The Sanskrit term Asthiśaṅkalā can be transliterated into English as Asthisankala or Asthishankala, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture

Asthisaṅkala (अस्थिसङ्कल) refers to a “skeleton” (lit., ‘chain of bones’), according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly [as the Nāga kings said to the Bhagavān], “[...] Our bodies crumble to small pieces until the skeleton (asthisaṃkala) remains. Then, O Bhagavān, we all release rain showers quickly and speedily. If we do not release rain showers rapidly, then, O Bhagavān, all [of us] shall be subject to death. We will die with our children and grand-children”.

context information

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Asthiśaṅkalā (अस्थिशङ्कला) or Asthi-śakalā or Asthi-saṃkalikā or Asthi-śakalīkṛta or Asthi-saṃkalībhūta.—(Pali aṭṭhi-saṃkhalā, °likā, see Critical Pali Dictionary), (made, become) a skeleton: °śaṅkalā, thrice in Kalpanāmaṇ- ḍitikā, see Lüders, KI. Sanskrit Texte 2, 42; °saṃkalikā Mahāvastu i.21.9 (°kāḥ, v.l. sakal°, parivarjyanti nirmānsā snāyu- saṃyuktāḥ); 22.2 (°kāyo, mss. °kāyā, n. pl.); 24.9 (nir- mānsā °kā); Śikṣāsamuccaya 211.9 (°kāṃ māṃsaśoṇitamrakṣitāṃ snāyuvinibaddhāṃ); °śakalā Divyāvadāna 239.29; 240.3, 11; Divyāvadāna Index takes śakalā as skin, against which see Lüders, who does not cite the Pali equivalent, which conclusively proves his and my interpretation; °śakalīkṛtaḥ, made into a skeleton, Divyāvadāna 476.20 (preceded by nirmāṃso); °saṃ- kalībhūtāni (mṛtaśarīrāṇi) Śikṣāsamuccaya 211.11, turned to skeletons; Critical Pali Dictionary cites ‘Sanskrit’ asthi-śṛṅkhalī, which is a Lex. word said to be name of a plant, only; but whether Senart is right in separating this (and Pali aṭṭhi-saṃkhalikā) from Sanskrit śṛṅkhalā (also °la), Pali saṅkhalā, °likā, chain, is doubtful; Senart assumes secondary influence in Pali of the latter on an orig. (aṭṭhi-)saṃkalā, °likā; but in AMg. the words for chain, saṃkala, °lā, °liyā (surely related to Sanskrit [Page085-b+ 71] śṛṅkhalā) have k for kh, presumably by influence of AMg. saṃkalia = Sanskrit saṃkalita, united etc. (compare also Prakrit saṃ- kalaṇa, Sanskrit °na), and the [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit] words here treated might have a like origin. It is significant that [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit], like AMg., seems clearly to have śaṅkalā and saṃkalā, qq.v., chain.

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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Sankala, Asthi.

Full-text: Sankala, Asthi, Asthishakalikrita, Asthishakala, Asthisamkalika, Asthisamkalibhuta.

Relevant text

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