Astika, Āstika, Āstīka, Astikā, Ashtika: 21 definitions

Introduction:

Astika means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi. 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.

Alternative spellings of this word include Astik.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Āstīka (आस्तीक).—The son of the Maharṣi Jaratkāru and his wife, also named Jaratkāru. He stopped King Janamejaya’s Sarpasatra and saved the nāgas. Birth. There is a story about Āstīka’s birth in the Devī Bhāgavata. Long ago the people of the world were so much troubled by the serpents, that they sought protection from Kaśyapa Prajāpati. To find a remedy for this, Kaśyapa discussed the matter with Brahmā. To put an end to the troubles from the serpents, Brahmā suggested that a number of mantras and a deity as the basis of those mantras should be created. Accordingly Kaśyapa created many mantras and Manasā Devī as the basic deity of those mantras. She is named "Manasādevī" because Kaśyapa created her by his mental power. Manasādevī has eleven other names also, namely Jaratkāru, Jagatgaurī, Siddhayoginī, Vaiṣṇavī, Nāgabhaginī, Śaivī, Nāgeśvarī, Jaratkārupriyā, Āstīkamātā, Viṣaharā and Mahājñānayutā. (See full article at Story of Āstīka from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

Source: JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and places

Āstīka (आस्तीक) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.34.13, I.48, I.44.20) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Āstīka) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

Purana book cover
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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.

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Mīmāṃsā (school of philosophy)

Source: academia.edu: Religious Inclusivism in the Writings of an Early Modern Sanskrit Intellectual (mimamsa)

Āstika (आस्तिक) refers to the “Vedic traditions”.—[...] While it is true, for instance, that Madhusūdana adopts an inclusive attitude towards Veda-affirming schools in his Prasthānabheda—including in its harmonizing scheme of ‘sciences’ (vidyā) both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva teachings, among others—yet he explicitly excludes the extra-Vedic (nāstika) traditions of the Buddhists, Jains and materialists, as well as the paths or methods (prasthāna) of Mlecchas. His rejection of those schools is unambiguous and based on a typically orthodox criterion—externality to the Vedic tradition. Although it offers a comparatively unified picture of āstika schools, Madhusūdana’s doxographical scheme is not all-inclusive, and retains an orthodox character insofar as it denies legitimacy to extra-Vedic traditions and those traditions associated with outcastes.

Mimamsa book cover
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Mimamsa (मीमांसा, mīmāṃsā) refers to one of the six orthodox Hindu schools of philosophy, emphasizing the nature of dharma and the philosophy of language. The literature in this school is also known for its in-depth study of ritual actions and social duties.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: Apam Napat: Indian Mythology

Astika was the son of a Rishi named Jaratkaru and the sister of Vasuki, foremost among serpents. The name of this lady was also Jaratkaru.

When King Janamejaya performed the great snake-sacrifice aimed at the destruction of all the snakes in the world, (to avenge the death of his father Parikshit at the hands of the serpent Takshaka), his mother sent Astika to stop the sacrifice. He obtained a boon from Janamejaya, which brought the sacrifice to an end and saved the life of Takshaka. This story is told here.

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Several Indian intellectual traditions were codified during the medieval period into a standard list of six orthodox systems or ṣaḍdarśanas, all of which cite Vedic authority as their source. Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimāṃsā and Vedanta are classified as āstika schools:

  1. Nyāyá, the school of logic
  2. Vaiśeṣika, the atomist school
  3. Sāṃkhya, the enumeration school
  4. Yoga, the school of Patañjali (which assumes the metaphysics of Sāṃkhya)
  5. Mimāṃsā, the tradition of Vedic exegesis
  6. Vedanta or Uttara Mimāṃsā, the Upaniṣadic tradition.

These are often coupled into three groups for both historical and conceptual reasons: Nyāyá-Vaiśeṣika, Sāṃkhya-Yoga, and Mimāṃsā-Vedanta.

Tantric traditions in Hinduism have both āstika and nāstika lines;

Source: Shodhganga: A study of Nyāya-vaiśeṣika categories (h)

Āstika (आस्तिक, “orthodox systems”).—All these six systems [Sāṃkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika, Mīmāṃsā, Vedānta] are known as the āstika or the orthodox systems as they accept the authority of the Vedas. Āstika and nāstika are the two broad divisions of Indian philosophy. According to Pāṇini, āstika is ‘one who believes in the other world’, nāstika is ‘one who does not believe in the other world’ and daiṣṭika is a predestinarian’ or ‘fatalist’. This is the oldest recorded explanation of these words”.

Generally āstika means one who believes in the existence of God and nāstika means one who does not believe in the existence of God. However, according to the philosophers, those schools are called āstika, which accept the Vedic authority and those schools are named nāstika, which do not accept the Vedic authority.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhism

Āstika (आस्तिक) refers to one of the various Ṛṣis (sages) and Mahārṣis (great sages) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Āstika).

Source: academia.edu: The Structure and Meanings of the Heruka Maṇḍala

Astikā (अस्तिका) is the name of a Ḍākinī who, together with the Vīra (hero) named Asticinta forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Vākcakra, according to the 10th century Ḍākārṇava chapter 15. Accordingly, the vākcakra refers to one of the three divisions of the nirmāṇa-puṭa (emanation layer’), situated in the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs [viz., Astikā] and Vīras are reddish madder in color; they each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
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Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

āstika (आस्तिक).—a (S) That believes in God and a future state; Theist in opp. to nāstika Atheist. 2 This word is uttered at night on lying down to sleep; as a safeguard against snakes &c. Gen. with redup. ā0 ā0

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

āstika (आस्तिक).—a Theist. A believer. āstikya n Theism. Belief of a Deity and a future state.

context information

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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Astika (अस्तिक).—Name of a sage whose intercession saved the serpents from being burnt down in the sacrificial fire of Janamejaya.

Derivable forms: astikaḥ (अस्तिकः).

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Āstika (आस्तिक).—a. (- f.) [अस्ति परलोकः इति मतिर्यस्य, ठक् (asti paralokaḥ iti matiryasya, ṭhak)]

1) One who believes in God and another world; यन्नास्त्येव तदस्ति वस्त्विति मृषा जल्पद्भिरेवास्तिकैः (yannāstyeva tadasti vastviti mṛṣā jalpadbhirevāstikaiḥ) Prab.2

2) A believer in sacred tradition.

3) Pious, faithful, believing; आस्तिकः श्रद्दधानश्च (āstikaḥ śraddadhānaśca) Y.1.268.

-kaḥ [or āstīkaḥ] Name of a Muni. cf. अगस्त्यो माधवश्चैव मुचकुन्दो महामुनिः । कपिलो मुनिरास्तीकः पञ्चैते सुखशायिनः (agastyo mādhavaścaiva mucakundo mahāmuniḥ | kapilo munirāstīkaḥ pañcaite sukhaśāyinaḥ) ||

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Āstīka (आस्तीक).—a. Relating to, or treating of, the sage आस्तीक (āstīka).

-kaḥ Name of an old saint, son of Jaratkāru; (at whose intercession King Janamejaya spared the Nāga Takṣaka from the destruction to which he had doomed the serpent race). Mb. gives the following etymology of the name; नाम चास्याभवत्ख्यातं लोकेष्वास्तीक इत्युत । अस्तीत्युक्त्वा गतो यस्मात्पिता गर्भस्थमेव तम् (nāma cāsyābhavatkhyātaṃ lokeṣvāstīka ityuta | astītyuktvā gato yasmātpitā garbhasthameva tam) || cf. सर्पाप- सर्प भद्रं ते गच्छ सर्प वनान्तरम् । जनमेजयस्य यज्ञान्ते आस्तीकवचनं स्मर (sarpāpa- sarpa bhadraṃ te gaccha sarpa vanāntaram | janamejayasya yajñānte āstīkavacanaṃ smara) ||

-kam A section (parva) of the first book of the Mahābhārata.

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

Āstika (आस्तिक).—m.

(-kaḥ) The name of a Muni or saint. E. asti who is and vuñ affix; from an expression of his father, (he is in the womb,) pronouncing his conception to have taken place before there were any external indications of it. mfn.

(-kaḥ-kī-kaṃ) A believer, pious, faithful. E. asti as before, saying that there is a God, &c. in opposition to the nāstika an atheist, and ṭhak aff.

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Āstīka (आस्तीक).—m.

(-kaḥ) The name of a Muni or saint, the son of Jaratkaru, also a Muni: see āstika. E. asti and ṭhak aff.

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

Āstika (आस्तिक).—i. e. asti, third ps. of the pres. of 1. as, + ika, m. A believer, religious, pious, [Rāmāyaṇa] 2, 109, 37.

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

Āstika (आस्तिक).—[adjective] pious, faithful; [abstract] kya [neuter]

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Āstīka (आस्तीक).—[masculine] [Name] of a saint.

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

1) Aṣṭika (अष्टिक):—[from aṣṭi] mfn. having the length of eight, [Śulba-sūtra]

2) Astīka (अस्तीक):—[from asti] m. (commonly written āstīka, q.v.), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

3) Āstika (आस्तिक):—mf(ī)n. ([from] asti, ‘there is or exists’ [Pāṇini 4-2, 60]), one who believes in the existence (of God, of another world, etc.)

4) believing, pious, faithful, [Mahābhārata; Yājñavalkya; Suśruta]

5) m. = āstīka q.v.

6) Āstīka (आस्तीक):—m. Name of a Muni (the son of Jaratkāru and Bhaginī Jaratkāru), [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa]

7) mfn. relating to or treating of the Muni Āstika

8) (āstīkaṃ parva, a section of the first book of the Mahā-bhārata.)

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

1) Āstika (आस्तिक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. The name of a Muni; a believer in God; a deist.

2) Āstīka (आस्तीक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. Name of a Muni.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Āstika (आस्तिक) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Atthiya.

[Sanskrit to German]

Astika 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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Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Āstika (आस्तिक) [Also spelled astik]:—(nm) a theist; (a) devout, having a religious disposition; ~[] theism, devoutness.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Āstika (ಆಸ್ತಿಕ):—

1) [noun] a believer in the existence of god or gods, other worlds.

2) [noun] a believer in the sacred tradition, esp. the vēdas.

3) [noun] (myth.) a Hindu sage.

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Āstika (ಆಸ್ತಿಕ):—[noun] = ಆಸ್ತಿವಂತ [astivamta].

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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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