Saptakshara, Sapta-akshara, Saptākṣara, Saptakṣāra: 6 definitions
Introduction:
Saptakshara means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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 terms Saptākṣara and Saptakṣāra can be transliterated into English as Saptaksara or Saptakshara, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
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In Hinduism
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
1) Saptākṣara (सप्ताक्षर) refers to a particular method of making an image of Rāma, as discussed in the thirtieth chapter of the Agastyasaṃhitā (agastya-suīkṣṇa-saṃvāda edition), an ancient Pāñcarātra Āgama text dealing with the worship of Rāma, Sītā, Lakṣmaṇa and Hanumān.—[Cf. the chapter daśākṣaravidhi]:—[...] Three other methods—the “saptākṣara”, the “aṣṭākṣara” and the “ekākṣara”—are described : One reveals Rāma primarily as a warrior with Lakṣmaṇa, another as a warrior without Lakṣmaṇa, and the third as central figure among His male retinue and without Sītā. [...] The mantras used for Lakṣmaṇa, Śatrughna and Hanumān are to be prepared according to the rules, also. [...]
2) Saptākṣara (सप्ताक्षर) is the name of a Mantra discussed in the thirty-first chapter of the Jayākhyasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra Āgama text composed of 4500 verses in 33 chapters dealing with topics such as mantra (formulas), japa (repetitions), dhyāna (meditations), mudrā (gesticulations), nyāsa (concentrations) etc.—Description of the chapter [upāṅga-sādhana]:—Here Bhagavān first takes up the practice of and the mastery over the powers inherent in the satyamantra (1-8), the vāsudevamantra (9-14a), the saṃkarṣaṇamantra (14b-21), the pradyumnamantra (22-30), the aniruddhamantra (31-38). Also, He similarly discusses the saptākṣara-mantra ( 39-49 ).
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Saptākṣara (सप्ताक्षर) refers to one of the various emanations of Akṣobhya having their Sādhana described in the 5th-century Sādhanamālā (a collection of sādhana texts that contain detailed instructions for rituals).—His Āsana is the ālīḍha; his Prajñā is Vajravārāhī; He has three faces and six arms.—This variety of Hevajra is called Saptākṣara or “seven-syllabled” because his Mantra consists of seven syllables. Like Dvibhuja-Sambara mentioned above, he is also embraced by Vajravārāhī, who in all respects resembles her consort.
The Dhyāna (meditation instructions) of Saptākṣara described in the Sādhanamālā as follows:—
[Like Sambara this god also tramples upon Kalarātri and holds the Viśvavajra on the crown. He has also the crescent on his head, is endowed with the six suspicious symbols, and stands in the ālīḍha attitude on the orb of the sun. He has three faces of blue, yellow and green colour and carries the vajra, the ghaṇṭā and the human skin in the three left hands and the kapāla the khaṭvāṅga and the triśūla in the three right.]
[The sādhana further adds that on each of the six spokes of the wheel of the sun on which the god stands there are six deities, namely, (commencing from the right) Herukī, Vajravārāhī, Ghoracaṇḍī, Vajrabhāskarī, Vajraraudrī and Vajraḍākinī. They have respectively blue, yellow, red, green, smoky and white colour. All of them have dishevelled hair, fierce appearance, three eyes and the quarters as garments. They carry the resounding ḍamaru and the ghaṇṭā in the first pair of hands, and the human skin in the other pair. They stand on the orb of the sun placed on a corpse. Their head-dresses are decorated with rows of skulls, and they stand in the ālīḍha attitude.]
[In another sādhana devoted to the worship of Saptākṣara, a slight variation is noticed. In it, it is said that the god carries, in the first pair of hands, engaged in embracing the Prajñā, the vajra and the ghaṇṭā; in the second pair, the human skin only, and in the third pair the kapāla and the triśūla. The khaṭvāṅga hangs from his shoulder as usual. Vajravārāhī is identical with the Prajñā mentioned before, with this difference that she should have in her second pair of hands the bow and the arrow instead of the human skin.]
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
saptakṣāra (सप्तक्षार).—m pl (S) The seven salts (medicinal); viz. tila, apāmārga, karañja, palāśa, arka, yava, ciñcā. Note. Other enumerations are made, presenting divers salts vegetable and mineral; but the probability is that there is no duly-authorized saptakṣāra, and that the canonical catalogue is aṣṭakṣāra, which see under ADDENDA.
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
Saptākṣara (सप्ताक्षर).—[feminine] ī seven-syllabled.
1) Saptākṣara (सप्ताक्षर):—[from sapta > saptan] mf(ī)n. containing 7 syllables, [Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā; Pañcarātra]
2) [v.s. ...] m. a word or a Pāda which contains 7 s°, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]
Saptākṣara (सप्ताक्षर):—(saptan + akṣara) adj. (f. ī) siebensilbig: vidyā [PAÑCAR. 2, 5, 37.]
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Akshara, Kshara, Sapta.
Starts with: Saptaksharamantra.
Full-text: Saptaksharamantra, Ghoracandi, Vajrabhaskari, Vajraraudri, Heruki, Ekakshara, Vajravarahi, Vajradakini, Pranapratishtha, Dashaksharavidhi, Ashtakshara.
Relevant text
Search found 3 books and stories containing Saptakshara, Sapta-akṣara, Sapta-aksara, Sapta-akshara, Sapta-ksara, Sapta-kṣāra, Saptākṣara, Saptaksara, Saptakṣāra; (plurals include: Saptaksharas, akṣaras, aksaras, aksharas, ksaras, kṣāras, Saptākṣaras, Saptaksaras, Saptakṣāras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
On the use of Human remains in Tibetan ritual objects (by Ayesha Fuentes)
Introduction: The use of skulls and bone ornaments < [Chapter 2 - The use of skulls and bone ornaments]
Conclusion: Skulls and charnel ornaments in Tibetan sources < [Chapter 2 - The use of skulls and bone ornaments]
Charnel materials in the Saṃvara tradition < [Chapter 2 - The use of skulls and bone ornaments]
Kailash: Journal of Himalayan Studies
Buddhist Tantric Medicine Theory < [Volume 1, Number 2 (1973)]
The Cult of Jagannatha (by K. C. Mishra)