Vishnupada, Vishnu-pada, Viṣṇupada, Viṣṇupāda: 16 definitions

Introduction:

Vishnupada means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi. 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.

The Sanskrit terms Viṣṇupada and Viṣṇupāda can be transliterated into English as Visnupada or Vishnupada, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

[«previous next»] — Vishnupada in Purana glossary

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद).—A place at the source of the river Gaṅgā See under Gaṅgā.

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

1a) Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद).—A lake in the Niṣadha hill;1 sacred to Pitṛs;2 the place where Dhruva is located.3

  • 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 18. 67; III. 43. 14; Matsya-purāṇa 121. 66; Vāyu-purāṇa 47. 64.
  • 2) Matsya-purāṇa 22. 25.
  • 3) Vāyu-purāṇa 50. 222.

1b) The path where Dharma, Dhruva and others take their stand above the seven sages; the region between the seven ṛṣis and Dhruva where live ascetics and yogis of a high order; the source of rain and the stay of the three worlds; from this proceeds the Gangā; issuing from the nail of the great toe of Viṣnu's left foot;1 the third division of the celestial region.2

  • 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 21. 176; Viṣṇu-purāṇa II. 8. 98-109;
  • 2) Ib. II. 8. 122.

1c) A mountain in Gayā; a hill where Dharmaratha performed a sacrifice.*

  • * Matsya-purāṇa 48. 93; Vāyu-purāṇa 99. 102; 105. 26; 109. 18; 111. 46-7 and 56.

2) Viṣṇupāda (विष्णुपाद).—The celestial regions where Dhruva holds the Bhagavatpadī on his head with intense devotion;1 sacred for Gangā.2

  • 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa V. 17. 1-2.
  • 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 13. 118.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index
Purana book cover
context information

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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Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra)

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद) represents the number 0 (zero) in the “word-numeral system” (bhūtasaṃkhyā), which was used in Sanskrit texts dealing with astronomy, mathematics, metrics, as well as in the dates of inscriptions and manuscripts in ancient Indian literature.—A system of expressing numbers by means of words arranged as in the place-value notation was developed and perfected in India in the early centuries of the Christian era. In this system the numerals [e.g., 0—viṣṇupada] are expressed by names of things, beings or concepts, which, naturally or in accordance with the teaching of the Śāstras, connote numbers.

Source: archive.org: Hindu Mathematics
Ganitashastra book cover
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Ganita (गणित) or Ganitashastra refers to the ancient Indian science of mathematics, algebra, number theory, arithmetic, etc. Closely allied with astronomy, both were commonly taught and studied in universities, even since the 1st millennium BCE. Ganita-shastra also includes ritualistic math-books such as the Shulba-sutras.

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Yoga (school of philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Vishnupada in Yoga glossary

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद) refers to the “(supreme) state of Viṣṇu”, according to the Haṭhapradīpikā 4.100 (Cf. Uttaragīta 41cd-42, Maṇḍalabrāhmaṇopaniṣat 2.5.4-5, Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā 5.82-83ab).—Accordingly, “The mind becomes absorbed in the resonance of the unstruck sound which is perceived [first], [then] the light in the resonance and [then] the mind in the light. It is the supreme state of Viṣṇu (viṣṇupada) [viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam].”.

Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason Birch
Yoga book cover
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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).

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Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद) is the name of a sacred region mentioned as “one of the places where God’s presence is felt”, as discussed in chapter 36 of the Pauṣkarasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text of almost 5900 verses divided into forty-three chapters presented as a frame-work dialogue between Pauṣkara and Bhagavān dealing with the esoteric meaning of maṇḍala-designs, worship routines and temple-building.—Description of the chapter [āyatana-vicāra]: God’s presence at certain places [e.g., Viṣṇupada] [...]—has made these places particularly sacred (5-28). People who live in such places will enjoy certain spiritual benefits (29-84). Those who pollute such places incur double sin, but rebirth in the holy vicinity will give them the more opportunity to atone for their former evil ways (85-125). [...] The remainder of the chapter amounts to a eulogy of God's omnipresence and omnipotence in this world and all its parts: each holy place [kṣetra] has a particular deity connected with it; the relationship between the place and the deity is stated-in some cases specifically, in others more generally (290-460a).

Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts
Pancaratra book cover
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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.

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India history and geography

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद) is the name of a mountain mentioned in the Gupta inscription No. 20. 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. We know from the inscription that a lofty standard of the divine Viṣṇu was set up on the hill called Viṣṇupada.

Viṣṇupada literally means “the hill marked with footprints of Viṣṇu”. Viṣṇupada hill has been identified with that part of the Delhi Ridge on which the column stands. But there is no mountain in Delhi and the inscription appears to have been brought there from the mount Viṣṇupada. On the evidence from the Epics, this Viṣṇupada hill is not far from Kurukshetra and the Beas.

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

Viṣṇu-pada.—(IE 7-1-2), ‘cypher’. Note: viṣṇu-pada is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary
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

Marathi-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Vishnupada in Marathi glossary

viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद).—n (S) An image of the foot of viṣṇu, worshiped at the holy place Gaya.

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary
context information

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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Vishnupada in Sanskrit glossary

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद).—

1) the sky, atmosphere.

2) the sea of milk.

3) the foot of Viṣṇu (worshipped at Gayā).

4) a lotus.

Derivable forms: viṣṇupadam (विष्णुपदम्).

Viṣṇupada is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms viṣṇu and pada (पद).

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद).—n.

(-daṃ) 1. The sky, heaven, atmosphere. 2. The sea of milk. 3. A lotus. f. (-dī) 1. The Ganges. 2. One of the twelve Sankrantis or periods, at which the sun enters a sign of the zodiac, especially the first sign after the equinox. E. viṣṇu, and pada abode, or foot; where Vishnu resides or rests, or proceeding from his foot.

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

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद).—I. n. 1. the sky. 2. the sea of milk. 3. a lotus. Ii. f. , the Ganges.

— Cf. [Latin] oppidum.

Viṣṇupada is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms viṣṇu and pada (पद).

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

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद).—[neuter] Viṣṇu’s domain (the sky).

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

1) Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद):—[=viṣṇu-pada] [from viṣṇu] n. ‘station or footmark of V°’, the zenith, [Nirukta, by Yāska; Bhāgavata-purāṇa]

2) [v.s. ...] the sky, [Mahābhārata; Raghuvaṃśa] etc.

3) [v.s. ...] the mark of V°’s foot worshipped at Gayā, [Religious Thought and Life in India 309]

4) [v.s. ...] Name of a sacred hill (also called da-giri, m.), [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa] etc.

5) [v.s. ...] a lotus, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

6) [v.s. ...] m. n. the sea of milk, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

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

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद):—[viṣṇu-pada] (daṃ) 1. n. The sky; sea of milk; lotus. f. Ganges; period of the sun’s entering a zodiacal sign.

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

[Sanskrit to German]

Vishnupada in German

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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Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Vishnupada in Kannada glossary

Viṣṇupada (ವಿಷ್ಣುಪದ):—

1) [noun] the sky.

2) [noun] the state of being liberated from the worldly births and deaths; final emancipation.

--- OR ---

Viṣṇupāda (ವಿಷ್ಣುಪಾದ):—[noun] a holy place in Gaya, in Bihar.

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus
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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