The Sanskrit terms Śephāli and Śephālī can be transliterated into English as Sephali or Shephali, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Shefali.

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)

Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭu

Śephālī (शेफाली) is the Sanskrit name for a medicinal plant identified with Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (or ‘night-flowering jasmine’) from the Oleaceae family of flowering plants, according to verse 4.155-156 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. Śephālī is commonly known in Hindi as Śephālikā or Harsiṅgār; in Bengali as Śiulī; in Marathi as Pārijātaka; in Gujarati as Harsaṅagār; in Tamil as Pāvala-Malligāī; and in Telugu as Pārijātāmū.

Śephālī is mentioned as having eight synonyms: Śephālikā, Suvahā, Śuklāṅgī, Śvetamañjarī or Śītamañjarī, Aparājitā, Vijayā, Vātāri and Bhūtakeśī.

Properties and characteristics: “Śephālī is pungent, bitter, hot and dry. It alleviates diseases due to vāta and tuberculosis. This quells the vāta-doṣa, diseases of joints and also cures guda-vāta”.

context information

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 Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Śephālī (शेफाली) refers to Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, (the nightflowering jasmine), as mentioned in chapter 1.4 [ādīśvara-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly, as Bharata eulogized Ṛṣabha:

“ One man praises another, reciting merits that do not exist. How can I praise you, when I am unable to recite even your merits that do exist? Nevertheless, O Lord of the World, I shall make a panegyric to you. Does not a poor man give a gift even to a rich man? Merely by the sight of your feet, sins even though committed in another birth, fade away like śephālī-flowers from the moon’s rays”.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

Biology (plants and animals)

Source: Google Books: CRC World Dictionary (Regional names)

Shephali in India is the name of a plant defined with Vitex negundo in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Vitex nogondo L. ap. Bojer (among others).

Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):

· Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica (1995)
· FBI (1885)
· Flore de Madagascar et des Comores (1956)
· Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences. Plant Sciences (1988)
· Symb. Sin. (1936)
· Hortus Mauritianus (1837)

If you are looking for specific details regarding Shephali, for example pregnancy safety, side effects, extract dosage, chemical composition, diet and recipes, health benefits, have a look at these references.

context information

This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Śephāli (शेफालि) or Śephālī (शेफाली).—f. A kind of plant; शेफालिकाकुसुमगन्धमनोहराणि (śephālikākusumagandhamanoharāṇi) Ṛtusaṃhāra 3.14.

Derivable forms: śephāliḥ (शेफालिः).

See also (synonyms): śephālikā.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Śephāli (शेफालि).—f. (-liḥ-lī) A plant: see the next.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Śephālī (शेफाली).—[feminine] a kind of plant.

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

1) Śephāli (शेफालि):—[from śepāla] f. idem, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

2) Śephālī (शेफाली):—[from śepāla] f. idem, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Śephāli (शेफालि):—[(liḥ-lī)] 2. 3. f. A plant, Nyctanthes arbor tristis.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Śephālī (शेफाली) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Sehālī.

[Sanskrit to German]

Shephali in German

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.

Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Śephālī (शेफाली) [Also spelled shefali]:—(nf) Vitex negunda.

context information

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See also (Relevant definitions)

Starts with: Shephalika, Shephalike.

Full-text (+3): Shephalika, Seulli sephali, Shaiphalika, Sehali, Shepala, Shefali, Rajanihamsa, Shiphalika, Shuklangi, Shitamanjari, Shvetamanjari, Suvaha, Bhutakeshi, Vijaya, Parijata, Parijataka, Shiuli, Harsanagar, Parijatamu, Pavala-malligai.

Relevant text

Search found 3 books and stories containing Shephali, Śephāli, Śephālī, Sephali; (plurals include: Shephalis, Śephālis, Śephālīs, Sephalis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Triveni Journal

The Sister-In-Law < [October 1960]

'Ketaki' < [July-August, 1929]

A Song of the Coming Age < [December 1946]

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Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 4: Iatrochemistry (by Bhudeb Mookerjee)

Treatment for fever (148): Jaya-mangala rasa < [Chapter II - Fever (jvara)]

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Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)

Part 19: Initiation of Sundarī < [Chapter IV]

Part 6: Description of sunset, moonrise and dawn < [Chapter VI - Bringing news of Sītā]

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