Vidhava, Vidhavā: 19 definitions
Introduction:
Vidhava means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, Hindi. 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Vidhva.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaVidhavā (विधवा).—A woman whose husband is dead. In ancient India, it was ordained how a widow should live. It was allowed for a widow to get a son by her younger brother-in law to continue the family line in case the death of her husband occurred before the couple had children. The procedure about this is given in Manusmṛti, Chapter 9.
"He who goes to accept the widow with the permission of great people, should besmear his body with ghee and go to her bed in the night in a dark room. She should have only one son in this manner. After she has become pregnant, they should behave to each other as a teacher and a younger brother-in-law."
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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraVidhava (विधव) or Vidhavayoṣit refers to “widows”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 16) (“On the planets—graha-bhaktiyoga”), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “[...] Saturn also presides over pungent flavour and bitter flavour; over chemistry; over widows (vidhava-yoṣit), serpents, thieves, buffaloes, asses, camels, beans, leguminous seeds and Niṣpāva”.
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.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesA river in the inner regions of Himava (anto Himavante). J.iii.467.
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).
India history and geography
Source: Ancient Buddhist Texts: Geography of Early BuddhismVidhavā (विधवा) is the name of a river situated in Majjhimadesa (Middle Country) of ancient India, as recorded in the Pāli Buddhist texts (detailing the geography of ancient India as it was known in to Early Buddhism).—Vidhavā is a river in the Himavanta.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionaryvidhavā : (f.) a widow.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryVidhavā, (f.) (Vedic vidhavā widow, vidhu lonely, vidhura separaṭed, Av. vidavā=Goth. widuwō=Ohg. wituwa (Ger. Witwe=E. widow); Gr. h)i/qeos unmarried; Lat. vidua widow, etc. in all Idg. languages) a widow S. I, 170; A. III, 128; J. VI, 33; Miln. 288; Vism. 17; PvA. 65, 161; VbhA. 339. (Page 622)
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.
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryvidhavā (विधवा).—f (S vi Deprived of, dhava Husband.) A widow, Vidua.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishvidhavā (विधवा).—f A widow.
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.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryVidhavā (विधवा).—[vigato dhavo yasyāḥ sā] A widow; सा नारी विधवा जाता गृहे रोदिति तत्पतिः (sā nārī vidhavā jātā gṛhe roditi tatpatiḥ) Subhāṣ.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryVidhavā (विधवा).—f.
(-vā) A widow. E. vi privative, dhava a husband.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryVidhavā (विधवा).—i. e. vi-dhava, f. A widow, [Pañcatantra] ii. [distich] 98.
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Vidhava (विधव).—see s. v. Sa-dhavā, f. a wife whose husband is living.
Vidhava is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms vi and dhava (धव).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryVidhavā (विधवा).—[feminine] widow (±yoṣit strī, etc.).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Vidhava (विधव):—[from vidh] a in [compound] for vā below.
2) Vidhavā (विधवा):—[from vidh] f. ([according to] to some [from] vi + dhava See 2. dhava, p.513) a husbandless woman, widow (also with nārī, yoṣit, strī etc.), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.
3) [v.s. ...] bereft of a king (a country), [Rāmāyaṇa]
4) [v.s. ...] cf. [Greek] ἠίθεος; [Latin] vidua; [Gothic] widuwô; [German] wituwa, witewe, Witwe; [Anglo-Saxon] wuduwe, widewe; [English] widow.
5) Vidhava (विधव):—b [Nominal verb] ([from] 1. vidhu) [Parasmaipada] vati, to resemble the moon, [Kāvyādarśa]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryVidhavā (विधवा):—[vi-dhavā] (vā) 1. f. A widow.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Vidhavā (विधवा) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Vihavā.
[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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryVidhavā (विधवा) [Also spelled vidhva]:—(nf) a widow; ~[pana] widowhood; -[vivāha] widow-remarriage; ~[śrama] a house for the maintenance of windows.
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Prakrit-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionaryViḍhava (विढव) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Arj.
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.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionaryVidhavā (विधवा):—n. a widow;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Vidhavadharma, Vidhavagamin, Vidhavamta, Vidhavana, Vidhavashrama, Vidhavastri, Vidhavata, Vidhavate, Vidhavati, Vidhavavedana, Vidhavavivaha, Vidhavavivahacarca, Vidhavavivahakhandana, Vidhavavivahavicara, Vidhavayoshit, Vitavai, Vitavakamanam, Vitavakami.
Ends with: Avidhava, Balavidhava, Prithvidhava, Urvidhava, Vigatavidhava.
Full-text (+28): Vidhavagamin, Vidhavavedana, Dhava, Sadhava, Vaidhaveya, Avidhava, Adhava, Vidhavayoshit, Vihava, Vidhavata, Vaidhavya, Vidhatrika, Vidhavavivahavicara, Vidhavavivahakhandana, Vidhavastri, Vidhavavivaha, Arj, Vidhavadharma, Bidhava, Punarvivah.
Relevant text
Search found 11 books and stories containing Vidhava, Vidhavā, Vi-dhava, Vi-dhavā, Viḍhava; (plurals include: Vidhavas, Vidhavās, dhavas, dhavās, Viḍhavas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 9.64 < [Section IV - Duties of Women in Times of Distress (niyoga)]
Verse 9.175 < [Section XXIII - The Twelve Kinds of Sons defined]
Verse 8.28 < [Section V - Protection of the Interest of Minors (bāla)]
Chaitanya Bhagavata (by Bhumipati Dāsa)
Verse 3.6.21 < [Chapter 6 - The Glories of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu]
Yajnavalkya-smriti (Vyavaharadhyaya)—Critical study (by Kalita Nabanita)
Chapter 2.1c - Meaning of Vyavahāra < [Chapter 2 - The Vyavahārādhyāya of the Yājñavalkyasmṛti]
Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study) (by Sadhu Gyanananddas)
11.1. Components of Ekāntiki-Bhakti (a): Dharma < [Chapter 4 - Analysis on the Basis of Spiritual Endeavour]
The Jataka tales [English], Volume 1-6 (by Robert Chalmers)
Jataka 423: Indriya-jātaka < [Volume 3]