Vasava, Vāsava, Vashava, Vāsavā: 27 definitions

Introduction:

Vasava means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi. 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: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Vāsava (वासव) is another name for Indra and refers to one of the eight guardians of the quarters, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.22. Accordingly as Śiva said to Sitā:—“[...] the different parts of the mountain Meru seem to be echoing the pleasing sweet sounds of bees etc. which cause the incitement of love of the guardians of the quarters viz. Indra, Kubera, Yama, Varuṇa, Agni, Nirṛti, Marut (Wind) and the Supreme lord (Īśa). Heaven, the abode of the Devas is stationed on the summits of the Meru wherein the cities of the guardians of the quarters are also situated. They are brilliant. Beautiful celestial damsels, Rambhā, Śacī, Menakā and others heighten their glory”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Vāsava (वासव).—Is Indra (s.v.) protects gems in the Kakudmān hill in Śālmalidvīpa: draws water for rain from Jaladhāra mountain in Śākadvīpa;1 overlord of the Maruts: killed the pupils of Sukarman for learning the saṃhitā on forbidden days: set up Vāyu to lead off Sagara's horse to Rasātala;2 son of Aditi, protects Prayāgā;3 gave by a vara two good disciples to Sukarma (s.v.) to pacify his anger at the loss of his pupils.4

  • 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 18. 44; 19. 42 and 86; Matsya-purāṇa 37. 2. and 7; Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 22. 6; V. 30. 46.
  • 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 35. 36; III. 8. 5; 28. 72; 53. 1; IV. 9. 5 and 19; 13. 30; 20. 49; Vāyu-purāṇa 70. 5.
  • 3) Matsya-purāṇa 104. 9; 134. 6; 244. 38.
  • 4) Vāyu-purāṇa 61. 32.

1b) A muhūrta of the after-noon;1 a deva of the Auttama Manu.2

  • 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 3. 39.
  • 2) Vāyu-purāṇa 62. 32; 66. 40.
Source: JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and places

Vāsava (वासव) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.63.30, I.63, I.60.16) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Vāsava) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

Purana book cover
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.

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Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Saṅgītaśiromaṇi

Vāsava (वासव, “supreme”) refers to one of the sixteen words that together make up the elā musical composition (prabandha), according to the Saṅgītaśiromaṇi 67-84. Elā is an important subgenre of song and was regarded as an auspicious and important prabandha (composition) in ancient Indian music (gāndharva). According to nirukta analysis, the etymological meaning of elā can be explained as follows: a represents Viṣṇu, i represents Kāmadeva, la represents Lakṣmī.

Vāsava is one of the sixteen words of elā and has a presiding deity named caṇḍikā (the passionate one) defined in the Saṅgītaśiromaṇi (“crest-jewel of music”), which is a 15th-century Sanskrit work on Indian musicology (gāndharvaśāstra).

Natyashastra book cover
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).

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Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

Source: Wikibooks (hi): Sanskrit Technical Terms

Vāsava (वासव).—The nakṣatra, Dhaniṣṭhā which is presided over by Vasu. Note: Vāsava is a Sanskrit technical term used in ancient Indian sciences such as Astronomy, Mathematics and Geometry.

Jyotisha book cover
context information

Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.

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Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Shodhganga: Iconographical representations of Śiva

Vāsava (वासव) or Vāsavāgama refers to one of upāgamas (supplementary scriptures) of the Aṃśumāgama which is one of the twenty-eight Siddhāntāgama: a classification of the Śaiva division of Śaivāgamas. The Śaivāgamas represent the wisdom that has come down from lord Śiva, received by Pārvatī and accepted by Viṣṇu. The purpose of revealing upāgamas (e.g., Vāsava Āgama) is to explain more elaborately than that of mūlāgamas (e.g., Aṃśumān-āgama) and to include any new idea if not dealt in mūlāgamas.

Shaivism book cover
context information

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.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Vāsava (वासव): Name of arrow of death, given by Indra to Karna.

In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

A name of Sakka. S.i.221, 223, 229 30, 234 7; D.ii.260, 274; SN.vs.384; DhA.iii.270; J.i.65, etc.; Cv.xxxvii.151, etc.

Several explanations are given of the title. In the Samyutta Nikaya (S.i.229; cp. DhA.i.264) it is said that when he was a human being, in his previous birth, he gave dwelling places (avasatham adasi) - hence the name.

According to the Digha Nikaya (D.ii.260), however, he is Vasava because he is chief of the Vasu (Vasunam settho), whom Buddhaghosa (DA.ii.690) calls Vasudevata.

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

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Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Vāsava (वासव) is the name of a king according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XIX).—“The A p’o t’o na king (Avadānasūtra) tells the following: Once in Jambudvīpa, there was a king named P’o sa p’o (Vāsava); at the same time, there was a Brahmin-bodhisattva named Wei lo ma (Velāma): he was the king’s teacher (śāstṛ) and he taught him to follow the rule of the noble cakravartin kings”.

Note: The Manoratha does not mention the name of the king of whom Velāma was the chaplain; according to the Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra, he was called Vāsava, a name well known in early legends (cf. Divyāvadāna)

Mahayana book cover
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.

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Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhism

1a) Vasava (वसव) is the name of a Tathāgata (Buddha) 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 Vasava).

1b) Vāsava (वासव) also refers to a group of deities summoned by the Yamāntaka-mantra and mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa.

2) Vāsavā (वासवा) refers to one of the female Śrāvakas mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
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.

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In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Jainism

Vāsava (वासव) is the name of a gandharva god according to the Digambara tradition, while the Śvetāmbara does not recognize this. The gandharvas refer to a category of vyantaras gods which represents one of the four classes of celestial beings (devas). The gandharvas have a golden appearance according to the Digambaras and the Tumbaru tree is their caitya-vṛkṣa (sacred-tree). They have a blackish complexion and are beautiful in appearance, have excellent physiognomy, sweet voices and are adorned with crowns and neckalces according to the Śvetāmbaras.

The deities such as Vāsava are defined in ancient Jain cosmological texts such as the Saṃgrahaṇīratna in the Śvetāmbara tradition or the Tiloyapaṇṇati by Yativṛṣabha (5th century) in the Digambara tradition.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Vāsava (वासव) refers to one of the ten sons of Vasu, the son of Abhicandra (an ancient king from Śaktimatī), according , according to the Jain Ramayana and chapter 7.2 [Rāvaṇa’s expedition of conquest] 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 Muni Nārada said to Rāvaṇa: “[...] Then King Vasu, destroyed by the gods who were angered by that falsehood, went to a terrible hell. Vasu’s sons, Pṛthuvasa, Citravasu, Vāsava, Śakra, Vibhāvasu, Viśvā-vasu, and the seventh, Śūra, and the eighth, Mahāśūra, seated at their father’s feet, were killed by the gods at that time from anger. The ninth son, Suvasu, fled to Nāgapura and Vasu’s tenth son, Bṛhaddhvaja went to Mathurā. Much ridiculed by the citizens, Parvata was banished from the city and was received by the Asura Mahākāla”.

General definition book cover
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.

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India history and geography

Source: Project Gutenberg: Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 1

Vasava is one of the gōtras (clans) among the Saluppans (the Tamil form of Janappan: a distinct caste developed from the Balijas). These Saluppans seem to have been called Janappan, because they manufactured gunny-bags of hemp (janapa) fibre. In Tamil they are called Saluppa Chettis, Saluppan being the Tamil form of Janappan.

India history book cover
context information

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

vāsava : (m.) the king of the gods.

Pali book cover
context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

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Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

vasavā (वसवा).—m Shadedness, shadiness, screened state from the sun. Ex. divyācyā vasavyānta basūṃ nayē; jhāḍā- cyā vasavyānta kāṃhīṃ hōta nāhīṃ. 2 Applied to the intercepting thing which causes the shade.

context information

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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vāsava (वासव).—a. (- f.) [वसुरेव स्वार्थे अण् वसूनि सन्त्यस्य अण् वा (vasureva svārthe aṇ vasūni santyasya aṇ vā)]

1) Relating to the Vasus.

2) Belonging to Indra; पाण्डुतां वासवी दिगयासीत् (pāṇḍutāṃ vāsavī digayāsīt) K.; वासवीनां चमूनाम् (vāsavīnāṃ camūnām) Meghadūta 45.

-vaḥ Name of Indra; स वासवेनासनसंनिकृष्टमितो निषीदेति विसृष्टभूमिः (sa vāsavenāsanasaṃnikṛṣṭamito niṣīdeti visṛṣṭabhūmiḥ) Kumārasambhava 3.2; R.5.5.

-vam The constellation Dhaniṣṭhā.

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

Vāsava (वासव).—(1) name of a former Buddha: Mahāvastu iii.233.3; (2) name of an ancient king, previous incarnation of Śaṅkha: Divyāvadāna 62.7 ff.; (3) name of another ancient king, vassal or neighbor of Dīpa: Divyāvadāna 246.13 ff.; (4) name of a yakṣa: Mahā-Māyūrī 20.

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

Vāsava (वासव).—m.

(-vaḥ) Indra. f. (-vī) The mohter of Vyasa. E. vasu a Vasu, aṇ aff.

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

Vāsava (वासव).—i. e. vasu + a, I. m. Indra, Chr. 22, 23. Ii. f. , The mother of Vyāsa. Iii. adj., f. , Belonging to Indra, [Meghadūta, (ed. Gildemeister.)] 44.

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

Vāsava (वासव).—1. [feminine] ī relating to or descended from the Vasus; [masculine] [Epithet] of Indra.

--- OR ---

Vāsava (वासव).—2. [feminine] ī belonging to Indra; [feminine] ī (±diś) his region, the east.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Vāsava (वासव) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—poet. Padyāvalī.

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

1) Vāśava (वाशव):—m. = vāsava, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

2) Vāsava (वासव):—mf(ī)n. ([from] 1. vasu) relating or belonging to the Vasus, derived or descended from them etc., [Atharva-veda; Taittirīya-saṃhitā; Kāṭhaka; Āśvalāyana-śrauta-sūtra]

3) relating or belonging to (king) Vasu, [Mahābhārata]

4) containing the word vasu [gana] vimuktādi

5) m. Name of Indra (as chief of the Vasus), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.

6) a son of (king) Vasu, [Mahābhārata]

7) (with indrasya) Name of a Sāman, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] of a poet, [Catalogue(s)]

8) mn. Name of the Nakṣatra Dhaniṣṭhā (presided over by the Vasus), [Sūryasiddhānta]

9) n. Name of a Sāman, [Ārṣeya-brāhmaṇa]

10) mf(ī)n. relating or belonging to Indra, [Kādambarī]

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

Vāsava (वासव):—(vaḥ) 1. m. Indra. f. Mother of Vyāsa.

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

Vāsava (वासव) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Vāsava.

[Sanskrit to German]

Vasava 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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Prakrit-English dictionary

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

Vāsava (वासव) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Vāsava.

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.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Vāsava (ವಾಸವ):—

1) [adjective] of or relating to Indra, the lord of gods.

2) [adjective] of or relating to Vasus, a class of gods.

--- OR ---

Vāsava (ವಾಸವ):—

1) [noun] Indra, the chief of gods.

2) [noun] the tree Cleistanthus collinus of Euphorbiaceae family; (?).

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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