Sasin, Shashin, Śaśin, Shasin: 14 definitions

Introduction:

Sasin means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Buddhism, Pali, the history of ancient India. 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 Śaśin can be transliterated into English as Sasin or Shashin, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Kavya (poetry)

Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgara

1) Śaśin (शशिन्) is the friend of Dhanadeva, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 65. Accordingly, “... and on the way a friend of Dhanadeva’s, named Śaśin, joined them. And in the course of conversation they told him their circumstances...”.

2) Śaśin (शशिन्) is the friend of Mūladeva, a master of magic arts (siddha-guru), as mentioned in the fifteenth story of the Vetālapañcaviṃśati in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 89. Accordingly, “... having thus reflected, he [Manaḥsvāmin] managed to get through that day, and the next morning he went to visit that master of magic, Mūladeva. And he saw that master, who was ever in the company of his friend Śaśin, full of many marvellous magic ways, like the sky come down to earth in human shape.”.

Śaśin is also mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 124. Accordingly, as Mūladeva said to king Vikramāditya: “... I went once to Pāṭaliputra with Śaśin, thinking that it was the home of polished wits, and longing to make trial of their cleverness”.

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Śaśin, is a famous Sanskrit epic story revolving around prince Naravāhanadatta and his quest to become the emperor of the vidyādharas (celestial beings). The work is said to have been an adaptation of Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā consisting of 100,000 verses, which in turn is part of a larger work containing 700,000 verses.

Kavya book cover
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Kavya (काव्य, kavya) refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.

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Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Śaśin (शशिन्) refers to the “moon”, according to the Devīpañcaśataka, an important source of the Kālīkrama that developed in Kashmir after the Kālī Mata of the Jayadrathayāmala.—Accordingly, “The permutation (of the Transmental) is said to be the Light that precedes the mistress of the Wheel of Rays [i.e., puñjacakra-īśī] (of divine consciousness). [...] (That light) is not the moon [i.e., śaśin], (or) the light of the stars; it is not the light of the rays of (the sun), the lord of the sky, nor is it the brilliance of lightning—nor is it like the beautiful sun (of energy). That Light (bhāsā) is seen in the belly (of consciousness) with the eye of knowledge, that is, in the eye on the path of opening (unmeṣa). She is not seen otherwise. All (things) shine due to her: Fire, Moon, Sun and stars. As the division of Sun and Moon, she bestows the plane of oneness. Thus she is the aggregate (kula) of rays and, ferocious, she is the Supreme One (Parā) who has reached the final end of Kula and devours duality with the Yoga of the Fire of (Universal) Destruction.”.—(Cf. Puñjacakra).

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Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

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Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira

1) Śaśin (शशिन्) refers to the “moon”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 1), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “[...] There was darkness (chaos) in the beginning. Then came water (into existence). On it (floated) a golden-coloured egg, the (divine) seed consisting of the Earth and the Firmament from which there arose Brahmā, the creative agent with the sun and moon [i.e., arka-śaśin] for his eyes. Kapila says that the universe had its origin in pradhāna; Kaṇātha in dravya and the like; a few in kāla (time); others in Svabhāva (nature); and some in karma. [...]”.

2) Śaśin (शशिन्) (the Moon) is the lord over the new and full moon periods of the second six months, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 5).—Accordingly, “[...] Commencing from the time of creation, ... Brahmā is the lord over the new and full moon periods of the first six months; the Moon [i.e., Śaśin] is the lord over those of the second six months; [...] If Indra should be the lord, the princes will be at war with each other, the crops of Śarat (October and November), will perish and there will be no prosperity in the land. If Kubera should be the lord, rich men will suffer in their wealth but there will be prosperity in the land”.

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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.

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In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: Een Kritische Studie Van Svayambhūdeva’s Paümacariu

Śaśin (शशिन्) participated in the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, on the side of the latter, as mentioned in Svayambhūdeva’s Paumacariu (Padmacarita, Paumacariya or Rāmāyaṇapurāṇa) chapter 57ff. Svayambhū or Svayambhūdeva (8th or 9th century) was a Jain householder who probably lived in Karnataka. His work recounts the popular Rāma story as known from the older work Rāmāyaṇa (written by Vālmīki). Various chapters [mentioning Śaśin] are dedicated to the humongous battle whose armies (known as akṣauhiṇīs) consisted of millions of soldiers, horses and elephants, etc.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Śaśin (शशिन्) refers to one of the two disciples of Rambhaka: a previous incarnation of Sagara, according to chapter 2.4 [ajitanātha-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly, as Ajita narrated:—“In a former birth you (i.e., Sagara) were a wandering mendicant, named Rambhaka, possessing liberality and good conduct, and they (i.e., Sahasrākṣa and Ghanavāhana) were two disciples of yours, Śaśin and Āvali. Āvali was very dear to you because of his great reverence. One day he bought a cow for cash. Śaśin, cruel-hearted, caused dissension with the owner of the cow, rushed in between, and bought the cow. [...] By the power of liberality, Rambhaka wandered through good conditions of existence (gati) and became you, the cakrin. Your affection for Sahasrākṣa originated in the former birth”.

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Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

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India history and geography

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Śaśin.—(EI 25), ‘one’. Note: śaśin is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

India history book cover
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The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, 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.

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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Sasin, (Sk. śaśin, fr. śaśa) the moon Dāvs. IV, 29; J. III, 141; V, 33; Vv 811 (=canda VvA. 314), 823. (Page 700)

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Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Śaśin (शशिन्).—m. [śaśo'styasya ini]

1) The moon; शाशिनं पुनरेति शर्वरी (śāśinaṃ punareti śarvarī) R.8.56;6.85; Meghadūta 41.

2) Camphor.

3) Name of the number 'one'.

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

Śaśin (शशिन्).—m. (-śī) 1. The moon. 2. The emblem of one of the Jinas. 3. Camphor. E. śaśa a hare, ini aff.

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

Śaśin (शशिन्).—[masculine] the moon (hare-marked).

--- OR ---

Śāsin (शासिन्).—[adjective] punishing, instructing, commanding, ruling (—°).

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

1) Śaśin (शशिन्):—[from śaś] m. ‘containing a hare’, the moon, [Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad; Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] Name of the number one, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]

3) [v.s. ...] camphor, [Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi]

4) [v.s. ...] a kind of metre, [Colebrooke]

5) [v.s. ...] Name of a man, [Kathāsaritsāgara]

6) [v.s. ...] the emblem of a [particular] Arhat or Jina, [Horace H. Wilson]

7) Śāsin (शासिन्):—[from śās] mfn. (only ifc.) punishing, chastising, [Harivaṃśa]

8) [v.s. ...] governing, ruling, [Raghuvaṃśa]

9) [v.s. ...] teaching, instructing, [Śiśupāla-vadha]

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

Śaśin (शशिन्):—(śī) 5. m. The moon; emblem of a Jaina.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Śaśin (शशिन्) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Sasi.

[Sanskrit to German]

Sasin in German

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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.

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