Kalahamsa, Kalahaṃsa, Kala-hamsa, Kalahaṃsā: 18 definitions
Introduction:
Kalahamsa means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, 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
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexKalahaṃsa (कलहंस).—Sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭri and Garuḍa.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 457.
Kalahaṃsa (कलहंस) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.60.56) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Kalahaṃsa) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Manblunder: SaundaryalaharīKalahaṃsa (कलहंस).—The swans (haṃsa) in Mahā-kailāsa represent purified mind and hence they are known as kalahaṃsas. Kalahaṃsa means Brahman without any attributes or Nirguṇa Brahman.
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.
Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)
Source: Shodhganga: a concise history of Sanskrit Chanda literature1) Kalahaṃsā (कलहंसा) is the alternative name of a Sanskrit metre (chandas) mentioned by Hemacandra (1088-1173 C.E.) in his auto-commentary on the second chapter of the Chandonuśāsana. Kalahaṃsā corresponds to Drutapadā, Mukhara. Hemacandra gives these alternative names for the metres by other authorities (like Bharata), even though the number of gaṇas or letters do not differ.
2) Kalahaṃsā (कलहंसा) refers to one of the 135 metres (chandas) mentioned by Nañjuṇḍa (1794-1868 C.E.) in his Vṛttaratnāvalī. Nañjuṇḍa was a poet of both Kannada and Sanskrit literature flourished in the court of the famous Kṛṣṇarāja Woḍeyar of Mysore. He introduces the names of these metres (e.g., Kalahaṃsā) in 20 verses.
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)
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Source: Shodhganga: Portrayal of Animal Kingdom (Tiryaks) in Epics An Analytical study1) Kalahaṃsa (कलहंस) (lit. “one who goves out sweet calls like ‘kal’”) is a synonym (another name) for Swan (Haṃsa), according to scientific texts such as the Mṛgapakṣiśāstra (Mriga-pakshi-shastra) or “the ancient Indian science of animals and birds” by Hamsadeva, containing the varieties and descriptions of the animals and birds seen in the Sanskrit Epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
2) Kalahaṃsa (कलहंस) refers to the Graylag Goose (Anser anser).
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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: SOAS University of London: Protective Rites in the Netra TantraKālahaṃsa (कालहंस) is the name of a mantra, according to the Svacchanda-tantra.—Accordingly, [verse 7.210-211, while describing the meditation on the kālahaṃsa]—“Either by reciting or meditating on the kālahaṃsa, O Goddess, [the practitioner] becomes Śiva [who] has the form of kāla and acts freely (or as Svacchanda) like kāla. Death has been destroyed, [the Yogin] has abandoned old age, is free from all danger [caused by] disease, [he] knows, learns, and day-dreams. [He] gains the all supreme siddhis, [which] arise constantly as a result of conquering kāla”.
Note: The kālahaṃsa-mantra, which can be translates as “time” or “death” haṃsa, allows its user to become Śiva. Kāla spans time and death: to become Śiva is to be time and death, i.e., to create and to destroy. Through time (or death, kāla) the world continues to flourish. Without the breath nothing is created or destroyed, and nothing at all exists. When the devotee becomes kāla, he creates and destroys through the haṃsa-mantra.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarykāḷahaṃsa : (m.) black swan.
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarykalahaṃsa (कलहंस).—m S A drake or a gander; or, according to some, a teal. 2 A name of Brahma.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishkalahaṃsa (कलहंस).—m A drake or a gander, a teal.
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
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryKalahaṃsa (कलहंस).—
1) a gander, a swan; वधूदुकूलं कलहंस- लक्षणम् (vadhūdukūlaṃ kalahaṃsa- lakṣaṇam) Kumārasambhava 5.67.
2) a duck, drake; Bhaṭṭikāvya 2.18; कलमन्य- भृतासु भाषितं कलहंसीषु मदालसं गतम् (kalamanya- bhṛtāsu bhāṣitaṃ kalahaṃsīṣu madālasaṃ gatam) R.8.59.
3) the supreme soul.
4) an excellent king.
Derivable forms: kalahaṃsaḥ (कलहंसः).
Kalahaṃsa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms kala and haṃsa (हंस).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryKalahaṃsa (कलहंस).—m.
(-saḥ) 1. A drake, or according to some, a teal. 2. A gander. 3. Another bird, (Gallinula porphyria.) 4. Brahma or the Supreme Being. 5. An emperor. 6. A species of the Atijagati metre. E. kala pleasing sound, and hasa a goose.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryKalahaṃsa (कलहंस).—[kala-haṃsa], m., f. sī, A kind of duck or goose, [Rāmāyaṇa] 2, 82, 9; [Kirātārjunīya] 5, 13; [Raghuvaṃśa, (ed. Stenzler.)] 8, 58.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryKalahaṃsa (कलहंस).—[masculine] a kind of duck, goose, or swan ([feminine] ī); [Name] of a man. — Abstr. tā [feminine]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Kalahaṃsa (कलहंस):—[=kala-haṃsa] [from kala] m. Name of several species of the Haṃsa bird or goose, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa; Pañcatantra] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] an excellent king, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
3) [v.s. ...] Brahma or the Supreme Spirit, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
4) [v.s. ...] a particular metre (consisting of four lines of thirteen syllables each)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryKalahaṃsa (कलहंस):—[kala-haṃsa] (saḥ) 1. m. A drake; a gander; Brahm; a king.
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusKalahaṃsa (ಕಲಹಂಸ):—
1) [noun] = ಕಲಹಂಸೆ [kalahamse].
2) [noun] (Mus.) one of the 108 rhythmic measures in Karnāṭaka system.
3) [noun] (mus.) a mode, in Karnāṭaka system, derived from the main mode Yāgapriya.
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Kaḷahaṃsa (ಕಳಹಂಸ):—[noun] any of an order (Phoenicopteriformes) of large, tropical birds with long, red legs, webbed feet, long necks, downward-curving red beaks, and bright pink or red feathers; a kind of flamingo.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Kalahamsagamini, Kalahamsaka.
Ends with: Kamalinikalahamsa.
Full-text (+66): Kalahamsi, Sakalahamsagana, Kalahamsagamini, Kalanada, Kalahamsaka, Cakravaka, Maralaka, Kalahamse, Dhritarashtrii, Pralalita, Bhayojjhita, Mukhara, Drutapada, Jara, Ujjhita, Kalavat, Avapti, Duravalokana, Sarvaishvarya, Shravana.
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Search found 15 books and stories containing Kalahamsa, Kala-hamsa, Kāla-haṃsa, Kala-haṃsa, Kalahaṃsa, Kālahaṃsa, Kalahaṃsā, Kaḷahaṃsa, Kaḷahamsa; (plurals include: Kalahamsas, hamsas, haṃsas, Kalahaṃsas, Kālahaṃsas, Kalahaṃsās, Kaḷahaṃsas, Kaḷahamsas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 5.21.42 < [Chapter 21 - The Story of Śrī Nārada]
Verse 2.22.4 < [Chapter 22 - The Rāsa-dance Pastime]
Animal Kingdom (Tiryak) in Epics (by Saranya P.S)
Chapter 4.25 - The Hamsa (Swan) in the Epics
Chapter 2.5 - The origin of the flora and fauna in the Puranas
Kuntaka’s evaluation of Sanskrit literature (by Nikitha. M)
5. Mālatīmādhava in Kuntaka’s treatment < [Chapter 4 - Kuntaka’s evaluation of Sanskrit Plays of other Poets]
The Bhagavata Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 3 - Śiva dissuades Satī from attendance at Dakṣa-Yajña < [Book 4 - Fourth Skandha]
Harsha-charita (by Bāṇabhaṭṭa)
Chapter I - The description of the Vatsyayana race
Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study) (by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah)
5. Fauna (different types of animals) < [Chapter 7 - Environmental awareness and Hygiene Conciousness]