In Hinduism

Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira

Bālahasta (बालहस्त) means “holding an infant in one’s arm”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 3), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “The dark spots, also known as ketus, the sons of Rāhu are Tāmasa, Kīlaka and the like, and are 33 in number. How they affect the earth depends upon their color, position and shape. [...] Even Ṛṣis, reduced to mere skeletons by starvation, giving up their pious course of life, with fleshless infants in their arms [i.e., nirmāṃsa-bālahasta]. Deprived of their property by highway men, with long sighs, closed eyes, emaciated bodies, and with their sight dimmed with the tears of sorrow will proceed with difficulty to other lands”.

context information

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Bālahasta (बालहस्त).—a hairy tail.

Derivable forms: bālahastaḥ (बालहस्तः).

Bālahasta is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms bāla and hasta (हस्त).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Bālahasta (बालहस्त).—m.

(-staḥ) The tail of a horse, or any hairy animal. E. bāla hair and hasta the hand, to which organ it is compared.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Bālahasta (बालहस्त):—[bāla-hasta] (staḥ) 1. m. A hairy tail.

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: Bala, Hasta.

Full-text: Nirmamsa.

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