Agnishikha, aka: Agniśikha, Agni-shikha; 9 Definition(s)

Introduction

Agnishikha 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.

The Sanskrit term Agniśikha can be transliterated into English as Agnisikha or Agnishikha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

1) Agniśikha (अग्निशिख) is another name (synonym) for Kusumbha, which is the Sanskrit word for Carthamus tinctorius (safflower), a plant from the Asteraceae family. This synonym was identified by Narahari in his 13th-century Rājanighaṇṭu, which is an Āyurvedic medicinal thesaurus. Certain plant parts of Kalamba are eaten as a vegetable (śāka).

2) Agniśikhā (अग्निशिखा) is another name (synonym) for Lāṅgalī, which is the Sanskrit word for Gloriosa superba (flame lily), a plant from the Colchicaceae family. This synonym was identified by Narahari in his 13th-century Rājanighaṇṭu, which is an Āyurvedic medicinal thesaurus.

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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.

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Agniśikha (अग्निशिख) is the Sanskrit name of one of Bharata’s sons, mentioned in the Nāṭyaśāstra 1.26-33. After Brahmā created the Nāṭyaveda (nāṭyaśāstra), he ordered Bharata to teach the science to his (one hundred) sons. Bharata thus learned the Nāṭyaveda from Brahmā, and then made his sons study and learn its proper application. After their study, Bharata assigned his sons (eg., Agniśikha) various roles suitable to them.

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Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (śāstra) of performing arts, (nāṭya, e.g., theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing dramatic plays (nataka) and poetic works (kavya).

Katha (narrative stories)

1) Agniśikha (अग्निशिख) is another name of Somadatta, who was a Brāhman from the city of Kauśāmbī, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara chapter 2. His wife was called Vasudattā, and together they had a son named Vararuci. Vararuci was an incarnation of Puṣpadanta (a subordinate of Śiva), who was cursed by Pārvatī for overhearing Śiva narrating the adventures of the seven vidhyādharas.

2) Agniśikha (अग्निशिख) is the name of a Rākṣasa disguised as an enormous crane, who once visited the city of Vardhamāna, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 39. Accordingly, as a Buddhist mendicant said to the crowd of princes, “princes, this is not a crane; it is a Rākṣasa named Agniśikha, who wanders about in an assumed shape destroying towns. So pierce him with an arrow, that being smitten he may depart hence”.

3) Agniśikha (अग्निशिख) is the name of a Vetāla, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 121. Accordingly, as Mahendrāditya asked his messenger Anaṅgadeva: “...  when he [king Vikramāditya] had said this, he summoned a Vetāla, named Agniśikha. And he, when summoned, came—tall, with flaming eyes, with upstanding hair—and said to the king: ‘Tell me what I am to do’”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Agniśikha, is a famous Sanskrit epic story revolving around prince Naravāhanadatta and his quest to become the emperor of the vidyādharas (celestial beings). The work is said to have been an adaptation of Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā consisting of 100,000 verses, which in turn is part of a larger work containing 700,000 verses.

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Katha (कथा, kathā) refers to narrative Sanskrit literature often inspired from epic legendry (itihasa) and poetry (mahākāvya). Some Kathas reflect socio-political instructions for the King while others remind the reader of important historical event and exploits of the Gods, Heroes and Sages.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Agniśikha (अग्निशिख).—Father of Vararuci. He is also known by the name Somadatta. (Kathāsaritsāgara-Kathāpīṭha-lambaka-Taraṅga 1. See also the word GUṆAVARA).

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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.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Agniśikha (अग्निशिख) is the father of Datta: the seventh Vāsudeva (“violent heroes”) according to both Śvetāmbara and Digambara sources. Since they enjoy half the power of a Cakravartin (universal monarch) they are also known as Ardhacakrins. Jain legends describe nine such Vāsudevas usually appearing together with their “gentler” twins known as the Baladevas. The legends of these twin-heroes usually involve their antagonistic counterpart known as the Prativāsudevas (anti-heroes).

The stories of king Agniśikha, queen Śeṣavatī and their son, Datta are related in texts such as the Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita (“the lives of the sixty-three illustrious persons”), a twelfth-century Śvetāmbara work by Hemacandra.

Agniśikha (अग्निशिख) refers to one of the two Indras (lords) of the Agnikumāra (fiery youths) class of “residential celestial beings” (bhavanavāsin), itself a main division of devas (celestial beings) according to the 2nd-century Tattvārthasūtra 4.3. The Agnikumāras leave the infernal world to perform miraculous activities in the middle and upper world. Agniśikha and Agnivāhana are the two lords in the Fiendish-youths residential celestial beings.

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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.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

agniśikhā (अग्निशिखा).—f (S) A spire or tongue of flame.

agniśikhā (अग्निशिखा).—f A spire of flame.

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Agniśikha (अग्निशिख).—a. [agneriva agniriva vā śikhā yasya] fiery, fire-crested; दहतु °खैः सायकैः (dahatu °khaiḥ sāyakaiḥ) Rām. (-khaḥ) 1 a lamp.

2) a rocket, fiery arrow.

3) an arrow in general.

4) safflower plant.

5) saffron.

6) जाङ्गलीवृक्ष (jāṅgalīvṛkṣa). (-kham) 1 saffron.

2) gold. (-khā) 1 a flame; शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः (śarairagniśikhopamaiḥ) Mb.

2) Name of two plants लाङ्गली (lāṅgalī) (Mar. vāgacabakā or kaḷalāvī) Gloriosa Superba; of other plants (also Mar. kaḷalāvī) Menispermum Cordifolium.

Agniśikha is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms agni and śikha (शिख).

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