Pancamsha, Pañcāṃśa, Pancan-amsha: 7 definitions

Introduction:

Pancamsha 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.

The Sanskrit term Pañcāṃśa can be transliterated into English as Pancamsa or Pancamsha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Panchamsha.

In Hinduism

Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

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

Pañcāṃśa (पञ्चांश) refers to the “fifth section of the firmament”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 5), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “If the sun and moon should begin to be eclipsed when only half risen, deceitful men will suffer as well as sacrificial rites. [...] If when in mid-heaven, the central provinces will suffer, but there will be happiness over the land and the price of food grains will fall. If when in the fifth section [i.e., pañcāṃśapañcame khāṃśe], herbivorous animals, ministers and household inmates will suffer as also the Vaiśyas. If they should be eclipsed when in the sixth section of the firmament, women and the Śūdras will suffer; if when setting, robbers and the border Mlecchas will perish. Those will be happy in whose section the eclipse terminates”.

Jyotisha book cover
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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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Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra)

Source: archive.org: Hindu Mathematics

Pañcāṃśa (पञ्चांश) or Pañcabhāga refers to “five-parts” (i.e., one-fifth) in Bhinna (“fractions”) and Bhāga (“unit fractions”), which refers to one of the twenty operations (logistics) of pāṭīgaṇita (“science of calculation which requires the use of writing material—the board”), according to Pṛthudakasvāmī’s commentary on the Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta by Brahmagupta, a Sanskrit treatise on ancient Indian mathematics (gaṇita-śāstra) and astronomy from the 7th century.—In the Śulba, unit fractions are denoted by the use of a cardinal number with the term bhāga or aṃśa; thus pañcadaśa-bhāga (“fifteen-parts”) is equivalent to one-fifteenth, sapta-bhāga (“seven-parts”) is equivalent to one-seventh, and so on [e.g., pañcāṃśa].

Ganitashastra book cover
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Ganitashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, gaṇitaśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science of mathematics, algebra, number theory, arithmetic, etc. Closely allied with astronomy, both were commonly taught and studied in universities, even since the 1st millennium BCE. Ganita-shastra also includes ritualistic math-books such as the Shulba-sutras.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Pancamsha in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Pañcāṃśa (पञ्चांश).—the fifth part, a fifth.

Derivable forms: pañcāṃśaḥ (पञ्चांशः).

Pañcāṃśa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms pañcan and aṃśa (अंश).

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

Pañcāṃśa (पञ्चांश).—[masculine] the fifth [particle]

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

Pañcāṃśa (पञ्चांश):—[from pañca] m. the 5th part, 1/5 [Varāha-mihira]

[Sanskrit to German]

Pancamsha in German

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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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