Hrasva, aka: Hrasvā; 8 Definition(s)

Introduction

Hrasva means something in Buddhism, Pali, 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.

In Hinduism

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Hrasva (ह्रस्व, “short”).—A verse in Sanskrit is of four feet or quarters or pādas. Each pāda is regulated either by a number of syllables (akṣaras) or by a number of syllabic instant or measures (mātrās). A syllable is short or long i.e. hrasva or dīrgha according to its vowel is short or long. But short vowel becomes long in prosody, when it is followed by anusvāra, visarga or by a conjunct consonant. The last syllable of a pāda is optionally long or short according to the exigence of the metre, whatever be its natural length.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (śāstra) of performing arts, (nāṭya, e.g., theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing dramatic plays (nataka) and poetic works (kavya).

Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)

Hrasva (ह्रस्व, “short”) or Laghu or La refers to short letter in a verse.—The whole chanda literature has several technical terms, by which it is controlled. Single letters are used to denote a specific instance. The letter ga stands for guru letter while the letter la stands for laghu letter. In a verse the letter which is guru is also known as dīrgha (long) and which is laghu is also known as hrasva (short). The dīrgha letter consists of two mātrās while the hrasva letter consists of one mātrā.

Laghu can be identified as menu, kāhāla (daṇḍa) or śara, and the guru symbols can be identified as the shape of tāṭaṅka, hāra or keyūra.

context information

Chandas (छन्दस्) refers to Sanskrit prosody and represents one of the six Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines belonging to the study of the Vedas). The science of prosody (chandas-shastra) focusses on the study of the poetic meters such as the commonly known twenty-six metres mentioned by Pingalas.

Ayurveda (science of life)

Hrasvā (ह्रस्वा) is another name for Mudgaparṇī, a medicinal plant identified with Vigna radiata (mung bean or green gram) from the Fabaceae, or “pea family” of flowering plants, according to verse 3.34-36 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The third chapter (guḍūcyādi-varga) of this book contains climbers and creepers (vīrudh). Together with the names Hrasvā and Mudgaparṇī, there are a total of fifteen Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.

context information

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Hrasva (ह्रस्व) refers to “one who is a short”, representing an undesirable characteristic of an Ācārya, according to the 9th-century Hayaśīrṣa-pañcarātra Ādikāṇḍa chapter 3.—The Lord said:—“I will tell you about the Sthāpakas endowed with perverse qualities. He should not construct a temple with those who are avoided in this Tantra. [...] He should not be very dark, without compassion, a sinner, nor emaciated, short (hrasva) or lazy, he should not be injured, uncultured, agitated and not depressed. [...] A god enshrined by any of these named above (viz., hrasva), is in no manner a giver of fruit. If a building for Viṣṇu is made anywhere by these excluded types (viz., hrasva) then that temple will not give rise to enjoyment and liberation and will yield no reward, of this there is no doubt”.

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.

In Buddhism

General definition (in Buddhism)

Hrasva (ह्रस्व, “short”) refers to one of the “twenty form objects” (rūpa) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 34). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (eg., hrasva). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

hrasva (ह्रस्व).—a Short; low in stature. m A dwarf.

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Hrasva (ह्रस्व).—a. [hras-van] (compar. hrasīyas; superl. hrasiṣṭha)

1) Short, small, little.

2) Dwarfish, low or short in stature.

3) Short (opp. to dīrgha in prosody).

4) Minor, very young in age; जाता ह्रस्वा प्रजा प्रमीयते (jātā hrasvā prajā pramīyate) Mb.3.197.13.

5) Unimportant, insignificant.

-svaḥ 1 A dwarf.

2) A short vowel.

-svam Green or black sulphate of iron.

Hrasva (ह्रस्व).—mfn.

(-svaḥ-svā-svaṃ) 1. Short, low in stature. 2. Short, as a vowel. 3. Small, little. m.

(-svaḥ) A dwarf. E. hras to be small, and van aff.

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