Shashikala, Śaśikalā, Shashin-kala: 9 definitions
Introduction:
Shashikala means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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 Śaśikalā can be transliterated into English as Sasikala or Shashikala, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)
Source: Shodhganga: a concise history of Sanskrit Chanda literatureŚaśikalā (शशिकला) is the alternative name of a Sanskrit metre (chandas) mentioned by Hemacandra (1088-1173 C.E.) in his auto-commentary on the second chapter of the Chandonuśāsana. Śaśikalā corresponds to Candrāvarta (according to Piṅgala). Hemacandra gives these alternative names for the metres by other authorities (like Bharata), even though the number of gaṇas or letters do not differ.
Chandas (छन्दस्) refers to Sanskrit prosody and represents one of the six Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines belonging to the study of the Vedas). The science of prosody (chandas-shastra) focusses on the study of the poetic meters such as the commonly known twenty-six metres mentioned by Pingalas.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaŚaśikalā (शशिकला).—Daughter of Subāhu, King of Kāśī. She was married by a prince Sudarśana who had been driven out of his kingdom by Yudhājit.
As she became a young woman Śaśikalā heard about Sudarśana, who lived in the forest with his mother and fell in love with him. One night Devī appeared in dream to her and told her that marriage with Sudarśana would take place, and at those words of Devī she awoke from sleep and began laughing. Though her mother asked Śaśikalā about the reason for her laughing thus, she answered not, but continued laughing. One day while she was picnicking in the Campaka forest, an old brahmin came there and described to her about the great personality and beauty of Sudarśana, who then was staying with his mother at Bharadvājāśrama. Śaśikalā’s heart yearned to be with Sudarśana. (See full article at Story of Śaśikalā from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)
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: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraŚaśikalā (शशिकला) is the wife of Padmagarbha: a Brāhman from Sughoṣa, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 73. Accordingly, as Padmiṣṭhā said to Śrīdarśana: “... in [Sughoṣa] there dwelt a Brāhman named Padmagarbha, who possessed a thorough knowledge of the Vedas. He had a wife of very good family, named Śaśikalā. And the Brāhman had two children by that wife, a son of the name of Mukharaka, and myself, a daughter of the name of Padmiṣṭhā”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Śaśikalā, 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 (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’.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: ManthanabhairavatantramŚaśikalā (शशिकला) refers to the “energy of the Moon”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “In the centre, in the sacred seat called Kāma, passion gives rise to passion and is the seat of Uḍa within power (kalā). The venerable (seat) Pūrṇa is in the wheel on the left and emanates the energy of the Moon [i.e., śaśikalā] in the seat of the Moon in front of that. The divine seat of Kulūta emanates (its energy) into the energized head of Kolla on the right. (The energy of the goddess) penetrates into the venerable Ujjayanī on the left in due order ** with the six sacred seats beginning with that. She who is in the Wheel of the Hexagram is Bhairavī, the mother of persistence and destruction; by the expansion of consciousness (bodhavṛddhi), (she is also) Avvā, Klinnā, Raktā, Bhagavatī, and Pulinī: I bow (to her who, in all these forms, is) the venerable Ekavīrā”.
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (shaktism)Śaśikalā (शशिकला) refers to the “(underlying) digit of the moon”, according to the King Vatsarāja’s Pūjāstuti called the Kāmasiddhistuti (also Vāmakeśvarīstuti), guiding one through the worship of the Goddess Nityā.—Accordingly, “[...] Sages address you as the destroyer of darkness, the bestower of delight, yielding the immortal nectar to all those who remember you. They address you as the ever-risen one with no possibility of rising and setting, as the underlying digit of the moon (antaścarī—antaścarīṃ śaśikalām) never suspected to have a stain”.
Note: The underlying digit of the moon (antaścarī śaśikalā) in all likelihood is the sixteen innermost digit beyond the waning and waxing process.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryŚaśikalā (शशिकला).—a digit of the moon; 'धन्या केयं स्थिता ते शिरसि (dhanyā keyaṃ sthitā te śirasi)', 'शशिकला (śaśikalā)' Mu.1.1.
Śaśikalā is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms śaśin and kalā (कला).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚaśikalā (शशिकला).—[feminine] a digit or sickle of the moon.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Śaśikalā (शशिकला):—[=śaśi-kalā] [from śaśi > śaś] f. a digit of the m°, the m° (in general), [Vikramorvaśī; Kathāsaritsāgara; Chandomañjarī]
2) [v.s. ...] a kind of metre, [Chandomañjarī]
3) [v.s. ...] Name of various women, [Kathāsaritsāgara; Catalogue(s)]
[Sanskrit to German]
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: Sasin, Shashi, Caci, Kala.
Starts with: Shashikalabharana, Shashikalacuda, Shashikalapancashika.
Full-text: Shashikalapancashika, Shashikalabharana, Antashcarin, Candralekha, Atishakvari, Padmagarbha, Padmishtha, Candravarta, Navaratri, Subahu.
Relevant text
Search found 11 books and stories containing Shashikala, Śaśi-kalā, Sasi-kala, Śaśikalā, Sasikala, Śaśin-kalā, Sasin-kala, Shashi-kala, Shashin-kala; (plurals include: Shashikalas, kalās, kalas, Śaśikalās, Sasikalas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Shat-cakra-nirupana (the six bodily centres) (by Arthur Avalon)
Verse 42 < [Section 7]
Mudrarakshasa (literary study) (by Antara Chakravarty)
2.1. Use of Sragdharā metre < [Chapter 4 - Employment of Chandas in Mudrārākṣasa]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
Text 1.9 < [Chapter 1 - The Purpose of Poetry]
Text 3.3 < [Chapter 3 - Suggestiveness Based on a Specialty]
Text 8.1 < [Chapter 8 - Literary Qualities]
The Devi Bhagavata Purana (by Swami Vijñanananda)
Chapter 18 - The Svayambara of Śaśikalā < [Book 3]
Chapter 19 - On the going to the Svayamvara assembly of Sudarśana < [Book 3]
Chapter 17 - On the story of Viśvāmitra < [Book 3]
Śrī Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛtam (by Śrīla Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura)