Kapalaketu, Kapālaketu, Kapala-ketu: 4 definitions

Introduction:

Kapalaketu means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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

Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

[«previous next»] — Kapalaketu in Jyotisha glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira

Kapālaketu (कपालकेतु) or simply Kapāla refers to a particular type of Ketus (i.e., luminous bodies such as comets and meteors), according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 11), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “Kapāla Ketu [kapālaketu] is visible on new-moon days; its tail is of the colour of smoke; its course lies through the eastern half of the visible hemisphere; when it appears mankind will suffer from hunger, death, drought and disease. Raudra Ketu is a comet resembling the dagger’s end and is of a dull red colour; it appears in the south-east and travels through a third of the sky and produces the same effects as the Kapāla Ketu”.

Jyotisha book cover
context information

Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Kapalaketu in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Kapālaketu (कपालकेतु):—[=kapāla-ketu] [from kapāla] m. Name of a comet, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]

[Sanskrit to German]

Kapalaketu 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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