Himsaka: 18 definitions

Introduction:

Himsaka 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.

Alternative spellings of this word include Hinsak.

In Hinduism

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक) refers to “one who is violent”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, while describing the signs of one who is not a Siddha: “He is excessively tall, bald, deformed, short, dwarfish, his nose is ugly or he has black teeth and is wrathful . Some of his limbs are missing and is deceitful, cripple and deformed, foolish, inauspicious, envious, deluded, badly behaved, and violent [i.e., hiṃsaka]; without any teacher, he is devoid of the rites, he maligns the Krama without cause, he is not devoted to the Siddhas, he (always) suffers and is without wisdom. [...]”.

Shaktism book cover
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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.

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Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक) refers to “dangerous creatures”, according to the Guhyasūtra chapter 3.—Accordingly, “[Once the rosary has been thus prepared, he becomes] ready for siddhis and power. Dangerous creatures (hiṃsaka) do not harm one who has [first] accomplished an observance [that qualifies one] for [using] Spells: he should begin an observance by means of recitation. The one engaged in observance should practise the False Observance [by wandering about proclaiming]: ‘I have committed bad deeds: I have killed a cow, mother, father, brother, a guest, friend, Brahmin! [...]’”.

Source: SOAS University of London: Protective Rites in the Netra Tantra

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक) refers to “enemies” (harmful spirits), according to the Netratantra of Kṣemarāja: a Śaiva text from the 9th century in which Śiva (Bhairava) teaches Pārvatī topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.—Accordingly, [verse 19.88-89ab, while describing the ritual that protect the king and his kingdom]—“Enemies (hiṃsaka) [i.e., harmful spirits] do [the king] no harm [when the Mantrin] gives him a flower or betel-leaf that is consecrated by the mantra. The mantravid should consecrate [the king’s] food with this mantra. Eating [the food while imagining himself situated] in the middle of two moons, he consumes the nectar. The king stays on earth, liberated from all disease”.

Note: In an earlier section of this same chapter of the Netratantra, hiṃsaka can be read as, “a Brāhman skilled in the magical texts of the Atharva-veda”: in other words, a black magician or sorcerer.

Shaivism book cover
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Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

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Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक) refers to a “person who afflicts others violently”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.5.5 (“The Tripuras are fascinated).—Accordingly, as Arihan said to the Lord of the Three Cities: “O ruler of the Asuras, listen to my statement, pregnant with wisdom. It is the essence of the Vedānta and bears high esoteric importance. [...] Non-violence is the greatest virtue. Affliction of others is a great sin. Salvation is defined as non-dependence on others. [...] There is no sin equal to violence in the three worlds, consisting of the mobile and immobile. A person who afflicts others violently (hiṃsaka) goes to hell. A non-violent man goes to heaven. [...]”.

Purana book cover
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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.

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In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

See Angulimala.

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

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Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक) refers to “harmful (Nāgas)”, 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 Bhagavān said to Brahmā and others]: “[...] These dhāraṇī-mantrapadas are established in Jambudvīpa for the benefit, welfare and comfort of all beings. It is for the subduing and restraining of hostile and harmful (hiṃsaka) Nāgas who do not have compassion and pity. It is for the giving of punishment to the enemy”.

Mahayana book cover
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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.

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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

hiṃsaka (हिंसक).—a (S) That murders or kills; that destroys life (wrongly). Hence Murderous, savage, ferocious, cruel &c.

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

hiṃsaka (हिंसक).—a Murderous, cruel.

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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक).—a. [hiṃs-ṇvul]

1) Injurious, noxious, hurtful.

2) Hostile.

3) Ferocious, savage.

-kaḥ 1 A savage amimal, a beast of prey.

2) An enemy.

3) A Brāhmaṇa skilled in the Atharvaveda.

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

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक).—mfn.

(-kaḥ-kā-kaṃ) Mischievous, malignant, ferocious, savage. m.

(-kaḥ) 1. A beast of prey. 2. An enemy. 3. A Brahman, who has studied the At'harva-Veda. E. hisi to injure, vuñ aff.; or hins-ṇvul .

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

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक).—[hiṃs + aka], I. adj. 1. Mischievous, injurious, noxious, Panc. iii. [distich] 106. 2. One who has injured, Panc. i. [distich] 342. Ii. m. 1. A beast of prey. 2. An enemy. 3. A Brāhmaṇa skilled in the Atharva-Veda (cf. hiṃsā).

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

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक).—[adjective] = [preceding] adj.

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

1) Hiṃsaka (हिंसक):—[from hiṃs] mfn. = [preceding] [Yājñavalkya; Mahābhārata] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] tn. (only [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]) a noxious animal, beast of prey

3) [v.s. ...] an enemy

4) [v.s. ...] a Brāhman skilled in the magical texts of the Atharva-veda (cf. hiṃsā-karman).

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

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक):—[(kaḥ-kā-kaṃ) a.] Mischievous, injurious. m. A beast of prey; an enemy; a Brāhman who has studied the Atharvan Veda.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Hiṃsua, Hiṃsaga.

[Sanskrit to German]

Himsaka 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.

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Hindi dictionary

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

Hiṃsaka (हिंसक) [Also spelled hinsak]:—(a) violent (person); ferocious, fierce; (nm) a murderer, killer; -[jaṃtu/paśu] ferocious beast/animal; hence ~[] (nf).

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Hiṃsaka (ಹಿಂಸಕ):—[adjective] causing great physical pain or mental anguish; torturing; tormenting.

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Hiṃsaka (ಹಿಂಸಕ):—

1) [noun] he who causes great physical pain or mental anguish; a tormentor.

2) [noun] he who kills (another or others); a killer; a murderer.

context information

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

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