Devadatta, Devadattā, Deva-datta: 27 definitions (2024)

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Wisdom Library: Bhagavata Purana

Devadatta (देवदत्त):—Son of Uruśravā (son of Satyaśravā). He had a son named Agniveśya. (see Bhāgavata Purāṇa 9.2)

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

1) Devadatta (देवदत्त).—A famous brahmin boy whose story is described in the Kathāsaritsāgara.

Devadatta was the son of the Brahmin, Haridatta of Kambukapura. Though as a boy Devadatta learnt all the arts and sciences when he grew up to be a youth he became a very wayward fellow. Dice-play became his main job. One day in a game of dice he lost even his clothes, and being afraid of his father, he left the place without returning home. (See full article at Story of Devadatta from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

2) Devadatta (देवदत्त).—A king of ancient India, son of King Jayadatta. Jayadatta wanted to marry his son Devadatta to the daughter of a Vaiśya in Pāṭalīputra. Though it was a far cry from Pāṭalīputra to Jayadatta’s court the Vaiśya married his daughter to the prince as he attached much importance to such an alliance with the King. From the dowry given by the Vaiśya to his daughter the resources of her father appeared to be very meagre to Devadatta.

3) Devadatta (देवदत्त).—Father of the reputed muni Utatthya. (Satyatapas). (See Satyatapas.)

4) Devadatta (देवदत्त).—The divine conch of Arjuna. Maya got this conch from Varuṇa and he kept it in the sabhā of Vṛṣaparvan, which was in Bindusaras on Mount Maināka to the south of Mount Kailāsa. When Maya built the palace at Indraprastha for the Pāṇḍavas he went to Bindusaras and brought for Arjuna that conch called Devadattam, and a club for Bhīmasena. (Sabhā Parva, Chapter 3).

In the battle of Kurukṣetra Arjuna mounted a white horse and blew his conch Devadattam. (Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 25, Verse 14).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Devadatta (देवदत्त).—A chief Nāga of Pātāla.^*

• * Bhāgavata-purāṇa V. 14. 24; 24. 31; VI. 9. 35.

1b) The son of Uruśrava and father of Agniveśa.^*

• * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 2. 20-21.

1c) The horse of Kalki.^*

• * Bhāgavata-purāṇa XII. 2. 19.

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.

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra

Devadattā (देवदत्ता) is the name of an Apsara created for the sake of a type of dramatic perfomance. Acording to the Nāṭyaśāstra 1.46-51, after Brahmā asked Bharata for materials necessary for the Graceful Style (kaiśikī: a type of performance, or prayoga), Bharata answered “This Style cannot be practised properly by men except with the help of women”. Therefore, Brahmā created with his mind several apsaras (celestial nymphs), such as Devadattā, who were skillful in embellishing the drama.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

Kavya (poetry)

Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

1) Devadatta (देवदत्त) is one of the sons of Govindadatta, a learned Brāhman from Bahusuvarṇaka, which is a royal district on the bank of the Ganges, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 7.

Over time, Devadatta became an attendant (gaṇa) of Śiva, by the name Puṣpadanta. Accordingly, “then having seen the prosperity of his son, Devadatta considered that he had attained all his objects, and he too, with the princess, retired to the forest. There he again propitiated Śiva, and having laid aside his mortal body, by the special favour of the god he attained the position of a Gaṇa. Because he did not understand the sign given by the flower dropped from the tooth of his beloved, therefore he became known by the name of Puṣpadanta in the assembly of the Gaṇas.”

2)Devadatta (देवदत्त) is the son of king Jayadatta, and was secretly taken away by his mother,according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 21. Their story is told by Piṅgalikā (a Brāhman woman) toVāsavadattā in order to demonstrate that the hearts of women are hard as adamant in daring sin, but are soft as a flower when the tremor of fear falls upon them.Vāsavadattā is the queen-wife of Udayana (king of Vatsa).

3) Devadatta (देवदत्त) is the son of Haridatta: a Brāhman from the city Kambuka, as mentioned in the story “Devadatta the gambler”, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 26. Accordingly, Vindurekhā narrated to Śaktideva “... the son of that auspicious man [Haridatta], who was named Devadatta, though he studied in his boyhood, was, as a young man, exclusively addicted to the vice of gaming. As he had lost his clothes and everything by gambling, he was not able to return to his father’s house, so he entered once on a time an empty temple”.

4) Devadatta (देवदत्त) is the name of a courtesan from Ujjayinī, as mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 124. Accordingly, “... then a distinguished courtesan of Ujjayinī, named Devadattā, came to her, and gave her her own palace, worthy of a king, to dwell in by herself”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Devadatta, 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.

Source: OpenEdition books: Vividhatīrthakalpaḥ (Kāvya)

Devadattā (देवदत्ता) is the name of a courtesan, as mentioned in the Vividhatīrthakalpa by Jinaprabhasūri (13th century A.D.): an ancient text devoted to various Jaina holy places (tīrthas).—Accordingly, “Mūladeva and Acala fight over the love of courtesan Devadattā. The mother prefers Acala for her wealth, but Devadattā loves Mūladeva for her intellectual qualities. Various adventures ensue before the reunion of the two lovers”.

Cf. Uttarādhyayanacūrṇi 118.7-121.13; Uttarādhyayana 59.14-65.8.

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’.

Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)

Source: Shodhganga: a concise history of Sanskrit Chanda literature

Devadatta (देवदत्त) or Devadatta Pāṭhaka is the author of the Vṛttaratnapradīpa and Rādhārahasya. Both the texts were printed at Vrajendra Press, Brindavan in 1929.

context information

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.

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Devadatta (देवदत्त) refers to one of the eightServants (ceṭa-aṣṭaka) associated with Candrapīṭha (or Candrapīṭhapura), according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—[...] The eight Servants (ceṭāṣṭaka): Capala, Lelihāna, Mahākāya, Hanumata, Mahābala, Mahotsāha, Devadatta, Durāsada.

context information

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.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Devadatta (देवदत्‍त): Name of Arjuna's conch, also Buddha's cousin.

In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Access to Insight: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist TermsA cousin of the Buddha who tried to effect a schism in the sangha and who has since become emblematic for all Buddhists who work knowingly or unknowingly to undermine the religion from within.Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

Son of the Sakiyan Suppabuddha (maternal uncle of the Buddha) and his wife Amita. He had a sister Bhaddakaccana, who married Prince Siddhattha.

Mhv.ii.22; MT.136; DhA.iii.44. The Dulva (Rockhill, p.13) calls him the son of Amitodana and brother of Ananda. This is supported by Mtu. (ii.69), which says that after the Buddhas renunciation, Devadatta tried to tempt Bhaddakaccana. In one passage in the Vinaya (ii.189), Devadatta is spoken of as Godhiputta. Does this mean that his mothers name was Godhi? The Sanskrit books (e.g., Mtu) give several stories of his youth which show his malice. When Siddhattha was about to show his skill in the arts, a white elephant was being brought for him, and Devadatta, out of envy, killed it. The carcase blocked the city gates till Siddhattha threw it outside. The Pali Commentaries (e.g., SA.i.62) say that Devadatta had the strength of five elephants. On another occasion he quarrelled with Siddhattha, who protested against his shooting a goose.

When the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu after the Enlightenment and preached to the Sakiyans, Devadatta was converted together with his friends Ananda, Bhagu, Kimbila, Bhaddiya, Anuruddha, and their barber, Upali, and he sought the Buddha at Anupiya and entered the Order (Vin.ii.182). During the rainy season that followed, Devadatta acquired the power of iddhi possible to those who are yet of the world (puthujja nika iddhi) (Vin.ii.183; for particulars see Rockhill, p.85). For some time he seems to have enjoyed great honour in the Order, and in one passage he is mentioned in a list of eleven of the chief Elders of all of whom the Buddha speaks in praise. (Ud.i.5. Again in Vin.ii.189 Sariputta is mentioned as having gone about Rajagaha singing Devadattas praises; see also DhA.i.64f). Devadatta was later suspected of evil wishes (E.g., S.ii.156). About eight years before the Buddhas death, Devadatta, eager for gain and favour and jealous of the Buddhas fame, attempted to win over Ajatasattu.

The following account is summarised from various passages in the books, chiefly Vin.ii.184ff; iii.171f; 174f; iv.71; DhA.i.112ff; iii.154; A.iii.123, 402; ii.73; iv.160; J.i.113, 142, 185, 490; iv.37, 158; v.333ff; vi.129f., etc.

He assumed the form of a child having a girdle of snakes, and suddenly appeared on Ajatasattus lap, frightening him. He then resumed his own form, and Ajatasattu, much impressed, paid him great honour and, it is said, visited him morning and evening with five hundred chariots and sent him daily five hundred dishes of food. (According to J.i.186, 508, Ajatasattu built for him a monastery at Gayasisa and sent him, daily, five hundred pots of three year flavoured rice and the choicest dishes.

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

1) Devadatta (देवदत्त) is the name of person living at Rājagṛha, when the Buddha was dwelling there at the beginning of the discourse in the Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter V. Accordingly, “... there was the Āyuṣmat Che li k’ou to (Śrīgupta). T’i p’o ta to (Devadatta), A chö che (Ajātaśatru), etc., who wished to harm the Buddha, did not believe in the Buddhadharma and were filled with jealousy (īrṣyā)”.

2) Devadatta (देवदत्त) is one of the two sons of Droṇadana, son of Siṃhahanu: an ancient king of the solar clan (āditagotra or sūryavaṃśa) according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter VI). Accordingly, “King Droṇodana had two sons: 1) T’i p’o ta to (Devadatta), 2) A nan (Ānanda)”.

Devadatta recited the 60,000 items of the Dharma, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XXIV), “Having had this thought, Śuddhodana published an edict in the land enjoining certain young men of the nobility of the Śākyas to leave home and go forth. It was then that Devadatta, son of king Hou fan (Droṇodana), left home practiced the Path and recited the 60,000 items of the Dharma (dharmaskandha). For twelve years he pursued his efforts zealously.”

3) Devadatta (देवदत्त) is the name of a person that caused one of Buddha’s nine torments according to appendix 12 of the Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XIV).—Devadatta pushed down a rock to crush the Buddha and wounded him on his big toe.

4)Devadatta (देवदत्त) was the cousin and rival of the Buddha, according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XLI. When Devadatta asked the Buddha to retire and entrust the Community to him, the Buddha refused curtly and treated his cousin as mūdha ‘fool’, śava ‘corpse’ and kheṭāśika ‘eater of spit’. Those who remembered the kiss exchanged between Ajātaśatru and Devadatta could not help but see an allusion in it to this repugnant action.

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Buddhism

Devadatta:—A cousin of Shakyamuni who at first was a follower but later became an enemy. He tried to kill Shakyamuni and also created a schism in the Sangha. In spite of this behavior, he had also served as a teacher of Shakyamuni in a past life, and in chapter twelve of “The Lotus Sutra” he received a prediction of enlightenment. He is destined to become the Buddha “Heavenly King.”

Source: Buddhist Door: GlossaryA cousin of Shakyamuni. At first, he was a follower of Shakyamuni, but later left him and even attempted to kill him.

India history and geography

Source: Wisdom Library: Teachers, Saints and Sages

Devadatta (देवदत्त) refers to one of the “nine saints” (Navnath), according to the Mahārṇava-tantra.—The nine Siddhas are famous saints, of exceptional purity of life, who have attained to a semi-divine existence through the practice of Yoga. [...] These nine teachers [e.g., Devadatta] are considered representative of great teachers in this tradition or Parampara tradition—a succession of Teachers (Gurus) and Disciples (Shishyasa) in Indian-origin religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism.

context information

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

dēvadatta (देवदत्त).—a (S) Given by a deity. 2 A term corresponding in use to our Some one; some person or other: ex. kōṇhī dē0 ālā āhē; or, in grammatical examples, to One, a person, somebody.

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dēvadatta (देवदत्त).—m S The name of one of the five upaprāṇa.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Devadatta (देवदत्त).—a.

1) god-given, granted by the gods.

2) given to the gods (as a village, &c.). (-ttaḥ) 1 Name of the conch-shell of Arjuna; देवदत्तं धनञ्जयः (devadattaṃ dhanañjayaḥ) (dadhmau) Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 1.15.

2) a certain person (used in speaking of men indefinitely); मुक्तस्ततो यदि बन्धाद्देवदत्त उपाच्छिनत्ति (muktastato yadi bandhāddevadatta upācchinatti) Bhāgavata 5.14.24; देवदत्तः पचति, पिनो देवदत्तो दिवा न भुङ्क्ते (devadattaḥ pacati, pino devadatto divā na bhuṅkte) &c.

3) one of the vital airs exhaled in yawning; देवदत्तो विजृम्भणे (devadatto vijṛmbhaṇe). °अग्रजः (agrajaḥ) Name of Buddha.

Devadatta is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms deva and datta (दत्त).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Devadatta (देवदत्त).—(1) (= Pali id.), name of a Śākyan, relative of the Buddha and inimical to him: son of Śuklodana, brother of Ananda and Upadhāna, Mahāvastu iii.176.15; after the Bodhisattva's retirement asks Yaśodharā to marry him, Mahāvastu ii.69.2; kills an elephant at the city gate but can- not remove it, Mahāvastu ii.74.13 ff.; various previous incarnations identified, Mahāvastu i.128.14; ii.72.10; Divyāvadāna 328.11; instigated Ajātaśatru to parricide, Divyāvadāna 280.18; Avadāna-śataka i.83.6; 308.5; other refs., Mahāvyutpatti 3610; Lalitavistara 144.10 ff.; 152.14 ff.; 154.1 ff.; enters the order of monks, Avadāna-śataka ii.112.4; hostility to Buddha, Avadāna-śataka i.88.6; 177.6 ff.; Karmavibhaṅga (and Karmavibhaṅgopadeśa) 45.3; as a typically, prover- bially evil person, Karmavibhaṅga (and Karmavibhaṅgopadeśa) 49.4; Rāṣṭrapālaparipṛcchā 36.3; Devadatto- drakasamācāro Śikṣāsamuccaya 105.17, characterized by conduct like D. and U.; (2) name of an evidently virtuous monk, follower of Buddha, to whom in a previous birth he had taught a holy text, and for whom the Buddha now predicts future Buddhahood: Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 259.2 ff. (only in prose; no verse account of this incident; probably a late intrusion).

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

Devadatta (देवदत्त).—mfn.

(-ttaḥ-ttā-ttaṃ) Given by the gods, god-given. m.

(-ttaḥ) 1. The younger brother of Bud'dha. 2. The conch of Arjuna. 3. One of the vital airs that which is exhaled in yawning E. deva a deity, and datta given; the name is often used in grammatical and other examples, in the place of some one, a certain person, &c.

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

Devadatta (देवदत्त).—[deva-datta] (vb. dā), I. adj. Given by the gods, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 9, 95. Ii. m. 1. The conch of Arjuna, [Arjunasamāgama] 5, 24. 2. One of the vital airs, that which is exhaled in yawning, [Vedāntasāra, (in my Chrestomathy.)] in Chr. 207, 16. 3. A proper name used to denote a person in general, [Pañcatantra] 36, 2; [Vedāntasāra, (in my Chrestomathy.)] 213, 1.

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

Devadatta (देवदत्त).—[adjective] given by a god or by the gods; [masculine] Arjuna's conch-shell, one of the vital airs, a man’s name.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

1) Devadatta (देवदत्त) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—father of Rucidatta (Tattvacintāmaṇiprakāśa) Śaktidatta and Matidatta. Io. 534.

2) Devadatta (देवदत्त):—Grahalaghuprakāśa jy. Peters. 2, 192.

3) Devadatta (देवदत्त):—Śṛṅgārarasavilāsa alaṃk. Oudh. Viii, 12.

4) Devadatta (देवदत्त):—son of Hari, from Gurjara: Dhāturatnamālā med. Oxf. 320^b. B. 4, 226.

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

1) Devadatta (देवदत्त):—[=deva-datta] [from deva] mfn. god-given, [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] m. Name of Arjuna’s conch-shell, [Mahābhārata]

3) [v.s. ...] of one of the vital airs (which is exhaled in yawning), [Vedāntasāra]

4) [v.s. ...] Name of a cousin (or younger brother) and opponent of Gautama Buddha, [Monier-Williams’ Buddhism 52 etc.]

5) [v.s. ...] of a son of Uru-śravas and father of Agni-veśya, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]

6) [v.s. ...] of a son of the Brāhman Govinda-datta, [Kathāsaritsāgara]

7) [v.s. ...] of a son of Hari-datta, [ib.]

8) [v.s. ...] of a son of king Jayadatta, [ib.]

9) [v.s. ...] of sub voce authors, [Catalogue(s)]

10) [v.s. ...] of a Nāga, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]

11) [v.s. ...] of a Grāma of the Bāhīkas, [Pāṇini 1-1, 75 [Scholiast or Commentator]]

12) [v.s. ...] a common Name for men used in gr., [philosophy] etc.

13) Devadattā (देवदत्ता):—[=deva-dattā] [from deva-datta > deva] f. Name of the mother of Deva-datta who was the cousin of Gautama Buddha (See above)

14) [v.s. ...] Name of a courtezan, [Kathāsaritsāgara]

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

Devadatta (देवदत्त):—[deva-datta] (ttaḥ) 1. m. Younger brother of Buddha; conch of Arjun; a vital air. a. Given by God.

[Sanskrit to German]

Devadatta in German

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Dēvadatta (ದೇವದತ್ತ):—[adjective] given, bestowed by a god; that is got, not by one’s own effort.

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Dēvadatta (ದೇವದತ್ತ):—

1) [noun] one of the vital winds in the human body, that is supposed to cause or prompt belching, yawning, abhorrence, psychological repugnance, etc.

2) [noun] an unnamed man or a common man taken at random.

See also (Relevant definitions)

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Item last updated: 10 June, 2024