Himavan, Himavān, Himavāṉ: 12 definitions
Introduction:
Himavan means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi, Tamil. 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.
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In Hinduism
Vastushastra (architecture)
Source: Wisdom Library: Vāstu-śāstraHimavān (हिमवान्) refers to a type of temple (prāsāda) classified under the group named Sāndhāra, according to Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra chapter 56. The Sāndhāra group contains twenty-five out of a sixty-four total prāsādas (temples) classified under four groups in this chapter. The Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra is an 11th-century encyclopedia dealing with various topics from the Vāstuśāstra.
Himavān is also listed in the Suprabhedāgama, which describes a list of 13 temple types. This list represents the earliest form of the classification of temples in the South Indian Vāstuśāstra literature.
Source: Shodhganga: Elements of Art and Architecture in the Trtiyakhanda of the Visnudharmottarapurana (vastu)Himavān (हिमवान्) refers to one of the hundred types of Temples (in ancient Indian architecture), according to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, an ancient Sanskrit text which (being encyclopedic in nature) deals with a variety of cultural topics such as arts, architecture, music, grammar and astronomy.—It is quite difficult to say about a definite number of varieties of Hindu temples but in the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa hundred varieties of temples have been enumerated. For example, Himavān. These temples are classified according to the particular shape, amount of storeys and other common elements, such as the number of pavilions, doors and roofs.
Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)
Source: ISKCON Press: GlossaryHimavān (हिमवान्).—The great mountain on the northern side of India. The Pāṇḍavas stayed for some time in this region.
Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Wisdom Library: Varāha-purāṇa1) Himavān (हिमवान्).—One of the seven mountains located in Jambūdvīpa, according to the Varāhapurāṇa chapter 75. Jambūdvīpa is ruled over by Āgnīdhra, one of the ten sons of Priyavrata was a son of Svāyambhuva Manu.
2) Himavān (हिमवान्) is the name of a mountain situated at lake Mānasa and mount Gandhamādana, according to the Varāhapurāṇa chapter 75. The Gandhamādana mountain lies on the eastern side of mount Meru, which is one of the seven mountains located in Jambūdvīpa, ruled over by Āgnīdhra, a grandson of Svāyambhuva Manu.
Svāyambhuva Manu was created by Brahmā, who was in turn created by Nārāyaṇa, the unknowable all-pervasive primordial being.
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaHimavān (हिमवान्).—(THE HIMĀLAYAS). General. The great mountain on the northern borders of India. In the literature and the religious thought of India the Himālayas occupy a position of universal respect and adulation. The Indian belief is that the mountain has got a divine soul. (e.g. it is referred to as "devatātmā" in Kālidāsa’s Kumārasaṃbhava). The Himālayas are referred to very often in the Purāṇas and epics. (See full article at Story of Himavān from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Himavān (हिमवान्).—(personified) as Mena's husband;^a acted as calf when the mountains milked the cow earth;1 wife was the mind-born daughter of the Pitṛs;2 Krauñja and Maināka were sons;3 rivers from;4 beauty of.5
- 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa IV. 7. 58; Matsya-purāṇa 10. 26.
- 2) Ib. 13. 7.
- 3) Ib. 113. 11. 114. 20-22;
- 4) Ib. 117. 1-21.
- 5) Ib. 154. 52; 162. 6; 183.
1b) (also Himagiri): one of the six traversed by Alakanandā;1 Varṣaparvata of Himācala. King of mountains; overlord of all hills;2 noted for the sacred pool of Suṣumṇa;3 a description of the forests, trees and the races inhabiting the mountain; waterfalls and caves in; cool with snow;4 served as calf when the mountains milked the earth for medicinal plants and gems;5 where Paraśurāma performed penance;6 people towards the end of Kaliyuga leave their homes and retire to forests and caves in the Himālayan slopes;7 residence of Rākṣasas, Piśācas and Yakṣas;8 Parīkṣit compared to, in worthiness: Dhṛtarāṣṭra spent here his last days.9
- 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa V. 16. 9; 17. 9; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 15. 15, 28; IV. 31. 16, 97; Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 9. 30.
- 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 8. 9; 22. 8; Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 22. 8; II. 2. 11.
- 3) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 10. 7; 12. 5; 13. 122-3.
- 4) Ib. III. 22. 7-44.
- 5) Ib. II. 36. 223.
- 6) Ib. III. 21. 74; 22. 4.
- 7) Ib. III. 74. 214.
- 8) Ib. II. 17. 33.
- 9) Bhāgavata-purāṇa I. 12. 33; 13. 29.
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: Shodhganga: The Kavyamimamsa of RajasekharaHimavān (हिमवान्) is the name a locality mentioned in Rājaśekhara’s 10th-century Kāvyamīmāṃsā.—It the Himālayā range, Himavān is the principal mountain of the Bhāratavarṣa.
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’.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraHimavān (हिमवान्) [=Himavat] refers to a mountain belonging to “Uttaratas or Uttaradeśa (northern division)” classified under the constellations of Śatabhiṣaj, Pūrvabhādrapada and Uttarabhādrapada, according to the system of Kūrmavibhāga, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 14), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “The countries of the Earth beginning from the centre of Bhāratavarṣa and going round the east, south-east, south, etc., are divided into 9 divisions corresponding to the 27 lunar asterisms at the rate of 3 for each division and beginning from Kṛttikā. The constellations of Śatabhiṣaj, Pūrvabhādrapada and Uttarabhādrapada represent the northern division consisting of [i.e., Himavān] [...]”.
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: Encyclopedia of Jainism: Tattvartha Sutra 3: The Lower and middle worldsHimavān (हिमवान्) or Himavat is the name of a mountain in Jambūdvīpa separating the regions Bharata and Haimavata. Jambūdvīpa refers to the first continent of the Madhya-loka (middle-word), according to the 2nd-century Tattvārthasūtra 3.10. The hues of the six mountains (e.g., Himavān and Mahāhimavān) are golden and silver respectively. Why do the mountains Himavān and Mahāhimavān have their specific hues? They have the hues as the sand and stones which constitute these mountains and are golden and silvery in colours respectively.
Which lakes are there at the tops of the Himavān (Himavat), Mahāhimavān (Mahāhimavat), and Niṣadha mountains respectively? The lakes on tops of the Himavān, Mahāhimavān, and Niṣadha mountains are Padma, Mahāpadma and Tigiñcha respectively.
Jambūdvīpa (where stands the Himavān mountain) is in the centre of all continents and oceans; all continents and oceans are concentric circles with Jambūdvīpa in the centre. Like the navel is in the centre of the body, Jambūdvīpa is in the centre of all continents and oceans. Sumeru Mount is in the centre of Jambūdvīpa. It is also called Mount Sudarśana.
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 Dictionaryhimavān (हिमवान्).—m S pop. himavanta m The Himalaya range of mountains.
--- OR ---
himavān (हिमवान्).—a (S) Cold, frigid, frosty &c., having frost or cold.
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.
Tamil dictionary
Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil LexiconHimavāṉ (ஹிமவான்) noun < Hima-vān nominative singular of Hima-vat. See இமவான். [imavan.] (தக்கயாகப்பரணி பக். [thakkayagapparani pag.] 109, கீழ்க்குறிப்பு. [kizhkkurippu.])
Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Himavamahatmya, Himavamekhala, Himavana, Himavannaga, Himavannagara, Himavant, Himavanta, Himavanta Sutta, Himavantapadesa, Himavantu.
Ends with: Mahahimavan, Mahimavan.
Full-text (+51): Mainaka, Varshaparvata, Ekaparna, Manoramai, Mena, Himavat, Paruvatavarttani, Himashailarat, Parikarmita, Himalaya, Ragini, Ativarcas, Vaitadhya, Kraunca, Mahahimavat, Mahahimavan, Ganga, Gauri, Trikumarikajagat, Apaga.
Relevant text
Search found 33 books and stories containing Himavan, Himavaan, Himavān, Himavāṉ; (plurals include: Himavans, Himavaans, Himavāns, Himavāṉs). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Atithi or Guest Reception (study) (by Sarika. P.)
Part 2 - References to Hospitality in the Kumārasaṃbhava < [Chapter 4 - Atithi-saparyā in Classical Sanskrit Literature]
Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary) (by Vijay K. Jain)
Verse 3.34 - The regions and mountains in the nearest half of Puṣkaradvīpa < [Chapter 3 - The Lower World and the Middle World]
Verse 3.11 - The six mountain chains < [Chapter 3 - The Lower World and the Middle World]
Verse 3.10 - The seven divisions of Jambūdvīpa < [Chapter 3 - The Lower World and the Middle World]
The Himalayas < [April – June, 1982]
Was there a Western Ocean in North India < [October – December, 2000]
Bheeshma and Drona < [January 1951]
Harivamsha Purana (by Manmatha Nath Dutt)
Chapter 38 - The Asuras are Filled with Surprise at Seeing the Man-lion Form < [Book 3 - Bhavishya Parva]
Chapter 12 - A Description of the Earth < [Book 3 - Bhavishya Parva]
Chapter 4 - A Query Regarding the Origin of the Articles of Food < [Book 1 - Harivamsa Parva]
The Gautami Mahatmya (by G. P. Bhatt)