Vasudatta, Vasudattā: 7 definitions
Introduction:
Vasudatta means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara1) Vasudattā (वसुदत्ता) was the wife of Somadatta, a Brāhman from the city of Kauśāmbī, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara chapter 2. Accordingly, “She was the daughter of a hermit, and was born into the world in this position in consequence of a curse”. Together they had a son named Vararuci. Vararuci was an incarnation of Puṣpadanta (a subordinate of Śiva), who was cursed by Pārvatī for overhearing Śiva narrating the adventures of the seven vidhyādharas.
2) Vasudatta (वसुदत्त) is the name of a rich merchant, whose daughter was taken to be married to prince Devadatta, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 21. Their story is told by a Brāhman woman to Vāsavadattā in order to demonstrate that the hearts of women are hard as adamant in daring sin, but are soft as a flower when the tremor of fear falls upon them. Vāsavadattā is the queen-wife of Udayana (king of Vatsa).
3) Vasudatta (वसुदत्त) is the name of a previous human incarnation of Jīmūtavāhana, born as the son of a rich merchant named Mahādhana in the city Vallabhī, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 22. The tale of his previous incarnation was told by Jīmūtavāhana to Mitrāvasu (son of Viśvāvasu) for the sake of his curiosity.
4) Vasudatta (वसुदत्त) is the name of a virtuous king as well as the name of his city, according to the “story of Kīrtisenā and her cruel mother-in-law”, as mentioned to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 29. Accordingly, as Śiva spoke to a Rākṣasī “terrible one, thou art of high birth as belonging to the race of Khara and Dūṣaṇa; so go to the city of Vasudatta, not far from here. In that city there lives a great king named Vasudatta addicted to virtue; he defends this whole forest, dwelling on its border, and himself takes duties and chastises robbers. Now one day, while the king was sleeping in the forest, fatigued with hunting, a centipede quickly entered his ear unobserved. And in course of time it gave birth to many others inside his head. That produced an illness which now dries up all his sinews”.
5) Vasudatta (वसुदत्त), father of Viṣṇudatta, is the name of a Brāhman from Antarvedi according to the “story of the Brahman’s son Viṣṇudatta and his seven foolish companions”, as mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 32. Accordingly, “long ago there lived in Antarvedi a Brāhman named Vasudatta, and he had a son born to him named Viṣṇudatta. That Viṣṇudatta, after he reached the age of sixteen years, set out for the city of Valabhī in order to acquire learning. And there joined him seven other young Brāhmans his fellows; but those seven were fools, while he was wise and sprung from a good family”.
6) Vasudatta (वसुदत्त) is the name of a king whose strength is considered as equaling a half-power warrior (ardharatha), according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 47. Accordingly, as the Asura Maya explained the arrangement of warriors in Sunītha’s army: “... [Vasudatta, and others], are considered half-power warriors”.
7) Vasudatta (वसुदत्त) is the son of Śivadatta, a Brāhman from Hastināpura, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 74. Accordingly, as a Akṣakṣapaṇaka said to Bhīmabhaṭa: “... there lived in Hastināpura a Brāhman named Śivadatta, a very rich man, and I am his son, and my real name is Vasudatta. And in my youth I learnt skill in arms as well as in the Vedas”.
8) Vasudattā (वसुदत्ता) is the daughter of the merchant Dharmadatta from Harṣavatī, as mentioned in the third story of the Vetālapañcaviṃśati in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 77. Accordingly, “... and that merchant [Dharmadatta] had a daughter named Vasudattā, matchless in beauty, whom he loved more than his life. And she was given to an excellent young merchant named Samudradatta, equal to her in rank, distinguished for wealth and youth...”.
9) Vasudatta (वसुदत्त) is the name of a merchant (vaṇij) from Vakraloka, according to the nineteenth story of the Vetālapañcaviṃśati in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 93. Accordingly, “... and the next day she [Hiraṇyavatī] took that concealed wealth and went off with her daughter [Dhanavatī], and travelling along reached in course of time that city Vakrolaka. There she bought a house from a great merchant named Vasudatta, and lived in it with her daughter, Dhanavatī”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Vasudatta/Vasudattā, 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.
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’.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia1) Vasudattā (वसुदत्ता).—Mother of Vararuci. (See under Vararuci).
2) Vasudatta (वसुदत्त).—(VĀSUDEVA). Father of Sudevā, a woman who had taken rebirth as a hog. (See under Sudevā III).
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.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesWife of Padumuttara Buddha in his last lay life. Bu.xi.21.
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).
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryVasudatta (वसुदत्त).—name of a lay-disciple: Gaṇḍavyūha 51.9.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryVasudatta (वसुदत्त).—[masculine] ā [feminine] a man’s & woman’s name.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Vasudatta (वसुदत्त):—[=vasu-datta] [from vasu > vas] m. Name of various men, [Patañjali; Kathāsaritsāgara]
2) Vasudattā (वसुदत्ता):—[=vasu-dattā] [from vasu-datta > vasu > vas] f. Name of various women ([especially] of the mother of Vara-ruci), [Kathāsaritsāgara]
[Sanskrit to German]
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)
Starts with: Vasudattaka, Vasudattapura.
Full-text (+4): Vasula, Vasudattapura, Akshakshapanaka, Vishnudatta, Hiranyadatta, Kalinjara, Pulindaka, Mahadhana, Vallabhi, Shivadatta, Bhavananda, Karambaka, Vyadi, Citrangada, Antarvedi, Indradatta, Manovati, Agnishikha, Dharmadatta, Samudradatta.
Relevant text
Search found 9 books and stories containing Vasudatta, Vasudattā, Vasu-datta, Vasu-dattā; (plurals include: Vasudattas, Vasudattās, dattas, dattās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Part 2: Former births of Rāvaṇa, Sītā, Lakṣmaṇa, Sugrīva, Bhāmaṇḍala, Lavaṇa and Aṅkuśa < [Chapter X - Rāma’s mokṣa (emancipation)]
Part 10: Rāma’s life as a monk < [Chapter X - Rāma’s mokṣa (emancipation)]
The Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)
Chapter 47 - The Story of Vasudatta and His Daughter Sudevā < [Section 2 - Bhūmi-khaṇḍa (section on the earth)]
Chapter 6 - Diti’s Wailing < [Section 2 - Bhūmi-khaṇḍa (section on the earth)]
Chapter 5 - The Consecration of Indra < [Section 2 - Bhūmi-khaṇḍa (section on the earth)]
The Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King (A Life of Buddha) (by Samuel Beal)
Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story) (by Somadeva)
Chapter XXIX < [Book VI - Madanamañcukā]
Notes on the story of Kīrtisenā < [Notes]
Chapter LXXVII < [Book XII - Śaśāṅkavatī]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
The Great Chronicle of Buddhas (by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw)
Buddha Chronicle 10: Padumuttara Buddhavaṃsa < [Chapter 9 - The chronicle of twenty-four Buddhas]
Part 2 - The Story of Prince Bodhi < [Chapter 26 - The Buddha’s Eighth Vassa at the Town of Susumaragira]