Vidyadhari, Vidyādharī: 5 definitions
Introduction:
Vidyadhari means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationVidyādharī (विद्याधरी) refers to a group of deities, abounding the top of the Himālaya mountain, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.22. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] On the top of the mountain near the city of Himālaya (śailarājapura), Śiva sported about for a long time in the company of Satī. [...] Many kinds of semid-ivine beings the Aśvamukhas, the Siddhas, the Apsaras, the Guhyakas, etc. roamed there. Their women-folk, the Vidyādharīs, the Kinnarīs and the mountain lasses played about here and there. The celestial damsels played on their lutes, tabours and drums and danced with enthusiasm.”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Vidyādharī (विद्याधरी).—A Vanacāriṇī.*
- * Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 9. 3.
1b) The women of the Vidyādharas.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa III. 23. 37-8; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 50. 40.
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.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraVidyādharī (विद्याधरी) is the daughter of king Surasena from Surapura, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 56. Accordingly, as Nārāyaṇī narrated to a group of divine mothers (mātṛcakra) in presence of Candrasvāmin, who was listening from a tree: “... he [Surasena] has a daughter renowned for beauty, named Vidyādharī. When it was time for her to be given in marriage, the king heard that a son of King Vimala, named Prabhākara, was equal to her in beauty”.
The story of Vidyādharī was narrated by Marubhūti order to entertain the company of prince Naravāhanadatta.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Vidyādharī, 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 (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’.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Vidyādharī (विद्याधरी):—[=vidyā-dharī] [from vidyā-dhara > vidyā > vid] f. a female of the above class of supernatural beings, fairy, sylph, [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] Name of a daughter of Śūra-sena, [Kathāsaritsāgara]
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusVidyādhari (ವಿದ್ಯಾಧರಿ):—[noun] a celestial woman belonging to the class of ವಿದ್ಯಾಧರ [vidyadhara].
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Dharin, Vidya, Tari.
Starts with: Vidyadharibhu, Vidyadhariparijana, Vidyadharivilasa.
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Full-text (+89): Vidyadharivilasa, Vidyadharibhu, Vidyadhariparijana, Cutamanjari, Maruttaruni, Malayagandhini, Svarnarekha, Ajinavati, Ratnamanjari, Shaktiyashas, Dhanavati, Yogeshvari, Vegavati, Yogeshvara, Celestial damsel, Hemaprabha, Khecari, Haroa, Madalasa, Ravana.
Relevant text
Search found 38 books and stories containing Vidyadhari, Vidya-dhari, Vidyā-dharī, Vidyādharī, Vidyādhari, Vidyadharis; (plurals include: Vidyadharis, dharis, dharīs, Vidyādharīs, Vidyādharis, Vidyadharises). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 6.1.33 < [Chapter 1 - Jarāsandha’s Defeat]
Verse 5.8.45 < [Chapter 8 - The Killing of Kaṃsa]
Verse 1.16.36 < [Chapter 16 - Description of Śrī Rādhikā’s Wedding]
Markandeya Purana (Study) (by Chandamita Bhattacharya)
Women in the Field of Education < [Chapter 2]
Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story) (by Somadeva)
Chapter CV < [Book XIV - Pañca]
Vetāla 12: King Yaśaḥketu, his Vidyādharī Wife, and his Faithful Minister < [Appendix 6.1 - The Twenty-five Tales of a Vetāla]
Roman Egypt to peninsular India (patterns of trade) (by Sunil Gupta)
Reconstruction of Mouths of Ganga (as identified by Ptolemy) < [Chapter 4 - Archaeological review of Indo-Roman trade]
Naishadha-charita of Shriharsha (by Krishna Kanta Handiqui)
Introduction to Īśānadeva’s commentary < [Introduction]
Paumacariya (critical study) (by K. R. Chandra)
7. Marriage (in ancient Indian society) < [Chapter 7 - Social Conditions]
8.5. Freedom of movement and the system of Purdah < [Chapter 7 - Social Conditions]
10.1. Influence on works composed in India < [Chapter 6 - Sources, contribution and influence of Paumacariyam]