Samsthapana, Saṃsthāpana: 20 definitions
Introduction:
Samsthapana means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Sansthapan.
In Hinduism
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
1) Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन) refers to a type of “sanctification ceremony” (for icons), as discussed in the fourteenth chapter of the Nāradīyasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra document comprising over 3000 verses in 30 chapters presenting in a narrative framework the teachings of Nārada to Gautama, dealing primarily with modes of worship and festivals.—Description of the chapter [prāsādalakṣaṇa-vidhi]: The narrative picks up as Nārada notes that there are several types of pratiṣṭhā-sanctification ceremonies for icons—sthāpana, āsthāpana, saṃsthāpana, prasthāpana and pratiṣṭhā. He then turns to the special procedure for consecrating a karmārcā-icon by means of transferring the vitality of the main image to it. He speaks also of installing subsidiary images. Then he describes the various parts of a temple-compound—[...]
2) Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन) refers to one of the “five types of consecration ceremonies” (pratiṣṭhā), as discussed in chapter 15 of the Viṣṇusaṃhitā: a Sanskrit text written in 2600 verses which covers typical Pāñcarātra topics through a narrative dialogue between Aupagāyana and Siddha Sumati.—Description of the chapter [pratiṣṭhā-pañcaka]: There are 5 types of consecration-ceremonies: sthāpana, āsthāpana, saṃsthāpana, prasthāpana and pratiṣṭhāpana; each one of the 5 kinds of images has a different consecration-standing, sitting, lying, vehicular and moveable (1-3). Other details about pratiṣṭhā-rites follow in relation to different iconographical variants (4-23). [...]
Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन) refers to “consecration for recumbent images”, as discussed in chapter 13 (Kriyāpāda) of the Padmasaṃhitā: the most widely followed of Saṃhitā covering the entire range of concerns of Pāñcarātra doctrine and practice (i.e., the four-fold formulation of subject matter—jñāna, yoga, kriyā and caryā) consisting of roughly 9000 verses.—Description of the chapter [śūlasthāpana-vidhi]: [...] The ceremonies of “installing” the śūla-frame commence with an abhiṣeka (34-35); this is followed by a circumambulation of the sanctuary with the śūla-pieces before they are taken into the readied interior of the sanctuary (99-100). The actual consecration itself is called sthāpana when śūla-frames are installed in a standing image; āsthāpana when installed in a seated image; saṃsthāpana in a recumbent image; prasthāpana in the vehicle of the Lord; when installation ceremonies are done to the pīṭha only it is called simply pratiṣṭhā (101-104). [...]
Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.
Vastushastra (architecture)
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन) refers to the “location (of shrines)” (for the temple compound), as discussed in chapter 15 of the Ādikāṇḍa of the Hayaśīrṣasaṃhitā: a large Pāñcarātra Āgama consisting of roughly 6500 verses dealing primarily with architecture, temple-building and consecration rituals and iconography.—Description of the chapter [prāsādadevatā-saṃsthāpana-paṭala]: The chapter turns to the location and identity of the 4, 8 or 12 sub-shrines that surround the main shrine of a temple (1-16). [...]
Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
Mantrashastra (the science of Mantras)
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन) refers to the “activation (of constructions and buildings)” (by infusing into them the power of mantras), as discussed in chapter 41 of the Pauṣkarasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text of almost 5900 verses divided into forty-three chapters presented as a frame-work dialogue between Pauṣkara and Bhagavān dealing with the esoteric meaning of maṇḍala-designs, worship routines and temple-building.—[Cf. the chapter nānādharma-pratiṣṭhāpana]
Mantrashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, mantraśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science of mantras—chants, incantations, spells, magical hymns, etc. Mantra Sastra literature includes many ancient books dealing with the methods reciting mantras, identifying and purifying its defects and the science behind uttering or chanting syllables.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन) or “continuous placement” refers to one of the “nine mental abidings” (i.e., ‘nine stages of training the mind’) connected with śamatha (“access concentration”), according to Kamalaśīla and the Śrāvakabhūmi section of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra.—Saṃsthāpana (Tibetan: རྒྱུན་དུ་འཇོག་པ, rgyun-du ‘jog-pa) or “continuous placement” occurs when the practitioner experiences moments of continuous attention on the object before becoming distracted. According to B Alan Wallace, this is when you can maintain your attention on the meditation object for about a minute.
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.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन) refers to the “consecration” (of images of deities, etc.), according to the Bhūśalyasūtrapātananimittavidhi section of Jagaddarpaṇa’s Ācāryakriyāsamuccaya, a text within Tantric Buddhism dealing with construction manual for monasteries etc.—Accordingly, “[...] In the consecration of [images of] deities and other [sacred objects] (devādi-saṃsthāpana), [the officiant] should examine the [above-mentioned] omens which bring merits [to the donor] in the commencement of the rite of the casting of cords, and then perform [the casting of cords]. [...]”.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन).—n (S) saṃsthāpanā f (S) The setting up, establishing, appointing (of a king, an idol, a religion &c.)
saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन).—n-nā f The setting up, establishing.
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
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन).—1 Placing or keeping together, collecting.
2) Fixing, determining, regulating; कुर्वीत चैषां प्रत्यक्षमर्ध- संस्थापनं नृपः (kurvīta caiṣāṃ pratyakṣamardha- saṃsthāpanaṃ nṛpaḥ) Manusmṛti 8.42.
3) Establishment, confirmation; धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे (dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya saṃbhavāmi yuge yuge) Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 4.8.
5) Restraining, curbing.
6) A statute, regulation.
-nā 1 Restraining, curbing.
2) A means of calming or composing; संस्था- पना प्रियतरा विरहातुराणाम् (saṃsthā- panā priyatarā virahāturāṇām) Mṛcchakaṭika 3.3.
Derivable forms: saṃsthāpanam (संस्थापनम्).
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन).—(nt.; compare Sanskrit id.), determination, defini- tion, establishment (of the Doctrine); Burnouf, démonstration (good!); Kern, exhortation (less likely): °naṃ kurvati Śākyasiṃho bhāṣiṣyate dharmasvabhāvamudrām Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 28.8 (verse). Tibetan yaṅ dag ḥjog, complete arrangement.
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन).—n.
(-naṃ) 1. Placing, fixing. 2. Establishing. 3. Collecting. 4. Restraining. f.
(-nā) Restraining, bringing back. E. sam before ṣṭhā to stay, causal v. aff. lyuṭ .
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन).—i. e. sam -sthā, [Causal.], + ana, n. 1. Collecting. 2. Placing. 3. Establishing, [Bhagavadgītā, (ed. Schlegel.)] 4, 8; fixing, [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 2. ed. 87 14. 4. A regulation, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 8, 402.
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन).—[neuter] fixing, establishing, settling; [feminine] ā supporting, comforting.
1) Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन):—[=saṃ-sthāpana] [from saṃ-sthāpaka > saṃ-sthā] n. fixing, setting up, raising, erecting, [Mahābhārata; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā; Suśruta]
2) [v.s. ...] establishment, regulation (cf. argha-s), [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.
3) Saṃsthāpanā (संस्थापना):—[=saṃ-sthāpanā] [from saṃ-sthāpana > saṃ-sthāpaka > saṃ-sthā] f. comforting, encouraging, [Mṛcchakaṭikā]
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन):—[saṃ-sthāpana] (nā-naṃ) 1. f. n. Fixing, establishing.
[Sanskrit to German]
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Saṃṭhāvaṇa, Saṃṭhāvaṇā, Saṃthāvaṇa, Saṃthāvaṇā.
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.
Hindi dictionary
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन) [Also spelled sansthapan]:—(nm) establish. ment/establishing, founding; ~[panā] establishment, founding; ~[pita] founded, established.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Saṃsthāpana (ಸಂಸ್ಥಾಪನ):—[noun] = ಸಂಸ್ಥಾಪನೆ [samsthapane].
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Saṃsthāpana (संस्थापन):—n. founding; establishing; establishment;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Sthapana, Sam.
Starts with: Samsthapanapatala.
Full-text (+11): Arghasamsthapana, Sansthapan, Santhavana, Samsthapanapatala, Devatasamsthapana, Samvasthana, Samvasthapana, Arghasakhyana, Samsthapanem, Asthapana, Prasthapana, Sthapana, Pratishtha, Nanadharma, Mantrapratishtha, Homapratishtha, Samatha, Annapratishtha, Phalamulannapratishtha, Phalamulanna.
Relevant text
Search found 14 books and stories containing Samsthapana, Saṃsthāpana, Sam-sthapana, Saṃ-sthāpana, Saṃsthāpanā, Saṃ-sthāpanā, Samsthāpana; (plurals include: Samsthapanas, Saṃsthāpanas, sthapanas, sthāpanas, Saṃsthāpanās, sthāpanās, Samsthāpanas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 207 < [Hindi-Gujarati-English Volume 3]
Page 207 < [Hindi-Sindhi-English Volume 3]
Page 207 < [Hindi-Marathi-English Volume 3]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Chaitanya Bhagavata (by Bhumipati Dāsa)
Verse 1.2.18 < [Chapter 2 - The Lord’s Appearance]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Page 70 < [Volume 29 (1942)]
Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita (by Laxmi Maji)
Viṣa (poison) according to Caraka < [Chapter 4 - Diseases and Remedial measures (described in Caraka-saṃhitā)]
Hindu Architecture in India and Abroad (by Prasanna Kumar Acharya)
A Summary of the Sanatkumara-vastu-shastra < [Chapter 4 - Shilpa Shastras]