Shvasana, Śvasana, Śvasāna: 15 definitions
Introduction:
Shvasana means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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 Śvasana and Śvasāna can be transliterated into English as Svasana or Shvasana, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Swasan.
In Hinduism
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Śvasana (श्वसन) refers to “(the process of) breathing”, according to the Yogatārāvalī: a short Yoga text of twenty-nine verses presenting Haṭhayoga as the means to Rājayoga (i.e., Samādhi).—Accordingly, while discussing the connection between Haṭhayoga and Rājayoga: “For great adepts [of yoga], an extraordinary absorption of the breath arises, [which is] free from the activity of all the senses. [It is brought about] by the cessation of the [normally] unrestrained process of breathing (śvasana-udgama). [Such cessations] are called Kevalakumbhaka. There are no gazing points, no fixing of the mind [on a meditation-object], no time or place, no [deliberate] stopping of the breath, nor the effort of concentration and meditation when Rājayoga is flourishing”.
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).
Shyanika-shastra (the science of Hawking and Hunting)
Śvasana (श्वसन) refers to a “breeze” (in the rainy season), 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 treatment of hawks]: “[...] In the rainy season, when the breeze (śvasana) surcharged with the fragrance of the Kadamba flowers blows in every direction, when the river-water becomes dirty with the washings by the rain, when the crickets fill the whole space with their noise, these birds should be tended in such a way that regaining their vigour they may cast off their old feathers and assume new ones just as snakes assume a new slough. [...]”.
Shyanika-shastra (श्यैनिकशास्त्र, śyainikaśāstra) deals with ancient Indian skill of hawking/falconry (one of the ways of hunting) which were laid down in a systematic manner in various Sanskrit treatises. It also explains the philosophy behind how the pleasures derived from sense-experience could lead the way to liberation.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Śvasana (श्वसन) refers to one of the 72 rays of the Viśuddhi-Cakra which (together with the 64 rays of the Ājñā) are associated with the lunar plane called Brahmagranthi, according to Śaṅkarācārya’s Saudaryalaharī.—Accordingly, the Goddess is visualised (by Sādhaka) as dwelling above the six Ādhāracakras ruling over the 360 rays which emanate in them [e.g., Śvasana]. These 360 rays represent 360 syllables (i.e., a consummation of the śabdaprapañca or 50 alphabets) as well as the principles of nature. For the 360 syllables, together with haṃ and saḥ, Nyāsa should be performed for Śrīcakrapūjā.
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Śvasana (श्वसन) is the name of a Vākchomā (‘verbal secrect sign’) which has its meaning defined as ‘brāhmaṇa’ according to chapter 8 of the 9th-century Vajraḍākamahātantrarāja, a scripture belonging to the Buddhist Cakrasaṃvara (or Saṃvara) scriptural cycle. These Vākchomās (viz., śvasana) are meant for verbal communication and can be regarded as popular signs, since they can be found in the three biggest works of the Cakrasaṃvara literature.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Śvasana (श्वसन).—[śvasityanena śvas-lyuṭ]
1) Air, wind; श्वसनसुरभिगन्धिः (śvasanasurabhigandhiḥ) Śiśupālavadha 11.21.
2) Name of a demon killed by Indra.
-nam 1 Breath, breathing, respiration; श्वसनचलितपल्लवा- घरोष्ठ (śvasanacalitapallavā- gharoṣṭha) Kirātārjunīya 1.34; Ratnāvalī 2.4 (where it has sense 1 also); Śiśupālavadha 9.52.
2) Sighing.
3) Feeling; an object of feeling; घ्राणेन गन्धं रसनेन वै रसं रूपं तु दृष्ट्या श्वसनं त्वचैव (ghrāṇena gandhaṃ rasanena vai rasaṃ rūpaṃ tu dṛṣṭyā śvasanaṃ tvacaiva) Bhāgavata 2.2.29.
Derivable forms: śvasanaḥ (श्वसनः).
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Śvasāna (श्वसान).—a. Alive.
Śvasana (श्वसन).—trunk of an elephant; see gaja-śv°.
Śvasana (श्वसन).—m.
(-naḥ) 1. Air, wind. 2. A thorny plant, (Vangueria spinosa.) n.
(-naṃ) 1. Breathing, breath. 2. Sighing. E. śvas to breathe, aff. lyuṭ .
Śvasana (श्वसन).—[śvas + ana] 1., I. m. 1. Air, wind, breath, [Śiśupālavadha] 9, 52; [Kirātārjunīya] 10, 34. 2. A plant, Vangueria spinosa. Ii. n. 1. Breathing, Mahābhārata 8, 4205. 2. Sighing.
Śvasana (श्वसन).—[adjective] blowing, hissing, snorting, breathing deep. [masculine] wind or the god of wind; [neuter] hissing (of a serpent), breathing, [especially] deep breath, sigh.
--- OR ---
Svāsana (स्वासन).—[neuter] a fine seat.
1) Śvasana (श्वसन):—[from śvas] mfn. blowing, hissing, panting, breathing, [Ṛg-veda; Śāṅkhāyana-brāhmaṇa; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]
2) [v.s. ...] breathing heavily, [Suśruta]
3) [v.s. ...] m. air, wind (also of the body) or the god of wind, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa; Suśruta]
4) [v.s. ...] Name of a Vasu (son of Śvāsā), [Mahābhārata i, 2583]
5) [v.s. ...] (śvas) Name of a serpent-demon, [Suparṇādhyāya]
6) [v.s. ...] Vanguieria Spinosa, [Caraka]
7) [v.s. ...] n. breathing, respiration, breath, [Kāvya literature; Purāṇa; Suśruta]
8) [v.s. ...] heavy breathing, [Suśruta]
9) [v.s. ...] clearing the throat, [ib.]
10) [v.s. ...] hissing (of a serpent), [Śiśupāla-vadha]
11) [v.s. ...] sighing, a sigh, [Ratnāvalī]
12) [v.s. ...] feeling or an object of feeling, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa] ([Scholiast or Commentator])
13) Śvasāna (श्वसान):—[from śvas] mfn. breathing, living, alive, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
14) Svāsana (स्वासन):—[=sv-āsana] n. a good seat, [Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra]
Śvasana (श्वसन):—(naḥ) 1. m. Air, wind; thorny plant. n. Breathing, breath, sighing.
Śvasana (श्वसन):—(wie eben)
1) adj. blasend, zischend, schnaufend [Ṛgveda 1, 54, 5.] [Śāṅkhāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 4, 19, 10.] ein Stier [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 61, 6.] samīraṇa [PAÑCAR. 3, 5, 30.] — b) schwer athmend [Suśruta 2, 446, 15.] —
2) m. a) Wind (auch in medic. Bed.) [Amarakoṣa 1, 1, 1, 57.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1106.] [Anekārthasaṃgraha 3, 423.] [Medinīkoṣa Nalopākhyāna 138.] [Halāyudha 1, 75.] [Mahābhārata 3, 10058. 7, 1764. 12, 12401.] [Rāmāyaṇa 5, 50, 8. 6, 16, 35. 79, 60. 108, 1.] [Suśruta 2, 258, 10. 314, 13. 319, 1.] [KĀM. NĪTIS. 4, 80.] [Kirātārjunīya 10, 34.] [Śiśupālavadha 11, 21.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 1, 11, 35. 3, 8, 17. 32. 17, 26. 8, 10, 49. 20, 26. 10, 20, 6.] der Gott des Windes [Mahābhārata 1, 1489. 3, 770. 8, 1511.] [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 34, 2.] unter den Vasu als Sohn der Śvāsā [Mahābhārata 1, 2583.] — b) Vanguiera spinosa Roxb. [Amarakoṣa 2, 4, 2, 33.] [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] —
3) n. a) = śvāsa [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] heftiges, hörbares Athmen [Suśruta 1, 285, 1. 308, 15.] das Athmen überh., Athem: āsyakamalaśvasanaiḥ [Śiśupālavadha 9, 52. 11, 21.] [Kirātārjunīya 10, 34.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 4, 8, 20] (nach dem Comm. m. = prāṇa). [8, 7, 27. 11, 4, 4.] — b) das sich Räuspern [Suśruta 1, 100, 5.] — c) = sparśa (Comm.) Gefühl d. i. was da gefühlt wird [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 2, 2, 29. -] [Mahābhārata 8, 4205] ist statt samātatena śvasanena mit der ed. Bomb. zu lesen tamātateneṣvasanena .
Śvasana (श्वसन) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Sasaṇa.
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
Śvasana (श्वसन) [Also spelled swasan]:—(nm) (the act or process of) respiration, breathing; -[raṃdhra] nostril (s).
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Śvasana (ಶ್ವಸನ):—
1) [noun] the act of taking air into the lungs and letting it out (as a natural course); breathing.
2) [noun] the air so taken in and let out.
3) [noun] air or wind.
4) [noun] a generally chronic disorder characterised by wheezing, coughing, difficulty in breathing, and a suffocating feeling, caused by an allergy to inhaled substances, stress, etc.; asthma.
5) [noun] the plant Meyna laxiflora ( = Vanguieria spinosa) of Rubiaceae family.
6) [noun] the small-sized tree Xeromphis spinosa ( = Gardenia floribunda, Randia dumetorum) of Rubiaceae family.
7) [noun] (pros.) a metrical foot consisting of two short syllablic instants followed by a long one (uu-); anapaestus.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Sv, Asana.
Starts with (+0): Shvasanala, Shvasanali, Shvasanamanoga, Shvasanapatha, Shvasanarandhra, Shvasanasamirana, Shvasanashana, Shvasanavat, Shvasaneshvara, Shvasanodgama, Shvasanormi, Shvasanotsuka.
Full-text (+8): Vishvasana, Ashvasana, Nihshvasana, Shvasanashana, Shvasanotsuka, Shvasaneshvara, Shvasanarandhra, Shvasanasamirana, Nishshvasana, Shvasanamanoga, Shvasanavat, Vayu-shvasana, Shvasanormi, Shvasanapatha, Gajashvasana, Shvasanodgama, Svasina, Svasastha, Vaayu-shwasan, Niccuvacanam.
Relevant text
Search found 19 books and stories containing Shvasana, Sv-asana, Sv-āsana, Śvasana, Svasana, Śvasāna, Svāsana; (plurals include: Shvasanas, asanas, āsanas, Śvasanas, Svasanas, Śvasānas, Svāsanas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
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Page 1053 < [Marathi-Hindi-English, Volume 1]
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World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Review of pranavaha srotas < [2023: Volume 12, October special issue 18]
Evaluate pippali churna for kaphaja kasa in children. < [2021: Volume 10, December issue 14]
Physiological understanding of avasthapaka < [2019: Volume 8, December issue 13]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Nirukta and the Vedic interpretation (study) (by Shruti S. Pradhan)
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