Vayumandala, Vāyumaṇḍala, Vayu-mandala, Vayumamdala: 10 definitions
Introduction:
Vayumandala means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. 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 EncyclopediaVāyumaṇḍala (वायुमण्डल).—A son of the hermit Maṅkaṇaka. See para 3, under Maṅkaṇaka.
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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (yoga)Vāyumaṇḍala (वायुमण्डल) refers to the “sphere of the wind”, according to the Amṛtasiddhi, a 12th-century text belonging to the Haṭhayoga textual tradition.—Accordingly, “The sphere of the sun is at the base of the Central Channel, complete with twelve digits, shining with its rays. The lord of creatures (Prajāpati), of intense appearance, travels upwards on the right. Staying in the pathways in the spaces in the channels it pervades the entire body. The sun consumes the lunar secretion, wanders in the sphere of the wind (vāyumaṇḍala) and burns up all the bodily constituents in all bodies”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
Source: Shodhganga: Kasyapa Samhita—Text on Visha Chikitsa (p)Vāyumaṇḍala (वायुमण्डल) refers to one of the Pañcabhūtamaṇḍala or “five bhūta-maṇḍalas describing the forms of Garuḍa”, according to the second chapter of the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā (Toxicology).—Accordingly, text text dictates that a Garuḍa-upāsaka, the aspirant, must meditate on Garuḍa of the following form—The Kāśyapasaṃhitā describes the different forms of Garuḍa in the five bhūta-maṇḍalas on which the aspirant has to meditate upon to cure the snake-bite victim from the poison which could have killed him. Garuḍa as the Vāyu element, the lord of air, black in colour he is seated in a hexagon with bindu. In the Vāyumaṇḍala, meditating on Garuḍa, the vāhana of Viṣṇu, seated in the eight-petalled lotus, with eight shoulders, holding in his hands, the conch, discus, nectar, snake, sāla and muṣṭi, the fierce daṇḍāyudha decimate the poison and its spread.
Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraVāyumaṇḍala (वायुमण्डल) refers to the “circle of wind”, according to a note at Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 51.—According to the canonical sūtras (Dīgha; Kośavyākhyā), the earth (pṛthivī) rests upon the water (udaka) or Circle of waters (abmaṇḍala); the water or Circle of waters rests on wind (vāyu); the wind rests on space (ākāśa); space does not rest upon anything.—In this summary, there is no mention of gold (kañcana) or diamond (vajra). Later scholasticism, particularly that of the Sarvāstivādins (Kośa; Kośabhāṣya) gives more details:
Resting on space, there arises below, by the force of the actions of beings, the Circle of wind (vāyumaṇḍala): it is 1,600,000 leagues (yojana) high, immeasurable in circumference, solid (dṛḍha) to the extent of being unable to be cut into by Vajra ‘thunderbolt, or diamond’. Superimposed on the Circle of wind (vāyumaṇḍala), the Circle of waters (abmaṇḍala), 1,120,000 yojanas high. But after a certain time, stirred by the winds that create the power of actions, the water becomes gold (kāñcana) in its upper part, just as boiled milk becomes cream.
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.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara SamadhiVāyumaṇḍala (वायुमण्डल) refers to the “Mandala of the wind element”, according to the Guru Mandala Worship (maṇḍalārcana) ritual often performed in combination with the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, which refers to the primary pūjā and sādhanā practice of Newah Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhists in Nepal.—Accordingly, “Oṃ in the middle of mantra inhabited ground, arisen of the four seeds, yaṃ, etc., a maṇḍala of the great elements, wind (vāyumaṇḍala), fire, water, and earth [e.g., mahābhūtaṃ vāyvagnijalāvanimaṇḍalopari], Above that, (arising from) the letter suṃ, is the merumaṇḍala, Above that, on a jeweled lion-throne, lotus, and a lunar-disc, Śrī Vajrasattva, two arms, one face, white color, Holding a vajra (and) vajra-bell, (and) adorned wearing various colors, Bearing a monk’s headdress, (and) a sapphire Akṣobhya adorned crown, Thus imagine the worshipful guru[...]”.
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.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: TrisastisalakapurusacaritraVāyumaṇḍala (वायुमण्डल) refers to one of the four Maṇḍalas (or Ākāras) for the breath, as mentioned in chapter 1.5 [ādīśvara-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.
Note: There are 4 maṇḍalas, or ākāras, for the breath: vāyu, pṛthvī, jala, agni. The favorableness, or unfavorableness, of each maṇḍala depends on various circumstances. [...]. This subject is treated in the Svarodayaśāstras.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryVāyumaṇḍala (वायुमण्डल).—a whirl-wind.
Derivable forms: vāyumaṇḍalam (वायुमण्डलम्).
Vāyumaṇḍala is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms vāyu and maṇḍala (मण्डल).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Vāyumaṇḍala (वायुमण्डल):—[=vāyu-maṇḍala] [from vāyu] m. Name of one of the 7 Ṛṣis (See -cakra), [Mahābhārata]
2) [v.s. ...] n. a whirlwind, [ib.]
[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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusVāyumaṃḍala (ವಾಯುಮಂಡಲ):—[noun] the gaseous envelope (air) surrounding the earth; atmosphere.
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: Mandala, Vayu.
Full-text: Damdayudha, Garala, Vatamandala, Vishnuratha, Dalashtaka, Vatamandali, Pancabhutamandala, Ratha, Pancabhuta, Bhishana, Bhutamandala, Vajrabhumi, Kancanamayi, Abmandala.
Relevant text
Search found 6 books and stories containing Vayumandala, Vāyumaṇḍala, Vayu-mandala, Vayumamdala, Vāyu-maṇḍala, Vāyumaṃḍala; (plurals include: Vayumandalas, Vāyumaṇḍalas, mandalas, Vayumamdalas, maṇḍalas, Vāyumaṃḍalas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Appendix 2 - Kalpa and Mahākalpa < [Chapter XLVI - Venerating with the Roots of Good]
Act 1.6: Definition of trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu < [Chapter XIV - Emission of rays]
Part 12 - Changing the surrounding ground into diamond < [Chapter LI - Seeing all the Buddha Fields]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Shat-cakra-nirupana (the six bodily centres) (by Arthur Avalon)
Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
Section 38 < [Shalya Parva]
Thirty minor Upanishads (by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar)
Abhidharmakośa (by Leo M. Pruden)