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)
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.
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.
Mantrashastra (the science of Mantras)
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.
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.
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
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.
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 (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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
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”.
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 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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर).—m (S) A cabalistic letter. See bīja.
bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर).—m A caballistic letter.
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
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).
Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर):—[from bīja] n. the first syllable of a Mantra or spell, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर):—[(bīja + a)] n. die Anfangssilbe eines Zauberspruchs, einer Gebetsformel [Weber’s Indische Studien 2, 2,] [Nalopākhyāna 1. 9, 99.]
Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर):—n. die Anfangssilbe eines Zauberspruchs , — einer Gebetsformel.
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.
Hindi dictionary
Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर) [Also spelled bijakshar]:—(nm the first letter of a [maṃtra]; code characters.
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Kannada-English dictionary
Bījākṣara (ಬೀಜಾಕ್ಷರ):—[noun] a mystical syllable in a hymn.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Bījākṣara (बीजाक्षर):—n. the first letter of a mantra;
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Akshara, Bija.
Starts with: Bijaksharasvarupa.
Full-text (+1): Shivabijakshara, Bijaksharasvarupa, Bijakshar, Bijamantra, Bijasvarupa, Vicatcaram, Picatcaram, Tarabija, Pilavanam, Bija, Vibhavadevatabahiryaga, Padmavaticaupai, Mantrashastra, Shasanadevata, Tara, Garudapancaksharikalpa, Agamasiddhantin, Vibhavadevatabahiryagavidhi, Padmavati, Agamasiddhanta.
Relevant text
Search found 28 books and stories containing Bijakshara, Bīja-akṣara, Bija-aksara, Bija-akshara, Bījākṣara, Bijaksara; (plurals include: Bijaksharas, akṣaras, aksaras, aksharas, Bījākṣaras, Bijaksaras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 262 - Jñāna-Yoga Explained < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Chapter 17 - Procedure of Worship (of the Sun-God) < [Section 1 - Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya]
Chapter 64 - The Secret of Jyeṣṭheśvara < [Section 2 - Uttarārdha]
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Appendix 5.2: new and rare words < [Appendices]
Appendix 3.2: new and rare words < [Appendices]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Parama Samhita (English translation) (by Krishnaswami Aiyangar)
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 554 < [Hindi-Malayalam-English Volume 2]
Page 564 < [Marathi-Hindi-English, Volume 2]
Page 380 < [Tamil-Hindi-English, Volume 2]
Shaiva Upanishads (A Critical Study) (by Arpita Chakraborty)
17. The esoteric significance of Five Faces of Lord Śiva < [Chapter 5 - Essence of Pañcabrahma Upaniṣad]
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