Salaka, Salākā, Sālaka, Shalaka: 17 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Salaka means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, 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.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaŚalākā (शलाका).—Wife of maharṣi Dhanañjaya, who belonged to Vasiṣṭha gotra. (For details see under Dhanañjaya V).

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.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesA monkey. See the Salaka Jataka.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
India history and geography
Source: archive.org: Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 1963Sālakā is the name of a house constructed by Devānaṃpiya Tissa (B.C. 247-207) at Mahāvihāra in Anurādhapura. It was restored by Sirisaṃghabodhi (247-249) and Udaya I (797-801). Mahāvihāra, also called the Tissārāma, was a region in the Southern Area of the city of Anurādhapura, founded in B.C. 246 by Devānaṃpiya Tissa and presented to the great Thera, Mahinda. Its territory (including the Sālakā house) comprised the Jotivana (previously called Nandana) and Mahāmegha Parks, the area to south and south-east of the citadel.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryŚalākā.—cf. śalāgai (SITI), name of a coin also called palañ- śalāgai (accu) and śrīyakki-palañśalāgai. Note: śalākā is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
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Śalākā.—same as Tamil śalāgai. Note: śalākā is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarysalākā : (f.) a blade of grass; ribs of a parasol; a surgical instrument; tickets consisting of slips of wood; a lot.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionarySālaka, (Sk. syāla+ka) a brother-in-law J. II, 268. (Page 706)
— or —
Salākā, (f.) (cp. Vedic śalākā) 1. an arrow, a dart A iv. 107 (T. has it as nt.).—2. a small stick, peg, thin bar S iv. 168; Dāvs iv. 51.—3. blade of a grass M i. 79; J i. 439.—4. ribs of a parasol Vin iv. 338; SnA 487; Miln. 226.—5. a pencil, small stick (used in painting the eyes with collyrium) Vin i. 204; J iii. 419 (añjana˚). ‹-› 6. a kind of needle Vin ii. 116.—7. a kind of surgical instrument, a stick of caustic Miln. 112, 149.—8. a gong stick (of bronze, loha˚) J ii. 342; Vism. 283.—9. membrum virile J ii. 359.—10. a ticket consisting of slips of wood used in voting and distributing food, vote, lot Vin ii. 99, 176, 306; J i. 123; PvA. 272 (kāḷakaṇṇi˚); salākaŋ gaṇhāti to take tickets (in order to vote or to be counted) Vin i. 117; ii. 199; paṭhaman salākaŋ gaṇhanto taking the first vote, first rate A i. 24; salākaŋ gāheti to issue tickets, to take a vote Vin ii. 205; salākaŋ dadāti to issue tickets J i. 123; salākaŋ vāreti to throw lots J i. 239 (kāḷakaṇṇi˚).

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 Dictionaryśalaka (शलक) [or ख, kha].—f ( A) A volley.
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śalākā (शलाका).—f (S) A spike (as of grass), a straw, a reed, a little rod or pin, a piece of wire, a long, thin, and pointed body in general;--as a rib of an umbrella, a bar of a cage, a slip of bamboo used as a match, a fibrous stick used as a brush or pencil, a toothpick, a tent or probe, a fescue &c. &c.
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śālaka (शालक).—m (Properly śyālaka) A wife's brother. 2 Applied to the husband of one's sister.
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śāḷaka (शाळक).—m (śyālaka S) A wife's brother. 2 Applied to the husband of one's sister.
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salaka (सलक) [or ख, kha].—f ( A) A dashing shower of rain. 2 A volley of fire-arms.
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saḷaka (सळक).—f P A shower of rain. 2 Used, by some, for śalaka or ख. saḷaka dhāra In heavy showers or streams, in torrents--raining.
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saḷakā (सळका).—m (Imit. saḷa! saḷa!) Morbid itching and longing (of the teeth to eat or bite). v suṭa, yē, lāga, jā, jira. Although the approved sense is the restricted one above (dāntācā saḷakā); yet other applications of the general sense given under the verb saḷasaḷaṇēṃ are occasionally met with. 2 A heavy shower. v yē.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishśalaka (शलक) [-kha, -ख].—f A volley.
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śalākā (शलाका).—f A spike. A long, thin and pointed body.
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śālaka (शालक).—m A brother-in-law.
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salaka (सलक).—f A sharp, shooting pain.
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saḷaka (सळक).—f A shower of rain.
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 dictionaryŚalaka (शलक).—
1) A spider.
2) A bird.
Derivable forms: śalakaḥ (शलकः).
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Śalākā (शलाका).—[śal-ākaḥ Uṇ.4.15]
1) A small stick, peg, rod, pin, piece, thin bar (of anything); अयस्कान्तमणिशलाका (ayaskāntamaṇiśalākā) Māl.1.
2) A pencil, small stick (used in painting the eyes with collyrium); अज्ञानान्धस्य लोकस्य ज्ञानाञ्जन- शलाकया । चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै पाणिनये नमः (ajñānāndhasya lokasya jñānāñjana- śalākayā | cakṣurunmīlitaṃ yena tasmai pāṇinaye namaḥ) || Śik.58; Ku.1. 47; ययौ शलाकामपरा वहन्ती (yayau śalākāmaparā vahantī) R.7.8.
3) An arrow.
4) A dart, javelin.
5) A probe or a kind of pointed surgical instrument.
6) A rib (as of an umbrella); न ते शतशलाकेन (na te śataśalākena)...छत्रेणाभिविराजते (chatreṇābhivirājate) Rām.2.26.1.
7) A bone (forming the root of the fingers and toes); पाणिपाद- शलाकाश्च तेषां स्थानचतुष्टयम् (pāṇipāda- śalākāśca teṣāṃ sthānacatuṣṭayam) Y.3.85.
8) A sprout, spring, shoot; उद्भिन्नया रत्नशलाकयेव (udbhinnayā ratnaśalākayeva) Ku.1.24.
9) A paint-brush.
1) A tooth-brush, tooth-pick.
11) A porcupine.
12) An oblong piece of ivory or bone used in gambling.
13) A ruler.
14) The Sārikā bird.
15) A peg, pin; ततोऽम्बष्ठोऽस्थिभेदिन्या निरभिद्यच्छलाकया (tato'mbaṣṭho'sthibhedinyā nirabhidyacchalākayā) Mb.7.25.5.
16) Bar (of a cage or window).
17) A finger; शलाकानखपातैश्च (śalākānakhapātaiśca) (yuddhamabhavat) Mb.4.13.29.
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Śālaka (शालक).—A jester, buffoon.
Derivable forms: śālakaḥ (शालकः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryŚalākā (शलाका).—(specialized mgs. of Sanskrit id.; also śilākā, q.v.), (1) app. stick used in counting (so Burnouf; Kern, magic wand): (gaṇayeta yadī naraḥ) śalākāṃ gṛhya hastena paryantaṃ naiva so labhet Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 305.14 (verse), if a man counted them, taking a counting-stick in his hand, he could never get to the end; (2) (= Pali sal°) lot: see s.v. cārayati 1; according to Chin. and Japanese on Mahāvyutpatti 9204, a bamboo stick; (3) (= Pali sal°) ticket for food, used by Buddhist monks when entertainment was offered them: (Ānanda, bhikṣūn ārocaya, yo yuṣmākam utsahate śvaḥ Sūrpārakaṃ naga- raṃ gatvā) bhoktuṃ, so śalākāṃ gṛhṇātv iti Divyāvadāna 44.4, and ff. Just before this, in 43.27, (tāni puṣpāṇi…Jeta- vane gatvā vṛddhānte) sthitāni, dhūpo 'bhrakūṭavad [Page524-b+ 71] udakaṃ vaidūryaśalākāvat (for vaiḍ°), probably like a sliver of vaiḍūrya (in color), with ordinary Sanskrit meaning of śalākā.
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Śalākā (शलाका) or Śilākā.—q.v. in meaning (3): Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya i.30.3, 5, 6, 7; in meaning (2) or (3), ib. ii.120.6, 8, ms. śilākā, ed. em. śīlākā (why?); in 8 ms. °kā-caryamāṇāyaṃ, read °kāyāṃ cār°, see cārayati.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚalaka (शलक).—m.
(-kaḥ) A spider. E. śal to go, aff. vun .
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Śalākā (शलाका).—f.
(-kā) 1. A javelin, a dart. 2. An arrow. 3. A porcupine. 4. The rib of an umbrella, the bar of a cage, &c., or any such small stake, rod, peg, or pin; it is applied also in common use, to a thin slip of bamboo, serving when tipped with sulphur for a match; to a round pointed piece of wood or bamboo serving as a toothpick; to a similar piece employed as a tent or probe, or to a larger one used as a ruler, &c. 5. A bone. 6. An oblong quadrangular piece of ivory or bone used in playing a particular game, a domino. 7. A fibrous stick used as a brush or pencil. 8. A thorny shrub, (Vangueria spinosa.) 9. The Sarika, (Turdus Gosalica, Buch.) 10. A shoot, a sprout. E. śal to go, Unadi aff. ākan .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚalaka (शलक).—m. A spider; [Pañcatantra] iii. [distich] 179, read śalākāṃ.
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Śalākā (शलाका).— (cf. śala), f. 1. A javelin. 2. An arrow. 3. A small stake, rod, the bar of a cage, [Pañcatantra] iii. [distich] 179; a rib of an umbrella, etc. 4. A fibrous stick used as a brush or pencil, [Suśruta] 1, 33, 18; a pencil, [Raghuvaṃśa, (ed. Stenzler.)] 7, 8. 5. A porcupine. 6. A piece of ivory used in particular games, a domino, Mahābhārata 5, 1225 (read ºkā-dhūrtān, Sharpers). 7. A bone. 8. A bird, Turdus gosalica.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚalāka (शलाक).—[masculine] chip, splinter, stalk, rod, stick, peg, pin; finger, toe; quill of the porcupine.
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Śalākā (शलाका).—[feminine] chip, splinter, stalk, rod, stick, peg, pin; finger, toe; quill of the porcupine.
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Śālāka (शालाक).—[masculine] a bunch of chips or fagots; fagot-fire.
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Sālaka (सालक).—[adjective] having curled hair.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Śalaka (शलक):—[from śal] m. a spider, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
2) [v.s. ...] a bird, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
3) Śalakā (शलका):—[from śalaka > śal] f. [wrong reading] for śalākā, [Pañcatantra]
4) Śalāka (शलाक):—[from śal] m. (rare) = śalākā, [Kāṭhaka; Nārada-smṛti, nāradīya-dharma-śāstra; Mahābhārata]
5) Śalākā (शलाका):—[from śal] f. any small stake or stick, rod (for stirring etc.), twig (smeared with lime for catching birds), rib (of an umbrella), bar (of a cage or window), chip, splinter, splint, pencil (for painting or applying collyrium), [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa] etc. etc.
6) [v.s. ...] a piece of bamboo (borne as a kind of credential by mendicants and marked with their name), [Buddhist literature]
7) [v.s. ...] the quill of a porcupine, [Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra [Scholiast or Commentator]]
8) [v.s. ...] an oblong quadrangular piece of ivory or bone (used in playing a [particular] game), [ib.]
9) [v.s. ...] a peg, pin, arrow-head, needle, a probe (used in surgery and sometimes taken as the Name of this branch of, surgery, [Suśruta]), any pointed instrument, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa; Śārṅgadhara-saṃhitā]
10) [v.s. ...] a sprout, sprig, shoot of any kind (See ratna-ś)
11) [v.s. ...] a ruler, [Horace H. Wilson]
12) [v.s. ...] a toothpick or tooth-brush, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
13) [v.s. ...] a match or thin piece of wood (used for ignition by friction), [Horace H. Wilson]
14) [v.s. ...] a bone, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
15) [v.s. ...] a finger, toe, [Viṣṇu-smṛti, viṣṇu-sūtra, vaiṣṇava-dharma-śāstra; Yājñavalkya]
16) [v.s. ...] a porcupine, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
17) [v.s. ...] a [particular] thorny shrub, Vanguieria Spinosa, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
18) [v.s. ...] the Sārikā bird, Turdus Salica, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
19) [v.s. ...] Name of a town, [Rāmāyaṇa]
20) [v.s. ...] of a woman [gana] śubhrādi.
21) Śālaka (शालक):—[from śāla] mfn. (ifc.) = śāla1 or = śālā (See tri-, pīta-, priya-ś)
22) [v.s. ...] m. ([probably]) a jester, buffoon, [Pāṇini 1-4, 106 [Scholiast or Commentator]]
23) Śālāka (शालाक):—m. ([from] śalāka) a collection of chips or brush-wood, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra]
24) m. ([scilicet] agni) a fire of brush-wood, [Āśvalāyana-śrauta-sūtra]
25) Sālaka (सालक):—mfn. adorned with locks (of hair), [Kāvyādarśa]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Śalaka (शलक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. A spider.
2) Śalākā (शलाका):—(kā) 1. f. A javelin, arrow; thorny shrub; thrush; porcupine; fibrous stick used as a brush or pencil; peg or pin; tooth-brush; bone.
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger WörterbuchŚalaka (शलक):—(von śal) m. Spinne [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa 2, 5, 28.] — śalakā [Pañcatantra III, 179] fehlerhaft für śalākā .
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Śalāka (शलाक):—m. (nur [Kāṭhaka-Recension 26, 1] und [Mahābhārata 5, 1225]) und śalākā f. [?(UJJVAL. zu Uṇādisūtra 4, 14).]
1) Spahn, Splitter, spitzes Holz, Stäbchen; Halm, Reis [Taittirīyasaṃhitā 6, 3, 1, 2.] zum Rühren [The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 2, 6, 1, 6]; vgl. [Kauśika’s Sūtra zum Atuarvaveda 80.] [Kātyāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 5, 8, 18,] [Scholiast] Comm. zu [Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa 1, 250, 1.] [Suśruta 1, 33, 18. 35, 12.] zum Auftragen der Augensalbe: jñānāñjana [ŚIKṢĀ 59] in [Weber’s Indische Studien 4, 369.] [Mahābhārata 1, 84.] [Raghuvaṃśa 7, 8.] [Kumārasaṃbhava 1, 48.] [Scholiast] in der Einl. zu [Jaimini] karpūra [Spr. (II) 2746.] paśya śalākāvasare (hierher oder zu
3) tṛṇe pi bhūpaiḥ prasāryate svakaraḥ [4011.] śalākākṣipraviṣṭā tu saṃnikarṣānna dṛśyate [(I) 2969.] atilaghuveṇuśalākayā tāḍyāḥ Ruthe, Gerte [Kullūka] zu [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 8, 299.] kāśaparvatān [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 2, 87, 9.] vaṃśa [Amarakoṣa 3, 4, 11, 45.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 291.] tantuvāya [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 5, 4, 160, Scholiast] yaṣṭiṃ śalākāṃ kṣārakaṃ pañjaraṃ tathā Leimruthe [Mahābhārata 12, 5560] [?(= Pañcatantra III, 179], wo fälschlich śalakāṃ gedr. ist; [Nīlakaṇṭha] erwähnt eine Lesart yaṣṭiśalākaṃ). Rippe am Sonnenschirm [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha 3, 103.] [Medinīkoṣa k. 160.] dantaśalākaṃ chattram [Mahābhārata 6, 782.] rukma [Rāmāyaṇa 6, 35, 20.] bahu [4, 9, 3.] aṣṭa [Mahābhārata 12, 8595.] śata [13, 4646. 6251.] [Rāmāyaṇa 2, 26, 10 (12 Gorresio). 3, 67, 15.] Stäbchen am Käfig [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] pāṇipādaśalākāḥ die Stäbchen an Händen und Füssen so v. a. Finger [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 3, 85.] nakhapātaiḥ [Mahābhārata 4, 353.] [Harivaṃśa 4719.] buddhistische Bettler tragen bei sich als Legitimation einen mit ihrem Namen versehenen Bambusspahn, der śalākā heisst, [BURNOUF,] [?Intr. 259. Lebensbeschreibung Śākyamuni’s, Lebensb. 325 (95). Vyutpatti oder Mahāvyutpatti 201.] —
2) Stachel des Stachelschweins [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1296.] [Scholiast] zu [Kātyāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 5, 2, 13.] —
3) Stäbchen beim Spiel [Scholiast] zu [Kātyāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 372, 6.] —
4) ein spitzes Werkzeug zum Durchboren, Spitze des Pfeils, Nadel u. s. w. (= śalya [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] [Halāyudha 5, 48.] = śara [Medinīkoṣa]) [WEBER, Jyotiṣa 78.] asthibhedinyā nirabhidyacchalākayā (= śaṅku [Nīlakaṇṭha]) [Mahābhārata 7, 1113.] śalākāśalyakartāraḥ [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 2, 90, 24.] ayaskāntamaṇi [MĀLATĪM. 14, 15.] vidūrabhūmirnavameghaśabdādudbhinnayā ratnaśalākayeva [Kumārasaṃbhava 1, 24.] raviratna [Rājataraṅgiṇī 6, 294.] tṛṇaratna [Kathāsaritsāgara 52, 283] vākśalākā [Mahābhārata 5, 5578. 6, 4448.] so v. a. śalākāyantra [Suśruta 1, 101, 1. 2, 30, 9. 47, 5. 216, 1. 343, 18. 346, 4.] [Śārṅgadhara SAṂH. 3, 7, 3. 13, 60. fg.] —
5) Pinsel zum Malen [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] —
6) Knochen [Śabdacandrikā im Śabdakalpadruma] —
7) Stachelschwein [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] —
8) eine Drosselart (s. sārikā und vgl. madanaśalākā) oder die Predigerkrähe diess. śārikā (sā) könnte aber auch Plectron sein. —
9) Vanguiera spinosa Roxb., = madana (es könnte übrigens madanaśārikā auch als eine Bed. gefasst werden) [Medinīkoṣa] —
10) Nomen proprium eines Frauenzimmers gaṇa śubhrādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 1, 123.] kurvādi zu [151.] —
11) Nomen proprium einer Stadt [Rāmāyaṇa 4, 43, 23.] — Vgl. niḥśalāka, madanaśalākā, vaṃśa, śālākeya, śālākya, śakala, śalka .
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Śālaka (शालक):—m. etwa Spötter oder Spassmacher [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 1, 4, 106, Scholiast] — Vgl. tri (von śālā), pīta (von 1. śāla), priya .
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Śālāka (शालाक):—(von śalāka) m. ein Büschel von Spähnen oder Reisig [The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 3, 6, 2, 19. 4, 4, 2, 7. 14, 3, 1, 2.] [Kātyāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 10, 6, 14. 26, 7, 3.] Reisigfeuer (nämlich agni) [Aśvalāyana’s Śrautasūtrāni 5, 19, 7.]
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Śalāka (शलाक):—
4) aviddhakarṇo yo yoga ityakṣaraśalākayā (so zu lesen) [Hemacandra] [Yogaśāstra 1, 14. 4, 51] (śalākayā zu lesen.).
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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