Shraddha (श्रद्धा)

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परिचयः ॥ Introduction

In Vivekachudamani, Sloka 25, Śrī Śankaracharya says:

“शास्त्रस्य गुरुवाक्यस्य सत्यबुद्ध्यवधारणम्। सत्यबुद्ध्यावधारणा सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते॥”

Meaning, trust in Śāstra and in the words of Guru with truthful behavior performed with śrअddhā intern helps in the understanding of reality and the gain of desired results or objects.

Shraddha is the rudimentary stage of Bhakti. (Sri Shandilya Bhakti Sutras)

व्युत्पत्तिः ॥ Etymology

The term is derived from two Sanskrit roots: shrat meaning "truth," "heart" or "faithfulness," and dha, meaning "to direct one’s mind toward." (Yogapedia)

General Definition

can be associated with faith, trust, confidence, and loyalty. Sri Aurobindo describes Śraddhā as “the soul’s belief in the Divine’s existence, wisdom, power, love and grace.”

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

1) To confide, believe, put faith in (with acc. of thing); कः श्रद्धास्यति भूतार्थम् (kaḥ śraddhāsyati bhūtārtham) Mk.3.24; कामिन्यः श्रदधुरनार्जवं नरेषु (kāminyaḥ śradadhuranārjavaṃ nareṣu) Śi.8.11;9.69; U.7.6; श्रद्दधे त्रिदशगोप- मात्रके दाहशक्तिमिव कृष्णवर्त्मनि (śraddadhe tridaśagopa- mātrake dāhaśaktimiva kṛṣṇavartmani) R.11.42.

2) To consent, assent.

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—

1) Trust, faith, belief, confidence.

2) Belief in divine revelation, religious faith; श्रद्धा वित्तं विधिश्चेति त्रितयं तत्समागतम् (śraddhā vittaṃ vidhiśceti tritayaṃ tatsamāgatam) Ś.7.29; R.2.16; अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगात् चलितमानसः (ayatiḥ śraddhayopeto yogāt calitamānasaḥ) Bg.6.37;7.21;17.3.

3) Sedateness, composure of mind.

4) Intimacy, familiarity.

5) Respect, reverence.

6) Strong or vehement desire; तथापि वैचित्र्य- रहस्यलुब्धाः श्रद्धां विधास्यन्ति सचेतसोऽत्र (tathāpi vaicitrya- rahasyalubdhāḥ śraddhāṃ vidhāsyanti sacetaso'tra) Vikr.1.13; युद्धश्रद्धा- पुलकित इव प्राप्तसख्यः करेण (yuddhaśraddhā- pulakita iva prāptasakhyaḥ kareṇa) Mu.6.18.

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

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—[adjective] trusting, faithful ([dative]).

— [feminine] ā trust, faith, belief in ([locative] or —°); fidelity, sincerity (also personif.); wish, desire, longing for ([locative], [accusative] [with] prati, infin., or —°); curiosity, whim, appetite.

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

2) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा):—[=śrad-dhā]

4) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा):—[=śrad-√dhā] [from śrad] b [Parasmaipada] [Ātmanepada] -dadhāti, -dhatte ([present participle] śraddadhat, śrad-dadhāna; [Vedic or Veda] [infinitive mood] śraddhe cf. śrat above), to have faith or faithfulness, have belief or confidence, believe, be true or trustful (with na, ‘to disbelieve’ etc.), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.;

—to credit, think anything true (two [accusative]), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.;

—to believe or have faith in or be true to (with [dative case], and in later language with [genitive case] of thing or person, or with [locative case] of thing), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.;

—to expect anything ([accusative]) from ([ablative]), [Mahābhārata];

—to consent, assent to, approve, welcome (with [accusative]; with na, ‘to disapprove’), [Kathāsaritsāgara];

—to be desirous of ([accusative]), wish to ([infinitive mood]), [ib.; Bhāgavata-purāṇa] :

—[Causal] -dhāpayati, to make faithful, render trustful, inspire confidence, [Ṛg-veda x, 151, 5.]

5) [from śrad] c f. faith, trust, confidence, trustfulness, faithfulness, belief in ([locative case] or [compound]; śraddhayā-√gam, ‘to believe in’, with [genitive case] [Divyāvadāna]), trust, confidence, loyalty (Faith or Faithfulnesses is often personified and in [Ṛg-veda x, 151] invoked as a deity; in [Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa] she is the daughter of Prajā-pati, and in [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa] of the Sun; in [Mahābhārata] she is the daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Dharma; in [Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa] she is the mother of Kāma, and in [Bhāgavata-purāṇa] the daughter of Kardama and wife of Aṅgiras or Manu), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.

6) [v.s. ...] wish, desire (śraddhayā ind. ‘willingly, gladly’), longing for ([locative case] [accusative] with prati [infinitive mood], or [compound]), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.

9) [v.s. ...] curiosity (śraddhām ākhyāhi nas tāvat, ‘just satisfy our curiosity and tell us’), [Kathāsaritsāgara]

10) [v.s. ...] purity, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

11) [v.s. ...] respect, reverence, [Horace H. Wilson]

12) [v.s. ...] calmness or composure of mind, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]

13) [v.s. ...] intimacy, [ib.] (Wisdom library)

Types of Shraddha

सा त्रिविधा । यथा, -- श्रीभगवानुवाच । “त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा । सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥ सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्व्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत । श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छद्धः स एव सः ॥ यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान् यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः । प्रेतान् भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥” इति श्रीभगवद्गीतायां १७ अध्यायः ॥ (Shabdakalpadruma)

Greatness of Shraddha

तस्याः प्रशंसा यथा, -- ब्रह्मोवाच । “श्रद्धापूर्व्वा इमे धर्म्माः श्रद्धा मध्यान्त- संस्थिताः । श्रद्धा नित्या प्रतिष्ठाश्च धर्म्माः श्रंद्धैव कीर्त्तिताः ॥ श्रुतिमात्ररसाः सूक्ष्माः प्रधानपुरुषेश्वराः । श्रद्धामात्रेण गृह्यन्ते न करेण न चक्षुषा ॥ कायक्लेशैर्न बहुभिस्तथवार्थस्य राशिभिः । धर्म्मः संप्राप्यते सूक्ष्मः श्रद्धाहीनैः सुरैरपि ॥ श्रद्धा धर्म्मः परः सूक्ष्मः श्रद्धा ज्ञानं हुतं तपः । श्रद्धा स्वर्गश्च मोक्षश्च श्रद्धा सर्व्वमिदं जगत् ॥ सर्व्वस्वं जीवितं वापि दद्यादश्रद्धया यदि । नाप्नुयात्तत्फलं किञ्चित् श्रद्धादानं ततो भवेत् ॥ एवं श्रद्धान्वयाः सर्वे सर्वधर्म्माः प्रकीर्त्तिताः । केशवः श्रद्धया गम्यो ध्येयः पूज्यश्च सर्वदा ॥” इति वह्निपुराणे धेनुदानमाहात्म्याध्यायः ॥ (Shabdakalpadruma)

In the Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita, in which Sri Krishna says, “shraddhavan labhate jnanam,” meaning “one with shraddha gains knowledge” - refers to a direct understanding of Divine truth, rather than belief through blind faith.

The Bhagavad Gita also says that a person is what their shraddha is, alluding to the notion that an individual's character or nature is what shapes their destiny. (Yogapedia)

In the Yoga Sutras

Yoga Sutra 1.20 states that "the practice of yoga begins with faith". The term shraddha is used to refer to faith in this context, suggesting that connecting to shraddha helps to build faith in oneself and one’s decisions. (Yogapedia)

In Vedanta

Source: Shodhganga: Siva Gita A Critical Study

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to “faith”.—Śraddhā is to believe in what you do not see and the reward is in seeing what you believed.

In Ayurveda

Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of terms

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा):—Desire

7) [v.s. ...] desire of eating, appetite, [Suśruta]

8) [v.s. ...] the longing of a pregnant woman, [Caraka]

(Wisdom library)

In Vaishnava Sampradaya

Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhagavad-gita (4th edition)

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to “faith in the statements of scripture awakened when one has accumulated pious devotional activities over many births or by the association and mercy of a pure Vaiṣṇava; the first manifestation of the creeper of devotion. The inner essence of the seed of śraddhā is the conception implanted within the disciple’s heart to serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in a particular capacity”.

Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhajana-rahasya - 2nd Edition

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to:—Faith in the statements of the śāstras which is awakened after accumulating pious devotional credits over many births.

Source: Pure Bhakti: Brhad Bhagavatamrtam

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to:—Faith; the firm conviction that all of one’s obligations will be fulfilled by performing kṛṣṇa-bhakti. (Wisdom library)

Shraddha as a Deity

in RV. x , 151 invoked as a deity

In the Brahmanas

in TBr. she is the daughter of प्रजा-पति, and in S3Br. of the Sun ;

In the Itihasa and Puranas

in MBh. she is the daughter of दक्षand wife of धर्म;

in Ma1rkP. she is the mother of काम, and in BhP. the daughter of कर्दमand wife of अङ्गिरस्or मनु) RV.

Dharmadeva had a son named kāma by śraddhā. (viṣṇu purāṇa, Part 1, Chapter 7).

ŚRADDHĀ IV . Daughter born to kardama prajāpati by Devahūti. She became the wife of aṅgiras. They had two sons, Utatthya and bṛhaspati and four daughters, sinīvālī, kuhū, rākā and anumati. (bhāgavata, 3rd skandha).

Wisdom library

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

1) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—A daughter born to Dakṣa Prajāpati by his wife Praṣūti. Twentyfour daughters were born to them. Of them, thirteen were the wives of Dharmadeva including Śraddhā.

Dharmadeva had a son named Kāma by Śraddhā. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Part 1, Chapter 7).

2) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—Sūrya’s daughter. She had several other names such as, Vaivasvatī, Sāvitrī, Prasavitrī etc. (For more details, see under Sāvitrī I),

3) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—Wife of Vaivasvata Manu. (See under Vaivasvata Manu).

4) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—Daughter born to Kardama Prajāpati by Devahūti. She became the wife of Aṅgiras. They had two sons, Utatthya and Bṛhaspati and four daughters, Sinīvālī, Kuhū, Rākā and Anumati. (Bhāgavata, 3rd Skandha).

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा, “faith”) is one of the twenty-four daughters of Dakṣa by Prasūti: one of the three daughters of Svāyambhuvamanu and Śatarūpā, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.1.16:—“Dakṣa begot twenty-four daughters. Thirteen daughters Śraddhā etc. were given to Dharma in marriage by Dakṣa. O lordly sage, listen to the names of Dharma’s wives. Their names are [Śraddhā (faith),...]. Thereupon the entire universe consisting of three worlds, mobile and immobile was filled (with progeny). Thus according to their own actions and at the bidding of Śiva innumerable famous Brahmins were born out of the various living beings”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Śraddhā (श्रद्धा).—A daughter of Kardama married to Angirasa. Mother of four daughters—Sinīvālī, Kuhū, Rākā and Anumatī and sons Utathya and Bṛhaspati.*

1b) A daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Dharma; mother of Śubha and Kāma.*

1c) A wife of Śrāddhadeva and mother of ten sons; observed payovrata and wanted the birth of a daughter. Ilā was born.*

2a) Śrāddha (श्राद्ध).—A son of Śatrughna, the son of Anādhṛṣṭhi.*

Source: Shodhganga: The saurapurana - a critical study

Śraddhā (श्रद्धा) refers to one of the daughters of Dakṣa and Prasūti: one of the two daughters of Manu-svāyaṃbhuva and Śatarūpā, according to the Vaṃśa (‘genealogical description’) of the 10th century Saurapurāṇa: one of the various Upapurāṇas depicting Śaivism.—Accordingly, Ākūti was married to Ruci and Prasūti to Dakṣa. Dakṣa produced in Prasūti twenty-four daughters. [...] [Dakṣa gave thirteen daughters Śraddhā and others to Dharma.]

References: Skanda Purana, Harivamsha, Markandeya Purana, Matsya Purana, Vishnu Purana (Wisdom library)

Śraddhā^1 (commonly translated as ‘Faith’), daughter of Daksha and wife of Dharma. § 115 (Aṃśāvat.): I, 66, 2578.

ŚRADDHĀ I . A daughter born to dakṣa prajāpati by his wife Praṣūti. Twentyfour daughters were born to them. Of them, thirteen were the wives of Dharmadeva including śraddhā.

ŚRADDHĀ II . Sūrya's daughter. She had several other names such as, Vaivasvatī, sāvitrī, Prasavitrī etc.

ŚRADDHĀ III . Wife of vaivasvata manu.

In Pancharatra Samhita

In the Pancharatra tradition, shraddha is one of the twenty-four emanations of Lakṣmī accompanying Nārāyaṇa. This particular manifestation couples with his counterpart form called Padmanābha and together they form the eleventh celestial couple. (Wisdom Library)

In Shakta Sampradaya

In Shakta philosophy, shraddha is one of the names attributed to Devī, as chanted by the Vedas in their hymns, who were at the time incarnated in their personified forms. (Devī-bhāgavata-purāṇa chapter 5.51-68, called “the narrative of Hayagrīva”.) (Wisdom library)