Shishu, Śiśu, Sishu, Sì shù, Si shu, Sì shū, Shī shū, Shi shu, Shí shǔ, Shí shù, Shǐ shū, Shǐ shù, Shì shù, Shì shū, Sī shū, Sī shú, Sī shǔ, Shí shū: 44 definitions
Introduction:
Shishu means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, 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 term Śiśu can be transliterated into English as Sisu or Shishu, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Śiśu (शिशु).—A son born to the Saptamātṛs due to the blessing of Subrahmaṇya. The eyes of the child were blood-red. It was called Vīrāṣṭaka as well. (Vana Parva, Chapter 228, Verse 11).
Śiśu (शिशु) refers to a “child”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.10.—Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] Thus Śiva remained for a long time eliminating the three attributes, and unaffected by aberrations. The lord Himself, the controller of illusion remained in the state of the Supreme Brahman. Then He gave up trance. Many years elapsed. What happened thereafter, I shall now recount to you. The drops of sweat caused by exhaustion fell on the Earth from the lord’s forehead and took the shape of a child [i.e., śiśu] immediately. [...]”.
1a) Śiśu (शिशु).—A son of Balarāma.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 71. 166.
1b) A son of Sāraṇa.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 96. 164; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 15. 21.
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Śiśu (शिशु) refers to a “small child”, according to the Devīpañcaśatikā verse 2.74-79.—Accordingly: “One should draw the supreme goddess there. She is Śuṣkā and, auspicious, her face is emaciated. [...] She is Aghorā and her teeth are fearsome. She makes the great (magical) sound ‘phet’. Her hair is tied up (on the top of her head) and, auspicious, she has three eyes and holds a large (sacrificial) vessel. Her breasts are shrivelled up and her belly is very thin. She holds the ear of a small child [i.e., śiśu-karṇa-avalambinī]. Ferocious, she is adorned with a garland of severed heads and ornaments made of great snakes. Having drawn her in this form, one should worship the Mother (of the letters) there”.
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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Śiśu (शिशु) refers to “infants”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 16) (“On the planets—graha-bhaktiyoga”), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “[...] Mercury also presides over painters, grammarians, mathematicians, physicians, sculptors, spies, jugglers, infants (śiśu), poets, rogues, tale-bearers, black-magicians, messengers, eunuchs, buffoons, sorcerers and conjurers; over sentinels, dancers and dancing masters; over ghee, gingelly and other oils; over seeds, over bitter flavour, over observers of religious ceremonies, over chemists and mules”.
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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Toxicology (Study and Treatment of poison)
Śiśu (शिशु) is the name of an ingredient used in the treatment of Maṇḍalī-snake-bites, according to the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā—an important topic from Āyurveda which deals with the study of Toxicology (Viṣavidyā or Sarpavidyā).—A number of different permutation and combination of herbs are prescribed as Lepa and Pāna for removing the poison of Maṇḍalī snakes.—According to the Kāśyapasaṃhitā verse 9.78ab: “Powder of Turmeric, stem of Alarka, Banana, Tumbī, asafoetida, Munidruma/Agastyavṛkṣa, Śiśo (śiśu), Nīlī, stem of Guñjā mixed with fresh water cures Maṇḍalīviṣa”.
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Śiśu (शिशु) refers to an “elephant in his seventh year”, 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”]: “8. With firm (compact) nails, soles, joints, proha, saṃdāna, cikkā, pali, trunk, and nail tips, eating with the teeth, itchy, showing well-developed speed of limbs and well-developed avaskāra, with smooth forelegs and ends of the trunk tips, he is declared to be a ‘youngster’ (śiśu), in the seventh year”.
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.
Sports, Arts and Entertainment (wordly enjoyments)
Śiśu (शिशु) refers to a “young gazelle” (which were often the victim of hunters), according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, [while discussing the outlines of hawking]: “[...] Caraka, when it seizes a young (śiśu) gazelle [hāriṇaṃ śiśumādāya] and eats its limbs and entrails, produces irresistibly a loathing. Kecuka and other birds, afraid of the swiftness of the wings of Ṭonā and others, hiding themselves motionless in bushes, produce the emotion of fear”.
This section covers the skills and profiencies of the Kalas (“performing arts”) and Shastras (“sciences”) involving ancient Indian traditions of sports, games, arts, entertainment, love-making and other means of wordly enjoyments. Traditionally these topics were dealt with in Sanskrit treatises explaing the philosophy and the justification of enjoying the pleasures of the senses.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Sishu in Chinese refers to the “Four Textbooks” (in Confucian tradition) which are known in Tibetan as yig cha bzhi.—Accordingly, [while describing the history of the tradition known as the “star-like Ru”]: The first king, Fu Xi, composed a text on the bagua (eight trigrams) called Lianshan; it was the first of the great texts to appear, and it became the principal treatise on the subject. [...] Now, Confucius was the illuminator of the Ru tradition, but he wrote only a few of its basic verse texts; his disciples and grand-disciples commented extensively upon them in what are known as the sishu, or “four textbooks”. All Chinese scholars first study these later writings and make them the basis of their education.
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.
Chinese Buddhism
四術 [si shu]—idem 四執 [si zhi].
[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]
四書 [si shu]—Four Books — [Terminology] The "Monastic Rules (清規 [qing gui]) for Self-Cultivation at Jiàoyuàn Monastery" by Song Yunwai (宋雲外 [song yun wai]) state: "New students, when reading texts among the Four Books, should begin with the Fourfold Teaching (四教儀 [si jiao yi])." The Four Books are: Tiantai's "Successive Stages of the Dharma Realm (法界次第 [fa jie ci di])," the "Fourfold Teaching (四教儀 [si jiao yi])," the "Commentary on the Precepts (戒疏 [jie shu])," and the "Small Samatha-vipassana (小止觀 [xiao zhi guan])." See above under Tiantai Studies (天台學 [tian tai xue]).
四書—【名數】宋雲外之自度教苑清規曰：「新學讀文於四書中，當自四教儀而始。」四書者天台之法界次第，四教儀，戒疏，小止觀是也，見天台學則上。
[míng shù] sòng yún wài zhī zì dù jiào yuàn qīng guī yuē: “xīn xué dú wén yú sì shū zhōng, dāng zì sì jiào yí ér shǐ.” sì shū zhě tiān tái zhī fǎ jiè cì dì, sì jiào yí, jiè shū, xiǎo zhǐ guān shì yě, jiàn tiān tái xué zé shàng.
[ming shu] song yun wai zhi zi du jiao yuan qing gui yue: "xin xue du wen yu si shu zhong, dang zi si jiao yi er shi." si shu zhe tian tai zhi fa jie ci di, si jiao yi, jie shu, xiao zhi guan shi ye, jian tian tai xue ze shang.
[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]
四樹 [si shu]—Four Trees – A metaphor (譬喻 [pi yu]) for the Four Vehicles (四乘 [si cheng]) of Śrāvakas (聲聞 [sheng wen]), Pratyekabuddhas (緣覺 [yuan jue]), Bodhisattvas (菩薩 [pu sa]), and Buddhas (佛 [fu]). It draws from the metaphor of the three kinds of grasses and two kinds of trees (三草二木 [san cao er mu]) in the Lotus Sutra (法華 [fa hua]), hence the name 'trees.' The Preface to the Treatise on Promoting Zen and Protecting the Nation (興禪護國論序 [xing chan hu guo lun xu]) states: "The texts of the Three Wheels and Eight Treasuries (三輪八藏 [san lun ba cang]), and the essence of the Four Trees and Five Vehicles (五乘 [wu cheng])."
四樹—【譬喻】聲聞，緣覺，菩薩，佛之四乘也。取法華之三草二木之譬喻，故曰樹。興禪護國論序曰：「三輪八藏之文，四樹五乘之旨。」
[pì yù] shēng wén, yuán jué, pú sà, fú zhī sì chéng yě. qǔ fǎ huá zhī sān cǎo èr mù zhī pì yù, gù yuē shù. xìng chán hù guó lùn xù yuē: “sān lún bā cáng zhī wén, sì shù wǔ chéng zhī zhǐ.”
[pi yu] sheng wen, yuan jue, pu sa, fu zhi si cheng ye. qu fa hua zhi san cao er mu zhi pi yu, gu yue shu. xing chan hu guo lun xu yue: "san lun ba cang zhi wen, si shu wu cheng zhi zhi."
Chinese Buddhism (漢傳佛教, hanchuan fojiao) is the form of Buddhism that developed in China, blending Mahayana teachings with Daoist and Confucian thought. Its texts are mainly in Classical Chinese, based on translations from Sanskrit. Major schools include Chan (Zen), Pure Land, Tiantai, and Huayan. Chinese Buddhism has greatly influenced East Asian religion and culture.
Biology (plants and animals)
Sisu [সিসু] in the Assamese language is the name of a plant identified with Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. ex DC. from the Fabaceae (Pea) family having the following synonyms: Dalbergia pendula, Pterocarpus sissoo. For the possible medicinal usage of sisu, you can check this page for potential sources and references, although be aware that any some or none of the side-effects may not be mentioned here, wether they be harmful or beneficial to health.
1) Sisu in English (or Sishu in India) is the name of a plant defined with Dalbergia sissoo in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Amerimnon sissoo Kuntze, Dalbergia sissoo Roxb., nom. illeg. (among others).
2) Sisu in India is also identified with Citrus aurantium It has the synonym Citrus amara Link (etc.).
3) Sisu is also identified with Dalbergia latifolia It has the synonym Amerimnon latifolium (Roxb.) Kuntze, nom. illeg. (etc.).
Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):
· Journal of Wuhan Botanical Research (1990)
· Flora Indica; or, descriptions of Indian Plants (1832)
· Nova Genera et Species Plantarum (1823)
· Revisio Generum Plantarum (1891)
· Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden (1981)
· Species Plantarum (1753)
If you are looking for specific details regarding Sisu, for example health benefits, chemical composition, pregnancy safety, side effects, diet and recipes, extract dosage, have a look at these references.
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
śiśu (शिशु).—m S A young one of man or an animal in general; a child, a calf, a pup, a cub, a whelp. Applied in poetry also to the young one of a fish. Ex. asō macchaśiśūnēṃ ugaḷūna || āṇūna ṭhēvilā pūrvasthaḷīṃ ||.
śiśu (शिशु).—m A child. A calf; a pup.
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
Śiśu (शिशु).—[śo-ku sanvadbhāvaḥ dvitvam cf. Uṇādi-sūtra 1.2]
1) A child, an infant; शिशुर्वा शिष्या वा (śiśurvā śiṣyā vā) Uttararāmacarita 4.11.
2) The young of any animal (as a calf, puppy, fawn &c.); नष्टाशङ्का हरिणशिशवो मन्दमन्दं चरन्ति (naṣṭāśaṅkā hariṇaśiśavo mandamandaṃ caranti) Ś.1.15;7.14,18.
3) A boy under eight or sixteen years of age.
4) A pupil, scholar.
5) An elephant in the sixth year; Mātaṅga L.5.8.
Derivable forms: śiśuḥ (शिशुः).
Śiśu (शिशु).—m.
(-śuḥ) 1. The young of man or any animal, a child, a calf, &c. 2. A pupil, a scholar. 3. A boy under eight years of age. 4. A lad or boy not more than sixteen. E. śo to destroy, Unadi aff. u, and the root repeated, with i substituted for the semivowel to which the radical vowel is changed in its inflections.
Śiśu (शिशु).—i. e. reduplic. śvi, m. 1. The young of man or any animal, [Vikramorvaśī, (ed. Bollensen.)] [distich] 121; [Pañcatantra] 160, 4; a child, [Pañcatantra] i. [distich] 241; a calf, [Pañcatantra] 182, 12; a pup, etc. 2. A boy. 3. A pupil.
Śiśu (शिशु).—[masculine] young, child.
Śiśu (शिशु) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—son of Vaṭeśa: Jātakasāra.
1) Śiśu (शिशु):—m. ([from] √1. śū = śvi) a child, infant, the young of any animal (as a calf, puppy etc.; also applied to young plants, and to the recently risen sun; often ifc.), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.
2) a boy under eight years of age, [Horace H. Wilson]
3) a lad under sixteen, [ib.]
4) a pupil, scholar, [ib.]
5) Name of Skanda, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] (cf. kumāra)
6) of a descendant of Aṅgiras (author of [Ṛg-veda ix, 112]), [Anukramaṇikā]
7) of a son of Sāraṇa, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]
8) of a king, [Buddhist literature]
9) [according to] to some also = śiśna, ‘membrum virile’
10) mfn. young, infantine, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Śiśu (शिशु):—(śuḥ) 2. m. The young of man or any animal; an infant, a child.
[Sanskrit to German]
Śiśu (शिशु) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Sisu.
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
Śiśu (शिशु):—(nm) an infant; a baby; child; -[kalyāṇa] child welfare; -[kalyāṇa keṃndra] child welfare centre; ~[gṛha] a nursery; ~[ghāta/ ~ghātaka] infanticide; -[pakṣāghāta] infantile paralysis; ~[pālana] rearing of children; ~[pālana-gṛha] a nursery; -[bali] child sacrifice; ~[hatyā] infanticide; -[hatyārā] infanticide.
...
Prakrit-English dictionary
Sisu (सिसु) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Śiśu.
Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.
Kannada-English dictionary
Śiśu (ಶಿಶು):—
1) [noun] a very young child; a baby; an infant.
2) [noun] a young of any animal.
3) [noun] a student, pupil (as related to his teacher).
--- OR ---
Sisu (ಸಿಸು):—
1) [noun] (correctly, ಶಿಶು [shishu])1. a very young child; a baby; an infant.
2) [noun] a young boy or girl.
--- OR ---
Sīsu (ಸೀಸು):—[noun] = ಸೀಸ [sisa]3.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Tamil dictionary
Śiśu (ஶிஶு) noun < śiśu. Child. See சிசு¹. [sisu¹.]
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
Śiśu (शिशु):—n. 1. a child; an infant; 2. the young of an animal; 3. child under eight to sixteen years of age;
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)
Partial matches: Shi, Shu, Ci.
Starts with (+28): Shishu-kalyaan-kendra, Shishu-kalyana-kendra, Shishubhava, Shishubhupati, Shishubodha, Shishubodhini, Shishucandrayana, Shishudeshya, Shishugandha, Shishughataka, Shishugita, Shishuhatya, Shishuhatye, Shishuhitaishini, Shishujana, Shishukala, Shishukarna, Shishukranda, Shishukrandana, Shishukrandiya.
Full-text (+699): Shishumara, Shishupala, Shishunaga, Shishuta, Shishuvahaka, Shishugandha, Shishuvahyaka, Shishukranda, Anushishu, Shishucandrayana, Shishutva, Shishukricchra, Ashishu, Shishupalaka, Devashishu, Shishubhava, Shishunandi, Shishunaman, Shishukrandiya, Shishukrandana.
Relevant text
Search found 98 books and stories containing Shishu, Shī shū, Shi shu, Shí shǔ, Shí shù, Shǐ shū, Shǐ shù, Shì shù, Shì shū, Shí shū, Shīshū, Shíshǔ, Shíshù, Shǐshū, Shǐshù, Shìshù, Shìshū, Shíshū, Shishus, Sì shù, Si shu, Sì shū, Sī shū, Sī shú, Sī shǔ, Sishu, Sìshù, Sìshū, Sīshū, Sīshú, Sīshǔ, Śiśu, Sisu, Sīsu, 世叔, 使數, 十数, 十數, 厮熟, 史书, 史書, 四书, 四書, 四樹, 四術, 士庶, 实属, 实数, 實屬, 實數, 師叔, 廝熟, 时蔬, 時數, 時蔬, 私塾, 私屬, 私淑, 詩書, 識數, 识数, 诗书, 鼫鼠; (plurals include: Shishus, Shī shūs, Shi shus, Shí shǔs, Shí shùs, Shǐ shūs, Shǐ shùs, Shì shùs, Shì shūs, Shí shūs, Shīshūs, Shíshǔs, Shíshùs, Shǐshūs, Shǐshùs, Shìshùs, Shìshūs, Shíshūs, Shishuses, Sì shùs, Si shus, Sì shūs, Sī shūs, Sī shús, Sī shǔs, Sishus, Sìshùs, Sìshūs, Sīshūs, Sīshús, Sīshǔs, Śiśus, Sisus, Sīsus). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Taisho: Chinese Buddhist Canon
Scroll 2 - The Sutra on the Great Reliable Brahman (volume 2) < [Part 8 - The Sutra on the Great Reliable Brahman]
Scroll 59g - Part 221: [Discourse on Examples] < [Part 26 - Middle Length Discourses]
Scroll 2c - Chapter 5: The Asuras < [Part 23 - Creation and Destruction of the World]
Brihat Jataka by Varahamihira [Sanskrit/English] (by Michael D Neely)
Verse 6.8 < [Chapter 6 - Early Death]
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 1.11.48 < [Chapter 11 - Description of Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra’s Birth]
Verse 1.14.37 < [Chapter 14 - The Liberation of Śakaṭāsura and Tṛṇāvarta]
Verse 1.19.25 < [Chapter 19 - Breaking of the Two Arjuna Trees]
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Rhetoric and the Perception of the Sacred in Confucian Classics < [Volume 16, Issue 6 (2025)]
Is Confucius a Philosopher or a Saint? Michele Ruggieri’s Views from... < [Volume 15, Issue 7 (2024)]
The Dynamic Characteristics of “Jeong 情” < [Volume 14, Issue 5 (2023)]
Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
Text 10.136 < [Chapter 10 - Ornaments of Meaning]
Text 7.155 < [Chapter 7 - Literary Faults]
Text 2.8 < [Chapter 2 - The Natures of Words (śabda)]
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