Introduction

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Wisdom Library: Agni Purāṇa

Sarpa (सर्प):—One of the Eleven Rudras (ekādaśa-rudra), according to the Agni-purāṇa. The Agni Purāṇa is a religious text containing details on Viṣṇu’s different incarnations (avatar), but also deals with various cultural subjects such as Cosmology, Grammar and Astrology.

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Sarpa (सर्प).—A son of Tvaṣṭā. According to Agni Purāṇa the sons of Tvaṣṭā were called Ekādaśarudras; But according to Mahābhārata, Sarpa, one of the Ekādaśarudras is the son of Sthāṇu and the great-grandson of Brahmā. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 66, Verse 2).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Sarpa (सर्प).—A Rākṣasa with the sun in nabhonabha months; a son of Yātudhāna.^*

• * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 23. 11; III. 3. 70; 7. 90; Vāyu-purāṇa 69. 128.

1b) A son of Brahmadhāna.^*

• * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 98; Vāyu-purāṇa 69. 133.

1c) To be worshipped in house-building.^*

• * Matsya-purāṇa 253. 27.

1d) One of the eleven Rudras.^*

• * Vāyu-purāṇa 66. 69.

1e) A class of Rākṣasas sprung from Sarpa; also Pannagas.^*

• * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 32. 1; 35. 191; III. 7. 97; 8. 70.

1f) Snakes whose overlord is Takṣaka;¹ moving creatures, sarīsṛpās.²

• 1) Matsya-purāṇa 8. 7.
• 2) Ib. 38. 10.

2) Sārpa (सार्प).—One of the eight muhūrtas of the afternoon.^*

• * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 3. 39.

Source: valmikiramayan.net: Srimad Valmiki Ramayana

Sarpa (सर्प) refers to “snakes” (dwelling in rivers in the forest), according to the Rāmāyaṇa chapter 2.28. Accordingly:—“[...] soothening with kind words to Sītā, when eyes were blemished with tears, the virtuous Rāma spoke again as follows, for the purpose of waking her turn back: ‘[...] Snakes (sarpa) dwelling in rivers, moving crookedly like rivers, stay obstructing the pathways. Hence, living in forest is a great misery’”.

context information

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.

Shilpashastra (iconography)

Source: Red Zambala: Hindu Icons and Symbols | Introduction

Sarpa (Snakes) - Kundalini - sexual energy latent within the lowest chakra – the Mūlādhāra at the base of the spine. Also symbolizes the control of anger the worst of all the negative emotions.

context information

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.

Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)

Source: Shodhganga: a concise history of Sanskrit Chanda literature

Sarpa (सर्प) refers to one of the 23 types of dohā metres (a part of mātrā type) described in the 1st chapter of the Vṛttamauktika by Candraśekhara (17th century): author of many metrical compositions and the son of Lakṣmīnātha Bhaṭṭa and Lopāmudrā.

context information

Chandas (छन्दस्) refers to Sanskrit prosody and represents one of the six Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines belonging to the study of the Vedas). The science of prosody (chandas-shastra) focusses on the study of the poetic meters such as the commonly known twenty-six metres mentioned by Pingalas.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: archive.org: Vedic index of Names and Subjects

Sarpa (सर्प, ‘serpent’) occurs once in the Rigveda, where Ahi is the usual word, but often later.

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Sarpa (सर्प) refers to “(the outer suffering of) the snake”, as mentioned in the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XXXI in the section called “four foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna)”.—Accordingly:—“[...] there are two kinds of suffering (duḥkha): inner suffering and outer suffering. [...] Outer suffering (bāhyaduḥkha) is of two types: i) the king (rājan), the victorious enemy (vijetṛ), the wicked thief (caura), the lion (siṃha), tiger (vyāghra), wolf (vṛka), snake (sarpa) and other nuisances (viheṭhana); ii) the wind (vāta), rain (vṛṣṭi), cold (śīta), heat (uṣna), thunder (meghagarjita), lightning (vidyut), thunderbolts, etc: these two kinds of suffering are outer suffering”.

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.

India history and geogprahy

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Sarpa.—(IE 7-1-2), ‘eight’. Note: sarpa is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

context information

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

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

sarpa (सर्प).—m (S) A serpent or snake. The word is, in the Konkan̤, applied exclusively to the Coluber Naga or Cobra de capello, in the Desh, to every reptile of the serpent-tribe excepting the Coluber Naga, which bears its specific name nāga. See and apply to this word sarpa the notice afforded under its derivative sāpa; adding only that the word sarpa (preserving its majesty as Sanskrit) occurs to be used upon rather extraordinary occasions, as conveying, more forcibly than the Prakrit sāpa, the idea of magnitude or formidableness.

--- OR ---

sārpa (सार्प).—a S Relating to a serpent, serpentine.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

sarpa (सर्प).—m A snake, a serpent.

context information

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 dictionary

Sarpa (सर्प).—[sṛp-ghañ]

1) Serpentine or winding motion, gliding.

2) Flowing, going.

3) A snake, serpent.

4) Name of a tree (nāgakeśara).

5) The Āśleṣā constellation.

6) Name of a tribe of Mlechchhas or barbarians.

Derivable forms: sarpaḥ (सर्पः).

--- OR ---

Sārpa (सार्प).—Name of the constellation Āślesā; सार्पे जातौ तु सौमित्री कुलीरेऽभ्युदिते रवौ (sārpe jātau tu saumitrī kulīre'bhyudite ravau) Rām.1.18.15.

Derivable forms: sārpaḥ (सार्पः).

See also (synonyms): sārpya.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Sarpa (सर्प).—m.

(-rpaḥ) 1. A snake, a serpent. 2. Gentle or twining motion, gliding, flowing, creeping. f. (-rpī) The female of the snake. E. sṛp to go, to glide, aff. ac .

--- OR ---

Sārpa (सार्प).—mfn.

(-rpaḥ-rpī-rpaṃ) Relating to a snake. f. (-rpī) The ninth lunar asterism, of which the serpents (Aślesha) are the presiding deities. E. sarpa a snake, and aṇ aff.; also read sārpya .

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Sarpa (सर्प).—i. e. sṛp + a, I. m. 1. Sliding motion. 2. A snake, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 1, 37; [Pañcatantra] iii. [distich] 46. Ii. f. pī, The female of the snake.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Sarpa (सर्प).—[feminine] ī crawling, creeping. [masculine] & [feminine] sarpī snake, adder, a serpent-demon.

--- OR ---

Sārpa (सार्प).—[adjective] relating to serpents; [neuter] [Epithet] of a lunar mansion.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Sarpa (सर्प):—a mf(ī)n. creeping, crawling, stealing along, [Gautama-dharma-śāstra] (cf. pīṭha-, vṛkṣa-s)

2) m. (ifc. f(ā). ) a snake, serpent, serpent-demon (cf. nāga; sarpāṇām ayanam, ‘a [particular] annual festival’), tortuous motion, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.

3) m. a [particular] constellation (when only the three unfavourable planets are situated in the three Kendras), [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]

4) Mesua Roxburghii, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

5) Name of one of the 11 Rudras, [Mahābhārata] of a Rākṣasa, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]

6) ([plural]) Name of a [particular] tribe of Mlecchas (formerly Kṣatriyas and described as wearing beards), [Harivaṃśa]

7) n. = sapa-sāman q.v.

8) cf. [Greek] ἑρπετόν [Latin] serpens; See also under √srip.

9) Sārpa (सार्प):—mfn. ([from] sarpa, of which it is also the Vṛddhi form in [compound]) relating to snakes or serpents

10) n. (with or [scilicet] bha) Name of the Nakṣatra Ārṣa, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā; Rāmāyaṇa etc.]

11) Sarpa (सर्प):—[from sṛp] b etc. See p. 1184, col. 1.

context information

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)

Starts with (+121): Sarpabala, Sarpabali, Sarpabalikarman, Sarpabalividhi, Sarpabandha, Sarpabha, Sarpabhrita, Sarpabhuj, Sarpacchatra, Sarpacchattra, Sarpacchattraka, Sarpacem Varula, Sarpachatra, Sarpachattra, Sarpachchhatra, Sarpachhatra, Sarpachhattra, Sarpaciranivasana, Sarpadalo, Sarpadalograma.

Ends with (+23): Agnivisarpa, Anusarpa, Apasarpa, Avasarpa, Brahmasarpa, Chitrasarpa, Citrasarpa, Divyasarpa, Dombyasarpa, Duhsarpa, Dushtasarpa, Ghantasarpa, Ghatasarpa, Girisarpa, Gosarpa, Granthivisarpa, Kalasarpa, Kardamavisarpa, Kavadyasarpa, Kolisarpa.

Full-text (+281): Sarparaja, Sarpya, Krishnasarpa, Sarpamani, Sarpasana, Sarpavidyika, Sarpapunyajana, Sarpadevajana, Sarparajna, Sarparati, Sarparajni, Sarpari, Sarpadamshtra, Sarpatrina, Sarpagandha, Sarpaghatini, Sarpavid, Sarpaveda, Sarpangi, Sarpabhuj.

Relevant text

Search found 40 books and stories containing Sarpa, Sārpa, Sarpā; (plurals include: Sarpas, Sārpas, Sarpās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)

Verse 1.37 < [Section XXI - Creation of the Semi-divine Beings]

Verse 1.44 < [Section XXV - The Viviparous, Oviparous, Sweat-born and Vegetable Beings]

Verse 7.187 < [Section XIII - War]

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The Tattvasangraha [with commentary] (by Ganganatha Jha)

Verse 3390-3392 < [Chapter 26 - Examination of the ‘Person of Super-normal Vision’]

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Bhagavad-gita-mahatmya (by Shankaracharya)

Chapter 7 - Shankukarna’s attainment of a Preta-sarpa

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The Mirror of Gesture (abhinaya-darpana) (by Ananda Coomaraswamy)

Chapter 18 - Hands denoting Nine Planets

Chapter 13 - Twenty-four Combined Hands

Chapter 22 - Hands denoting the Seven Oceans

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The Devi Bhagavata Purana (by Swami Vijñanananda)

Chapter 11 - On the Sarpa Yajña < [Book 2]

Chapter 9 - On Indra’s getting the fruits of Brahmahattyā and on the downfall of king Nahuṣa < [Book 6]

Chapter 32 - On the enumeration of various hells for sinners < [Book 9]

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The Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)

Section XXXIV (Bhagavad Gita Chapter X) < [Bhagavat-Gita Parva]

Section LXVI < [Sambhava Parva]

Section CXXIII < [Sambhava Parva]

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