The Sanskrit term Śarkarācala can be transliterated into English as Sarkaracala or Sharkaracala, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Sharkarachala.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Śarkarācala (शर्कराचल).—The best gift is 8 bhārams of sugar; then 4 and 2; even 1 or (1/2) allowed; the giver goes to heaven.^*

• * Matsya-purāṇa 83. 6; 92. 1-13.

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.

Kavya (poetry)

Source: archive.org: Naisadhacarita of Sriharsa

Śarkarācala (शर्कराचल) refers to the “ceremonial mountain of sugar (a heap measuring eight Bhāras)”, and is mentioned in the Naiṣadha-carita 14.54 (in “dānāntaḥśrutaśarkarācala”).—Śarkarācala is given away by pious donors together with four other smaller mountains called Viṣkambhaparvata. Three golden trees are planted on the “mountain”, while on the smaller “mountains” are placed idols of Cupid, Kubera and Brahmā as well as a golden image of the Surabhi cow. It was customary to give away similar “mountains” of butter, salt, paddy ,cotton and sesamum seeds. The Matsyapurāṇa seems to be the only early work which gives full details about these “mountains”, and the relevant chapters of it are quoted in full by Aparārka in his commentary on Yājñavalkya 1.208.

context information

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’.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Śarkarācala (शर्कराचल).—

1) the ceremonial 'mountain of sugar' (a heap measuring eight Bhāras) given away by pious donors together with four smaller mountains called Viṣkambhaparvata. Three golden trees are planted on the mountain, while on the smaller mountains are placed idols of Cupid, Kubera and Brahmā as well as a golden image of the Surabhi cow. It was customary to give away similar mountains of butter, salt, paddy, cotton and sesamum seeds; दानान्तः- श्रुतशर्कराचलमथः खेनामृतान्धाः स्मरः (dānāntaḥ- śrutaśarkarācalamathaḥ khenāmṛtāndhāḥ smaraḥ) N.21.154.

2) a sugarloaf (conical).

Derivable forms: śarkarācalaḥ (शर्कराचलः).

Śarkarācala is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms śarkarā and acala (अचल).

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

Śarkarācala (शर्कराचल):—[from śarkarā > śarkara] m. (rāc) ‘sugar-hill’, a sugar-loaf (shaped like a conical hill), [Catalogue(s)]

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)

Partial matches: Sharkara, Acala.

Starts with: Sharkaracaladana.

Full-text: Sharkaracaladana, Sharkaradhenu.

Relevant text

Search found 2 books and stories containing Sharkaracala, Śarkarācala, Sharkara-acala, Sarkaracala, Śarkarā-acala, Sarkara-acala; (plurals include: Sharkaracalas, Śarkarācalas, acalas, Sarkaracalas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Matsya Purana (critical study) (by Kushal Kalita)

Part 5.2 - The ten Merudānas < [Chapter 4 - Religious aspects of the Matsyapurāṇa]

show preview

The Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)

Chapter 21 - The greatness of Puṣkara and some important vows < [Section 1 - Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa (section on creation)]

show preview