Vishvambhara, Vishwambhar, Viśvaṃbhara, Viśvambharā, Viśvambhara: 16 definitions
Introduction:
Vishvambhara means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
The Sanskrit terms Viśvaṃbhara and Viśvambharā and Viśvambhara can be transliterated into English as Visvambhara or Vishvambhara, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Visvambhar.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Viśvambhara (विश्वम्भर) refers to Goddess Durgā, who, “in the form of Earth holdest everything within”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.11. Accordingly as Brahmā said to Nārada:—“[...] O sage, seeing her [Durgā] who was Śiva’s Energy herself, directly in front of me, my lofty shoulders bent down with devotion and I eulogised her after due obeisance. [...] Thou hast manifested thyself as Śrī, a garland round Keśava’s form, who in the form of Earth holdest everything within (viśvambhara), who art of yore the great Goddess causing creation and the destruction of the three worlds and art beyond the three Guṇas”.
Viśvambharā (विश्वम्भरा).—The earth which covers the whole universe, etc. Its manifestations are Dhṛti, Sthiti, Kṣamā, Kṣoṇī, Pṛthvī, Vasumatī and Rasā.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 284. 16.

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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)
Viśvambharā (विश्वम्भरा) refers to “earth” and is mentioned in a list of 53 synonyms for dharaṇi (“earth”), according to the second chapter (dharaṇyādi-varga) of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu (an Ayurvedic encyclopedia). The Dharaṇyādi-varga covers the lands, soil [viz., Viśvambharā], mountains, jungles and vegetation’s relations between trees and plants and substances, with their various kinds.

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Viśvaṃbhara (विश्वंभर) refers to one of the 72 rays of the Viśuddhi-Cakra which (together with the 64 rays of the Ājñā) are associated with the lunar plane called Brahmagranthi, according to Śaṅkarācārya’s Saudaryalaharī.—Accordingly, the Goddess is visualised (by Sādhaka) as dwelling above the six Ādhāracakras ruling over the 360 rays which emanate in them [e.g., Viśvaṃbhara]. These 360 rays represent 360 syllables (i.e., a consummation of the śabdaprapañca or 50 alphabets) as well as the principles of nature. For the 360 syllables, together with haṃ and saḥ, Nyāsa should be performed for Śrīcakrapūjā.

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.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Viśvaṃbhara (विश्वंभर).—a. All-sustaining.
-raḥ 1 The all-pervading being, the Supreme Spirit.
2) An epithet of Viṣṇu.
3) Of Indra.
4) Fire; विश्वंभरो वा विश्वंभरकुलाये तं न पश्यति (viśvaṃbharo vā viśvaṃbharakulāye taṃ na paśyati) Bṛ. Up.1.4.7.
-rā The earth; विश्वंभरा भगवती भवतीमसूत (viśvaṃbharā bhagavatī bhavatīmasūta) U. 1.9; विश्वंभराप्यतिलघुर्नरनाथ तवान्तिके नियतम् (viśvaṃbharāpyatilaghurnaranātha tavāntike niyatam) K.P.1; °अधीश्वरः, °भुज् (adhīśvaraḥ, °bhuj) a king.
Viśvaṃbhara (विश्वंभर).—i. e. viśva + m -bhṛ + a, I. adj. All-sustainig. Ii. m. 1. Viṣṇu. 2. Indra. Iii. f. rā, The earth, [Uttara Rāmacarita, 2. ed. Calc., 1862.] 7, 11.
Viśvaṃbhara (विश्वंभर).—[adjective] supporting the universe, all-sustaining; [masculine] fire, [Epithet] of Viṣṇu, [feminine] ā the earth.
Viśvaṃbhara (विश्वंभर) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—Ānandalaharīṭīkā.
1) Viśvambhara (विश्वम्भर):—[=viśva-m-bhara] [from viśva] mf(ā)n. all-bearing, all-sustaining, [Atharva-veda; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Cāṇakya] (also applied to the Supreme Being)
2) [v.s. ...] fire, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad]
3) [v.s. ...] a kind of scorpion or similar animal, [Suśruta; Caraka]
4) [v.s. ...] Name of Viṣṇu, [Pañcarātra; Chandomañjarī]
5) [v.s. ...] of Indra, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) [v.s. ...] of a king, [Kṣitīśa-vaṃśāvalī-carita]
7) [v.s. ...] of an author, [Catalogue(s)]
8) Viśvambharā (विश्वम्भरा):—[=viśva-m-bharā] [from viśvam-bhara > viśva] f. the earth, [Kāvya literature; Rājataraṅgiṇī] etc.
Viśvambhara (विश्वम्भर):—[viśva-mbhara] (raḥ-rā) 1. m. Vishnu; Indra. f. Earth. a. All sustaining.
Viśvaṃbhara (विश्वंभर):—(viśvam + bhara) [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 3, 2, 46.] [Vopadeva’s Grammatik 26, 60.]
1) adj. (f. ā) alltragend, allerhaltend: die Erde [Atharvavedasaṃhitā 12, 1, 6.] das Feuer [2, 16, 5.] [The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 14, 4, 2, 16.] hari [Spr. (II) 1620.] —
2) m. a) eine Art Scorpion oder ein ähnliches Thier [Suśruta 2, 257, 17. 288, 7. 290, 9]; vgl. viśvaṃbharaka . — b) ein N. Viṣṇu’s [Amarakoṣa 1, 1, 1, 17.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 215.] [Anekārthasaṃgraha 4, 278.] [Medinīkoṣa r. 297.] [PAÑCAR. 4, 3, 35] [?(S. 249). Chandomañjarī 122.] — c) ein N. Indra's [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] [Jaṭādhara] in [Oxforder Handschriften 191,a,29.] — d) Nomen proprium eines Fürsten [KṢITĪŚ. 6, 3.] —
3) f. ā die Erde [Amarakoṣa.2,1,2.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 935.] [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] [Halāyudha.2,1.] [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher.3,2,46, Scholiast] [Raghuvaṃśa 15,81. 18,23.] [UTTARAR.5,2] [?(7,11). Spr. (II) 2395. Oxforder Handschriften 139,b,3. Rājataraṅgiṇī.3,300. PAÑCAR.3,11,21. kāvyādarśa.3,132.]
Viśvambhara (विश्वम्भर) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Vissaṃbhara, Vissaṃbharā.
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
1) Viśvaṃbhara (विश्वंभर) [Also spelled visvambhar]:—(nm) God—the all-supporting, all-nourishing.
2) Viśvaṃbharā (विश्वंभरा):—(nf) the earth.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Viśvaṃbhara (ವಿಶ್ವಂಭರ):—[adjective] bearing the entire (universe).
--- OR ---
Viśvaṃbhara (ವಿಶ್ವಂಭರ):—
1) [noun] the Supreme Being, who is bearing the entire universe.
2) [noun] Viśṇu.
3) [noun] Agni, the Fire-God.
4) [noun] Indra, the chief of gods.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Viśvambhara (विश्वम्भर):—adj. all-sustaining; n. Mythol. 1. the all-pervading being; the supreme spirit; 2. an epithet of Vishnu;
Vishwambhar is another spelling for विश्वम्भर [viśvambhara].—adj. all-sustaining; n. Mythol. 1. the all-pervading being; the supreme spirit; 2. an epithet of Vishnu;
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)
Partial matches: Vishvam, Vishva, Bhara.
Starts with: Vishvambhara dikshita, Vishvambhara maithilopadhyaya, Vishvambharabhuj, Vishvambharadhipa, Vishvambharadhishvara, Vishvambharaka, Vishvambharakulaya, Vishvambharaputra, Vishvambharashastra, Vishvambharavastushastra, Vishvambharopanishad.
Full-text (+2): Vishvambharakulaya, Vishvambhara maithilopadhyaya, Vishvambharabhuj, Vishvambharashastra, Vishvambharopanishad, Vishvambharadhipa, Vishvambharaputra, Vishvambhara dikshita, Vissambhara, Vicuvamparai, Vishvambharavastushastra, Vishvambharadhishvara, Vicuvamparan, Vishvapala, Vishvambharaka, Visvambhar, Shrautaprayashcittaprayogaratnamala, Caitanya, Dharani, Caitanyadeva.
Relevant text
Search found 47 books and stories containing Vishvambhara, Vishva-mbhara, Vishvam-bhara, Vishwambhar, Viśva-mbhara, Visva-mbhara, Viśvam-bharā, Visvam-bhara, Viśvam-bhara, Viśvaṃbhara, Viśvambharā, Viśvambhara, Viśvaṃbharā; (plurals include: Vishvambharas, mbharas, bharas, Vishwambhars, bharās, Viśvaṃbharas, Viśvambharās, Viśvambharas, Viśvaṃbharās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
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