Vaidehaka: 9 definitions

Introduction:

Vaidehaka 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

Dharmashastra (religious law)

Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-śāstra

Vaidehaka (वैदेहक) refers to “merchant”. The disguise of such a person is part of a five-fold group of spies (pañcavarga), according to Uśanas. The word is used throughout Dharmaśāstra literature such as the Manusmṛti. (also see the Manubhāṣya verse 7.154)

Dharmashastra book cover
context information

Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

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Arthashastra (politics and welfare)

Source: Knowledge Traditions & Practices of India: Society State and Polity: A Survey

Vaidehaka (वैदेहक, “merchant”) refers to one of the various covers of spies, forming part of a the intelligence apparatus of a state (rājya), according to the ancient Indian science of Society and Polity, as defined in Kauṭilya’s Arthaśāstra (4th century BCE).—Kauṭilya suggests mass participation in intelligence gathering through institutions such as religion. Spies could be under the guises such as vaidehaka.

Arthashastra book cover
context information

Arthashastra (अर्थशास्त्र, arthaśāstra) literature concerns itself with the teachings (shastra) of economic prosperity (artha) statecraft, politics and military tactics. The term arthashastra refers to both the name of these scientific teachings, as well as the name of a Sanskrit work included in such literature. This book was written (3rd century BCE) by by Kautilya, who flourished in the 4th century BCE.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Vaidehaka in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vaidehaka (वैदेहक).—

1) A trader; गृहपतिवैदेहकतापसव्यञ्जनाः (gṛhapativaidehakatāpasavyañjanāḥ) Kau. A. 2.

2) = वैदेह (vaideha) (4) q. v.

Derivable forms: vaidehakaḥ (वैदेहकः).

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

Vaidehaka (वैदेहक).—m.

(-kaḥ) 1. A trader by profession. 2. A man of a mixed caste, the offspring of a Vaiśya father and Brahman mother, whose business is attendance in the women’s apartments. E. videha the country, vuñ. aff.; or vi various, dih to collect, (goods, &c.,) aff. ṇvul and aṇ added; or videha a king, the supposed author of rules for merchants, vuñ aff., or with aṇ aff. and ṭhak added vaidehika .

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

Vaidehaka (वैदेहक).—[vaideha + ka], m. = vaideha, I., cf. [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 10, 13 (= vaideha, 1. 2.).

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

1) Vaidehaka (वैदेहक):—[from vaideha] mfn. relating or belonging to the Videhas, [Mahābhārata]

2) [v.s. ...] m. a man of the Vaideha caste (said to be the offspring of a Śūdra father and Brāhman mother), [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.

3) [v.s. ...] a merchant, [Harṣacarita]

4) [v.s. ...] Name of a mountain, [Buddhist literature]

5) [v.s. ...] [plural] = videha (the people called so), [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā; Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]

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

Vaidehaka (वैदेहक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. A trader by profession; an attendant in the women’s apartments.

[Sanskrit to German]

Vaidehaka 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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Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Vaidehaka in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Vaidēhaka (ವೈದೇಹಕ):—

1) [noun] = ವೈದೇಹ - [vaideha -] 4.

2) [noun] a male offspring of a man of merchant cast in a brāhmaṇa woman.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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