Vatapi, Vātāpi, Vātāpī: 17 definitions

Introduction:

Vatapi means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Tamil. 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: Puranic Encyclopedia

1) Vātāpi (वातापि).—A giant. See under Agastya, Para 5, for the story of how this asura was eaten along with his food by Agastya.

2) Vātāpi (वातापि).—A notorious asura (demon) born to Prajāpati Kaśyapa by his wife Danu. (Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapter 65, Stanza 28).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Vātāpi (वातापि).—A son of Hrāda, and Dhamanī: fought with the sons of Brahmā in the Devāsura war;1 a Saimhikeya Asura.2

  • 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa VI. 18. 15; VIII. 10. 32.
  • 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 6. 19; Vāyu-purāṇa 68. 19.

1b) A nephew of Hiraṇyakaśipu, eaten up by Agastya;1 a son of Vipracitti.2

  • 1) Matsya-purāṇa 6. 26; 61. 51.
  • 2) Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 21. 11.
Source: JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and places

Vātāpi (वातापि) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.59.28, I.65) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Vātāpi) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

Purana book cover
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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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Kavya (poetry)

Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

Vātāpi (वातापि) is the name of a Dānava who was reborn as Prajñāḍhya: one of the minister of Sūryaprabha, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 45. Accordingly, as Kaśyapa said to Maya, Sunītha and Sūryaprabha: “... and the other Asuras, who were your companions, have been born as his friends; for instance,... the Dānava named Vātāpi is now his minister Prajñāḍhya”.

The story of Vātāpi was narrated by the Vidyādhara king Vajraprabha to prince Naravāhanadatta in order to relate how “Sūryaprabha, being a man, obtain of old time the sovereignty over the Vidyādharas”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Vātāpi, 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 book cover
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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’.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: Apam Napat: Indian Mythology

Vatapi was the younger brother of the Daitya Ilvala, the ruler of the city of Manimati. He was a shape-shifter. His brother was denied a boon by the sage Agastya, and hence the brothers became the enemies of Brahmanas.

When any Brahmana guest arrived at the palace, Vatapi would transform into a ram. Ilvala would then cause the meat of this ram to be served to the unsuspecting guest. Once the Brahmana had eaten his fill, Ilvala would utter a magical incantation, and say, "O Vatapi, come out!". Vatapi would then emerge whole and alive from the belly of the guest, killing that Brahmana in that process.

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Vatapi : Vatapi and Ilvala, two Rakshasas, sons either of Hrada or Viprachitti. They are mentioned in the Ramayana as dwelling in the Dandaka forest.

India history and geography

Source: archive.org: Geography in Ancient Indian inscriptions

Vātāpī (वातापी).—The city of Vātāpī is represented by modern Badami, sixty-five miles south of Bijapur, in Mysore State. It lay picturesquely at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills on its north and south. About three miles from the city flowed the Malaprabhā, which falls into Krishna at Kapilā-Saṅgama.

Vātāpī is the first city which may claim the distinction of being the capital of a great empire after the passing away of the Sātavāhanas. Badami inscription of 543 A.D. records the making of the best hill of Vātāpī into on unconquerable fortress. In Aihole ioscriptioo, it is represented as a newly married woman. In Chiplun Plates, Kīrtivarman I is described as the first makerof Vātāpī.

Source: Archaeological Survey of India: Śaiva monuments at Paṭṭadakal

Vātāpi (वातापि).—Bādāmi was known in the local language as Vātāpi, although Ptolemy mentions it as Badaimio. Bādāmi is the vernacular form of Vātāpi in Sanskrit.

Vātāpi, according to the sthalamāhātmya, is the name of a demon that was killed by Sage Agastya. Vātāpi and Ilvala were two demon brothers. They prayed to Brahmins to get their blessings in order to get a son like Indra. But their prayers were refused by the Brahmins. So as a revenge, both of them began their foul play. Ilvala would transform Vātāpi into a sheep, cut him into pieces, prepare dishes and serve them to the Brahmins. After the consumption of the food Ilvala would call back Vātāpi and the latter would come out by tearing off the stomachs of Brahmins.

Once, Sage Agastya tapped on their door with a desire to get some financial aid. As was their wont, before granting him what he desired, they served him the food. Knowing their villainous play, the Sage ate the food and, before Ilvala could call his brother back, said “be digested, you Vātāpi”. On coming to know that their secret would be disclosed, Ilvala begged pardon and promised that he would no longer trouble Brahmins. This event, according to the Māhātmya, took place at Bādāmi. And Bādāmi is the Kannaḍisation of the Sanskrit term Vātāpi. This episode is also related in Vanaparva of Mahābhārata and in Araṇyakāṇḍa in Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa.

India history book cover
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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

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vātāpi (वातापि).—Name of a demon said to have been eaten up and digested by Agastya.

Derivable forms: vātāpiḥ (वातापिः).

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

Vātāpi (वातापि).—m.

(-piḥ) The name of an Asura devoured by Agastya. E. vāta wind, to drink, aff. ki, and āṅ prefixed.

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

Vātāpi (वातापि).—m. The name of an Asura devoured by Agastya, [Rāmāyaṇa] 3, 49, 49, sqq.; Mahābhārata 3, 8619.

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

Vātāpi (वातापि).—[adjective] swelling by wind, fermenting, or having the wind as ally (Soma); [masculine] [Name] of an Asura.

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

1) Vātāpi (वातापि):—[from vāta > vā] mfn. (āpi [from] ā-√pyai) w°-swelled, fermenting, [Ṛg-veda i, 187, 8]

2) [v.s. ...] m. ([from] āpi, ‘friend, ally’) ‘having the w° as an ally’, Name of an Asura (son of Hrāda; he is said to have been devoured by the Muni Agastya), [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc. (also pin)

3) Vātāpī (वातापी):—[from vātāpi > vāta > vā] f. Name of a town (also called pi-purī), [Inscriptions]

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

Vātāpi (वातापि):—(piḥ) 2. m. An Asur devoured by Agastiya.

[Sanskrit to German]

Vatapi in German

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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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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Vātāpi (ವಾತಾಪಿ):—

1) [noun] name of town, now called Badāmi, in Bijāpura district of Karnāṭaka.

2) [noun] name of a mythological demon.

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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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Tamil dictionary

Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil Lexicon

Vātāpi (வாதாபி) noun < Vātāpi.

1. An Asura said to have been destroyed by Agastya; அகஸ்திய முனிவனாற் கொல்லப்பட்ட ஓர் அசுரன். [agasthiya munivanar kollappatta or asuran.]

2. See வாதாவி [vathavi], 2.

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Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.

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