Shilpin, Śilpin, Śilpī, Shilpi: 27 definitions

Introduction
Image gallery
In Hinduism
In Buddhism
1. Tibetan Buddhism
India history
Biology
Languages
1. Marathi
2. Sanskrit
3. Hindi
4. Kannada
5. Tamil
6. Nepali
See also

Introduction:

Shilpin means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Hindi, biology, 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 Śilpin and Śilpī can be transliterated into English as Silpin or Shilpin or Silpi or Shilpi, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Images (photo gallery)

In Hinduism

Vastushastra (architecture)

Source: McGill: The architectural theory of the Mānasāra

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्), or “architectural student”, is a generic term for artisl or craftsman, one who practices any of the 64 śilpas, mechanical and fine arts (among which architecture is listed as one). The Śilpin is seen to be first attached to a guru and “then learns the various aspects of the discipline from two different specialists, the sthapati, from whom he learns the śilpaśāstras, and the sthāpaka, with whom he practices architecture.”

There are four types of śilpin:

sthapati,
sūtragrāhin,
vardhaki,
takṣaka.

context information

Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Nilamata Purana: a cultural and literary study

Śilpī (शिल्पी) refers to “artisans” and represents a sub-division of the Śūdra caste (varṇa) as mentioned in the Nīlamatapurāṇa.—The Karmajīvīs and the Śilpīs belonged to the Śūdra varṇa. The former were probably low paid workers while the latter were artisans viz. weavers, carpenters, goldsmiths, silversmiths, blacksmiths, leather-tanners and potters who commanded some respect in the society and exchanged gifts with the higher varṇas during the Mahīmāna celebrations. They are enjoined to worship the goddess Bhadrakālī on the 8th of the dark half of Āśvina and also to worship their tools and implements in the temple of Durgā.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्).—Craftsmen: unjust men are subjected to the influence of Piśācaś: Icon of, in a temple.^*

* ^1 Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 407. ^2 Matsya-purāṇa 5. 27; 217. 24; 256, 7, 15; 259. 16; 264. 27.

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.

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्, “artists”) refers to a specific “mode of address” (nāman) used in drama (nāṭya), according to Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 19. Śilpin refers to painters and the like.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

Shilpashastra (iconography)

Source: Shodhganga: The significance of the mūla-beras (śilpa)

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्) refers to “craftsman”.—The practicing śilpi should have a thorough knowledge of the pañcarātra-āgama-śāstra (the doctrine of the five elements) and the various forms of images set out in it before creating the images of divine beings. A śilpi must have knowledge of the fine arts of the land, namely, literature, music, dance, painting and sculpture. The reason for a śilpi to know the fine arts is that it elevates and sublimates the human spirit through dharma (right action), artha (material and spiritual benefits), kāma (attachment in the worldly life) and mokṣa (release from the bondage of birth).

The śilpi must be exposed to the navarasa (the nine major experiential qualities) through an appreciation of nāṭya (dance) and saṅgīta (music). The śilpi should have immense skills in mathematics because all the calculations for making an image are based on the digital measurements. He must be a painter as well because only if he can draw he can give his drawings a form. With the guidelines for field application from the śilpa texts, the śilpis with their experience and responses to art create excellent sculptures and structures/monuments.

context information

Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Shodhganga: Temple management in the Āgamas

Śilpi (शिल्पि) refers to the “sculptor” dedicated to the Śiva temple.—There was also the Śilpi and Takṣaka, the sculptor and carpenter who was the critical resource for the actual construction of the temple. The artisan—be it architect, mason, sculptor, carpenter and so on—has an important role in the Āgama. The Āgama has specific and elaborate guidelines for the construction of every part of the temple, design, making of chariots, images, pedastals, halls, divine weapons and so on. The Āgama is as much a manual for construction and design as it is a manual of ritual. Therefore the artisan is present during the ritual till a specific stage from where the Ācārya takes over for the ritual installation. He is honoured just as the Ācārya, Mūrtipa, Daivajña etc. are honoured.

context information

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.

Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)

Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्) refers to “painters and sculptors”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 15) (“On the nakṣatras—‘asterisms’”), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “Those who are born on the lunar day of Punarvasu will be noted for truthfulness, generosity, cleanliness, respectable descent, personal beauty, sense, fame and wealth; they will also be merchants, dealing in excellent articles, will be fond of service and will delight in the company of painters and sculptors (sa-śilpin-jana). [...]”.

context information

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.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (tantric Buddhism)

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्) refers to a “craftsman” (involved in the rite), according to Kuladatta’s Kriyāsaṃgrahapañjikā, a text within Tantric Buddhism representing a construction manual for monasteries.—Accordingly, [nimittokti section of chapter 3]—“If someone, either the Tantric officiant, a craftsman (śilpin) [involved in the rite], the donor or his officials scratches his head [in the site for a monastery etc.], then there is an extraneous thing [that causes a calamity at a depth of] the full height of a man underground”.

context information

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.

India history and geography

Source: Google Books: Medieval Orissa: A Socio-economic Study

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्) refers to “artisans” and represents one of the occupational groups commonly found in Townships or Urban centers (nagari) in ancient India (Medieval Orissa).—An example (of Township) is provided by the Nagari plates of Anangabhima III, dated A.D. 1230, which describe an assigned township which contained four large houses of the dimension of royal residences and thirty other houses. The occupational groups present in the settlement were [e.g., artisans (śilpin, śilpinō)]. The range of occupations is large, some of them being rural in character. The context in which the township (or Urban centres—nagari) is assigned suggest that nagaris in such cases were perhaps extended villages, formed out of a cluster of several contiguous villages and thus assuming physical and consequently, economic dimensions much larger than those of an ordinary village settlement.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Śilpin.—(EI 4, 8; BL), epithet of an artist or artisan; generally, applied to engravers of inscriptions. Note: śilpin is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

Source: Shodhganga: The significance of the mūla-beras (history)

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्) refers to “sculptor” or “craftsman”.—When a material image is to be produced for purposes of worship in a temple or elsewhere, a technical procedure is undertaken by a professional craftsman, who is called by various names such as śilpin (craftsman), yogin (yogi), sādhaka (adept) or rūpakara/pratimākāra (imager). The sculptors associated themselves in villages solely populated by them. In the villages of Tanjore District, Svāmimalai and Kumbhakonam, there existed and still exists a group of families who have been practicing the art of image making in bronze and stone as hereditary profession from generations past. In the ancient days, the śilpa-parampara (the sculptural tradition) was closely linked to the architectural field and the two together was called vāstu-parampara. The designers and the artists of the classical tradition of sculpture were known as Viśvakarmas.

The builders or the craftsmen–sthapatis and the śilpins –who belonged to the same guilds of artisans, had common principles and set methods of design and construction; and they worked in collaboration with the priests who knew the rituals, the nature of the objects of veneration, and the modes of their worship. They together determined the forms of the temples with such modifications as suited the respective cases, as also the fixing of the principal deities and the decorations of the structure with iconic and other sculptural embellishments. All that was known and necessary in the creation of the temple and the conduct of worship therein was codified.

The śilpi tradition was hereditary. During the day, the actual work technique was taught and in the evenings the theoretical knowledge was imparted through the śilpa texts. The father’s workshop became the working ground for the son. The śilpi should acquire expertise in svānubhāva (based on experience) which can be cultivated only through exposure to the lyrical aspects of literature, poetry, composition, and other fine arts as much as through a deep experience of life. The śilpi understands the philosophical and metaphysical content of the Divine Being properly. Such a craftsman goes through the whole process of self-purification and worship, mental visualization and identification of consciousness with the form evoked and then only transforms the form into stone or metal.

context information

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

Biology (plants and animals)

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

Shilpi in India is the name of a plant defined with Xylia xylocarpa in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Acacia xylocarpa Benth., nom. illeg. (among others).

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

· Burmah (1882)
· London Journal of Botany (1842)
· Species Plantarum.
· Journal of Botany (1842)
· Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2005)
· Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis (1825)

If you are looking for specific details regarding Shilpi, for example diet and recipes, pregnancy safety, extract dosage, side effects, health benefits, chemical composition, 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

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

Śilpī (शिल्पी).—a (S) Relating to a mechanical profession or art.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

Śilpī (शिल्पी).—m An artizan, artificer, a mechanic

--- OR ---

śilpī (शिल्पी).—a Relating to a mechanical profession.

context information

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 dictionary

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्).—a.

1) Relating to a fine or mechanical art.

2) Mechanical. -m.

1) An artisan, artist, a mechanic; Manusmṛti 1.12.

2) One who is skilled in any art.

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

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्).—mfn. (-lpī-lpinī-lpi) 1. An artist, an artificer or artisan. 2. Belonging or relating to a mechanical profession or art. f. (-lpi nī) A drug or herb, a kind of grass said to the known by the name of Lahanasipi, and described as sweet and cooling, and bearing seeds of tonic, and restorative properties; also śilpikā, &c. E. śilpa art, and ini aff.

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

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्).—i. e. śilpa + in, I. adj. Belonging or relating to a mechanical profession or art. Ii. m., f. nī, and n. An artificer, a mechanic, [Pañcatantra] 10, 6; [Johnson's Selections from the Mahābhārata.] 9, 11.

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

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्).—[adjective] knowing an art; [masculine] & [feminine] nī artist, artisan.

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

1) Śilpī (शिल्पी):—[from śilpa] f. a female artisan or mechanic, [Catalogue(s)]

2) Śilpi (शिल्पि):—[from śilpa] in [compound] for śilpin.

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

1) Śilpin (शिल्पिन्):—[from śilpa] mfn. belonging to or skilled in art

2) [v.s. ...] m. an artificer, artisan, craftsman, artist, [Gautama-dharma-śāstra; Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.

3) [v.s. ...] (ifc.) fashioner of [Naiṣadha-carita]

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

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्):—[(lpī-lpinī-lpi) a.] Relating to an art; an artist. f.

(-ī) A drug and herb.

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

Śilpin (शिल्पिन्) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Sippi.

[Sanskrit to German]

Shilpin 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

Śilpī (शिल्पी):—(nm) a craftsman; an artist; a sculptor.

context information

...

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Śilpi (ಶಿಲ್ಪಿ):—

1) [noun] a person who is skilled in the techniques of any of the fine arts, esp. in painting, drawing, etc.; an artist.

2) [noun] a person who sculpts statues, idols, in stone or metal; a sculptor.

3) [noun] a person skilled or occupied in some branch of engineering; an engineer.

4) [noun] a stone statue or idol.

--- OR ---

Śilpi (ಶಿಲ್ಪಿ):—

1) [noun] an instrument for making whistling sounds, as by forcing the breath or steam through a slit into a cavity or against a thin edge; a whistle.

2) [noun] ಶಿಲ್ಪಿ ಹೊಡೆ [shilpi hode] śilpi hoḍe = ಶಿಲ್ಪಿ ಊದು [shilpi udu]; ಶಿಲ್ಪಿ ಊದು [shilpi udu] śilpi ūdu to blow a wistle.

--- OR ---

Silpi (ಸಿಲ್ಪಿ):—[noun] an instrument for making whistling sounds, as by forcing the breath or steam through a slit into a cavity or against a thin edge; a whistle.

context information

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 Lexicon

Śilpi (ஶில்பி) noun < śilpin. See சிற்பி. [sirpi.]

context information

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 Dictionary

Śilpī (शिल्पी):—n. a craftsman; a skilled worker; adj. having to do with a craft or skill; technical;

context information

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.

Relevant text

Search found 18 books and stories containing Shilpin, Śilpin, Śilpī, Shilpi, Silpi, Silpin, Śilpi; (plurals include: Shilpins, Śilpins, Śilpīs, Shilpis, Silpis, Silpins, Śilpis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Opposite Person < [April – June, 1982]

Book Reviews < [July – September, 1995]

Reviews < [September 1947]

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4. Economic Condition < [Chapter 6 - Other Socio-Cultural Aspects]

13. Various Types of Profession < [Chapter 6 - Other Socio-Cultural Aspects]

16.1. Drawing and Painting < [Chapter 6 - Other Socio-Cultural Aspects]

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Introduction < [Chapter XIII - Prasada: Component Parts]

Dravidian Art < [Chapter XIV - Conclusion]

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Verse 8.13.51 < [Chapter 13 - A Thousand Names of Lord Balarāma]