Sahasraksha, Sahasra-aksha, Sahasrākṣa: 16 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Purana
2. Shaivism
3. Kavya
4. Ayurveda
In Jainism
1. General definition
Languages
1. Sanskrit
2. Kannada
See also

Introduction:

Sahasraksha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. 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 Sahasrākṣa can be transliterated into English as Sahasraksa or Sahasraksha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष) is the name of a Gaṇeśvara (attendant of Śiva), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.5.9 (“Śiva’s campaign”).—Accordingly, as Śiva with the Gods attacked Tripura: “[...] O great Brahmins, all the Gaṇeśvaras went to the three cities. Who can enumerate them fully? I shall mention a few. These were the important ones who were there—[e.g., Sahasrākṣa] [...]. These and other innumerable lords of Gaṇas who cannot be characterised and classified surrounded Śiva and went ahead. [...] They were capable of burning the entire world including the mobile and immobile beings, within a trice by their very thought. Surrounding Śiva, the great lord, they went ahead. [...]”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष).—An attribute of Indra;¹ served his mother Diti (s.v.) during her penance to get a son to slay him; later he cut her phoetus into seven parts; they became Maruts.²

1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 5. 75, 101 etc.; Vāyu-purāṇa 39. 19; 64. 7; Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 9. 19: V. 14. 14.
2) Vāyu-purāṇa 67. 95-6.

1b) The agni of the Asuras;¹ the son of Pāvaka (Vaḍavāmukha, Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa)²

1) Vāyu-purāṇa 29. 41, 5 and 34.
2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa 12. 5, and 36.

1c) tīrtha sacred to Utpalākṣī;¹ sacred to Pitṛs.²

1) Matsya-purāṇa 13. 34.
2) Ib. 22. 52.

Source: JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and places

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. XIV.8.16, XIV.8) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Sahasrākṣa) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

context information

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.

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Śaivism

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष) is the Sanskrit name of a deity presiding over Svarṇākṣa, one of the sixty-eight places hosting a svāyambhuvaliṅga, which is one of the most sacred of liṅgas according to the Śaivāgamas. The list of sixty-eight svāyambhuvaliṅgas and presiding deities (e.g., Sahasrākṣa) is found in the commentary on the Jirṇoddhāra-daśaka by Nigamajñānadeva. The word liṅga refers to a symbol used in the worship of Śiva and is used thoughout Śaiva literature, such as the sacred Āgamas.

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.

Kavya (poetry)

Source: Shodhganga: The Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष) is the name of an important person (viz., an Ācārya or Kavi) mentioned in Rājaśekhara’s 10th-century Kāvyamīmāṃsā.—One of the eighteen disciples of Kāvya-puruṣa. Who have to compose the first Adhikaraṇa, Kavirahasya of Kāvyamīmāṃsā according to Rājaśekhara.

context information

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’.

Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: archive.org: Vagbhata’s Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita (first 5 chapters)

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष) refers to the “the thousand-eyed one” and is mentioned in verse 1.3 of the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā (Sūtrasthāna) by Vāgbhaṭa.—Accordingly, “Brahman, having recalled medical science, taught (it) to Prajāpati; he, to the two Aśvins (Aśvinīputras); they, to the Thousand-eyed One; he, to the sages Atriputra etc. they, to Agniveśa etc. But they composed (their) works separately. (These) being too widely scattered, there is (now) made from them, as a collection for the most part of very essential (matter)”.

Note: Sahasrākṣa, an epithet of Indra (who, endeavouring to seduce Ahalyā, was cursed by her husband with a thousand female sex organs later changed into eyes; cf. Mahābhārata XIII 34.27 sq.), has been replaced by brGya-byin “the hundred-powered one” (—Sanskrit Śatakratu), another epithet of Indra meaning that he has sacrificed a hundred times (cf. Mahābhārata IX 49.1 sqq.).

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.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष) (or Sahasraḍrś, Sahasranayana) is the son of the Vidyādhara-king Sulocana, according to chapter 2.4 [ajitanātha-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly, as Sagara was addressed by a chamberlain:—“O master, on Mt. Vaitāḍhya in this same Bharatakṣetra there is a city Gaganavallabha, a favorite of good fortune. In it there was a Vidyādhara-king, Sulocana, resembling Trilocanasakha (Kubera) in the city Alakā. There is a son of his, Sahasranayana, judicious; and this daughter, Sukeśā, a crest-jewel of all woman-kind. [...]”.

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष).—a.

1) thousand-eyed.

2) vigilant. (-kṣaḥ) 1 an epithet of Indra.

2) of Puruṣa; सहस्र- शीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् (sahasra- śīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt) Ṛgveda 1.9 1.

3) of Śiva.

4) of Viṣṇu.

Sahasrākṣa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms sahasra and akṣa (अक्ष).

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

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष).—mfn.

(-kṣaḥ-kṣī-kṣaṃ) Thousand-eyed; used figuratively, vigilant, all-perceiving, all-inspecting, all-powerful. m.

(-kṣaḥ) 1. Indra. 2. An owl. 3. Brahma. E. sahasra a thousand, and akṣa the eye: Indra having been covered over with marks resembling the female organ, in consequence of a curse of Gautama; those marks were changed subsequently to eyes by the relenting saint.

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

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष).—I. adj. thousand-eyed. Ii. m. a name of Indra.

Sahasrākṣa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms sahasra and akṣa (अक्ष).

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

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष).—[adjective] & [masculine] = sahasranayana.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—[anonymous] Oppert. Ii, 3878. See Sadānandagirīya.

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

1) Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष):—[from sahasra] mfn. th°-eyed, [Ṛg-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā; Taittirīya-saṃhitā] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] all-perceiving, all-inspecting, [Horace H. Wilson]

3) [v.s. ...] m. Name of Indra (so called from the curse of Gautama who detecting Indra in a desire to seduce his wife Ahalyā covered him with a thousand marks of the female organ, afterwards changed to eyes; a different legend is in [Rām. i, 48]), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature; Purāṇa]

4) [v.s. ...] of Indra in the 9th Manv-antara, [Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]

5) [v.s. ...] of Puruṣa, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]

6) [v.s. ...] of Viṣṇu, [ib.]

7) [v.s. ...] of Fire and Rudra, [ib.]

8) [v.s. ...] of Śiva, [ib.]

9) [v.s. ...] a clear sky, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]

10) [v.s. ...] Name of a [particular] Mantra, [Baudhāyana-dharma-śāstra]

11) [v.s. ...] m. or n. (?) of a place, [Catalogue(s)]

12) [v.s. ...] m. of [work]

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

Sahasrākṣa (सहस्राक्ष):—[sahasrā-kṣa] (kṣaḥ) 1. m. Indra. a. Thousand-eyed, all-inspecting, vigilant and powerful.

[Sanskrit to German]

Sahasraksha 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.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Sahasrākṣa (ಸಹಸ್ರಾಕ್ಷ):—[noun] one of the epithets of Indra.

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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Search found 51 books and stories containing Sahasraksha, Sahasra-akṣa, Sahasra-aksa, Sahasra-aksha, Sahasrā-kṣa, Sahasra-ksa, Sahasra-ksha, Sahasrākṣa, Sahasraksa; (plurals include: Sahasrakshas, akṣas, aksas, akshas, kṣas, ksas, kshas, Sahasrākṣas, Sahasraksas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

2.6. Rudra as Sahasrākṣa < [Chapter 6a - The Epithets of Rudra-Śiva]

4. Atharvaveda-saṃhitā (b): Different names of Rudra < [Chapter 2 - Rudra-Śiva in the Saṃhitā Literature]

2. Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (a): Physical appearance of Rudra < [Chapter 2 - Rudra-Śiva in the Saṃhitā Literature]

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Verse 1.14.61 < [Chapter 14 - The Liberation of Śakaṭāsura and Tṛṇāvarta]

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Puranic legends: Story of Indra and Ahalya < [Chapter 4 - Sucindrasthalamahatmya: a critical study]

Chapter 13 - Trayodasha Adhyaya (trayodaso'dhyayah) < [Chapter 5 - Sucindrasthalamahatmya: Sanskrit critical edition]

Chapter 3 - Suchindram temple and other places and rivers mentioned

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Part 5 - The story of Usha and Aniruddha in the Harivamsa Purana < [Chapter 3 - Sources of the Ushaharana-kavya]

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