The Sanskrit term Varṣavalāhaka can be transliterated into English as Varsavalahaka or Varshavalahaka, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture

Varṣavalāhaka (वर्षवलाहक) refers to “rain-clouds”, according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly, [as the Bhagavān teaches an offering manual]: “A wax Garuḍa should be made. [...] It should be shown towards all winds, thunderbolts, cold spells and rain-clouds (varṣavalāhaka). It stops these in a moment. Thunderbolts do not fall. for seven and a half yojanas all around in the four directions. Cold spells and untimely winds do not prevail again. All are stopped. [...]”.

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: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Varṣavalāhaka (वर्षवलाहक).—pl. (= Pali Vassa-va°), with deva-putra, a class of gods: Lalitavistara 273.10 (written Varṣabal°); Mahāvastu iii.324.7; Divyāvadāna 127.19; Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya i.243.21; compare s.v. Manda- valāhaka (note 3 in Waldschmidt).

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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Varsha, Valahaka.

Full-text: Mandavalahaka, Atmospheric deity, Cloud god.

Relevant text

Search found 1 books and stories containing Varshavalahaka, Varṣavalāhaka, Varsha-valahaka, Varsavalahaka, Varṣa-valāhaka, Varsa-valahaka; (plurals include: Varshavalahakas, Varṣavalāhakas, valahakas, Varsavalahakas, valāhakas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)

Chapter XXIX - From Uruvilvā to Benares < [Volume III]

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