Shodasha, Ṣōḍaśa, Ṣoḍaśa: 17 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Shaktism
2. Jyotisha
3. Vaishnavism
4. Purana
Languages
1. Marathi
2. Sanskrit
3. Hindi
4. Prakrit
5. Kannada
See also

Introduction:

Shodasha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, Hindi. 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 Ṣōḍaśa and Ṣoḍaśa can be transliterated into English as Sodasa or Shodasha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Shodash.

In Hinduism

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

1) Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश) or Ṣoḍaśasvara refers to the “sixteen vowels”, 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, “(Kuṇḍalinī) in her straight form (ṛjvī) is in the little-known (aprasiddha) place. Once she has filled the lake of nectar in the end of the sixteen (vowels) (ṣoḍaśānta), she who is the living being (jīvarūpiṇī) fills everything right up to the living being. In the form of the well-known senses (akṣa), she measures out time. [...]”.

The commentary on these lines in the Ṣaṭsāhasrasaṃhitā explains that: “Thus she is the one at the ‘end of the sixteen’ [i.e., ṣoḍaśa-antā], that is, she is at the end of the sixteen vowels [i.e., ṣoḍaśa-svara-antā]. The meaning is that she is the supreme (energy) of Unstruck Sound (anacka) and is without (phonemic) measure (nirmātrā). Here itself she is the living being because (she) fills (the body)”.

2) Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश) or Ṣoḍaśaśakti refers to the “sixteen energies”, according to Ṭīkā [on the Manthānabhairavatantra?]:—Accordingly, “Everything arises out of the End of the Twelve [i.e., dvādaśānta] and merges (into it). [...] There Bhairava is Kubjeśa and the form of the power (which is his consort) is Kubjikā who is surrounded by sixteen energies [i.e., ṣoḍaśa-śakti—śaktiḥ ṣoḍaśabhir]. What are these sixteen? They are (the vowels, beginning with the letter A and ending with visarga”.

3) Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश) or Ṣoḍaśabheda refers to the “sixteen divisions” (of the thirty-three Gods ?), according to the Manthānabhairavatantra.—Accordingly, “ The sacred seat Jāla is the Unmanifest. It is well placed in the southern quarter. [...] Accomplished, divine, with six faces, giving supreme bliss, the guardian of the field is called ‘Jaya’. I praise the sacred seat Jāla, revered by the gods, which is divided into sixteen divisions [i.e., ṣoḍaśa-bheda—ṣoḍaśair bhedabhinnam]”.

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (shaktism)

Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश) refers to the “sixteen (goddesses of attraction)”, according to the King Vatsarāja’s Pūjāstuti called the Kāmasiddhistuti (also Vāmakeśvarīstuti), guiding one through the worship of the Goddess Nityā.—Accordingly, “[...] May the deities of the ten gestures, who [have forms that] are in accordance with the powers of their respective gestures, are mild, and carry a snare and goad, endow me with the object of my desire. May the sixteen goddesses of attraction (ṣoḍaśa-ākṛṣṭiśakti), [representing] the perennial constitutive digits of Kalānidhi [i.e. the Moon], draw towards me the object of my desire. [...]”.

context information

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)

Source: Google Books: Studies in the History of the Exact Sciences (Astronomy)

Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश) refers to “a measure of sixteen (palas)”, according to Kāśīnātha Upādhye’s Dharmasindhu, a commentary on the Rāma Daivajña’s Muhūrtacintāmaṇi (an astrological work).—Accordingly, “[...] Thus it has has been said in the third Skandha of the sacred Bhāgavata. Its meaning is [as follows]. Eighty guñjas make one karṣa. The same has the designation of suvarṇa. Four karṣas are one pala. Thus, a vessel should be made of six palas of copper; it should be pierced at the base by means of a needle made of twenty guñjas’ weight of gold and four aṅgulas in length. Through this perforation, by the time a prastha measure of water enters, that bowl sinks in the water, because of the prastha measure of water that filled it. Then that vessel becomes the standard measure for the period of one ghaṭī. There the unit of one prastha contains sixteen palas [i.e., ṣoḍaśa-pala]. [...]”.

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.

Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)

Source: Prabhupada Books: Sri Caitanya Caritamrta

Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश) or Ṣoḍaśabheda refers to the “sixteen varieties of regular devotional service”, according to the Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.24.291ff.—Accordingly:—“[...] Within the category of regulative devotional service, there are also immature devotees. These are also of four varieties. Thus in regulative devotional service there are altogether sixteen varieties [i.e., ṣoḍaśa-bheda]. On the path of spontaneous devotional service, there are also sixteen categories of devotees. Thus there are thirty-two types of ātmārāmas enjoying the Supreme Lord on these two paths. When these thirty-two types of devotees are qualified with the words ‘muni’, ‘nirgrantha’, ‘ca’ and ‘api’, the meanings can be increased in different ways and very soundly elaborated upon. [...]”.

context information

Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Ṣoḍaśopacāra (षोडशोपचार) or Ṣoḍaśopacāra refers to the “sixteen types of offerings”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.13 (“Śiva-Pārvatī dialogue”).—Accordingly, after Śiva permitted Pārvatī to stay by his side: “[...] She washed Śiva’s feet and drank that holy water. With a cloth heated in fire she wiped his body. After worshipping Him with sixteen types of offerings [i.e., ṣoḍaśopacāra—ṣoḍaśenopacāreṇa] duly, and bowing to Him repeatedly she used to return to her father’s abode. O excellent sage, a long time elapsed as she continued her service to Him who was engrossed in meditation. [...]”

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

ṣōḍaśa (षोडश).—a S Sixteen.

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

ṣōḍaśa (षोडश).—a Sixteen. ṣōḍaśa saṃskāra m pl The sixteen great saṃskāra.

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

Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश).—a. (-śī f.) Sixteenth; केशान्तः षोडशे वर्षे ब्राह्मणस्य विधीयते (keśāntaḥ ṣoḍaśe varṣe brāhmaṇasya vidhīyate) Ms.2.65,86.

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

Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश).—mfn.

(-śaḥ-śī-śaṃ) Sixteenth. E. ṣoḍaśan sixteen, ḍaṭ aff.

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

Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश).—i. e. ṣoḍaśan + a, or curtailed, ord. num., f. śī, Sixteenth, [Pañcatantra] ii. [distich] 58.

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

Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश).—[feminine] ī the sixteenth; [neuter] a sixteenth [particle]

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

1) Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश):—[=ṣo-ḍaśa] [from ṣo > ṣaṣ] a etc. See below.

2) [=ṣo-ḍaśa] [from ṣaṣ] 1. ṣo-ḍaśa mf(ī)n. (ifc. f(ā). ) the sixteenth, (with aṃśa or bhāga m. a 16th part, [Manu-smṛti; Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]; ṛṣabha-ṣoḍaśāḥ [Gautama-dharma-śāstra] or vṛṣabha-ṣ [Manu-smṛti ix, 124], ‘15 cows and one bull’), [Brāhmaṇa; Gṛhya-sūtra and śrauta-sūtra] etc.

3) [v.s. ...] + 16 [Chāndogya-upaniṣad]

4) [v.s. ...] consisting of 16 [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā; Taittirīya-saṃhitā; Pañcaviṃśa-brāhmaṇa] etc.

5) [v.s. ...] Pl. incorrectly for ṣo-ḍaśan, 16 [Rāmatāpanīya-upaniṣad]

6) [=ṣo-ḍaśa] [from ṣaṣ] n. 1/16 [Atharva-veda; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]

7) [from ṣaṣ] 2 in [compound] for ṣo-ḍaśan below.

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

Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश):—[(śaḥ-śī-śaṃ) a.] Sixteenth.

[Sanskrit to German]

Shodasha 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

Ṣoḍaśa (षोडश) [Also spelled shodash]:—(a) sixteen; (nm) the number sixteen; —[śrṛṃgāra] see [solaha siṃgāra].

context information

...

Prakrit-English dictionary

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

Sodāsa (सोदास) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Saudāsa.

context information

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

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Ṣōḍaśa (ಷೋಡಶ):—

1) [adjective] preceded by fifteen others in a series; sixteenth.

2) [adjective] of sixteen kinds or types.

3) [adjective] sixteen fold.

--- OR ---

Ṣōḍaśa (ಷೋಡಶ):—

1) [noun] the cardinal number sixteen; 16.

2) [noun] the ceremony performed on the sixteenth day of death.

3) [noun] a particular religious sacrifice.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Relevant text

Search found 26 books and stories containing Shodasha, Ṣōḍaśa, Ṣoḍaśa, Sodasa, Sho-dasha, Ṣo-ḍaśa, So-dasa, Sodāsa, Sōdāsa; (plurals include: Shodashas, Ṣōḍaśas, Ṣoḍaśas, Sodasas, dashas, ḍaśas, dasas, Sodāsas, Sōdāsas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Part 5: Sodāsa (borne to king Naghuṣa and queen Siṃhikā) < [Chapter IV - The, birth, marriage, and retreat to the forest of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa]

Part 19: Story of Sodāsa < [Chapter II - Marriages of Vasudeva with maidens]

Part 4: Story of Naghuṣa and Siṃhikā < [Chapter IV - The, birth, marriage, and retreat to the forest of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa]

+ 1 more chapters / show preview

Verse 1.17.75 < [Chapter 17 - The Lord’s Travel to Gayā]

Verse 1.17.76 < [Chapter 17 - The Lord’s Travel to Gayā]

Verse 2.9.48 < [Chapter 9 - The Lord’s Twenty-One Hour Ecstasy and Descriptions of Śrīdhara and Other Devotees’ Characteristics]

+ 1 more chapters / show preview