Ashtami, Aṣṭamī: 15 definitions
Introduction:
Ashtami means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, Tamil. 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 Aṣṭamī can be transliterated into English as Astami or Ashtami, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaAṣṭamī (अष्टमी).—The third skandha of Devī Bhāgavata states that the goddess, Bhadrakālī, came into life on an Aṣṭamī day to block up the yāga of Dakṣa. That is why the day is considered to be holy and important.
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation1) Aṣṭamī (अष्टमी) refers to the “8th day of a fortnight”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.15. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] Firmly resolved in her desire to secure Śiva as her husband, she (viz., Devī as Satī) propitiated him in her own house with the permission of her mother. [...]”.
On the eighth day [viz., Aṣṭamī] in the dark half of Mārgaśīrṣa (November-December), Satī worshipped Śiva with cooked barley and gingelly seeds and spent the other days (in devotion).
On the eighth [viz., Aṣṭamī] and fourteenth days in the bright half of Śrāvaṇa (July-August), she worshipped Śiva with holy sacred threads and cloths.
On the eighth [viz., Aṣṭamī] of the bright half in the month of Āśvina: Satī observed a fast and worshipped Śiva with great devotion. When her Nandā rites were concluded on the ninth day (Navamī), while she was engrossed in meditation, Śiva became visible to her.
2) According to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.5, as Brahmā narrated to Nārada the birth of Menā’s daughter:—“[...] Desirous of obtaining a child, she worshipped Śivā everyday for twenty-seven years beginning it in the month of March-April [i.e., caitra-māsa]. Observing a fast on the eighth day [i.e., aṣṭamī-upavāsa] of the lunar fortnight, she made charitable gifts of sweets, offerings of oblation rice cakes, puddings and fragrant flowers on the ninth day. [...]”.
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.
Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)
Source: Pure Bhakti: Arcana-dipika - 3rd EditionAṣṭamī (अष्टमी) refers to one of the various “lunar days” (tithi):—There are approximately 29.5 lunar days in a lunar month. The first fifteen days begin with the first phase of the waxing moon (pratipat) and end with the full moon (pūrṇimā). [...] In accordance with the lunar day, one would utter, [for example, aṣṭamī-tithau].
Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: ManthanabhairavatantramAṣṭamī (अष्टमी) or Śivāṣṭamī refers to the “(auspicious) eighth (day of the lunar month)”, according to the second recension of the Yogakhaṇḍa of the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “In the meantime, once the goddess had crossed over the most excellent Yoga and once the fifth night had passed, she emerged from the middle of the Liṅga. (This took place) in an auspicious (śiva) month on the auspicious (śiva) eighth (day of the lunar month) [i.e., śiva-aṣṭamī] at the end of the middle of the night. She has the form of a sixteen (year-old girl), is dark blue and red and has three eyes. She laughs subtly and is adorned with six faces. She has twelve arms, a crooked form and faces downwards”.
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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraAṣṭamī (अष्टमी) refers to the “eighth lunar day”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 5), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “What eclipses the moon is bigger than the moon; what eclipses the sun is smaller than the sun. Hence in semi-lunar and semi-solar eclipses, the luminous horns are respectively blunt and sharp. [...] It is wrong to say that there can be no eclipse unless five planets are in conjunction and it is equally wrong to suppose that on the previous Aṣṭamī (eighth lunar) day, the coming eclipse and its properties can be ascertained by examining the appearance of a drop of oil on the surface of water”.
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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Toxicology (Study and Treatment of poison)
Source: Shodhganga: Kasyapa Samhita—Text on Visha ChikitsaAṣṭamī (अष्टमी) is taken into consideration when ascertaining the recovery for a person to be bitten by snake, as taught in the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā—an important topic from Āyurveda which deals with the study of Toxicology (Agadatantra or Sarpavidyā).—The malignant asterisms and baneful lunar phases and astral combinations, with reference to snake-bite, are discussed in the tail-end of the fourth Adhyāya. [...] The Kāśyapasaṃhitā mentions the following details regarding the Tithi (Date):—The pañcamī, ṣaṣṭhī, aṣṭamī and the day when there is no tithi of both the pakṣas bode well for recovery for a person to be bitten by snake. More so Dangerous are the pañcamī and trayodaśī of kṛṣṇapakṣa.
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Source: archive.org: The Elephant Lore of the HindusAṣṭamī (अष्टमी) refers to the “eighth stage” (of an elephants’ life), according to the 15th century Mātaṅgalīlā composed by Nīlakaṇṭha in 263 Sanskrit verses, dealing with elephantology in ancient India, focusing on the science of management and treatment of elephants.—[Cf. chapter 5, “on marks of the stages of life”]: “18. Constantly weeping, with phlegm ever oozing from his trunk, with skin discolored and rough, going outside the herd through fear, deserted by thoughts of love and by the growth of tusks, without heroism, with constantly closing eyes, in the eighth stage (aṣṭamī) his wounds do not heal quickly, and the skin, on which the lines of hair are destroyed, shrinks greatly”.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryaṣṭamī (अष्टमी).—f (S) The eighth lunar day of each fortnight.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishaṣṭamī (अष्टमी).—f The 8th lunar day of each fort- night.
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
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryAṣṭamī (अष्टमी):—[from aṣṭama > aṣṭan] f. (id est. rātri) the eighth day (night) in a half-month, [Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra; Manu-smṛti iv, 128, etc.]
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Astami (अस्तमि) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Atthama.
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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryAṣṭamī (अष्टमी):—(nf) the eighth day of the lunar fortnight according to the Hindu calendar.
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Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusAṣṭami (ಅಷ್ಟಮಿ):—[noun] the eighth day of a lunar fortnight.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Tamil dictionary
Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil LexiconAṣṭami (அஷ்டமி) noun < aṣṭamī. The eighth tithi (phase); எட்டாந்திதி. [ettanthithi.]
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Astami (அஸ்தமி) [astamittal] 11 v.intransitive < asta. To set.
Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionaryAṣṭamī (अष्टमी):—n. the eight day of lunar fortnight;
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)
Starts with: Ashtami-paksha, Ashtamika, Ashtamimdu, Ashtamitraya, Ashtamivratavidhana.
Full-text (+84): Budhashtami, Krishnashtami, Mahashtami, Bhishmashtami, Rohinyashtami, Durvashtami, Ashokashtami, Anaghashtami, Shakashtami, Kalashtami, Nandishvara-ashtami, Ashtami-paksha, Ratha-ashtami, Eleashtami, Tithi, Attami, Ashokikashtami, Janmashtami, Golokeshvara, Rudratirtha.
Relevant text
Search found 72 books and stories containing Ashtami, Aṣṭamī, Astami, Aṣṭami, Asthami, Asdami, Asdhami, Ashdami; (plurals include: Ashtamis, Aṣṭamīs, Astamis, Aṣṭamis, Asthamis, Asdamis, Asdhamis, Ashdamis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Devi Tantra, Mantra, Yantra (study) (by Srider Basudevan Iyer)
Descirption of Goddess Ashtami < [Chapter 3 - Minor Goddesses]
Sutiable Time for Initiation (Diksha) < [Chapter 4 - Worship and The Worshipper]
Datal divinities of Tantra < [Chapter 3 - Minor Goddesses]
Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 5: Treatment of various afflictions (by Bhudeb Mookerjee)
Part 3 - The Age of the Mahabharata War < [A Brief History of Indian Chemistry and Medicine]
Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)
Chapter 13 - The Importance of the Vow of Janmāṣṭamī < [Section 4 - Brahma-khaṇḍa (Section on Brahman)]
Chapter 7 - The Greatness of Rādhāṣṭamī < [Section 4 - Brahma-khaṇḍa (Section on Brahman)]
Chapter 142 - Kambutīrtha and Kapitīrtha < [Section 6 - Uttara-Khaṇḍa (Concluding Section)]
Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
Section LXXVI < [Anusasanika Parva]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 4.128 < [Section XIV - Other Duties]
Garuda Purana (by Manmatha Nath Dutt)
Chapter CXXXI - Rohini Astami Vratas etc < [Brihaspati (Nitisara) Samhita]