Bijakshara, Bījākṣara, Bija-akshara: 15 definitions

Introduction:

Bijakshara means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi. 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 Bījākṣara can be transliterated into English as Bijaksara or Bijakshara, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Bijakshar.

Images (photo gallery)

In Hinduism

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Bijakshara in Shaktism glossary
Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर) or simply Bīja refers to “sead-syllables”, according to Tantric texts such as the Kubjikāmata-tantra, the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—The seed-syllable [i.e., bīja-akṣara] of the goddess, like that of any deity, is her sonic body. One might say it is her iconic form made of sound. Moreover, a deity’s seed-syllable is, in a sense, a condensed form of that deity’s mantra (or Vidyā if the deity is a goddess). Although the texts do not normally express themselves in this way, one could say that the Goddess’s Vidyā is her gross sonic body in relation to her seed-syllable, which is the subtle one.

Shaktism book cover
context information

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.

Discover the meaning of bijakshara or bijaksara in the context of Shaktism from relevant books on Exotic India

Mantrashastra (the science of Mantras)

Source: Shodhganga: Kasyapa Samhita—Text on Visha Chikitsa (mantra)

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर) refers to the “very life or essence of mantras” (even as the vital airs and mind are to living beings).—Mantras refers to “that which is chanted by people to obtain their spiritual aspirations”.—The Śrīpraśṇasaṃhitā gives a detailed explanation of the logistics of a basic mantra. The praṇava, or Om, is the sound equivalent of Brahman. i.e., Śabda Brahman, while the bījamantras are diverse forms of various aspects of the different gods and goddesses. The mantra of a devatā is itself the devatā. A mantra bereft of bījākṣara is all but futile. Bījākṣaras are the very life or essence of mantras even as the vital airs and mind are to living beings.

context information

Mantrashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, mantraśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science of mantras—chants, incantations, spells, magical hymns, etc. Mantra Sastra literature includes many ancient books dealing with the methods reciting mantras, identifying and purifying its defects and the science behind uttering or chanting syllables.

Discover the meaning of bijakshara or bijaksara in the context of Mantrashastra from relevant books on Exotic India

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: Wisdom Library: Pāñcarātra

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर) [=tārādibījākṣarasvarūpatadarthavarṇanam] refers to one of the topics discussed in the fifty-first chapter of the Ahirbudhnyasaṃhitā: an ancient Pāñcarātra Āgama scripture dealing with the symbology of the Sudarśana weapon while also dealing with iconography, philosophy and Vaiṣṇava rituals.

Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर) refers to the “basic letters of a Mantra”, as discussed in the fifty-first chapter of the Ahirbudhnyasaṃhitā, a Pāñcarātra work in 60 chapters dealing with topics such as Viṣṇu’s discus-power, the processes of creation and esoteric practices related to Sudarśana (such as mantras and yantras).—[Cf. the chapter tārādi-bījākṣara-svarūpatadarthavarṇana]: [...] Ahirbudhnya points out that mantras have three aspects—their sthūla, sūkṣma, and para forms (1-10). He turns then to the praṇava syllable, saying that each of the letters comprising “AUM” is presided over by Saṃkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha respectively and that these give to it its special potency (11-53). [...]

Pancaratra book cover
context information

Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

Discover the meaning of bijakshara or bijaksara in the context of Pancaratra from relevant books on Exotic India

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर) refers to “seed syllables”, according to the Vāruṇī Pūjā [i.e., Varuni Worship] ritual often performed in combination with the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, which refers to the primary pūjā and sādhanā practice of Newah Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhists in Nepal.—Accordingly, “Immersed in the heat of a flaming fire impelled by wind, seed syllables etc. (bījākṣara-ādika), a very young, bright colored, beautiful liquid, widely diffused, settled down, born of a Hūṃ, becoming pure liquefied immortality, becoming divine like Pātāla, with seven milky oceans, attract to one's self the five ambrosias”.

Source: De Gruyter: Himalayan Anthropology: The Indo-Tibetan Interface

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर) refers to the “sound of the seed” (which is created from bījasvarūpa—seed having own nature), according to William Stablein’s A Descriptive Analysis of the Content of Nepalese Buddhist Pujas as a Medical-Cultural System (with References to Tibetan Parallels).—The tshog shin (sacred tree) is also mentally visualized.—[...] [Cf. Bodhicitta, Baliyoga]—Briefly, the ambrosia [amṛta] cycle begins with the creation of the divinities in union with oneself. The whole world is projected as the body, speech, and mind of the divinities which goes through the following audiovisual transformation: the world as body, speech, and mind [changes to] moon-maṇḍala [which changes to] huṃ [which changes to] the coupling divinities, from whom issues the sound of suratasabda [enjoyment]. This changes the above world into a sacred mandala, which now is cycled back into the mouth of the divinities and emanates again as bodhicitta [sacred semen]. Then the sacred semen [changes to] bījasvarūpa [seed having is own nature] [which changes to] bījākṣara [sound of the seed] which divides into a red and white hūṃ (1) [which changes to] huṃ (2) [which changes to] haṃ (3) [which changes to] śira [head] [which changes to] ardhacandra [half moon] (5) [which changes to] bindu [dot] (6) and lastly dissolves to only sound which is first loud, then soft, and finally vanishes (7). This is the peak moment of the hierophant’s contemplation: He has refined the sacred semen to the quality of sound which can be transferred to objects, substances, and individuals.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
context information

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.

Discover the meaning of bijakshara or bijaksara in the context of Tibetan Buddhism from relevant books on Exotic India

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Bijakshara in Marathi glossary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर).—m (S) A cabalistic letter. See bīja.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर).—m A caballistic letter.

context information

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.

Discover the meaning of bijakshara or bijaksara in the context of Marathi from relevant books on Exotic India

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Bijakshara in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर).—the first syllable of a Mantra.

Derivable forms: bījākṣaram (बीजाक्षरम्).

Bījākṣara is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms bīja and akṣara (अक्षर).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर):—[from bīja] n. the first syllable of a Mantra or spell, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

[Sanskrit to German]

Bijakshara in German

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.

Discover the meaning of bijakshara or bijaksara in the context of Sanskrit from relevant books on Exotic India

Hindi dictionary

[«previous next»] — Bijakshara in Hindi glossary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर) [Also spelled bijakshar]:—(nm the first letter of a [maṃtra]; code characters.

context information

...

Discover the meaning of bijakshara or bijaksara in the context of Hindi from relevant books on Exotic India

Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Bijakshara in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Bījākṣara (ಬೀಜಾಕ್ಷರ):—[noun] a mystical syllable in a hymn.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Discover the meaning of bijakshara or bijaksara in the context of Kannada from relevant books on Exotic India

Nepali dictionary

[«previous next»] — Bijakshara in Nepali glossary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English Dictionary

Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर):—n. the first letter of a mantra;

context information

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.

Discover the meaning of bijakshara or bijaksara in the context of Nepali from relevant books on Exotic India

See also (Relevant definitions)

Relevant text

Related products

Let's grow together!

I humbly request your help to keep doing what I do best: provide the world with unbiased sources, definitions and images. Your donation direclty influences the quality and quantity of knowledge, wisdom and spiritual insight the world is exposed to.

Let's make the world a better place together!

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: