Samskrita, aka: Saṃskṛta; 10 Definition(s)

Introduction

Samskrita means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi. 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 Saṃskṛta can be transliterated into English as Samskrta or Samskrita, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

Saṃskṛta (संस्कृत).—Corrected. Note: Saṃskṛta is a Sanskrit technical term used in ancient Indian sciences such as Astronomy, Mathematics and Geometry.

context information

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

General definition (in Hinduism)

Saṃskṛta (संस्कृत) is a Sanskrit word referring to “sanctified” or “purified”.

Saṃskṛta (संस्कृत).—The Saṃskṛta alphabets are of Tāntric origin. They are not called simply ‘alphabet’ but Varṇamālā. Its fifty letters, from a to kṣa, arc the fifty basic vibrations of the Cosmos. Each letter is bīja-mantra of fifty human instincts. Here bīja-mantra means the acoustic root of different psychic expressions. It is said that the divine nectar that secretes from the pineal gland (Sahasrāra) takes different forms of letters in six different cakras or Padains. These six cakras arc : Mūlādhāra, Svādhiṣṭhāna, Maṇipūra, Anāhata, Viśudha and Ājñā. They are called Padmas (Lotuses) because they are in the form of a lotus with a distinct colour and petals. The different petals of the respective cakras represent the different basic human longings and instincts.

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Saṃskṛta (संस्कृत) refers to “conditioned dharmas” and represents one of the  two main divisions of dharmas (things), according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XLVIII. Dharmas or things occur in two main categories: unconditioned (asaṃskṛta) dharmas and conditioned (saṃskṛta) dharmas. The saṃskṛtas, also called saṃskāras, formations, are dependently originated (pratītya-samutpanna) from causes and conditions (hetupratyaya) and furnished with three (or four) conditioned characteristics: birth (utpāda), extinction (vyaya) and duration-change (sthityanyathātva) as a function of which they arise, endure and disappear: cf. Nidānasaṃyukta.

The canonical texts arrange the saṃskṛtas into three classes, all three covering one single grouping:

(Saṃskṛta group I). The five skandhas or aggregates: 1) matter or corporeality (rūpa). 2) sensation (vedanā), 3) concept (saṃjñā), 4) volition (saṃskāra), 5) consciousness (vijñāna).

(Saṃskṛta group II). The twelve āyatanas or bases of consciousness, namely, the six inner bases (ādhyātmika-āyatana): 1) eye (cakṣus), 2) ear (śrotra). 3) nose (ghrāṇa), 4) tongue (jihvā), 5) body (kāya), 6) mind (manas); and the six outer bases (bāhya-āyatana): 7) matter (rūpa), 8) sound (śabda), 9) odor (gandha), 10) taste (rasa), 11) touch (sparṣṭavya), 12) dharma.

(Saṃskṛta group III). The eighteen dhātus or elements, namely the six organs and the six objects in the previous list, plus: 13) eye consciousness (cakṣurvijñāna). 14) ear consciousness (śrotravijñāna). 15) nose consciousness (grāṇavijñāna), 16) tongue consciousness (jihvāvijñāna), 17) body consciousness (kāyavijñāna), 18) mental consciousness (manovijñāna).

The grouping of conditioned dharmas defined by each of the three classes is called sarvam, ‘everything’.

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

General definition (in Buddhism)

Saṃskṛta (संस्कृत) or saṃskṛtaśūnyatā refers to “emptiness of the conditioned” one of the “twenty emptinesses” (śūnyatā) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 41). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (eg., saṃskṛta). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

“Conditioned phenomena” (Skt., samskrita; Pali, sankhate) means everything that exists is mutually conditioned owing to causes and conditions; things come into existence, persist for some time, and then disintegrate, thus suggesting the impermanent nature of the empirical world.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

saṃskṛta (संस्कृत).—p (S) That has been the subject of a Sanskar or of an operation or a work; wrought, worked, elaborated. 2 Hence s n & a Language formed by perfect grammatical rules; the classical and sacred language of the Hindus,--the Sanskrit: also relating to Sanskrit;--as a word, a composition &c. 3 p Decorated or embellished; dressed or cooked; cleansed, purified, finished, perfected; done or made in general throughly or well.

saṃskṛta (संस्कृत).—p Wrought. Decorated; purified. n The Sanskrit language.

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Saṃskṛta (संस्कृत).—p. p.

1) Made perfect, refined, polished, cultivated.

2) Artificially made, highly wrought, carefully or accurately formed, elaborated.

3) Made ready, dressed, prepared; cooked.

4) Consecrated, hallowed; संस्कृतश्चापि रामेण जगाम गतिमुत्तमाम् (saṃskṛtaścāpi rāmeṇa jagāma gatimuttamām) Rām.4.57.11.

5) Initiated into worldly life, married.

6) Cleansed, purified.

7) Adorned, decorated.

8) Excellent, best.

-taḥ 1 A word formed regularly according to the rules of grammar, a regular derivative.

2) A man of any one of the first three castes over whom all the purificatory rites have been performed.

3) A learned man.

-tam 1 Refined or highly polished speech, the Sanskṛt language; संस्कृतं नाम दैवी वागन्वाख्याता महर्षिभिः (saṃskṛtaṃ nāma daivī vāganvākhyātā maharṣibhiḥ) Kāv.1. 33.

2) A sacred usage.

3) An offering, oblation (mostly Vedic).

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