Saptaha, Saptāha, Saptahan, Saptāhan, Saptan-aha: 21 definitions
Introduction:
Saptaha 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 Saptah.
In Hinduism
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraSaptāhan (सप्ताहन्) refers to “seven days”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 5), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “Lunar and solar eclipses terminate in ten ways [...] These terminations of the lunar eclipse apply to those of the solar eclipse, the only difference being that where the east has been referred to in the former, it must be taken to mean the west in the latter. If, within seven days [i.e., saptāhan] from the termination of an eclipse there should occur a dust storm, mankind will suffer from starvation; if there should occur a fall of snow there will be fear from disease; if there should occur an earthquake, the chief rulers will die. [...]”.
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationSaptāha (सप्ताह) refers to a “week”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.35 (“The story of Padmā and Pippalāda”).—Accordingly, as Vasiṣṭha said to Himavat mount (Himācala): “[...] After a week (saptāha) there is a very auspicious hour very rare to meet with. The presiding planet of the lagna is in the lagna. The moon is in conjunction with his son, Mercury as well as the constellation Rohiṇī. The moon and the stars occupy pure positions. The month is Mārgaśīrṣa and the day is Monday free from all defects. All the planets are in auspicious conjunction. They are not aspected by the evil planets. The Jupiter is in a position that is conducive to the birth of a good child and all good fortune to the bridegroom. O lord of mountains, give your daughter Pārvatī, the mother of the universe, the primordial Being to Śiva, the father of the universe. You will then get quiet and contentment”.
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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason BirchSaptāhan (सप्ताहन्) refers to the “seventh day” (of pracising Tantra), according to the Brahmayāmala-tantra (or Picumata), an early 7th century Śaiva text consisting of twelve-thousand verses.—Accordingly, [while describing a haṭha-sādhana (foreceful practice)]: “[...] On the fifth day, in the middle of the night, he draws near the Yakṣas and Nāgas, stops the oceans, and death [no longer] exists for him. Within six days, the yogin masters [the power] of attracting fruit and [subdues] the [Yoginī] Guhyakā. When he remains [in the hole] until the seventh day (saptāhan), he sees the gods in the sky and the various Siddhas. He hears divine speech. The signs spoken of earlier are certain to arise. [...]”
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Ayurveda (science of life)
Toxicology (Study and Treatment of poison)
Source: Shodhganga: Kasyapa Samhita—Text on Visha ChikitsaSaptāha (सप्ताह) refers to a “week”, as taught in the Nāgajanman (“birth of the Snakes”) section of the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā—an important topic from Āyurveda which deals with the study of Toxicology (Agadatantra or Sarpavidyā).—The black serpent opens its eyes in a week (saptāha) and the body becomes (externally) black in a month.
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 Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāSaptāha (सप्ताह) refers to “seven days”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly: “[...] Then the Bodhisatva Gaganagañja said this to the women: ‘Sisters, bring your respective husbands just as they were’. Then the women, having brought their respective husbands, being filled with rejoicing and happiness of mind, returned to their respective homes. After that, by those magically conjured-up beings, during seven days (saptāha [=saptāhan?]), the women were brought to maturity, in the way that they attained the stage of not falling back from the supreme and perfect awakening. [...]”.
Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on AgricultureSaptāha (सप्ताह) refers to “seven days”, according to the 2nd-century Meghasūtra (“Cloud Sutra”) in those passages which contain ritual instructions.—Accordingly, “[...] For thrice seven days (tri-saptāha) uninterruptedly, with cow-dung, in the eastern quarter the snake-king called Triple-crest, with his retinue, must be painted; in the western, the snake king called Avabhāsanasikhin is to be painted, seven crested, with a retinue of serpents; in the north, the snake-king called Meghasaṃcodana, nine-crested, is to be depicted; a blue canopy and blue dress, blue banner and all the offering is to be made blue; but the sweet offering to the snakes, and the triple-sweet, must be offered,—an oblation of all; [...]”
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarysaptāha (सप्ताह).—m S A period of seven days, a hebdomad or week. 2 or saptāhapārāyaṇa n S A perusal or reading through (of a Puraṇ &c.) in seven days.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishsaptāha (सप्ताह).—m A reading through (of a purāṇa &c.) in 7 days.
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 dictionarySaptāha (सप्ताह).—seven days, i. e. a week.
Derivable forms: saptāhaḥ (सप्ताहः).
Saptāha is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms saptan and aha (अह).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionarySaptāha (सप्ताह).—nt. (as in Pali sattāha; in Sanskrit m., despite gender of ahan), seven days, a week: °ha trīṇi Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 54.13 (verse).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionarySaptāha (सप्ताह).—n.
(-haṃ) A week. E. sapta and aha for ahan a day.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionarySaptahan (सप्तहन्).—[adjective] slaying seven.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionarySaptāha (सप्ताह).—[masculine] seven days.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Saptaha (सप्तह):—[=sapta-ha] [from sapta > saptan] n. Name of a Sāman (also with jamad-agnes), [Brāhmaṇa]
2) Saptāha (सप्ताह):—[from sapta > saptan] m. (ifc. f(ā). ) 7 days
3) [v.s. ...] a sacrificial performance lasting 7 days, [Brāhmaṇa; Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra; Manu-smṛti etc.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionarySaptahan (सप्तहन्):—[=sapta-han] [from sapta > saptan] mfn. slaying 7 [Ṛg-veda]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionarySaptāha (सप्ताह):—[saptā+ha] (haṃ) 1. n. A week.
[Sanskrit to German]
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
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionarySaptāha (सप्ताह) [Also spelled saptah]:—(nm) a week; ~[hāṃta] week-end.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusSaptāha (ಸಪ್ತಾಹ):—[noun] a period of seven days; a week.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Sapta, Aaha, Aha, Ha, Han.
Starts with: Saptaahant, Saptaham, Saptahanta, Saptaharitaki, Saptahasta, Saptahata, Saptahautra, Saptahautrani, Saptahautraprayoga, Saptahautrasuci, Saptahavyapi, Saptahaya.
Ends with: Dvisaptaha, Shahida-saptaha, Trisaptaha.
Full-text: Janakasaptaratra, Saptaham, Dvisaptaha, Saptah, Aha, Vyatinamati, Vitinamati, Captakam, Shahida-saptaha, Vardalika, Adhinamayati, Vivipata, Atinameti, Trisaptaha, Atinamayati, Cattakam, Piyusha, Govardhana, Jata, Cankrama.
Relevant text
Search found 14 books and stories containing Saptaha, Saptāha, Saptahan, Sapta-ahan, Saptāhan, Sapta-ha, Sapta-han, Saptan-aha, Saptan-ahan, Sapta-aha; (plurals include: Saptahas, Saptāhas, Saptahans, ahans, Saptāhans, has, hans, ahas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Informal Education of Sanskrit in Kerala (by Jayasree M.)
8. Recent Trents (Regarding Purana Recitals) < [Chapter 3 - Informal Education of Sanskrit in Kerala: the Traditional Streams]
7. The Reading of Itihasas and Puranas < [Chapter 3 - Informal Education of Sanskrit in Kerala: the Traditional Streams]
27. Conclusion and Notes < [Chapter 3 - Informal Education of Sanskrit in Kerala: the Traditional Streams]
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 3.2.23 < [Chapter 2 - The Great Festival of Śrī Girirāja]
Verse 3.5.2 < [Chapter 5 - The Dispute Among the Gopas]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary) (by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja)
Verse 1.1.7 < [Chapter 1 - Bhauma (the earthly plane)]
The Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)
Chapter 198 - Procedure to be Followed during the Saptāha < [Section 6 - Uttara-Khaṇḍa (Concluding Section)]
Chapter 197 - The Seven-day Bhāgavata Recitation < [Section 6 - Uttara-Khaṇḍa (Concluding Section)]
Expiatory Rites in Keralite Tantra (by T. S. Syamkumar)
6.1.3. Expiatory Rites in Baudhāyana-dharmasūtra < [Chapter 1 - Expiatory Rites: Concept and Evolution]