Sekhara, Shekhara: 18 definitions
Introduction:
Sekhara means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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 Shekhar.
In Hinduism
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
1) Śekhara (शेखर) refers to “peaks” (i.e., of stones), according to the Ṣaṭsāhasrasaṃhitā, an expansion of the Kubjikāmatatantra: the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, “The group of four (sacred seats) that has originated from the sacred seat on the peaks of the Stone [i.e., śilā-śekhara-pīṭha] has brought down the divine Krama into the triple universe”.
2) Śekhara (शेखर) refers to the “topknot on the head”, according to the Śrīmatottara-tantra, an expansion of the Kubjikāmatatantra: the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, while describing Trikhaṇḍā: “[...] She has three sections, three faces, a divine form and large belly. [...] (The second face) is dark like a storm cloud and the eyes red as blood. It has fierce fangs and is adorned with snakes for earrings. The expression is mildly fierce and a skull (adorns) the topknot on the head [i.e., kapālakṛta-śekhara]. The third face is on the left. It is yellow and red and shines with brilliant rays, its light (pure) divine radiant energy. It is beautiful with many gems and the ears are adorned with earrings. It bears a radiantly brilliant diadem and crown”.
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Śekhara (शेखर) refers to a “crown (of hair-braids)”, according to the Nāmamantrārthāvalokinī by Vilāsavajra, which is a commentary on the Nāmasaṃgīti.—Accordingly, [while describing Ādibuddha]—“[...] [The Ādibuddha] has five faces. [He also] has five crests—in other words, five hair-braids. It is through tying up those [hair-braids that he] has a crown of five hair-braids (pañcan-cīraka-śekhara). [His five faces] have five [different] colours: dark blue for the east [and forward-facing face], yellow for the south, red for the west, [and] green for the north. [...]”.
Śekhara (शेखर) refers to the “top of the head”, according to the Guru-maṇḍala-arcana [i.e., “Guru Mandala Worship]” ritual often performed in combination with the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, which refers to the primary pūjā and sādhanā practice of Newah Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhists in Nepal.—Accordingly, “Standing on top of Mahābhairava and Kālirātrī, embracing Vajravārāhī, With both arms holding a vajra and bell, adorned by a crest of dreadlocks, Decorated by a crown of skulls, holding a half moon on top of the head (śekhara-ardhacandra-dhārin), Topped by the form of the Viśva Vajra, a fierce face, horrible gigantic fangs, Possessing the emotions beginning with the erotic, putting on a tiger skin, Wearing a garland of half a hundred human heads together, Possessing the six seals, adorned with a necklace, bracelets, Ear-rings, girdle, a crest jewel, (and) covered in ashes”.
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.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Śekhara (शेखर) 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 Śekhara] are dedicated to the humongous battle whose armies (known as akṣauhiṇīs) consisted of millions of soldiers, horses and elephants, etc.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
sekhara : (nt.) a garland for the crest.
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.
Marathi-English dictionary
śēkhara (शेखर).—m S A garland of flowers worn on the crown; a plume or crest generally.
śēkhara (शेखर).—m A plume or crest.
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
Śekhara (शेखर).—
1) A crest, chaplet, tuft, a garland of flowers worn on the head; कपालि वा स्यादथवेन्दुशेखरम् (kapāli vā syādathavenduśekharam) Kumārasambhava 5.78; 7.42; नवकरनिकरेण स्पष्टबन्धूकसूनस्तबकरचितमेते शेखरं विभ्रतीव (navakaranikareṇa spaṣṭabandhūkasūnastabakaracitamete śekharaṃ vibhratīva) Śiśupālavadha 11.46;4.5; मगधदेशशेखरीभूता पुष्पपुरी नाम नगरी (magadhadeśaśekharībhūtā puṣpapurī nāma nagarī) Dk.; शीर्षे च शेखरको नित्यम् (śīrṣe ca śekharako nityam) Nāg.3.2.
2) A diadem, crown.
3) A peak, summit.
4) The best or most distinguished of a class (at the end of comp.).
5) A kind of Dhruva or burden of a song.
-ram Cloves.
Derivable forms: śekharaḥ (शेखरः).
Śekhara (शेखर).—m.
(-raḥ) 1. A garland of flowers worn on the crown of the head. 2. A crest. 3. The burden of a song. 4. Anything the best of its kind, (when used at the end of a compound.) f. (-rī) A parasite plant. n.
(-raṃ) 1. The root of the Hyperanthera morunga. 2. Cloves. E. śikhi to go, aran aff.; the nasal omitted.
Śekhara (शेखर).— (from śikhara, with aff. a, for regular śaikhara), m. 1. A crest, a diadem, [Mālatīmādhava, (ed. Calc.)] 145, 8; [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 13, 6 (at the end of a comp. adj.); chief, [Caurapañcāśikā] 45 (read śekhara). 2. A garland of flowers worn on the crown of the head, [Ṛtusaṃhāra] 1, 6. 3. A proper name, [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] n. ad 67, 10.
Śekhara (शेखर).—[masculine] peak, point, summit, head, crest, garland, crown, diadem; the chief or best of (—°).
1) Śekhara (शेखर):—m. ([from] or connected with śikhara) the top or crown of the head, [Kathāsaritsāgara]
2) a chaplet or wreath of flowers worn on the top of the head, crown, diadem, crest, [Harivaṃśa; Kāmandakīya-nītisāra; Purāṇa] etc.
3) a peak, summit, crest (of a mountain), [ib.; Rājataraṅgiṇī]
4) (mostly ifc.) the highest part, chief or head or best or most beautiful of (-tā f.), [Ṛtusaṃhāra; Caurapañcāśikā; Dhūrtasamāgama]
5) (in music) a [particular] Dhruva or introductory verse of a song (recurring as a kind of refrain)
6) Name of an author (with bhaṭṭa), [Catalogue(s)]
7) of a grammatical work, [ib.]
8) n. cloves, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
9) the root of Moringa Pterygosperma, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Śekhara (शेखर):—(raḥ) 1. m. A garland; a crest. f. (ī) A parasite plant. n. Root of the Hyperanthera morunga.
Śekhara (शेखर):—(vgl. śikhara)
1) m. a) Scheitel: nīlavasanasamalaṃkṛta (so ist zu lesen) [Kathāsaritsāgara 75, 41.] niśākāntakalākalita [120, 36.] — b) Gipfel eines Berges: astagiri [Kathāsaritsāgara 28, 189.] [Rājataraṅgiṇī 3, 72.] — c) ein auf dem Scheitel getragener Kranz, - Schmuck, Diadem [Amarakoṣa 2, 6, 3, 38. 3, 4, 30, 229.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 654. 7] (am Ende eines adj. comp.). [Halāyudha 2, 399.] śaśikhaṇḍa [Harivaṃśa 14835.] [Kumārasaṃbhava 7, 32.] [Śiśupālavadha 4, 50. 11, 46.] [MĀLATĪM. 145, 8.] [Kathāsaritsāgara 50, 192.] puṣpa [?75, 73. Rājataraṅgiṇī 3, 269. Vetālapañcaviṃśati in Lassen’s Anthologie (III) 10, 8. PAÑCAR. 1, 8, 8] (śesvara gedr.). Inschr. in [Journ. of the Am. Or. S. 6, 505,] [Śloka 18.] śekharāpīḍayojana (so Schol. zu [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 10, 45, 36]) unter den 64 Künsten [Oxforder Handschriften 217,a,5.] — d) am Ende eines comp. der Beste, Schönste: nṛpati [Caurapañcāśikā 45] (śeṣara gedr.). kṣatriya Inschr. in [Journ. of the Am. Or. S. 7, 26,] [Śloka 11.] kavi [Dhūrtasamāgama 67, 4. 11.] paramaśābdika [Oxforder Handschriften 188,a,13.] hāra [Ṛtusaṃhāra 1, 6.] kanakanūpura [3, 20.] — e) Bez. eines best. Eingangsverses in einem Gesange [SAM̃GĪTADĀM. im Śabdakalpadruma] laghu ebend. — f) abgekürzter Titel eines best. Werkes [BURNOUF] in [Bhāgavatapurāṇa I, LXXVIII.] —
2) f. ī Schmarotzerpflanze [Śabdaratnāvalī im Śabdakalpadruma] —
3) n. a) Gewürznelke [Rājanirghaṇṭa im Śabdakalpadruma] — b) die Wurzel der Moringa pterygosperma Gaertn. [Śabdacandrikā im Śabdakalpadruma] — Vgl. alaṃkāra, indu, ugra (f. ā), gandha, candra, tuṅga, dhātu, pṛthu, rāja, vasanta, śaśāṅka, śaśāṅkārdha (unter śaśāṅkārdha), śaśi, śiva, śṛṅgāra, śaivasiddhānta, śmaśru, śaikharika fg.
--- OR ---
Śekhara (शेखर):—
1) c) śiraḥ [VĀMANA 2, 2, 14.]
Śekhara (शेखर) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Sehara.
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
Śekhara (शेखर) [Also spelled shekhar]:—(nm) the top or crown of the head.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Śēkhara (ಶೇಖರ):—[noun] things collected or a thing collected in large number or quantity at a place.
--- OR ---
Śēkhara (ಶೇಖರ):—
1) [noun] anything worn on the head, as a flower, string of flowers ornament, etc.
2) [noun] the crown worn by a deity, king, etc.
3) [noun] the peak of a mountain.
4) [noun] a chief or leader of a group of persons, society, etc.
5) [noun] a man who has reached the peak of something.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Śekhara (शेखर):—n. 1. crest; chaplet; tuft; a garland of flowers worn on the head; 2. diadem; crown; 3. peak; summit;
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)
Starts with (+0): Shekharacaryajyotirishvara, Shekharajyoti, Shekharajyotis, Shekharaka, Shekharakapidayojana, Shekharakayojana, Shekharane, Shekharapidayojana, Shekharata, Shekharavyakhya, Shekharaya.
Full-text (+161): Candrashekhara, Rajashekhara, Shashishekhara, Agnishekhara, Indushekhara, Anangashekhara, Kulashekhara, Gandhashekhara, Tungashekhara, Prithushekhara, Shivashekhara, Asitabhrashekhara, Ratnashekhara, Devashekhara, Dhatushekhara, Padmashekhara, Ugrashekhara, Kurcashekhara, Shikhishekhara, Jayashekhara.
Relevant text
Search found 87 books and stories containing Sekhara, Śēkhara, Śekhara, Shekhara; (plurals include: Sekharas, Śēkharas, Śekharas, Shekharas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
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Page 213 < [Sanskrit words in the Southeast Asian Languages]
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International Research Journal of Ayurveda and Yoga
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The Cult of Jagannatha (by K. C. Mishra)
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Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
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