The Sanskrit term Varṣadhara can be transliterated into English as Varsadhara or Varshadhara, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra

Varṣadhara (वर्षधर) is a type of inhabitant (inmate) of the royal harem of a king, according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 34. Accordingly, “persons of poor vitality, who are clever and are hermaphrodites and have feminine nature, but have not been defective from birth, are called Varṣadharas. The Varṣadharas should be employed in errands relating to love-affairs”.

Note: The word varṣadhara often wrongly read as varṣavara literally means “one whose seminal discharge has been arrested.”

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture

Varṣadhāra (वर्षधार) refers to “emitting a shower”, according to the 2nd-century Meghasūtra (“Cloud Sutra”) in those passages which contain ritual instructions.—Accordingly, “[...] with [this] ‘Heart of the snakes;’ the cloud-monarchs too must be depicted, emitting a shower (varṣadhāra), and rubbing against one another; at the end masses of rain-birds and lightning are to be painted; and parched rice canopied by the swastika, also fish and flesh, and honey-food without curds, and a sumptuous offering must be made there. [...]”

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Varṣadhara (वर्षधर).—

1) a cloud.

2) a eunuch, an attendant on the women's apartments; (varṣadharṣa in the same sense). See वर्षवर (varṣavara).

3) the ruler of a Varṣa; वर्षधराभिवादिताभि- वन्दितचरणः (varṣadharābhivāditābhi- vanditacaraṇaḥ) Bhāgavata 5.3.16; also वर्षप-पति (varṣapa-pati).

4) a mountain bounding a Varṣa.

Derivable forms: varṣadharaḥ (वर्षधरः).

Varṣadhara is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms varṣa and dhara (धर).

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

Varṣadhāra (वर्षधार).—name of a nāga: Mahāvyutpatti 3349.

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

Varṣadhara (वर्षधर).—m.

(-raḥ) 1. An eunuch or attendant on the women’s apartments. 2. A cloud. E. varṣa rain and dhara what holds.

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

Varṣadhara (वर्षधर).—[varṣa-dhara], m. 1. A cloud. 2. An eunuch, [Pañcatantra] 43, 5; 53, 2.

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

Varṣadhara (वर्षधर).—[masculine] eunuch (lit. restrainer of rain, i.e. of semen).

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

1) Varṣadhara (वर्षधर):—[=varṣa-dhara] [from varṣa] m. ‘rain-holder’, a cloud, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

2) [v.s. ...] a mountain bounding a Varṣa, [Śatruṃjaya-māhātmya]

3) [v.s. ...] the ruler of a Varṣa, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]

4) [v.s. ...] ‘withholding generative fluid’, a eunuch, attendant on the women’s apartments, [Kāvya literature; Pañcatantra etc.]

5) Varṣadhāra (वर्षधार):—[=varṣa-dhāra] [from varṣa] m. Name of a serpent demon, [Buddhist literature]

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

Varṣadhara (वर्षधर):—[varṣa-dhara] (raḥ) 1. m. A eunuch or attendant on the women’s apartments.

[Sanskrit to German]

Varshadhara 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.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Varṣadhara (ವರ್ಷಧರ):—

1) [noun] a cloud that has water in it.

2) [noun] a castrated man, appointed as a watchman, guard in a harem.

context information

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

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Varsha, Dhara, Tara.

Starts with: Varshadharadhara.

Ends with: Mahavarshadhara.

Full-text: Varshavara, Dharshavara, Jambudvipa, Shikharin.

Relevant text

Search found 4 books and stories containing Varshadhara, Varṣadhara, Varsadhara, Varsha-dhara, Varṣa-dhara, Varsa-dhara, Varṣadhāra, Varṣa-dhāra; (plurals include: Varshadharas, Varṣadharas, Varsadharas, dharas, Varṣadhāras, dhāras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary) (by Vijay K. Jain)

Verse 3.11 - The six mountain chains < [Chapter 3 - The Lower World and the Middle World]

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Natyashastra (English) (by Bharata-muni)

Chapter XXXIV - Types of Characters (prakṛti)

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Bhagavati-sutra (Viyaha-pannatti) (by K. C. Lalwani)

Chapter 3-30: On men in the isles in the Salt Ocean < [Book 9]

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Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala (study) (by Shri N. M. Kansara)

Appendix 16 - Index of characters in the Tilakamanjari

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