Ashtapada, Aṣṭapada, Aṣṭāpada, Ashtan-pada: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Ashtapada means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, 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 terms Aṣṭapada and Aṣṭāpada can be transliterated into English as Astapada or Ashtapada, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Wisdom Library: Skanda-puranaAṣṭāpada (अष्टापद) refers to the Śarabha (a fabulous animal of eight legs), according to the Skandapurāṇa 4.1.3.—Accordingly, as Vyāsa narrated to Sūta: “[...] In his [i.e., Agastya’s] hermitage here, these beasts of prey are seen around in perfect Sattva (good) form after eschewing their natural enmity. The elephant having become fearless scratches the lion with his trunk. With his manes lifted up, the lion sleeps on the lap of the Aṣṭāpada (Śarabha, a fabulous animal of eight legs). [...]”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexAṣṭāpada (अष्टापद).—Gaming board (dyūtaphalaka) with which Baladeva beat Rukmi to death.*
- * Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 28. 23.
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.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraAṣṭāpada (अष्टापद) is the name of a holy mountain, according to the Kathākośa and mentioned in an appendix on Dohada (craving of the pregnant woman). Accordingly: In the Kathākośa (Tawney, p. 19) Madanarekhā has a longing to bestow a gift for the purpose of divine worship; on page 53 Queen Śrutimatī has a dohada to worship the gods in the holy place on the Aṣṭāpada mountain; and on page 64 the pregnant Queen Jayā felt a desire to worship gods and holy men, and to give gifts to the poor and wretched. In the “Dumb Cripple” story in Schiefner and Ralston’s Tibetan Tales, p. 247, Queen Brahmavatī begs her husband to order presents to be given away at all the gates of the city.
Kavya (काव्य, kavya) refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.
Vastushastra (architecture)
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (architecture)Aṣṭapāda (अष्टपाद) refers to a “spider” and is an alternative reading for Aśvapāda (“foot of a horse”), according to the Devyāmata (in the section śalyoddhāra-paṭala or “excavation of extraneous substances”).—Accordingly, “[...] If [someone] scratches his toe, [the officiant] should prognosticate a foot of a horse (aśvapāda—aśvapādaṃ vinirdiśet) [beneath the site]. It exists at a depth of one and a half vitastis. There is no doubt regarding this. If [someone] scratches his little toe, [the officiant] should prognosticate a piece of bell-metal [beneath] the spot. That [extraneous thing] exists [at a depth of] eight digits [underground]. There is no doubt about it. [...]”.
Note: A foot of a horse (aśvapādaṃ) is supported by Ms. B and Ms. A reads aṣṭapādaṃ (a spider). Since the omen is scratching the toe, an extraneous thing related to the foot might be better.
Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: 84000: Saddharma-pundarika (The White Lotus of the Good Dharma)Aṣṭapada (अष्टपद) translates to “eight sections” and refers to a checkerboard or “chessboard game” (cf. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka verse 3.30).—According to the Sanskrit aṣṭapada, which apparently has the meaning of “eight sections” (vertically and horizontally), like a checkerboard or chessboard, the game of chess having originated in its earliest form in the first centuries of the first millennium in India, where board games were very popular. Therefore this appears to be a specific reference to the eight-by-eight squares gameboard, and has been translated by Tsugunari and Akira as “like a chessboard,” or by Kern as “like a checker board.” Other English translations of the Chinese have interpreted this as “eight intersecting roads.”
According to Saddharmapuṇḍarīka verse 3.30:—“Śāriputra, at that time, the Bhagavān Tathāgata Padmaprabha will have a realm named Virajā, which will be level, delightful, good, beautiful, pure, prosperous, wealthy, peaceful, with an abundance of food, and filled with many Humans and Maruts. The ground will be beryl, divided eight-fold like a checkerboard by golden cords, and within each square there will be jewel trees, which will always be adorned by flowers and fruits made of the seven precious materials”
Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara SamadhiAṣṭapada (अष्टपद) refers to the “eight-limbed (root mantra)” and (as part of the Cakrasaṃvarasamādhi) represents to one of the various rituals typically performed as a part of the larger rites, according to Buddhist teachings followed by the Newah in Nepal, Kathmandu Valley (whose roots can be traced to the Licchavi period, 300-879 CE).—Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, is the worship of the Cakrasaṃvara triple-wheel maṇḍala, also known as the trisamādhi; and also contains the instructions for nyāsa, the placement of deities on the body, worship of the mantrapātra, the digbandhana, “closing of the directions”, the śumbha-niśumbha-mantra, Heruka’s Essence mantra, Vajravārāhī’s Quintessence mantra, and the aṣṭapada-dhātumantra, “the eight-limbed root mantra” (mantras all from the root Cakrasaṃvara-tantra itself), the hasta-pūjā, "Hand Worship", [...]
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.
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāAṣṭāpada (अष्टापद) refers to a “chess-board”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, as the Lord said to the Bodhisattva Ratnaśrī: “[...] That Kāyabandhana universe was, son of good family, thriving, prosperous, safe, well-provided, filled with a great multitude of men, adorned with seven precious jewels, peaceful and delightful, pleasant to touch like a soft cloth, displayed by the lotus of gold from the Jāmbū river, decorated with all kinds of luminous jewels, patterned like a chess-board (aṣṭāpada-nibaddha), and even like the palm of the hand. Just like the enjoyment and entertainment of the Paranirmitavaśavartin gods, all the people in that universe, staying in celestial palace and pavilions, enjoyed food and drink as they wished”.
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.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: TrisastisalakapurusacaritraAṣṭāpada (अष्टापद) is the name of a mountain, as mentioned in chapter 1.4 [ādīśvara-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:
Source: academia.edu: Tessitori Collection I“Just then the Blessed Lord Ṛṣabha, the cloud to the peacock of the world, came to Mount Aṣṭāpada in his wandering. There on the mountain, the gods made a samavasaraṇa that was like another mountain of jewels, gold, and silver. Without delay the mountain-guards came and reported to Lord Bharata that the Master was preaching there”.
Aṣṭāpada (अष्टापद) refers to one of the various Tīrthas (sacred places), according to the Tīrthāvalī by Samayasundara (dealing with Sacred places in Jain literature), which is included in the collection of manuscripts at the ‘Vincenzo Joppi’ library, collected by Luigi Pio Tessitori during his visit to Rajasthan between 1914 and 1919.—This garland of Jain sacred places praises [e.g., Aṣṭāpada], [...]. Hence beside pan-Indian Jain sacred places, sites located in Rajasthan have a good place here.
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.
India history and geography
Source: archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptionsAṣṭapada (अष्टपद) is the Jain name for the mountain Kailāśa: a mountain mentioned in the Gupta inscription No. 17. The Gupta empire (r. 3rd-century CE), founded by Śrī Gupta, covered much of ancient India and embraced the Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Kailāśa mountain is situated about 25 miles to the north of Māna-sarovara beyond Gangrī and to the east of the Niti Pass.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryaṣṭapāda (अष्टपाद).—m S A spider. 2 A fabulous animal with eight legs.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishaṣṭapāda (अष्टपाद).—m Spider.
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aṣṭapāda (अष्टपाद).—m A spider.
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: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryAṣṭapada (अष्टपद).—[-d] (°ṣṭa° or °ṣṭā°) a.
1) eight-footed.
2) a term for a pregnant animal.
Aṣṭapada is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms aṣṭan and pada (पद).
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Aṣṭapada (अष्टपद).—(°ṣṭa°)
1) a spider.
2) a fabulous animal called Śarabha.
3) a worm.
4) a wild sort of jasmin.
5) a pin or bolt.
6) the mountain Kailāsa (the abode of Kubera).
-daḥ, -dam [अष्टसु धातुषु पदं प्रतिष्ठा यस्य (aṣṭasu dhātuṣu padaṃ pratiṣṭhā yasya) Malli.]
Derivable forms: aṣṭapadaḥ (अष्टपदः).
Aṣṭapada is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms aṣṭan and pada (पद).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryAṣṭapāda (अष्टपाद).—m. (-pāt or -pād) 1. A spider. 2. A fabulous animal with eight legs: see śarabha. m.
(-daḥ) A kind of spider with a small body and long legs. E. aṣṭa eight, and pāda a foot.
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Aṣṭāpada (अष्टापद).—mn.
(-daḥ-daṃ) 1. A kind of chequered cloth or board for drafts, dice, &c. 2. Gold. m.
(-daḥ) 1. A spider. 2. A fabulous animal with eight legs, the Sarab'ha. 3. The mountain Kailasa or abode of Kuvera. 4. A worm. 5. A pin or bolt. f. (-dī) A wild sort of jasmin. E. aṣṭa eight, and pada a quarter, place, foot, &c. a being made long.
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Aṣṭāpāda (अष्टापाद).—mfn.
(-daḥ-dā-daṃ) Quartered by eight, having eight for the root. E. aṣṭan and pāda a quarter.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryAṣṭāpada (अष्टापद).—[aṣṭā-pada]. I. n. A board for draughts, dice, etc., [Harivaṃśa, (ed. Calc.)] 6752. Ii. m. and n. Gold, Kumāras, 7, 10.
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Aṣṭapāda (अष्टपाद).—[-n], adj. having eight feet.
Aṣṭapāda is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms aṣṭa and pāda (पाद).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryAṣṭapāda (अष्टपाद).—[adjective] eight-legged.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Aṣṭapada (अष्टपद):—[=aṣṭa-pada] [from aṣṭa > aṣṭan] mf(ā)n. having eight Padas (as a metre), [Ṛgveda-prātiśākhya]
2) [v.s. ...] consisting of 8 words, [Mālatīmādhava], [Scholiast or Commentator]
3) Aṣṭapāda (अष्टपाद):—[=aṣṭa-pāda] [from aṣṭa > aṣṭan] mfn. having eight legs, [Mahābhārata iii, 10665]
4) [v.s. ...] m. a kind of spider, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) [v.s. ...] the fabulous animal Śarabha, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) Aṣṭāpada (अष्टापद):—[=aṣṭā-pada] [from aṣṭā > aṣṭan] m. ‘having eight legs’, a spider, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) [v.s. ...] a worm, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
8) [v.s. ...] the fabulous animal Sarabha, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
9) [v.s. ...] a wild sort of jasmin, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
10) [v.s. ...] a pin or bolt, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
11) [v.s. ...] the mountain Kailāsa, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
12) [v.s. ...] a chess-board on which each line has 8 squares or 64 in all, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]
13) [v.s. ...] mn. ([gana] ardharcādi q.v.) a kind of chequered cloth or board for drafts, dice, etc., [Harivaṃśa; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.
14) [v.s. ...] (= -pruṣ q.v.) gold, [Mahābhārata xii, 10983; Kumāra-sambhava vii, 10]
15) Aṣṭāpadā (अष्टापदा):—[=aṣṭā-padā] [from aṣṭā-pada > aṣṭā > aṣṭan] f. (id est. ric) a verse consisting of eight Padas.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Aṣṭapāda (अष्टपाद):—[aṣṭa-pāda] (daḥ) 1. m. A spider.
2) Aṣṭāpada (अष्टापद):—[(daḥ-daṃ)] 1. m. n. A chequered cloth or board for dice, drafts, &c.; a spider; a fabulous animal; Kailāsa; a worm; a bolt. dī f. Wild jasmin.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Aṣṭāpada (अष्टापद) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Aṭṭhāvaya.
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusAṣṭapāda (ಅಷ್ಟಪಾದ):—
1) [noun] that which has eight feet.
2) [noun] an eight-legged arachnid of the order Araneae, usu. equipped with a spinning apparatus utilised by most species for making webs to catch their prey; a spider.
3) [noun] (myth.) a huge monstrous animal with eight legs.
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Aṣṭāpada (ಅಷ್ಟಾಪದ):—
1) [noun] a mythological, huge animal with eight legs believed to be a terror to the lion; ಶರಭ [sharabha].
2) [noun] an eight-legged arachnid of the order Araneae, usu. equipped with a spinning apparatus utilized by most species for making webs to catch their prey; a spider.
3) [noun] gold.
4) [noun] the chequered board or cloth for playing chess or dice.
5) [noun] the plant Jasminum anguistifolium ( = J. arborescens) of Oleaceae family; wild jasmine.
6) [noun] a pin that goes through the end of an axle outside the wheel to keep the wheel from coming off; a linchpin.
7) [noun] the Kailasa mountain, a part of the Great Himalayan range of mountains.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Ashta, Pada, Pata.
Starts with: Ashtapadamaya, Ashtapadamulika, Ashtapadapatra, Ashtapadari, Ashtapadaripu, Ashtapadaripupitha, Ashtapadatirtha, Ashtapadatirthotpatti, Ashtapadatirthotpattikatha, Ashtapadavishtara.
Full-text (+18): Atthavaya, Ashtapadapatra, Ashtaprush, Vyastapada, Nibaddha, Sharabha, Ashtapadika, Ashta, Nikriti, Sihanishadya, Ashtapadatirtha, Alarka, Vinaddha, Jahnavi, Anishthapada, Ashvapada, Cakrasamvarasamadhi, Dhatumantra, Digbandhana, Trisamadhi.
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Search found 11 books and stories containing Ashtapada, Ashta-pada, Ashtan-pada, Aṣṭa-pāda, Asta-pada, Aṣṭa-pada, Aṣṭā-pada, Aṣṭā-padā, Aṣṭan-pada, Astan-pada, Aṣṭapada, Aṣṭāpada, Astapada, Aṣṭapāda, Aṣṭāpāda, Aṣṭāpadā, Aṣtapāda; (plurals include: Ashtapadas, padas, pādas, padās, Aṣṭapadas, Aṣṭāpadas, Astapadas, Aṣṭapādas, Aṣṭāpādas, Aṣṭāpadās, Aṣtapādas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Part 6: Kanakavatī’s birth as Vīramati < [Chapter III - Vasudeva’s Marriage with Kanakavatī and her Former Incarnations]
Part 9: Diversion of the Gaṅga into the moat < [Chapter V - Life and death of the sons of Sagara]
Part 21: Bharata’s continued grief < [Chapter VI]
Jain Remains of Ancient Bengal (by Shubha Majumder)
The twenty-four Tīrthaṅkaras and their Yakṣas and Yakṣiṇīs < [Chapter 6 - Iconographic Study of Jaina Sculptural Remains]
Historical development of Jainism (Introduction) < [Chapter 3 - Historical Background of Jainism in Ancient Bengal]
Symbol worship in Jainism < [Chapter 6 - Iconographic Study of Jaina Sculptural Remains]
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 3.2.137 < [Part 2 - Affection and Service (dāsya-rasa)]
Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study) (by A. Yamuna Devi)
Pastimes and Games < [Chapter 3 - Social Aspects]
The Glory Land that was India Role of < [January – March, 1999]
Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana (by Chaitali Kadia)
The Kailāsa Mountain < [Chapter 4 - Geographical history in the Matsya-Purāṇa]