Acira, Acirā: 23 definitions

Introduction:

Acira means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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 Achira.

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of terms

Acira (अचिर):—[aciraḥ] Speedy

Ayurveda book cover
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Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

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Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira

Acira (अचिर) refers to the “transient” appearance of Ketus, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 11), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “Generally, if the luminous body or comet be small, clear, glossy, straight, transient [i.e., acira-saṃsthita], white and visible either immediately after their appearance or some time afterwards, there will be health and happiness in the land. If it be the opposite of these, or of the shape of the rainbow or with two or three tails, mankind will not be happy”.

Jyotisha book cover
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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.

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Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: University of Vienna: Sudarśana's Worship at the Royal Court According to the Ahirbudhnyasaṃhitā

Acira (अचिर) refers to “quickly” (obtain something), according to the Ahirbudhnyasaṃhitā, belonging to the Pāñcarātra tradition which deals with theology, rituals, iconography, narrative mythology and others.—Accordingly, “Therefore the King who worships this [Yantra] being imbued with devotion will very quickly (acira) obtain Universal Sovereignty over the Earth. The King, his attendants or ministers or others, wishing the benefit of the King, should all worship this supreme [Yantra]”.

Pancaratra book cover
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Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

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Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Acira (अचिर) refers to “quickly (attaining success)”, according to the Śrīmatottara-tantra, an expansion of the Kubjikāmatatantra: the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, [while describing the visualized form of Navātman Bhairava]: “[...] He who practices the Navātmānanda Bhairava, in this way quickly (acira) attains success. O fair lady, it is the means to attain all the things (one) desires. He who has Navātman in (his) heart holds success in (his) hand. O fair lady, the Krama of one who does not deposit the Vaḍava Fire of Navātman is empty; (his) effort, O goddess, is useless. He is not liberated (and is like) those who are sunk in sinful action. O mistress of the God of the gods, he sinks into the ocean of transmigration which is hard to cross. [...]”.

Shaktism book cover
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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.

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In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā

Acira (अचिर) refers to “of no long duration”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, as the Lord said: “[...] [On the contrary,] these three elements [namely, earth, water, and wind] are endowed with origination and destruction, unstable and of no long duration (acira-stha). It is perceived that these are changeable, but space is by no means changeable. [...]”.

Mahayana book cover
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Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

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In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Jainism

Acirā (अचिरा) is the mother of Śāntinātha according to Śvetāmbara (but she is named Airā according to Digambara), according to the Ācāradinakara (14th century work on Jain conduct written by Vardhamāna Sūri). Śāntinātha is the sixteenth of twenty-four Tīrthaṅkaras in Janism. A Tīrthaṅkara is an enlightened being who has conquered saṃsāra (cycle of birth and death), leaving behind him a path for others to follow.

The husband of Acirā is Viśvasena. It is an ancient Jain practice to worship the Tīrthaṅkara’s parents in various rites, such as the pratiṣṭhāvidhi.

Source: archive.org: The Jaina Iconography

Acirā (अचिरा) is the mother of Śāntinātha: the sixteenth of twenty-four Tīrthaṃkaras or Jinas, commonly depicted in Jaina iconography.—Regarding the Jina’s parentage, we gather from Jaina books that King Viśvasena was his father and Acirā was his mother. He was born at Hastināpura. In Jaina history of pontiffs, Śāntinātha occupies a very high place. Not only did he revive Jainism, which was in danger of falling into oblivion, but he so consolidated the faith that it never disappeared again.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Acirā (अचिरा) is the wife of king Viśvasena from Hastināpura and is the mother of Śānti-nātha, according to chapter 5.4 [śāntinātha-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly:—“[...] The king in Hastināpura was Viśvasena, moon to the ocean of the Ikṣvāku-family, a festival for the eyes, by the moonlight of whose glory the earth was brightened. [...] He, enjoying an exalted rank, bestowing delight on the world, had a wife, named Acirā, like the lightning of a cloud. Just as the queen was the crest-jewel of women, so good conduct was chief among her virtues, courtesy, etc. Just as the queen was the crest-jewel of women, so good conduct was chief among her virtues, courtesy, etc. The first among good wives, day and night she put her husband inside her heart as an ornament, like a pearl-necklace on the outside. [...]”.

General definition book cover
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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.

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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

acira : (adj.) recent; new.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Acira, see cira & cp. nacira. (Page 7)

Pali book cover
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Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

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Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

acira (अचिर) [or अचिरात्, acirāt].—ad S pop. acirēṅkaruna ad In a little while or short time.

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

acira (अचिर).—ad In a short time or a little while.

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

Acira (अचिर).—a. [na. ta.]

1) Brief, transitory, of short duration; °द्युति, °भास्, °प्रभा (dyuti, °bhās, °prabhā) &c. q. v.

2) Recent, late, new; अकरोदचिरेश्वरः क्षितौ (akarodacireśvaraḥ kṣitau) R.8.2 the new lord. In compounds अचिर (acira) may be rendered by 'recently', 'just', `not long ago'; °प्रवृत्तं ग्रीष्मसमयमधिकृत्य (pravṛttaṃ grīṣmasamayamadhikṛtya) Ś.1, just set in. °प्रसूता (prasūtā); अचिरप्रसूतया जनन्या विना विवर्धित एव (aciraprasūtayā jananyā vinā vivardhita eva) Ś.4; having recently brought forth (who died not long after delivery, said of a doe) or a cow that has recently calved.

-ram adv. (also acireṇa, acirāya, acirāt, acirasya in the same senses)

1) Not long since, not long ago.

2) Recently, lately.

3) Soon, quickly, not long hence.

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

Acira (अचिर).—mfn.

(-raḥ-rā-raṃ) Brief, momentary, not long.

(-rā) A proper name. the mother of Santi, the sixteenth Jaina saint. E. a neg. cira long.

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

Acira (अचिर).—[adjective] not long (time); short, brief. °— not long ago, recently, just ([especially] before [participle]); acirama, acireṇa, & acirāt in a short time, soon, directly.

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

1) Acira (अचिर):—[=a-cira] mfn. not of long duration, brief

2) [v.s. ...] instantaneous, recent

3) Acirā (अचिरा):—[=a-cirā] [from a-cira] f. the mother of the Jaina saint Śānti.

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

Acira (अचिर):—[tatpurusha compound] I. m. f. n.

(-raḥ-rā-ram) Not long (in time), brief, momentary. Adverbially are used: aciram, acireṇa and acirāt, in a short time, soon, directly. In composition with a participle, acira means ‘not yet a long time, not long ago, recently’. See f. i. aciraprasūtā, aciramṛta. Ii. f.

(-rā) A proper name: the mother of Śānti, the sixteenth Arhat or Jaina saint of the present Avasarpiṇī. E. a neg. and cira.

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

Acira (अचिर):—[a-cira] (raḥ-rā-raṃ) a. Brief, short.

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

Acira (अचिर) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Aira, Airā, Airāṇī.

[Sanskrit to German]

Acira 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

Acira (अचिर) [Also spelled achir]:—(a) prompt; without delay.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Acira (ಅಚಿರ):—

1) [adjective] lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory; ephemeral.

2) [adjective] happening immediately.

3) [adjective] done, made, etc. just before the present time; modern; new; recent.

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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