Shashti, Ṣaṣṭi, Shasti, Śasti, Śāsti, Sāstī: 18 definitions
Introduction:
Shashti means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, Tamil. 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 Ṣaṣṭi and Śasti and Śāsti can be transliterated into English as Sasti or Shashti or Shasti, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira1) Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि) or Ṣaṣṭyabda refers to the cycle of 60 years of Jupiter, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 8), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “When Jupiter (bṛhaspati) reappears at the beginning of the constellation of Dhaniṣṭhā in the month of Māgha, the first year of the cycle of 60 years of Jupiter [i.e., ṣaṣṭi-abda-pūrva] known as Prabhava commences. In it all creatures will be happy. In the same year there will be drought in certain places and suffering from storm and fire; the crops will be injured; phlegmatic maladies will afflict mankind; nevertheless mankind will be happy. [...]”.
2) Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि) refers to “sixty” types of certain Ketus (i.e., luminous bodies such as comets and meteors), according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 11).—Accordingly, “Thus have been stated briefly 101 Ketus and we will now proceed to state clearly the 1,000 Ketus already referred to. The comets that appear in the north and north-east are 84 in number; they are the sons of Venus; they have large, white and shining discs and when they appear mankind will not be happy. The comets that appear glossy, with rays and double-tailed are sixty in number [i.e., ṣaṣṭi]; they are the sons of Saturn; they appear anywhere and are named Kanaka Ketus; when they appear mankind will feel very miserable”.
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation1) Śāsti (शास्ति) refers to “chastisement (of those who go astray from the right path)”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.35 (“The story of Padmā and Pippalāda”).—Accordingly, Dharma (in the guise of a king) said to Padmā (wife of sage Pippalāda): “O mother, know me as Dharma elderly and venerable to men of wisdom and preceptors. O chaste lady, I always consider other’s wives as mothers. It was to know your innermost feelings that I approached you. I knew your mind, still I was urged by fate. Only proper suppression, not the contrary, is carried out by you. Chastisement (śāsti) of those who go astray from the right path is carried out by Śiva Himself. [...]”.
2) Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि) refers to “sixty (years in age)”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.38 (“Description of the dais or maṇḍapa”).—Accordingly, as Himavat prepared the wedding of Menā and Śiva: “[...] On the left side there were two huge saffron coloured elephants with four tusks and appearing to be of sixty years in age (ṣaṣṭi-varṣa). They shone lustrously. There were two horses too, brilliant like the sun. They were bedecked in divine ornaments and other necessary embellishments. The guardians of the quarters were shown as adorned with great gems. All the gods were portrayed by Viśvakarman realistically. [...]”.
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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Source: archive.org: The Elephant Lore of the HindusṢaṣṭi (षष्टि) refers to the “sixtieth year” (of an elephant), according to the 15th century Mātaṅgalīlā composed by Nīlakaṇṭha in 263 Sanskrit verses, dealing with elephantology in ancient India, focusing on the science of management and treatment of elephants.—[Cf. chapter 5, “on marks of the stages of life”]: “1. Up to the twelfth year his age makes him worthless; before the twenty-fourth year he is of middling value; up to the sixtieth year (ṣaṣṭi-saṃvatsara) this noble elephant is called the best in respect to age [ā ṣaṣṭisaṃvatsarataḥ purāyaṃ mātaṅgavaryo vayasottamākhyaḥ]”.
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.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on AgricultureṢaṣṭi (षष्टि) refers to “sixty (times)” (e.g., ‘ having enchanted sixty times with the mantra’), according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly [as the Bhagavān taught the detailed offering-manual], “Having taken ashes from oblations, it should be mixed in rice gruel enchanted sixty times (ṣaṣṭi-vāra) with the mantra. It should be thrown into the middle of the [Nāga] residence. Merely upon throwing all Nāgas become agitated. Then they send down rain showers. If it does not rain on the same day, the bodies of all those Nāgas will have spotted leprosy”.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryṣaṣṭi (षष्टि).—a S Sixty. ṣaṣṭikā f S Rice that ripens in sixty days.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishṣaṣṭi (षष्टि).—a Sixty. ṣaṣṭha a Sixth.
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 dictionaryŚasti (शस्ति).—f.
1) Praise, eulogy.
2) A hymn of praise (stotra).
3) A finger-guard.
Derivable forms: śastiḥ (शस्तिः).
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Śāsti (शास्ति).—f. [śās-ktin]
1) Governing, ruling.
2) An order, a command.
3) Correction, chastisement, punishment, especially the punishment inflicted by command of the king.
5) A sceptre, rod (of authority).
Derivable forms: śāstiḥ (शास्तिः).
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Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि).—f. Sixty; Manusmṛti 3.177; Y.3.84. °तम (tama) sixtieth.
Derivable forms: ṣaṣṭiḥ (षष्टिः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚāsti (शास्ति).—f.
(-stiḥ) 1. A command, an order. 2. Governing, ruling, ordering. 3. A sceptre. 4. Correctre, punishment. E. śās to govern, aff. ktin or ti Unadi aff.
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Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि).—f.
(-ṣṭiḥ) Sixty. E. ṣaṣ six, ḍaṭi aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚāsti (शास्ति).—[śās + ti], f. Punishment inflicted by royal command.
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Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि).—i. e. ṣaṣ + ti, numeral, f. Sixty,
Śasti (शस्ति).—[feminine] praise or praiser.
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Śāsti (शास्ति).—[feminine] punishment, order, command.
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Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि).—[feminine] sixty.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Śasti (शस्ति):—[from śaṃs] a f. praise, a hymn, [Ṛg-veda]
2) [v.s. ...] a praiser, singer, [ib.]
3) b śasman See p. 1044, col. 1.
4) Śāsti (शास्ति):—[from śās] 1. śāsti f. correction, punishment, [Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]
5) [v.s. ...] direction, order, command, [Prabodha-candrodaya [Scholiast or Commentator]]
6) [v.s. ...] governing, ruling, [Horace H. Wilson]
7) [v.s. ...] a sceptre, [ib.]
8) [v.s. ...] 2. śāsti m. Name of the root śās, [Śiśupāla-vadha xiv, 66.]
9) Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि):—[from ṣaṣ] f. sixty (mc. also ṭī; with the counted object in apposition, or in [genitive case] [plural] or [compound]; ṭi-tas = [ablative] [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]), [Ṛg-veda]; etc.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Śāsti (शास्ति):—(stiḥ) 2. f. A command; ruling; a sceptre; punishment.
2) Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि):—(ṣṭiḥ) 2. f. Sixty.
3) Ṣasti (षस्ति):—(la) sasti 2. a. To sleep.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Saṭṭhi.
[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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary1) Śāsti (शास्ति):—(nf) a sanction, consideration operating to enforce obedience to any rule of conduct.
2) Ṣaṣṭi (षष्टि):—(a) sixty; (nm) the number sixty; ~[pūrti] (observation or celebration of) the sixtieth birthday; ~[varṣī] of sixty years.
3) Sastī (सस्ती):—(nf) cheapness; depression; (a) see [sastā].
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusŚāsti (ಶಾಸ್ತಿ):—[noun] a punishing or being punished for a crime, violation, wrongdoing, etc.; punishment.
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Ṣaṣṭi (ಷಷ್ಟಿ):—[noun] the cardinal number sixty; 60.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Tamil dictionary
Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil LexiconṢaṣṭi (ஷஷ்டி) noun < ṣaṣṭhī. See சஷ்டி¹. [sashdi¹.]
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Ṣaṣṭi (ஷஷ்டி) noun < ṣaṣṭi. Sixty. See சஷ்டி². [sashdi².]
Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionarySāstī (सास्ती):—n. 1. torture; 2. punishment;
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 (+18): Sashtiratra, Shashti-aptapurtti, Shashti-tantra, Shashtibhaga, Shashtidakshina, Shashtidanda, Shashtidha, Shashtidina, Shashtighati, Shashtihayana, Shashtihrada, Shashtija, Shashtika, Shashtikara, Shashtikoti, Shashtilata, Shashtimatta, Shashtipala, Shashtipatha, Shashtipathika.
Full-text (+129): Prashasti, Catuhshashti, Abhishasti, Pancashashti, Anushasti, Shashtidha, Ashasti, Ekashashti, Trishashti, Shashtihayana, Shatshashti, Shashtitama, Navashashti, Dvishashti, Trayahshashti, Dvashashti, Ashtashashti, Shashtivarshin, Shashti-tantra, Shashtimatta.
Relevant text
Search found 94 books and stories containing Shashti, Ṣaṣṭi, Sasti, Shasti, Śasti, Śāsti, Ṣasti, Sastī, Sāstī, Saasti, Shashdi; (plurals include: Shashtis, Ṣaṣṭis, Sastis, Shastis, Śastis, Śāstis, Ṣastis, Sastīs, Sāstīs, Saastis, Shashdis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Yavanajataka by Sphujidhvaja [Sanskrit/English] (by Michael D Neely)
Verse 1.37 < [Chapter 1 - The Innate Nature of the Zodiac Signs and Planets]
Devi Tantra, Mantra, Yantra (study) (by Srider Basudevan Iyer)
Descirption of Goddess Shashti < [Chapter 3 - Minor Goddesses]
Later Vedic goddesses (6): Shri, Dakshina, Hri and Bhuti < [Chapter 2 - The Maior Goddesses]
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Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 348 < [Hindi-English-Nepali (1 volume)]
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Page 145 < [Hindi-Bengali-English Volume 3]
Brahma Sutras (Govinda Bhashya) (by Kusakratha das Brahmacari)
World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
A critical review < [2022: Volume 11, July issue 9]
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