Eraka, Erakā: 15 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Eraka means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India. 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: Puranic EncyclopediaEraka (एरक).—A serpent born in the family of the Kauravas. This serpent was burnt to death at the Sarpasatra of Janamejaya. (Śloka 16, Chapter 57, Ādi Parva).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexEraka (एरक).—The grass growing on the seashore, supposed to be grown out of the particles of the musala given birth to by Sāmba and thrown into the sea by the order of the Yādava king.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa XI. 1. 22.
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.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesAn arahant. He was the son of an eminent family of Savatthi. He had many advantages over others, among them beauty and charm. His parents married him to a suitable wife but, because it was his last life, he sought the Buddha. After hearing the Buddha preach he left the world, but for several days he was overcome by evil thoughts. The Buddha thereupon admonished him in a verse, and Eraka gained arahantship (Thag.v.93; ThagA.i.192f; for the name see Brethren, p.86, n.2).
In the time of Siddhattha Buddha he was a householder. One day he saw the Buddha and, having nothing to give, cleaned the road along which the Buddha walked and stood looking at him with clasped hands. Fifty seven kappas ago he was a king named Suppabuddha.
He is probably identical with Maggadayaka Thera of the Apadana. Ap.i.173.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
India history and geography
Source: archive.org: Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 1963Eraka is the name of an ancient locality mentioned in a Vadakahagala inscription, and existed since the ancient kingdom of Anurādhapura, Ceylon (Sri Lanka).—[also see Lābugāmaka]...:—In an inscription of the 1st century at Vadakahagala (Tammanagala), 2½ miles north-north-east of Labunoruva, the name Labunakara occurs: Lābugāmaka of the 4th century B.C., Labunakara of the 1st century, and modern Labunoruva are one and the same place, a remarkable instance of the survival of a village name for over 2,000 years. Other places named in the Vadakahagala (Tammanagala) inscription are:—(i) Maḍukola; (ii) Eraka; (iii) Ṇiliba; (iv) Naka-nakara (P. Nāga-nagara), already mentioned under Haṅdgala-vihāra; (v) Vahaṇikupiḍa; (vi) Acavivika; and (vii) Mayiha.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as 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
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionaryeraka : (m.) a kind of grass used for making coverlets.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary1) Eraka, 2 (nt.) (fr. ereti) Typha-grass J.IV, 88. As eragu(?) a kind of grass used for making coverlets Vin.I, 196 (eraka Bdhgh. on D.I, 166). (Page 161)
2) Eraka, 1 (adj.) (fr. ereti) driving away, moving J.IV, 20 (°vāta); °vattika a certain kind of torture M.I, 87 = A.I, 47 = II.122 = Nd2 604 = Miln.197. (Page 161)
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryErakā (एरका).—A kind of grass (said to have turned to clubs when plucked by Kṛṣhṇa and his family; cf. Mb. mausalaparvan), ददार करजैर्वक्षस्येरकां कटकृद्यथा (dadāra karajairvakṣasyerakāṃ kaṭakṛdyathā) Bhāg.1.3. 18.
-kam A woollen carpet.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryEraka (एरक).—m. (Divyāvadāna.) or nt. (Mahāvyutpatti.), (= Pali eraka, see [Pali Text Society’s Pali-English Dictionary], or eragu, see below), a kind of grass, probably = Sanskrit erakā, used in making coverlets, or a coverlet made of it; in a list of four such materials, Mahāvyutpatti 9180 erakam (= Tibetan mal stan, bed-cover, var. bal stan, woolen cover; Chin. mattress); 9181 merakam (= śiṅ śun gyi stan, coverlet of tree-bark; Chin. mattress of leaves, or of bark); 9182 syan- darakaḥ (Mironov v.l. syandu°; = Tibetan srin bal gyi stan, coverlet of cotton or silk, and so Chin.); 9183 mandurakam (= Tibetan ras bal gyi stan, coverlet of cotton cloth); same passage Divyāvadāna 19.22 evaṃrūpam āstaraṇaṃ pratyāstara- ṇaṃ, tad yathā, erako merako jandurako mandurakaḥ; and in Pali, Vin. i.196.6 eragu moragu majjhāru (v.l. [Page156-b+ 71] majjāru) jantu; see the other words; eraka occurs also Mahāvastu i.19.10, where probably read eraka (°kā?) vārṣikā as separate words, grass-coverlets for the rainy season, see s.v. vārṣikā.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryErakā (एरका).—f.
(-kā) A sort of grass of emollient and diluent properties.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryEraka (एरक).—I. m. A proper name, Mahābhārata 1, 2154. Ii. f. kā, The name of a grass, Mahābhārata 1, 620; bent-grass, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 1, 3, 18.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryEraka (एरक).—[masculine] [Name] of a serpent-demon; [feminine] ā a kind of grass, ī [Name] of a plant & a river.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Eraka (एरक):—m. Name of a Nāga, [Mahābhārata i, 2154]
2) Erakā (एरका):—[from eraka] f. a kind of grass of emollient and diluent properties, [Mahābhārata; Viṣṇu-purāṇa; Bhāvaprakāśa] etc.
3) [v.s. ...] (cf. [Greek] αἶρα)
4) Eraka (एरक):—n. a woollen carpet ([Buddhist literature])
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryErakā (एरका):—(kā) 1. f. A grass.
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger WörterbuchEraka (एरक):—
1) m. Nomen proprium eines Nāga [Mahābhārata 1, 2154.] —
2) f. kā Name eines Grases (gundrā, śarī, śimbī), welches medic. gebraucht wird, [Rājanirghaṇṭa im Śabdakalpadruma] erakāṇāṃ tadā muṣṭiṃ kopājjagrāha keśavaḥ . tadabhūnmuṣalaṃ ghoraṃ vajrakalpamayomayam .. [Mahābhārata 16, 92. 94.] ta erakābhirnihatāḥ [264.] muṣalairerakodbhavaiḥ [206.] erakārūpibhirvajraiḥ [1, 620.] (daityendram) dadāra karajairūrāverakāṃ kaṭakṛdyathā [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 1, 3, 18.] —
3) n. wollener Teppich [Vyutpatti oder Mahāvyutpatti 212.] — Vgl. airakya .
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Eraka (एरक):—
2) [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 11, 1, 22. 30, 23.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Sanskrit-Wörterbuch in kürzerer FassungEraka (एरक):——
1) m. Nomen proprium eines Schlangendämons. —
2) f. ā Typha angustifolia , eine knotenlose , sehr harte Grasart [Bhāvaprakāśa 1,210.] [Materia medica of the Hindus 297.] [Viṣṇupurāṇa 5.27,11.39.] —
3) f. ī — a) eine best. Pflanze. — b) Nomen proprium eines Flusses. —
4) *n. wollener Teppich (buddh.).
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Eraka-thera, Erakaccha, Erakadussa, Erakaksha, Erakapatta, Erakavassa, Erakavilla.
Ends with (+25): Accheraka, Baddheraka, Camadenderaka, Ceraka, Dasheraka, Dasherakagaderaka, Dashreraka, Deraka, Gaderaka, Gangeraka, Gaudheraka, Godheraka, Gopreraka, Guderaka, Heraka, Hriveraka, Kasheraka, Kauberaka, Kaveraka, Keraka.
Full-text (+8): Airakya, Erakadussa, Shringaverabhamulaka, Eraki, Manduraka, Janduraka, Syandaraka, Meraka, Maggadayaka, Jantu, Varshika, Shimbi, Shari, Elapatra, Labunakara, Acavivika, Tammanagala, Madukola, Vahanikupida, Niliba.
Relevant text
Search found 9 books and stories containing Eraka, Erakā; (plurals include: Erakas, Erakās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Brahma Purana (by G. P. Bhatt)
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Appendix 1 - Story of the nāga-king Elapatra < [Chapter XL - The Four Fearlessnesses and the Four Unobstructed Knowledges]
The Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
The Jataka tales [English], Volume 1-6 (by Robert Chalmers)
Apastamba-grihya-sutra (by Hermann Oldenberg)
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 237 - Greatness of Vajreśvara (Vajra-īśvara) < [Section 1 - Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya]