Kuladevata, Kula-devata, Kuladevatā: 12 definitions
Introduction:
Kuladevata means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi. 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
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता) is another name for the Goddess (i.e., Kubjikā), 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 goddess is both Kula itself (kularūpiṇī) and the deity of her Kula (kuladevatā). She is Kulakaulinī and her consort is the Lord of Kula (kulanātha). As the mistress of the Kula, the goddess is frequently called Kaulinī throughout our text. The Divine Triangle of the Yoni is Kula. The goddess who exerts her authority in the centre is appropriately called Kaulinī. To refer to Kubjikā as Kaulinī or Kuleśvarī is to indicate the she is essentially the goddess of all the energies and divine forms that embody them. She is the fundamental identity of all the Kaula goddesses, just as they are all her.
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता) refers to the “tutelar family deity”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.46 (“The arrival of the bridegroom”).—Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated to Nārada: “[...] In the meantime the servant-maids in the harem of the mountain took Pārvatī out in order to worship the tutelar family deity (kuladevatā). There the gods saw joyously with winkless eyes the bride of dark complexion like the collyrium, and fully bedecked in ornaments in every limb. With a side glance she was respectfully looking at the three-eyed lord avoiding the eyes of others. [...]”.
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 Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता) is another name (synonym) for Kuladeva, one of the four classes of Gods (devas) according to Somasena in his Traivarṇikācāra. Somasena was a follower of the Digambara tradition and flourished in the 16th century. The Kuladevatās refer to divinities worshipped by families.
Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता) refers to the “family’s deity”, according to the Candanamalayāgarīcaupaī by Bhadrasena (dealing with the lives of Jain teachers), which is included in the collection of manuscripts at the ‘Vincenzo Joppi’ library, collected by Luigi Pio Tessitori during his visit to Rajasthan between 1914 and 1919.—Accordingly, “King Candana and his wife Malayāgarī (various spellings) lived happily in Kusumapura with their two young sons Sāgara and Nīra. One night the family’s deity (kuladevatā) manifested herself to the king, saying that she would always assist him but that he would have to go through a period of difficulties. When the king asked her advice on what to do, she told him that together with his family he should live in a forest (vanavāsa, 1v10) for some time. [...]”.
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
kuladēvatā (कुलदेवता).—f (S) kuladaivata n S kuladaivatva n S The tutelar divinity (god or goddess) of a race or tribe.
kuladēvatā (कुलदेवता).—f-daivata n The tutelar divinity of a race.
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.
Sanskrit dictionary
Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता).—a tutelary deity; the guardian deity of a family; तामर्चिताभ्यः कुलदेवताभ्यः कुलप्रतिष्ठां प्रणमय्य माता (tāmarcitābhyaḥ kuladevatābhyaḥ kulapratiṣṭhāṃ praṇamayya mātā) Kumārasambhava 7.27.
Kuladevatā is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms kula and devatā (देवता).
Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता).—f. a chief deity, [Kumārasaṃbhava, (ed. Stenzler.)] 7, 27.
Kuladevatā is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms kula and devatā (देवता).
1) Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता):—[=kula-devatā] [from kula] f. the family deity, [Kumāra-sambhava vii, 27; Viṣṇu-purāṇa] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] = -devī Name of Durgā, [Horace H. Wilson]
Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता):—(kula + de) f. Hauptgottheit: arcitābhyaḥ kuladevatābhyaḥ [Kumārasaṃbhava 7, 27] (St.: familiae dii). Beiname der Durgā [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 58.]
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Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता):—füge Familiengottheit hinzu. [Oxforder Handschriften 19,a,13.] [Kathāsaritsāgara 111,45.]
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Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता):—(vgl. Nachträge) [Spr. (II) 4100.] [PISCHEL, de Gramm. prācr. 38, 1 v. u.]
Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता):—f. —
1) Familiengottheit [107,24.] [Varāhamihira’s Yogayātrā 6,19.] —
2) *Beiname der Durgā.
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.
Nepali dictionary
Kuladevatā (कुलदेवता):—n. family deity; tutelary deity;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Devata, Kula, Kola.
Full-text: Kuladeva, Devatakula, Grihadevata, Kuldevataa, Kuladevate, Panca, Vitthala, Guhyeshvari, Kusumapura, Gambhiraraya, Malayagari, Indrani, Vanavasa, Candana, Nira, Kularupini, Waterhole, Hemacandra, Sagara, Matri.
Relevant text
Search found 28 books and stories containing Kuladevata, Kula-devata, Kula-devatā, Kuladevatā, Kuladēvatā, Kuladevatas; (plurals include: Kuladevatas, devatas, devatās, Kuladevatās, Kuladēvatās, Kuladevatases). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Hindu Pluralism (by Elaine M. Fisher)
Śrīvidyā and society in Nīlakaṇṭha Dīkṣita’s Saubhāgyacandrātapa < [Chapter 2 - The Making of the Smārta-Śaiva Community of South India]
The Making of a Hindu Sectarian Community < [Conclusion—A Prehistory of Hindu Pluralism]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 645 < [Marathi-Hindi-English, Volume 1]
Page 578 < [Gujarati-Hindi-English, Volume 1]
Page 422 < [Hindi-Gujarati-English Volume 1]
Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala (study) (by Shri N. M. Kansara)
28. Worship of the family deity < [Chapter 11 - Social Data]
Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 21 - Gotras, Pravaras etc. of the Residents of Dharmāraṇya < [Section 2 - Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa]