Yamadamshtra, Yamadamṣṭra, Yama-damshtra: 7 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Kavya
In Jainism
1. General definition
Languages
1. Marathi
2. Sanskrit
See also

Introduction:

Yamadamshtra means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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 term Yamadamṣṭra can be transliterated into English as Yamadamstra or Yamadamshtra, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Kavya (poetry)

Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

1) Yamadamṣṭra (यमदम्ष्ट्र) is a name of the chief of the Asuras, during the battle with the gods, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 9. And in chapter 42 there is mention of a rākṣasa king named Yamadaṃṣṭraka, who occupied the city known as Śailapura after devouring its previous king Vīrabhuja.

2) Yamadamṣṭra (यमदम्ष्ट्र) is the name of a rākṣaka whose arm was cut off by Vidūṣaka at Pauṇḍravardhana, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 18. Their story was told by Udayana (king of Vatsa) in order to demonstratrate to his ministers that a brave man by himself without any support obtains prosperity.

3) Yamadamṣṭra (यमदम्ष्ट्र) is the name of an ancient Rākṣasa king from Śailapura according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 42. Accordingly, “... the hero [Indīvarasena] entered the royal palace, and beheld inside it the Rākṣasa Yamadaṃṣṭra sitting on his throne, having a mouth terrible with tusks, with a lovely woman at his left hand, and a virgin of heavenly beauty on his right hand. And when Indīvarasena saw him [Yamadaṃṣṭra] he went with the sword given him by Durgā in his hand and challenged him to fight, and the Rākṣasa drew his sword and stood up to resist him. And in the course of the fight Indīvarasena frequently cut off the Rākṣasa’s head, but it grew again”.

4) Yamadamṣṭra (यमदम्ष्ट्र) is the name of a great warrior (mahāratha) who fought on Śrutaśarman’s side in the war against Sūryaprabha, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 48. Accordingly: “... while Indra was saying this [to sage Nārada], fourteen great warriors came to assist the general Dāmodara: [Yamadaṃṣṭra and others]. And those fifteen heroes, joined with Dāmodara, fighting in front of the line, kept off the followers of Sūryaprabha”.

The story of Yamadaṃṣṭra 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 Yamadamṣṭra, 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.

context information

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’.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Yamadaṃṣṭra (यमदंष्ट्र) refers to “Yama’s fangs”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Fools mourn for relations experiencing the results of their own actions [but] because of the confusion of [their] intelligence [they do] not [mourn for] themselves situated in Yama’s fangs (yamadaṃṣṭra-antarasthita). In this forest that is the cycle of rebirth dwelt in by Yama the serpent-king, the men of olden times, who were eternal previously, have come to an end”.

context information

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

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

yamadaṃṣṭrā (यमदंष्ट्रा).—f (S) pop. yamadāḍha f The jaw-tooth of Yama. A common term for the days of the period comprising the last eight days of ashwin and the whole month of Kartik. As the word is used plurally it expresses that whole period. It is so called because it is a period of general sickness. yamācyā dāḍhēnta asaṇēṃ-paḍaṇēṃ-sāmpaḍaṇēṃ-jāṇēṃ To be in, fall into, or be caught in the jaws of Death, lit.: also, figuratively, to be under or fall under some great tormentor or great trouble. yamācyā dāḍhēnta ghālaṇēṃ-ṭākaṇēṃ &c. To cast into &c.

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.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Yamadaṃṣṭrā (यमदंष्ट्रा).—'Yama's tooth', the jaws of death.

-ṣṭrāḥ pl.) the last eight days of the month Aśvina and the whole of Kārtika (regarded as a period of general sickness).

Yamadaṃṣṭrā is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms yama and daṃṣṭrā (दंष्ट्रा).

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

1) Yamadaṃṣṭra (यमदंष्ट्र):—[=yama-daṃṣṭra] [from yama > yam] m. Name of an Asura, [Kathāsaritsāgara]

2) [v.s. ...] of a Rākṣasa, [ib.]

3) [v.s. ...] of a warrior on the side of the gods, [ib.]

4) Yamadaṃṣṭrā (यमदंष्ट्रा):—[=yama-daṃṣṭrā] [from yama-daṃṣṭra > yama > yam] f. Y°’s tooth (ṭrāntaraṃ gataḥ, one who has fallen into the jaws of Y° or Death), [Mahābhārata]

5) [v.s. ...] ([probably]) a stab from a dagger, [Pañcadaṇḍacchattra-prabandha]

6) [v.s. ...] a kind of poison, [Rasendracintāmaṇi]

7) [v.s. ...] f. [plural] the last 8 days of the month Āśvina and the whole of Kārttika considered as a period of general sickness, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]

[Sanskrit to German]

Yamadamshtra 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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Search found 7 books and stories containing Yamadamshtra, Yamadamṣṭra, Yamadamstra, Yamadaṃṣṭrā, Yama-damshtra, Yama-daṃṣṭrā, Yama-damstra, Yamadaṃṣṭra, Yama-daṃṣṭra; (plurals include: Yamadamshtras, Yamadamṣṭras, Yamadamstras, Yamadaṃṣṭrās, damshtras, daṃṣṭrās, damstras, Yamadaṃṣṭras, daṃṣṭras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Festivals of Ayurveda: Scope and challenges < [Volume 44 (1); 2023 (Jan-Mar)]

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The Throne (Simhasana) < [Chapter 2 - Political conditions]

Description of Minor Deities in the Kathasaritsagara < [Chapter 5 - Religion and Philosophy]

Appendix C - Geographical Data

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Chapter 70 - Establishment of the Deities < [Section 2 - Uttarārdha]

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Chapter XLVIII < [Book VIII - Sūryaprabha]

Chapter XLII < [Book VII - Ratnaprabhā]

Chapter IX < [Book II - Kathāmukha]

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