Shankhini, Śaṅkhiṇī, Śaṅkhinī, Śaṅkhini: 14 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Shankhini 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 Śaṅkhiṇī and Śaṅkhinī and Śaṅkhini can be transliterated into English as Sankhini or Shankhini, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Wisdom Library: The Matsya-purāṇaŚaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी) is the name of a mind-born ‘divine mother’ (mātṛ), created for the purpose of drinking the blood of the Andhaka demons, according to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.8. The Andhaka demons spawned out of every drop of blood spilled from the original Andhakāsura (Andhaka-demon). According to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.35, “Most terrible they (e.g., Śaṅkhinī) all drank the blood of those Andhakas and become exceedingly satiated.”
The Matsyapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, and was originally composed of 20,000 metrical verses, dating from the 1st-millennium BCE. The narrator is Matsya, one of the ten major avatars of Viṣṇu.
Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia1) Śaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी).—A sacred spot at Kurukṣetra. A bath in the Devītīrtha there will add to one’s beauty. (Vana Parva, Chapter 83, Verse 51).
2) Śaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी).—Wife of Mahāśaṅkha, a crocodile. (For details see under Mahāśaṅkha).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1) Śaṅkhini (शङ्खिनि).—A śakti on the fourth parvan of the Kiricakra.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 20. 15; 44. 60; Matsya-purāṇa 286. 10.
2) Śaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी).—The Goddess from the back portion of Nṛsimha; follower of Vāgīśī.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 179. 23. 68.
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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: academia.edu: Yakṣiṇī-sādhana in the Kakṣapuṭa tantraŚaṅkhiṇī (शङ्खिणी) is the name of one of the thirty-two Yakṣiṇīs mentioned in the Kakṣapuṭatantra, as well as one of the thirty-six Yakṣiṇīs mentioned in the Uḍḍāmareśvaratantra. In the yakṣiṇī-sādhana, the Yakṣiṇī is regarded as the guardian spirit who provides worldly benefits to the practitioner. The Yakṣiṇī (e.g., Śaṅkhiṇī) provides, inter alia, daily food, clothing and money, tells the future, and bestows a long life, but she seldom becomes a partner in sexual practices.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭuŚaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी) is another name for Yavatiktā, a medicinal plant identified with Andrographis paniculata (creat or green chireta) from the Acanthaceae or “acanthus family” of flowering plants, according to verse 3.76-78 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The third chapter (guḍūcyādi-varga) of this book contains climbers and creepers (vīrudh). Together with the names Śaṅkhinī and Yavatiktā, there are a total of sixteen Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Kamakoti Mandali: The Yoginis of Narasimha VyuhaŚaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी) refers to one of the various Nṛsiṃha Yoginīs or Śaktis created for the purpose of pacifying the Rudraśaktis.—Accordingly, [...] Rudra meditated on Mahānṛsiṃha. Pleased with Rudra’s prayers, Narasiṃha created four Vyūhaśaktis [Vāgīśvarī, Mahāmāyā, Bhagamālinī and Atibhadrakālī=Śuṣkarevatī]. The Lord created a group of Nṛsiṃha Yoginīs [viz., Śaṅkhinī] to accompany the three main Śaktis. All of them, under the command of Śuṣkarēvatī, attacked the Rudraśaktis, subdued them and pacified them to attain benevolence.
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)
Source: academia.edu: A Critical Study of the Vajraḍākamahātantrarāja (II)Śaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी) refers to one of three types of women, according to the Vajraḍākatantra chapter 38.—The text strictly prohibits a Yogin from raping every kind of Dūtīs and insists that the Dūtīs should be perfected by pleaseure (sukha). Having enumerated three types of the women (Citriṇī, Plīvī and Śaṅkhinī), five techniques to please Dūtīs as well as the Yogin himself and to enlarge a Yogin’s gentials are introduced.
Source: academia.edu: The Structure and Meanings of the Heruka Maṇḍala1) Śaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी) is the name of a Ḍākinī who, together with the Vīra (hero) named Śaṅkhin forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Guṇacakra, according to the 10th century Ḍākārṇava chapter 15. Accordingly, the guṇacakra refers to one of the four divisions of the sahaja-puṭa (‘innate layer’), situated within the padma (lotus) in the middle of the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs [viz., Śaṅkhinī] and Vīras are whitish red in color; they each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife.
2) Śaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी) is also the name of a Ḍākinī who, together with the Vīra (hero) named Śaṅkha forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Jñānacakra, according to the same work. Accordingly, the jñānacakra refers to one of the three divisions of the saṃbhoga-puṭa (‘enjoyment layer’), situated in the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs [viz., Śaṅkhinī] and Vīras are white in color; the shapes of their faces are in accordance with their names; they have four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife.
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
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryśaṅkhinī (शंखिनी).—f (S) pop. śaṅkhīṇa f A description of woman, one of the four classes into which females are divided. The Shankini is described as tall, with long hair, and of irascible disposition and strong passions. 2 Applied revilingly to a cow that yields but little milk. 3 A sort of sea-snail; popularly gōgalagāya.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishśaṅkhinī (शंखिनी).—f One of the 4 divisions of woman-kind.
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 dictionaryŚaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी).—
1) A woman of one of the four classes into which writers on erotic science divide women; the Ratimañjarī thus describes her :-दीर्घातिदीर्घनयना वर- सुन्दरी या कामोपभोगरसिका गुणशीलयुक्ता । रेखात्रयेण च विभूषित कण्ठदेशा सम्भोगकेलिरसिका किल शङ्खिनी सा (dīrghātidīrghanayanā vara- sundarī yā kāmopabhogarasikā guṇaśīlayuktā | rekhātrayeṇa ca vibhūṣita kaṇṭhadeśā sambhogakelirasikā kila śaṅkhinī sā) || cf. चित्रिणी, हस्तिनी (citriṇī, hastinī), and पद्मिनी (padminī) also.
2) A female spirit, or a kind of fairy.
3) Mother of pearl.
4) A particular vein.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryŚaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी).—name of a rākṣasī: Mahā-Māyūrī 241.13.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Śaṅkhiṇī (शङ्खिणी):—[from śaṅkhin > śaṅkha] f. See next.
2) Śaṅkhinī (शङ्खिनी):—[from śaṅkha] f. of [preceding]
3) [v.s. ...] mother of pearl, [Bālarāmāyaṇa]
4) [v.s. ...] a [particular] plant, [Suśruta; Caraka; Śārṅgadhara-saṃhitā] ([according to] to [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] Andropogon Aciculatus, Cissampelos Hexandra = śveta-cukrā, śveta-puṃnāga, and śveta-vṛndā)
5) [v.s. ...] a [particular] vein (nāḍī), [Catalogue(s)]
6) [v.s. ...] Name of one of the four classes into which females are divided (the other three being citriṇī, padminī, and hastinī), [Religious Thought and Life in India 389]
7) [v.s. ...] Name of a Śakti worshipped by Buddhists, [Kālacakra]
8) [v.s. ...] a kind of semidivine being or fairy (upadevatā-viśeṣa), [Horace H. Wilson]
9) [v.s. ...] Name of a Tīrtha, [Mahābhārata]
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
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary1) Śaṃkhinī (शंखिनी) [Also spelled shankhini]:—(nf) one of the four major categories of women according to ancient Indian sexologists.
2) Shankhini in Hindi refers in English to:—(nf) one of the four major categories of women according to ancient Indian sexologists..—shankhini (शंखिनी) is alternatively transliterated as Śaṃkhinī.
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See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Shankhinim, Shankhiniphala, Shankhinivasa.
Full-text (+8): Shankhinivasa, Yavatikta, Shankhiniphala, Shamkini, Shankhin, Digangana, Tiktayava, Citrini, Caturvidhajati, Akshapida, Sukeshi, Avaranapuja, Mahashankha, Devitirtha, Abdanada, Shyamadi, Plivi, Nadicakra, Duti, Nakula.
Relevant text
Search found 16 books and stories containing Shankhini, Śaṅkhiṇī, Śaṅkhinī, Śaṅkhini, Sankhini, Śaṃkhinī, Shamkhini, Samkhini, Śaṃkhini, Śankhini; (plurals include: Shankhinis, Śaṅkhiṇīs, Śaṅkhinīs, Śaṅkhinis, Sankhinis, Śaṃkhinīs, Shamkhinis, Samkhinis, Śaṃkhinis, Śankhinis). 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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