Shoshana, Śoṣaṇa, Sosana: 27 definitions
Introduction:
Shoshana means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, 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 term Śoṣaṇa can be transliterated into English as Sosana or Shoshana, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Shoshan.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण, “withering”) refers to one of the five arrows of Kāma, also known as Puṣpabāṇa, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.3.—“[...] In this form and with your five flower-arrows [viz., Puṣpabāṇa] you can enamour and captivate men and women and carry on the eternal task of creation. [...] The minds of all living beings will become an easy target of your five-flower arrows (Puṣpabāṇa). You will be the cause of their elation. Thus I have assigned you the task of facilitating creation. These sons of mine will confer names and titles on you. Taking his five flower-arrows (Puṣpabāṇa), Kāma decided on his future course remaining invisible in form. His five arrows are respectively: Harṣaṇa (delighting), Rocana (appealing), Mohana (deluding), Śoṣaṇa (withering), Māraṇa (killing). Even sages could be deluded and tormented by them”.
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण).—To be worshipped in house-building.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 253. 26.
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.
Dhanurveda (science of warfare)
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण) refers to one of the arrows of Kāmadeva. It is a Sanskrit word defined in the Dhanurveda-saṃhitā, which contains a list of no less than 117 weapons. The Dhanurveda-saṃhitā is said to have been composed by the sage Vasiṣṭha, who in turn transmitted it trough a tradition of sages, which can eventually be traced to Śiva and Brahmā.
Dhanurveda (धनुर्वेद) refers to the “knowledge of warfare” and, as an upaveda, is associated with the Ṛgveda. It contains instructions on warfare, archery and ancient Indian martial arts, dating back to the 2nd-3rd millennium BCE.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण) refers to “drying” which is prescribed as one of the operations/ preliminary ceremonies related to the kuṇḍa (“fire-pit”), according to the various Āgamas and related literature. Śoṣaṇa is mentioned in the Suprabheda-āgama (Kriyā-pāda, chapter 11), Pūrvakāraṇa-āgama (chapter 22), Raurava-āgama (Kriyā-pāda, chapter 15), Dīpta-āgama (chapter 33) and the Cintya-āgama (chapter 10).
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण, “drying”) or Śoṣa refers to one of the “seven means” (saptopāya) to be performed when a mantra does not manifest its effect, as explained in the 10th-century Kakṣapuṭatantra verse 1.104-105. Śoṣaṇa, which aims to dry up the mantra, should be performed. The practitioner attaches the bījas of Vāyu, the god of Wind, to it, and keeps the written mantra around his neck. The last resort is the dahanīya, which aims to burn the mantra at the stake.
Accordingly, “if the nourished [mantra] does not have an effect, one should perform the śoṣaṇa (drying up). One should [attach] the mantra to double bījas [of Vāyu (i.e. yaṃ)], in the vidarbhaṇa manner. The vidyā written with the ashes of the vaṭa (banyan) should be kept around his neck. If the dried [mantra] does not have an effect, one should perform the dahanīya (burning) with Agni’s bīja (i.e., raṃ)”.
Note on śoṣa-poṣaṇa: the Tattvacintāmaṇi (20.94) and Bṛhattantrasāra (4.47) support poṣa-soṣaṇa and the Dīkṣāprakāśa supports poṣaṇa-śoṣaṇa. They are explained in order of poṣaṇa and śoṣaṇa, as we see below. Note on vidarbhaṇa: it is the method of arranging an alternating bīja and an akṣara of the mantra. Note on vaṭabhasma: the Tattvacintāmaṇi (20.105) and Bṛhattantrasāra (4.54) support varabhasma (ashes of turmeric?).
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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण) is another name for Śuṇṭhī, a medicinal plant identified with Zingiber officinale Rosc. or “ginger root” from the Zingiberaceae or “ginger” family of flowering plants, according to verse 6.24-26 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu.—Note: Śuṇṭhi is dried and specially prepared form of Ārdraka by removing the outer scales of the rhizome. The major part of the oil of ginger remains in these scales and is obtained from the Śuṇṭhī/Ārdraka with scales.—The sixth chapter (pippalyādi-varga) of this book enumerates ninety-five varieties of plants obtained from the market (paṇyauṣadhi). Together with the names Śoṣaṇa and Śuṇṭhī, there are a total of fifteen Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण) refers to “dryness (of the inside of the mouth)” (and represents a symptom of elephants afflicted by thirst), 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 11, “45-46. Sucking, shutting the eyes, sniffing of the ground, of trees, of the sky (air) and the wind, sluggishness, dryness of the inside of the mouth (āsyāntara-śoṣaṇa), quivering of the ear tips, listlessness, constant yawning, moodiness, and fumbling in the dust, redness of urine, and redness of the eyes—these are the signs of an elephant that is tormented with thirst”.
Unclassified Ayurveda definitions
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण) refers to “absorbing” and is the action (karma) associated with Rūkṣa (“dry”): one of the twenty Śārīraguṇa (or Gurvādiguṇa), which refers to the “twenty qualities of the body”—where guṇa (property) represents one of the six divisions of dravya (drugs).—Śārīraka-guṇas are twenty in number. There are ten guṇas with their opposite guṇas. [...] Snigdha (“oily”) has the predominant bhūta (element) of water and the associated actions of “moistening/kledana”; while Rūkṣa (“dry”) has the predominant bhūta (element) of earth, fire, air and is associated with the action “absorbing/śoṣaṇa”.
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण) refers to the “desiccation of the enemy’s body”, according to Tantric texts such as the Kubjikāmata-tantra, the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—HRĪṂ is the seed-syllable of Māyā and Lakṣmī. It belongs to Viṣṇu and corresponds to the element Water. Its form is like a wheel of fire (alātacakra). [...] The Kubjikāmatatantra also attributes magical powers to the Five Praṇavas, which are said to bring about sexual arousal (drāvaṇa), disturbance (kṣobha), delusion (moha), sleep (jṛmbhana) and the desiccation of the enemy’s body (śoṣaṇa), respectively.
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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण) refers to the “sucking up” (of both semen and vaginal fluid), according to the Yogamārgaprakāśikā 145-146b.—Accordingly, “If [the Yogin’s] semen accidentally moves [from his body] and has fallen into [a woman’s] vagina, the sucking up (śoṣaṇa) of both [semen and vaginal fluid] by the Yogin, [results in] him becoming a receptacle of [all] the Siddhis. This Mudrā, [called] Sahajolī, should always be known by Yogins”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Mantrashastra (the science of Mantras)
Śoṣana (शोषन, “withering”) (or śoṣa) refers to “drying the mantra” and represents one of the seven techniques to improve or revive fruitless mantras (i.e., “mantras that do not bring satisfaction and visible improvements”), according to the Kakṣapuṭatantra verses 1.89.91.—The operation of Śoṣana (drying the mantra) is described as: The practitioner should write a mantra with the bīja of Vāyu [yaṃ], the god of wind, attached to it and wear it around the neck. The last thing you can do is dahana or dahanīya (burning).
Mantrashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, mantraśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science of mantras—chants, incantations, spells, magical hymns, etc. Mantra Sastra literature includes many ancient books dealing with the methods reciting mantras, identifying and purifying its defects and the science behind uttering or chanting syllables.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
sosana : (nt.) causing to dry.
Sosana, (nt.) (fr. soseti) causing to dry (in surgery) Miln. 353. (Page 726)
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionary
śōṣaṇa (शोषण).—n (S) Drying up; drawing forth the moisture of and desiccating: also drawing in or sucking up of moisture or liquor, absorbing.
śōṣaṇa (शोषण).—n Drying up; absorbing.
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
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण).—a. (-ṇī f.) [शुष्-ल्यु ल्युट् वा (śuṣ-lyu lyuṭ vā)]
1) Drying up, desiccating.
2) Causing to wither up, emaciating; पत्राणामिव शोषणेन मरुता स्पृष्टा लता माधवी (patrāṇāmiva śoṣaṇena marutā spṛṣṭā latā mādhavī) Ś.3.1.
-ṇaḥ Name of one of the arrows of Cupid.
-ṇam 1 Drying up, desiccation.
2) Suction, sucking up, absorption.
3) Exhaustion.
4) Emaciation, withering up.
5) Dry ginger.
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण).—n.
(-ṇaṃ) 1. Suction, sucking. 2. Drying up. 3. Exhaustion. 4. Dry-ginger. m.
(-ṇaḥ) One of the arrows of Kamadeva, or Cupid. f. (-ṇī) 1. Drying up. 2. Causing to wither. E. śuṣ to dry, lyuṭ aff.
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण).—i. e. śuṣ + ana, I. adj. Drying up, causing to fade, [Śākuntala, (ed. Böhtlingk.)] [distich] 58. Ii. m. One of the arrows of Kāma, [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 7, 3. Iii. n. Drying up, [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 2. ed. 91, 61; [Pañcatantra] 27, 1 (vṛthā -śarīra-, Useless mortifying one’s self).
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण).—[feminine] ī = 1 śoṣa [adjective]; [neuter] exsiccation, drought.
1) Śoṣaṇa (शोषण):—[from śoṣa] mf(ī)n. drying up, draining, parching, withering, [Nirukta, by Yāska; Mahābhārata; Suśruta]
2) [v.s. ...] (ifc.) removing, destroying, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
3) [v.s. ...] m. Name of an Agni, [Harivaṃśa]
4) [v.s. ...] of one of the arrows of Kāma-deva (god of love), [Vetāla-pañcaviṃśatikā; Gīta-govinda [Scholiast or Commentator]]
5) [v.s. ...] Bignonia Indica, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) [v.s. ...] n. drying up (intr.), desiccation, [Maitrī-upaniṣad; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]
7) [v.s. ...] making dry, draining, suction, [Mahābhārata; Pañcatantra; Suśruta]
8) [v.s. ...] dry ginger, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण):—(ṇaḥ) 1. m. One of the arrows of Kāmadeva. n. Suction, drying up.
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण):—
1) adj. (f. ī) trocknend, ausdörrend [Yāska’s Nirukta 2, 24.] [Suśruta 1, 31, 15. 156, 15. 2, 421, 2.] astra [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 1, 30, 14 (29, 16] [SCHL.][?). 57, 7 (56, 8 SCHL.).] pattrāṇāṃ śoṣaṇena marutā [Śākuntala 58.] loka [Raghuvaṃśa 12, 29.] samudrajala [Mahābhārata 1, 1396.] gātra (duḥkha) [12, 900.] hṛdaya (ādhi) [1, 4704.] [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 2, 77, 23.] versiegen machend so v. a. entfernend, verscheuchend: akhilatāpa [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 1, 11, 10.] aśeṣadoṣāmaya [Oxforder Handschriften 234,b,27.] —
2) m. a) Name eines Agni [Harivaṃśa 10465.] — b) Name eines der 5 Pfeile des Liebesgottes [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa.1,1,40.] [Oxforder Handschriften 184,b, No. 419. 190,b,39.] [Vetālapañcaviṃśati] in [Lassen’s Anthologie (III) 5,19. Scholiast] zu [Gītagovinda.8,1.] — c) = śyonāka [Bhāvaprakāśa im Śabdakalpadruma] —
3) n. a) intrans. das Eintrocknen, Verdorren [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha 2, 574.] [Medinīkoṣa ṣ. 29.] [DHĀTUP. 23, 10. 26, 74.] mahārṇavānām [MAITRYUP. 1, 4.] kāsāra [Lassen’s Anthologie (III) 91, 22.] von Bäumen [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 46, 28.] — b) trans. das Trocknen, Trockenmachen, Dörren, Ausdörren [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 394.] [Sânkhya Philosophy 15.] [Suśruta 1, 152, 8.] agastyena vinā ko hi śakto nyo rṇavaśoṣaṇe [Mahābhārata 3, 8773.] [Pañcatantra 82, 8. 9.] [Oxforder Handschriften 78], a, [No. 133.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 3, 26, 40.] māṃsasya [Rāmāyaṇa 2, 96, 38 (105, 37 Gorresio).] śarīrasya [Spr. (II) 5545.] das Abtrocknen [PAÑCAR. 3, 9, 13.] — c) trockener Ingwer [Rājanirghaṇṭa im Śabdakalpadruma] — Vgl. śarīra .
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Sosaṇa, Sosaṇadā, Sosaṇā.
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
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण) [Also spelled shoshan]:—(nm) exploitation; soaking; hence ~[ṇīya] (a).
...
Prakrit-English dictionary
1) Sosaṇa (सोसण) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Śoṣaṇa.
2) Sosaṇā (सोसणा) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Śoṣaṇā.
2) Sosaṇā has the following synonyms: Sosaṇadā.
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
Śōṣaṇa (ಶೋಷಣ):—[adjective] = ಶೋಷಕ [shoshaka]1 - 1
--- OR ---
Śōṣaṇa (ಶೋಷಣ):—
1) [noun] = ಶೋಷ - [shosha -] 1.
2) [noun] the act of drying (something).
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Śoṣaṇa (शोषण):—n. suction; drying up; withering; dryness; absorption; sucking; exploitation;
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 (+0): Shoshanala, Shoshanam.
Full-text (+45): Vishoshana, Upashoshana, Parishoshana, Samparishoshana, Sharirashoshana, Prashoshana, Samshoshana, Hridayashoshana, Gatrashoshana, Raktashoshana, Vrikshashoshana, Cocanam, Tanhapanidhisosana, Shoshanam, Sosanada, Shoshan, Varishoshana, Pandushoshana, Vatarajju, Coshanam.
Relevant text
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