Sahasra, Sāhasra: 19 definitions

Introduction:

Sahasra means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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.

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In Hinduism

Dharmashastra (religious law)

Source: Google Books: Manusmṛti with the Manubhāṣya

Sāhasra (साहस्र).—The term ‘sāhasra’ literally means “that which has a thousand”. Sāhasra is the same as sahasra the affix ‘aṇ’ having the reflexive-force. Or sāhasra may be explained as that which consists of a sahasra or thousand; the ‘aṇ’ affix having the force of the possessive.

Dharmashastra book cover
context information

Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

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Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Shodhganga: Iconographical representations of Śiva

Sahasra (सहस्र) or Sahasrāgama refers to one of the twenty-eight Siddhāntāgama: a classification of the Śaiva division of Śaivāgamas. The Śaivāgamas represent the wisdom that has come down from lord Śiva, received by Pārvatī and accepted by Viṣṇu. The Śaivāgamas are divided into four groups viz. Śaiva, Pāśupata, Soma and Lākula. Śaiva is further divided in to Dakṣiṇa, Vāma and Siddhānta (e.g., sahasra).

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions

Sahasra (सहस्र) refers to a “thousand” (recitations), according to the Guhyasūtra chapter 3.—Accordingly, “[...] [Using the mantra] ‘oṃ namo vāyupathacāriṇe amitagatiparākramāya vimale kulu kulu svāhā’, [and taking] arsenic, gold [and?] a mineral, …, ground up with pig fat/marrow, over which one has recited [the navātman] 1000 times (sahasra-parimantrita), he should smear [the mixture] on his feet/legs, while once again reciting the navātman: he will travel 200 yojanās unwearied!”.

Shaivism book cover
context information

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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Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira

Sahasra (सहस्र) or Sahasraketu refers to “thousand” types 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, “[...] Thus have been stated briefly 101 Ketus and we will now proceed to state clearly the 1,000 Ketus [i.e., sahasra] already referred to. [...] Thus we have given an account of 1,000 Ketus. We shall now give a few particulars connected with them”.

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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Kavya (poetry)

[«previous next»] — Sahasra in Kavya glossary
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (kavya)

Sahasra (सहस्र) refers to a “hundred [thousand?] (tales about the marvels of the Śrīparvata mountain)”, according to Bāṇa’s Kādambarī (p. 226).—There are apparently several Tantric rites that Bāṇa pejoratively associates with the priest: [...] “his collection of practices for mastering mantras for invisibility had grown”; “he was acquainted with a hundred (sahasra) tales about the marvels of the Śrīparvata mountain”; “his ear-cavities were punched by those possessed by Piśāca-demons, who had run to him when struck by white mustard seed he had empowered with mantras more than once”.

Kavya book cover
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Kavya (काव्य, kavya) refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.

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Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra)

Source: archive.org: Hindu Mathematics

Sahasra (सहस्र) refers to “thousand” (1000) in various lists of numeral denominations, according to gaṇita (“science of calculation”) and Gaṇita-śāstra, ancient Indian mathematics and astronomy.—We can definitely say that from the very earliest known times, ten has formed the basis of numeration in India. While the Greeks had no terminology for denominations above the myriad (104), and the Romans above the milk (103), the ancient Hindus dealt freely with no less than eighteen denominations [e.g., sahasra]. Cf. Yajurveda-saṃhitā (Vājasanyī) XVII.2;  Taittirīya-saṃhitā IV.40.11, VII.2.20.1; Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā II.8.14; Kāṭhaka-saṃhitā XVII.10, XXXIX.6; Anuyogadvāra-sūtra 142; Āryabhaṭīya II.2; Triśatikā R.2-3; Gaṇitasārasaṃgraha I.63-68.

Ganitashastra book cover
context information

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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In Buddhism

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Buddhism

Sahasra (सहस्र, “thousand”) is the fourth of sixty digits (decimal place) in an special enumeration system mentioned by Vasubandhu in his Abhidharmakośa (“treasury of knowledge”). The explanations of the measure of years, eons, and so forth must be comprehended through calculation based on a numerical system. Enumeration begins from one and increases by a factor of ten for each shift in decimal place. The sixtieth number in this series is called “countless”.

Among these decimal positions (e.g., sahasra, “thousand”), the first nine positions from one to one hundred million are called ‘single set enumeration’. From a billion up to, but not including countless is “the enumeration of the great companion” and is called the ‘recurring enumeration’.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Sahasra (सहस्र) refers to a “thousand (trembling mouths)” (of the snake-lord), according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “On the earth even the lord of the snakes with a thousand trembling mouths (sphurat-vaktra-sahasra) is not able to describe clearly the entire power of the doctrine. Those who have adopted a heterodox doctrine, lacking in [knowledge of the highest] reality, proclaim various doctrines. They are not aware of the reality of things because they are not competent to examine that [doctrine]”.

General definition book cover
context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Ssahasra (स्सहस्र).—[samānaṃ hasati has-ra Tv.]

1) A thousand.

2) A large number.

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Sāhasra (साहस्र).—a. (-srī f.) [सहस्र-अण् (sahasra-aṇ)]

1) Relating to a thousand.

2) Consisting of a thousand.

3) Bought with a thousand.

4) Paid per thousand (as interest &c.).

5) A thousand-fold.

6) Exceedingly numerous.

-sraḥ An army or detachment consisting of a thousand men.

-sram An aggregate of a thousand; किरीटसाहस्रमणिप्रवेक- प्रद्योतिदोद्दामफणासहस्रम् (kirīṭasāhasramaṇipraveka- pradyotidoddāmaphaṇāsahasram) Bhāgavata 3.8.6; (also sāhasrakam in this sense).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Sāhasra (साहस्र).—(in Sanskrit as general adj.; compare Pali sahassa, adj., epithet of a lokadhātu and of Brahmā as its ruler, sahasso …Brahmā sahassīlokadhātuṃ pharitvā Majjhimanikāya (Pali) iii.101.4—5), adj. with lokadhātu, or (Mahāvastu) subst., sc. lokadhātu, con- sisting of 1000 (worlds); = sāhasra-cūḍika, q.v.: śakro [Page594-b+ 71] (or, brahmā)…sāhasragatāna madhye Mahāvastu iii.119.12 (here by em.); 122.19; 123.2, Indra (Brahmā) in the midst of inhabitants of (a universe of) 1000 worlds; °sra-lokadhā- tuṃ Daśabhūmikasūtra 72.25; °sro lokadhātuḥ Gaṇḍavyūha 75.2; °sre °dhātau Śatasāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā 26.8; contrasting with dvisāhasra and trisāhasra- mahāsāhasra. In Pali no form with ā in the first syllable is recorded. (Childers cites sāhassiko without reference, with definition suggesting no application to lokadhātu.)

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

Sahasra (सहस्र).—n.

(-sraṃ) A thousand. E. samānaṃ hasati has-ra .

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Sāhasra (साहस्र).—mfn.

(-sraḥ-srī-sraṃ) 1. Bought with a thousand. 2. Paid per thousand, as interest, duty, &c. 3. Relating or belonging to a thousand. m.

(-sraḥ) An army or detachment, a thousand strong. n.

(-sraṃ) The aggregate of a thousand. E. sahasra a thousand, and aṇ aff.

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

Sahasra (सहस्र).—numeral, n. A thousand, [Pañcatantra] 130, 16.

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Sāhasra (साहस्र).—i. e. sahasra + a, I. adj. 1. Relating or belonging to a thousand. 2. Bought with a thousand. 3. Paid per thousand, as interest, duty. 4. A thousandfold, a thousand times better, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 2, 85. Ii. m. An army or detachment, a thousand strong. Iii. n. An aggregate of many thousands.

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

Sahasra (सहस्र).—[neuter] ([masculine]) a thousand (used also for any very large number).

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Sāhasra (साहस्र).—[feminine] ī & ā amounting to or consisting of a thousand; [neuter] a thousand.

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

1) Sahasra (सहस्र):—[=sa-hasra] [from sa > sahaṃsa-pāta] a See below.

2) b n. (rarely) m. (perhaps [from] 7, sa hasra = [Greek] χίλιοι for χεσλοι; cf. [Persian] hazār) a thousand (with the counted object in the same case sg. or [plural] e.g. sahasreṇa bāhunā, ‘with a thousand arms’ [Harivaṃśa]; sahasraṃ bhiṣajaḥ, ‘a thousand drugs’ [Ṛg-veda]; or in the [genitive case] e.g. dve sahasre suvarṇasya, ‘two th° pieces of gold’ [Rājataraṅgiṇī]; catvāri sahasrāṇi varṣāṇām, ‘four th° years’ [Manu-smṛti]; sometimes in [compound], either [in the beginning of a compound] e.g. yuga-sahasram, ‘a th° ages’ [Manu-smṛti], or ifc. e.g. sahasrāśvena, ‘with a th° horses’; sahasram may also be used as an ind. e.g. sahasram ṛṣibhiḥ, ‘with a th° Ṛṣis’ [Ṛg-veda]; with other numerals it is used thus, ekādhikaṃ sahasram, or eka-sahasram, ‘a th° one’, 1001; dvyadhikaṃ s, ‘a th° two’, 1002; ekādaśādhikam ssahasram or ekādaśaṃ s or ekādaśa-s, ‘a th° eleven’ or ‘a th° having eleven’, 1011; viṃśaty-adhikaṃ s or vimaṃ s, ‘a th° twenty’, 1020; dve sahasre or dvi-sahacram, ‘two th°’; trīṇi sahasrāṇi or tri-sahasram, ‘three th°’ etc.), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.

3) a thousand cows or gifts (= sahasraṃ gavyam etc., used to express wealth; sahasraṃ śatāśvam, ‘a th° cows and a hundred horses’ [Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra]), [Ṛg-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa] (in later language often = ‘1000 Paṇas’, e.g. [Manu-smṛti viii, 120; 336 etc.])

4) any very large number (in, [Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska iii, 1] among the bahu-nāmāni; cf. sahasra-kiraṇa etc. below)

5) mf(ī)n. a thousandth or the thousandth (= sahasra-tama which is the better form; cf. [Pāṇini 5-2, 57]).

6) Sāhasra (साहस्र):—mf(ī, or ā)n. ([from] sahasra) relating or belonging to a thousand, consisting of or bought with or paid for a th°, thousand fold, exceedingly numerous, infinite, [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā] etc. etc.

7) m. an army or detachment consisting of a th° men, [Horace H. Wilson]

8) ([plural]) Name of four Ekāhas at which a th° (cows) are given as a fee, [???]

9) n. (ifc. f(ā). ) an aggregate of a th° or of many th°, [Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa; Mahābhārata etc.]

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

1) Sahasra (सहस्र):—(sraṃ) 1. n. A thousand.

2) Sāhasra (साहस्र):—(sraṃ) 1. n. Thousands. m. An army of 1000. a. Of a thou- sand; bought with 1000; paid per 1000, as duty, interest, &c.

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

Sahasra (सहस्र) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Sahassa, Sāhassa.

[Sanskrit to German]

Sahasra 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»] — Sahasra in Hindi glossary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Sahasra (सहस्र):—(a) one thousand; (nm) the number one thousand; ~[kara] the sun; ~[guṇa/guṇā] one thousand times; ~[dhā] in a thousand ways; thousand times; ~[śa] thousand times; [sahasroṃ] thousands.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Sahasra (ಸಹಸ್ರ):—

1) [adjective] amounting to one thousand.

2) [adjective] consisting of some large, indefinite number; many; numerous or innumerable.

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Sahasra (ಸಹಸ್ರ):—

1) [noun] the cardinal number one thousand; 1,000.

2) [noun] in a many-digited number, the fourth place from right.

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Sāhasra (ಸಾಹಸ್ರ):—

1) [adjective] amounting to one thousand in number.

2) [adjective] too numerous to be counted; very many.

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Sāhasra (ಸಾಹಸ್ರ):—

1) [noun] any thing that is made of one thousand members, components, parts, etc.

2) [noun] a division of an army having one thousand soldiers.

3) [noun] a commander of such a division.

4) [noun] name of one of the twenty seven Śaivāgamas.

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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