m. ([patronymic] [from] viśam-pa) Name of an ancient sage (teacher of the Taittirīya-saṃhitā q.v.; in epic poetry a pupil of Vyāsa and also the narrator of the Mahā-bhārata to Janam-ejaya), [Gṛhya-sūtra; Taittirīya-āraṇyaka] etc. (cf. [Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams 371 n. 1])

2) of an author, [Catalogue(s)]

3) of a son of Śuka-nāsa (transformed into a parrot), [Kādambarī]

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

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन):—(naḥ) 1. m. A sage, teacher of the Yajur Veda.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Vaisaṃpāyaṇa.

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.

Prakrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary

Vaisaṃpāyaṇa (वैसंपायण) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Vaiśampāyana.

context information

Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Vaiśaṃpāyana (ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನ):—

1) [noun] name of a sage who narrated, and hence originator of a version of, Mahābhārata, and a pupil of the sage Vyāsa.

2) [noun] name of an ancient author of a law-book.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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