Astra, Ashtra, Aṣṭrā, Āṣṭra, Āstra: 11 definitions
Introduction
Astra means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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 Aṣṭrā and Āṣṭra can be transliterated into English as Astra or Ashtra, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Google Books: Cultural History from the Vāyu PurānaAstra (अस्त्र):—They are mostly magical weapons supposed to have been used.
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaAstra (अस्त्र).—After killing the demoness, Tāṭakā, Viśvāmitra reveals to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa the secret of using a great many varieties of Divyāstras (Divyāstra is missile charged with power by holy incantation). Some of those astras are named below:
Daṇḍacakra 2. Dharmacakra
Kālacakra 4. Viṣṇucakra
Indracakra 6. Vajrāstra
Śaivaśūla 8. Aiṣīka
Brahmaśirāstra 10. Brahmāstra
Modakīśikharī 12. Dharmapāśa
Kālapāśa 14. Vāruṇāstra
Vāruṇapāśa 16. Paramāstra
Pinākāstra 18. Nārāyaṇāstra
Āgneyāstra 20. Śikharāstra
Vāyavyāstra 22. Prathanāstra
Krauñcāstra 24. Hayaśśirāstra
Kaṅkālāstra 26. Musalāstra
Kapālāstra 28. Kaṅkaṇāstra
Mānavāstra 30. Prasthāpanāstra
Praśamanāstra 32. Saurāstra
Varṣaṇāstra 34. Śoṣaṇāstra
Santāpanāstra 36. Vilāpanāstra
Madanāstra 38. Mohāstra
Saumanāstra 40. Saṃvartāstra
Satyāstra 42. Māyādharāstra
Tejaprabhāstra 44. Saumyāstra
Śiśirāstra 46. Tvāṣṭāstra
Sudāmanāstra Śrī Rāma received all these astras standing facing east. (Sarga 27, Bālakāṇḍa, Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexAstra (अस्त्र).—Arranged alphabetically: Asiratnam, Āgneyam, Aindram, Aiṣīkāmam, Kampanam, Kāpalam, Kālamudgaram, Kainkaram, Krauñcam, Gāndharvam, Tāpanam, Tvāṣtram, Nandakam, Nārasimham, Nārāyaṇāstram, Pāśupatam, Paiśācam, Pramathanam, Prasthāpanam, Prasvāpanam, Brahmaśiras, Brāhmam, Bhāvanam, Bhairavam, Mathanam, Mahābalam, Māyādharam, Mohanam, Mausalam, Raudram, Vāruṇam, Vikampanam, Vāyavyam, Śātanam, Śāmanam, Śailam, Ṣośadam, Samvartanam, Sārpam, Sāvitram, Somāstram, Hayaśiras;1 used by Hiraṇyakaśipu against Narasimha; arms used in Bhaṇḍāsura war.2
- 1) Matsya-purāṇa 150. 113, 164, 205; 151. 24, 31; 153. 83, 87, 90, 97; 162. 22-7; 179. 6.
- 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 29. 62-74.
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.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: WikiPedia: HinduismAstra (अस्त्र): A missile charged with power by a holy incantation.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryastra (अस्त्र).—n (S) A weapon charmed by the recitation over it of some mystic formula: also the formula or mantra. Ex. of comp. agnyastra, vārūṇāstra, mēghāstra, sarpāstra, astravidyā, astraprayōga. 2 S A Weapon gen.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishastra (अस्त्र).—n A charmed weapon; a weapon generally. अ. yuddha n Fighting with weapons.
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-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryAṣṭrā (अष्ट्रा).—[akṣyate cālyate'nayā akṣ-karaṇe ṣṭran]
1) A prick or goad for driving cattle, whip; Rv.4.57.4,6.53.9.
2) A part of the wheel of a chariot.
-vin a. obeying the goad (as a bull); शुनमष्ट्राव्यचरत् कपर्दी (śunamaṣṭrāvyacarat kapardī) Rv.1.12.8.
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Astra (अस्त्र).—[asyate kṣipyate as ṣṭran Uṇ.4.158.]
1) A missile; a weapon in general; प्रयुक्तमप्यस्त्रमितो वृथा स्यात् (prayuktamapyastramito vṛthā syāt) R.2.34; प्रत्याहतास्त्रो गिरिशप्रभावात् (pratyāhatāstro giriśaprabhāvāt) 2.41;3.58; अशिक्षतास्त्रं पितुरेव (aśikṣatāstraṃ pitureva) R.3.31 the science of missiles. महर्षेरग्निवेशस्य सकाशमह- मच्युत । अस्त्रार्थमगमं पूर्वं धनुर्वेदचिकीर्षया (maharṣeragniveśasya sakāśamaha- macyuta | astrārthamagamaṃ pūrvaṃ dhanurvedacikīrṣayā) || Mb.1.131.4. धनुर्वेद- संहिता (dhanurveda- saṃhitā) mentions various kinds of missiles (179-82) as ब्रह्मास्त्र, ब्रह्मदण्डक, ब्रह्मशिरस, पाशुपत, वायव्य, आग्नेय, नारसिंह (brahmāstra, brahmadaṇḍaka, brahmaśirasa, pāśupata, vāyavya, āgneya, nārasiṃha) &c.
2) An arrow; sword.
3) A bow.
Derivable forms: astram (अस्त्रम्).
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Āṣṭra (आष्ट्र).—[aś-vyāptā ṣṭran Uṇ.4.159] Sky, ether, atmosphere.
-ṣṭrā A prick or goad for driving cattle.
Derivable forms: āṣṭram (आष्ट्रम्).
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Āstra (आस्त्र).—a. [astrasyedaṃ aṇ] Belonging to a missile; चतुर्थमास्त्रिकवलम् (caturthamāstrikavalam) Śukra.4.866.
See also (synonyms): āstrika.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryAstra (अस्त्र).—n.
(-straṃ) 1. A weapon in general. 2. A sword. 3. A bow. 4. A missile weapon. E. asa to throw, ṣṭran Unadi aff.
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Āṣṭra (आष्ट्र).—n.
(-ṣṭraṃ) Æther, the sky or atmosphere. E. as to throw, to send, ṣṭran Unadi aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Aṣṭrā (अष्ट्रा):—f. a prick or goad for driving cattle (regarded as the badge of the agriculturist, [Kauśika-sūtra]), [Ṛg-veda;]
2) [Zend] astrā; [Lithuanian] akstinas.
3) Astra (अस्त्र):—n. (exceptionally m., [Harivaṃśa 10703, etc.]), (√2. as), a missile weapon, bolt, arrow, [Atharva-veda xi, 10, 16; Muṇḍaka-upaniṣad] etc.
4) a weapon in general, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) a sword, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) a bow, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) the art of throwing missiles, [Mahābhārata]
8) Name of a Mantra (pronounced, for instance, before reading a book or while kindling a fire etc.), [Bhaviṣya-purāṇa, khaṇḍa 1 & 2: bhaviṣya-purāṇa & bhaviṣyottara-purāṇa] etc.
9) Name of the mystical syllable phat, [Rāmatāpanīya-upaniṣad] (cf. [Greek] ἄστρον and ἀστήρ) ‘that which throws out or emits rays of light’ (?)
10) Āṣṭra (आष्ट्र):—n. ([from] √1. aś, [Uṇādi-sūtra iv, 159]), ether, sky, atmosphere
11) Āṣṭrā (आष्ट्रा):—[from āṣṭra] f. a prick or goad for driving cattle (= aṣṭrā q.v.), [Kāṭhaka]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family. 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)
Starts with (+28): Ashtradamshtra, Astrabandha, Astrabhrit, Astrabudhna, Astracarya, Astracharya, Astrachikitsa, Astrachikitsaka, Astracikitsa, Astracikitsaka, Astradeva, Astradharana, Astradharin, Astragara, Astraghata, Astragrama, Astrahata, Astrahina, Astraina, Astrajit.
Ends with (+431): Abdhivastra, Abhacchastra, Abhastra, Abhinnarashtra, Abhirashtra, Acchadanavastra, Achavakashastra, Achchhadanavastra, Adhikaranashastra, Adhirashtra, Adhivastra, Adhyatmashastra, Adirashtra, Agamashastra, Agneyastra, Agnishaucavastra, Agnyastra, Ajastra, Ajnatavastushastra, Ajyashastra.
Full-text (+81): Astrahina, Astracikitsa, Astranivarana, Astragrama, Astrahata, Astradharin, Astrasayaka, Astraghata, Ashtradamshtra, Narayanastra, Brahmastra, Astravidya, Astrakantaka, Astrabhrit, Astravid, Astrakaraka, Astrakshepaka, Astragara, Nirastra, Rupastra.
Relevant text
Search found 23 books and stories containing Astra, Ashtra, Aṣṭrā, Āṣṭra, Āstra, Āṣṭrā; (plurals include: Astras, Ashtras, Aṣṭrās, Āṣṭras, Āstras, Āṣṭrās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Lalitopakhyana (Lalita Mahatmya) (by G.V. Tagare)
Astras used by Bhaṇḍa and Lalitā
Chapter 28 - Viśukra and Viṣaṅga slain
Chapter 9 - The Curse of Parashurama < [Adi Parva]
Chapter 11 - The Fifthteenth Day at Kurukshetra; The Fall of the Preceptor, Drona < [Drona Parva]
Chapter 8 - The Preceptor Drona < [Adi Parva]
The Garuda Purana (by Manmatha Nath Dutt)
Chapter XXII - The mode of worshipping Shiva < [Agastya Samhita]
Chapter XLVIII - Installations of divine images < [Agastya Samhita]
Chapter XLII - Description of investing a phallic emblem with sacred thread < [Agastya Samhita]
The Shiva Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 18 - The procedure of initiating a disciple < [Section 6 - Kailāsa-saṃhitā]
Chapter 20 - Rules for hair-cutting and ablution < [Section 6 - Kailāsa-saṃhitā]
Chapter 17 - The rules governing Śaivite initiation < [Section 7.2 - Vāyavīya-saṃhitā (2)]
Laghu-yoga-vasistha (by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar)
Part 14 - The Story of a Muni and a Hunter < [Chapter VI - Nirvāṇa-prakaraṇa]
Middle Chola Temples (by S. R. Balasubrahmanyam)
Mahamandapa and Mukhamandapa < [Tanjavur/Thanjavur (Rajarajesvaram temple)]
Temples in Kolar < [Chapter IV - Temples of Rajendra I’s Time]
Temples in Tiruppasur < [Chapter IV - Temples of Rajendra I’s Time]