Shakuna, Śakuna, Sakuṇa, Sakuna, Śākuna, Śākuṇa: 19 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Shakuna 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.
The Sanskrit terms Śakuna and Śākuna and Śākuṇa can be transliterated into English as Sakuna or Shakuna, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Shakun.
In Hinduism
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: archive.org: Natya ShastraŚākuna (शाकुन, “birds”).—Description of a women of bird (śākuna) type;—A woman who has a very large mouth, energetic character, loves streams, enjoys spirituous liquor and milk, has many offsprings, likes fruits, is always given to breathing and is always fond of gardens and forests, is very fickle and talkative, is said to possess the nature of a bird (śākuna or patatrin).

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (śāstra) of performing arts, (nāṭya, e.g., theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing dramatic plays (nataka) and poetic works (kavya).
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaŚakuna (शकुन).—(omens) General. In ancient times people in all countries used to consider Śakunas to be harbingers of good or evil things. Today also many people believe in omens. In India Śakuna had developed as a science even in olden days. A general description about omens, good and bad, according to the Indian concept, is given below. (See full article at Story of Śakuna from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Śakuna (शकुन).—An Asura follower of Hiraṇyakaśipu, and a son of Hiraṇyākṣa.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa VII. 2. 5 and 18; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 5. 30; Matsya-purāṇa 6. 14; Vāyu-purāṇa 67. 67; Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 21. 3.
1b) A Pṛthuka god.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 36. 73.
2) Śākuna (शाकुन).—The flesh of the parrot for śrāddha.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 17. 31.

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.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: archive.org: Vedic index of Names and SubjectsŚakuna (शकुन, ‘bird’) is mentioned frequently in the Rigveda and later. It usually denotes a large bird, or a bird which gives omens. Zimmer compares kvkvos, which also is a bird of omen.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhism1) Śakuna (शकुन) is the name of a Garuḍa mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Śakuna).
2) Śakuna (शकुन) is also the name of a Rāśi (zodiac sign) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa.
Source: BDK Tripiṭaka: The Susiddhikara-sūtraŚakuna (शकुन) refers to one of the various types of cakes mentioned in Chapter 12 (“offering food”) of the Susiddhikara-sūtra. Accordingly, “Offer [viz., śakuna cakes], [...]. Cakes such as the above are either made with granular sugar or made by mixing in ghee or sesamum oil. As before, take them in accordance with the family in question and use them as offerings; if you offer them up as prescribed, you will quickly gain success. [...]”.
When you wish to offer food [viz., śakuna cakes], first cleanse the ground, sprinkle scented water all around, spread out on the ground leaves that have been washed clean, such as lotus leaves, palāśa (dhak) leaves, and leaves from lactescent trees, or new cotton cloth, and then set down the oblatory dishes. [...] First smear and sprinkle the ground and then spread the leaves; wash your hands clean, rinse out your mouth several times, swallow some water, and then you should set down the food [viz., śakuna]. [...]

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
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarysakuṇa : (m.) a bird.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionarySakuṇa, (Vedic śakuna) a bird (esp. with ref. to augury) D. I, 71 (pakkhin+); Vin. III, 147; S. I, 197; A. II, 209; III, 241 sq. , 368; J. II, 111, 162 (Kandagala); KhA 241. pantha° see under pantha.—f. sakuṇī S. I, 44. adj. sakuṇa J. V, 503 (maṃsa).

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
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryśakuna (शकुन).—m n (S) An omen, a prodigy, a portent, a prognostic generally. Pr. ēkā nākēṃ bahu śiṅkā sahadēva mhaṇē śakuna nikā. 2 The point or matter upon which an astrologer &c. is consulted and required to foreshow futurity. 3 The oracle or response delivered. 4 A sort of hymn sung to solicit favorable events.
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śakūna (शकून).—m ( A) A word, speech, utterance. śakunānta asaṇēṃ-cālaṇēṃ-vāgaṇēṃ To be obedient to the command or word of. śakūna ghēṇēṃ g. of o. To speak with; to hold intercourse with. Neg. con. It resembles vārā na ghēṇēṃ &c. 2 To listen to the counsel or suggestion of.
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sakūna (सकून).—n Corr. from śakuna
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishśakuna (शकुन).—m n An omen. The oracle deli- vered.
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śakūna (शकून).—m A word, speech, utterance.
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 dictionaryŚakuna (शकुन).—[śak-unan Uṇ.3.49]
1) A bird (in general); केनेदृशी जातु परा हि दृष्टा वागुच्यमाना शकुनेन संस्कृता (kenedṛśī jātu parā hi dṛṣṭā vāgucyamānā śakunena saṃskṛtā) Mb.3. 197.11; शकुनोच्छिष्टम् (śakunocchiṣṭam) Y.1.168.
2) A kind of bird, a vulture or kite.
3) A kind of song (sung at festivals).
-nam 1 An omen, a prognostic, any omen presaging good or evil, अशकुनेन स्खलितः किलेतरोऽपि (aśakunena skhalitaḥ kiletaro'pi) Śi.9.83.
2) An auspicious omen.
Derivable forms: śakunaḥ (शकुनः).
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Śākuṇa (शाकुण).—a. (-ṇī f.)
1) Repentent.
2) Afflicting others (paratāpaka).
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Śākuna (शाकुन).—(-nī f.) [śakuna-aṇ]
1) Relating to birds; शाकुनेनाथ पञ्च वै (śākunenātha pañca vai) (pitaraḥ prīyante) Ms.3.268.
2) Relating to omens.
3) Ominous.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryŚakuna (शकुन).—name of a cakravartin king, father of Kuśa (2): Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya i.99.10; later called regularly Mahāśakuni, q.v.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚakuna (शकुन).—m.
(-naḥ) 1. A bird in general. 2. A kind of bird, either the Indian vulture or the common kite, (Falco cheela;) it is also applied to the pondicherry eagle, (Falco ponticeriana.) 3. A sort of hymn or song, sung at festivals to solicit or secure lucky events. n. (-na) Any lucky or inauspicious object or omen. E. śak to be able, unan Unadi aff.
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Śākuṇa (शाकुण).—mfn.
(-ṇaḥ-ṇī-ṇaṃ) Repentant, regretting. E. śaka-vā0 uṇan .
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Śākuna (शाकुन).—mfn.
(-naḥ-nī-naṃ) 1. Of or relating to birds. 2. Ominous, portentous. E. śakuna, aṇ aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚakuna (शकुन).—[śak + una] (or rather śak + van + a, cf. śakunta), I. m. A bird, [Nala] 9, 12. Ii. n. An omen; a. auspicious, [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 43, 5; b. inauspicious, [Pañcatantra] 52, 11 (kiṃ śakunakāranaṃ kiṃ cit saṃjātam, Has something come to pass caused by a bird, or by an inauspicious omen, i. e. has there happened a misfortune?).
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Śākuna (शाकुन).—i. e. śakuna + a, adj. 1. Of or relating to birds. [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 3, 268. 2. Portentous.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚakuna (शकुन).—[masculine] bird ([especially] of large birds & such as give an omen).
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Śākuna (शाकुन).—[feminine] ī relating to birds, bird-like; [masculine] bird-catcher.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum1) Śākuna (शाकुन) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—by Vasantarāja. Io. 1849. 2186. W. p. 267. 268. L. 535. K. 242. Kh. Vi. B. 4, 192. Ben. 26. Bik. 347 (and—[commentary]). Kāṭm. 11. Rādh. 34 (and—[commentary]). 35 (and—[commentary]). Oudh. X, 10. Np. V, 2 (and—[commentary]). Ix, 50. P. 15. Poona. 314. H. 329. Peters. 1, 119. Quoted by Mallinātha Oxf. 113^b, in Śākuna Oxf. 399^b, by Raghunātha, in Mārtaṇḍavallabhā and Muhūrtacintāmaṇiṭīkā.
—[commentary] by Bhānucandra. L. 1939. Oudh. Xvii, 34 (by Bhavacandra). Xix, 68 (Bhavacandra). Sb. 281.
Śākuna has the following synonyms: Śakunārṇava, Śakunaśāstra.
2) Śākuna (शाकुन):—by Vasantarāja. See Śakunārṇava.
3) Śakuna (शकुन):—from the Rudrayāmala. Stein 236.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Śakuna (शकुन):—m. (said to be [from] √śak, [Uṇādi-sūtra iii, 49]) a bird ([especially] a large bird or one of good or bad omen), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.
2) a [particular] kind of bird (either = gridhra, a vulture, or = cilla, a common kite or Pondicherry eagle), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
3) a kind of Brāhman (vipra-bheda), [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]
4) a sort of hymn or song (sung at festivals to secure good fortune), [Horace H. Wilson]
5) (with vasiṣṭhasya) Name of a Sāman, [Ārṣeya-brāhmaṇa]
6) Name of an Asura, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
7) [plural] Name of a people, [Mahābhārata; Buddhist literature]
8) n. any auspicious object or lucky omen, an omen or prognostic (in general; rarely ‘an inauspicious omen’), [Kāvya literature; Kathāsaritsāgara; Pañcatantra]
9) mfn. indicating good luck, auspicious, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]
10) Śākuna (शाकुन):—1. śākuna mfn. = parottāpin, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] (‘repentant’, ‘regretful’ [Horace H. Wilson])
11) 2. śākuna mf(ī)n. ([from] śakuna) derived from or relating to birds or omens, [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.
12) having the nature of a bird, [Caraka]
13) ominous, portentous, [Horace H. Wilson]
14) m. a bird-catcher, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]
15) augury, omen, [ib.; Rāmāyaṇa]
16) Name of [work] by Vasanta-rāja (= śakunarṇava q.v.)
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger WörterbuchŚakuna (शकुन):—
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Śākuṇa (शाकुण):—adj. = parottāpin [Śabdamālā im Śabdakalpadruma]
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Śākuna (शाकुन):—(von śakuna)
1) adj. (f. ī) von Vögeln kommend, ihnen eigen, sie betreffend: māṃsa Vogelfleisch [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 3, 268.] [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 1, 257.] [Mahābhārata 13, 4245.] [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 51, 33.] [Mārkāṇḍeyapurāṇa 32, 4.] vṛtti [Mahābhārata 13, 6489.] kāyalakṣaṇa [Suśruta 1, 335, 21.] die Natur eines Vogels habend [CARAKA 4, 4.] —
2) m. Vogelsteller [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 86, 31, v. l.] —
3) n. Augurium, Auguralkunde [Rāmāyaṇa 3, 58, 5.] [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 86, 4. 107, 10. 86. fgg.] in den Unterschrr. [Weber’s Verzeichniss No. 896. fg. 983.] [Oxforder Handschriften 86,b,35. 399,b, No. 168.] sāroddhāra ebend.
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 (+6): Sakuṇaka, Shakunadevata, Shakunadhishthatri, Shakunadipaka, Shakunadvara, Shakunagantha, Shakunahrit, Shakunahrita, Shakunajna, Shakunajnana, Shakunapariksha, Shakunapattra, Shakunapradipa, Shakunaratnavali, Shakunarnava, Shakunarutajnana, Shakunasaroddhara, Shakunasha, Shakunashastra, Shakunashastrasara.
Ends with: Apashakuna, Ashakuna, Bhulingashakuna, Duhshakuna, Mahashakuna, Mulashakuna, Pallisharatakakabhasadishakuna, Pancapakshishakuna, Punyashakuna, Pushpashakuna, Sarvashakuna, Shrigalashakuna, Shubhashakuna, Sushakuna.
Full-text (+81): Shakunajna, Shakunika, Shakunashastra, Shakunasaroddhara, Shakunin, Shakuni, Sakuṇaka, Shakunavidya, Shakunta, Shakunajnana, Punyashakuna, Ashakuna, Mulashakuna, Shakunahrita, Vasantaraja, Shakunavicara, Shakunapattra, Shakunapariksha, Shakunadevata, Rukkhakottaka.
Relevant text
Search found 17 books and stories containing Shakuna, Śakuna, Sakuṇa, Sakuna, Śākuna, Śakūna, Sakūna, Śākuṇa; (plurals include: Shakunas, Śakunas, Sakuṇas, Sakunas, Śākunas, Śakūnas, Sakūnas, Śākuṇas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Brihat Samhita (by N. Chidambaram Iyer)
Chapter 86 - Omens (1): General rules (śākuna)
Chapter 96 - Omens (11): Supplementary to omens (śākuna-uttara)
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Apadana commentary (Atthakatha) (by U Lu Pe Win)
Commentary on Biography of the thera Tiṇasantharadāyaka < [Chapter 8 - Nagasamālavagga (section on Nagasamāla)]
The Ramayana of Valmiki (by Hari Prasad Shastri)
Chapter 28 - Shri Rama is instructed in their use < [Book 1 - Bala-kanda]
The Jataka tales [English], Volume 1-6 (by Robert Chalmers)
Jataka 36: Sakuṇa-jātaka < [Book I - Ekanipāta]
Jataka 22: Kukkura-jātaka < [Book I - Ekanipāta]
The Ramayana (by Manmatha Nath Dutt)
Chapter XXVIII < [Book 1 - Bāla-kāṇḍa]