Vilasini, Vilāsinī: 16 definitions

Introduction:

Vilasini means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, 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.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

[«previous next»] — Vilasini in Purana glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Varāha-purāṇa

Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) is the name of a river mentioned in a list of rivers, flowing from the five great mountains (Śailavarṇa, Mālākhya, Korajaska, Triparṇa and Nīla), according to the Varāhapurāṇa chapter 82. Those who drink the waters of these rivers live for ten thousand years and become devotees of Rudra and Umā.

One of the five mountains situated near Bhadrāśva, according to the Varāhapurāṇa chapter 82. The Varāhapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, a type of Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, instructions for religious ceremonies and a whole range of topics concerning the various arts and sciences. The original text is said to have been composed of 24,000 metrical verses, possibly originating from before the 10th century.

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) refers to “she who is a beloved woman”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.5.—Accordingly, as Goddess Śivā (i.e., Umā/Durgā) said to Menā:—“O Himācala’s beloved [i.e., himācala-vilāsinī], you are as favourite to me as my vital air. Whatever you desire I shall give you. There is nothing that I can withhold from you. On hearing these nectar-like words of the Goddess, the delighted Menā, the wife of Himācala, said”.

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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Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)

Source: Shodhganga: a concise history of Sanskrit Chanda literature

1) Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) is the alternative name of a Sanskrit metre (chandas) mentioned by Hemacandra (1088-1173 C.E.) in his auto-commentary on the second chapter of the Chandonuśāsana. Vilāsinī corresponds to Jayā (according to Bharata). Hemacandra gives these alternative names for the metres by other authorities (like Bharata), even though the number of gaṇas or letters do not differ.

2) Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) refers to one of the 135 metres (chandas) mentioned by Nañjuṇḍa (1794-1868 C.E.) in his Vṛttaratnāvalī. Nañjuṇḍa was a poet of both Kannada and Sanskrit literature flourished in the court of the famous Kṛṣṇarāja Woḍeyar of Mysore. He introduces the names of these metres (e.g., Vilāsinī) in 20 verses.

Source: Journal of the University of Bombay Volume V: Apabhramsa metres (2)

1) Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) is the name of a catuṣpadi metre (as popularly employed by the Apabhraṃśa bards), as discussed in books such as the Chandonuśāsana, Kavidarpaṇa, Vṛttajātisamuccaya and Svayambhūchandas.—Vilāsinī has 16 mātrās in each of its four lines, divided into the groups of 5, 5, [ISI] and [S] mātrās, the 2 pañcamātras being always Gurvanta.

2) Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) is another catuṣpadi metre, whose 16 mātrās are divided into the groups of 3, 3, 4, 3 and 3 mātrās.

Chandas book cover
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Chandas (छन्दस्) refers to Sanskrit prosody and represents one of the six Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines belonging to the study of the Vedas). The science of prosody (chandas-shastra) focusses on the study of the poetic meters such as the commonly known twenty-six metres mentioned by Pingalas.

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Kavya (poetry)

[«previous next»] — Vilasini in Kavya glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

1) Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) is the daughter of Vīrabhaṭa, an ancient king of Tāmraliptī, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 44. Accordingly, as Vajraprabha said to Naravāhanadatta: “... and he [Sūryaprabha] came back to Tāmraliptī and there carried off again another maiden princess, by name Vilāsinī. And when her haughty brother Sahasrāyudha was annoyed at it he paralysed him by his supernatural power”.

2) Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) is the daughter of Sumeru, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 46. Accordingly, as her friend said to Sūryaprabha, “... this is a maiden named Vilāsinī, the daughter of Sumeru, the Prince of the Vidyādharas, who was desirous of beholding you”.

The story of Vilāsinī 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 Vilāsinī, 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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Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) (Cf. Vilāsinī) refers to “she who is the Playful One”, according to the Lalitāsahasranāma.—Lalitā’s thousand names are eulogized in the Lalitāsahasranāma, describing the goddess’s spiritual beauty on the analogy of physical, sensuous beauty. [...] The goddess enjoys love games (ramaṇī) (310). She delights in intercourse (ratipriyā) (316) and craves for it (ramaṇalampaṭā) (320). She is the Playful One (vilāsinī) (340), served by Kāma, the Lord of Love (kāmasevitā) (586). The goddess is the source of Kāmadeva’s power. She gave him his sugar cane bow and arrows. [...]

Shaktism book cover
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Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

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In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: academia.edu: The Structure and Meanings of the Heruka Maṇḍala

Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) is the name of a Ḍākinī who, together with the Vīra (hero) named Vilāsa forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Jñānacakra, according to the 10th century Ḍākārṇava chapter 15. Accordingly, the jñānacakra refers to one of the three divisions of the saṃbhoga-puṭa (‘enjoyment layer’), situated in the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs [viz., Vilāsinī] and Vīras are white in color; the shapes of their faces are in accordance with their names; they have four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
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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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India history and geography

Source: archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions

Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) is the name of a river mentioned in the Gupta inscription No. 14. The Gupta empire (r. 3rd-century CE), founded by Śrī Gupta, covered much of ancient India and embraced the Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The river Vilāsinī comes out from the mountain Raivataka. Fleet takes Sikatāvilāsinī as an adjective of the Palāśinī but the three, Sikatā, Vilāsinī and Palāśinī seem to be separate rivers as we find the use of the plural number in the case which denotes the mention of more than two rivers. Hence Vilāsinī is the third river in the context: the other two being Pilāśinī and Sikatā (Suvarṇasikatā).

Source: Shodhganga: a concise history of Sanskrit Chanda literature (history)

Vilāsinī (विलासिनी) is the name of a commentary on Kṛṣṇavilāsa of Sukumāra ascribed to Rāmapāṇivāda (18th Century): a scholar of multi discipline, who flourished in Kerala in the 18th Century. He was a prolific writer both in Sanskrit and Prakrit. Also see the “New Catalogus Catalogorum” XXIV. pp. 173-74.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Vilāsinī.—(EI 33), same as Devadāsī; also called Gaṇikā, etc. Note: vilāsinī is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

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

Pali-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Vilasini in Pali glossary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

vilāsinī : (f.) a woman.

Pali book cover
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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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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vilāsinī (विलासिनी).—

1) A woman (in general).

2) A coquettish or wanton woman; हरिरिह मुग्धवधूनिकरे विलासिनि विलसति केलिपरे (haririha mugdhavadhūnikare vilāsini vilasati kelipare) Gītagovinda 1; Kumārasambhava 7.69; Śiśupālavadha 8.5; R.6.17.

3) A wanton, harlot.

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

1) Vilāsinī (विलासिनी):—[=vi-lāsinī] [from vi-lāsin > vi-lāsa > vi-las] f. a charming or lively or wanton or coquettish woman, wife, mistress (also nikā f., [Pañcarātra]; nī-jana m., [Śiśupāla-vadha])

2) [v.s. ...] a kind of metre, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]

3) [v.s. ...] Name of a woman, [Kathāsaritsāgara]

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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Hindi dictionary

[«previous next»] — Vilasini in Hindi glossary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Vilāsinī (विलासिनी):—(nf) a lustful/luxury loving woman; (a) lustful, wanton; luxury-loving, pleasure-seeking.

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Prakrit-English dictionary

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

Vilāsiṇī (विलासिणी) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Visinī.

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

Vilāsini (ವಿಲಾಸಿನಿ):—

1) [noun] a woman who tries to draw meṇs attention or admiration by her vanity.

2) [noun] (in gen.) a woman.

3) [noun] a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money; a whore; a harlot.

4) [noun] a female friend.

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Viḷāsini (ವಿಳಾಸಿನಿ):—

1) [noun] a woman who tries to draw meṇs attention or admiration by her vanity.

2) [noun] (in gen.) a woman.

3) [noun] a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money; a whore; a harlot.

4) [noun] a female friend.

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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