Sphota, Sphoṭa, Sphoṭā: 16 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Sphota means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Sfot.
In Hinduism
Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)
Source: Shodhganga: Vaiyākaraṇabhūṣaṇasāra: a critical studySphoṭa (स्फोट).—Internal word (śabda) which communicates the meaning. It is revealed when the word is uttered by the speaker and heard by the addresses.
Source: Wikisource: A dictionary of Sanskrit grammarSphoṭa (स्फोट).—Name given to the radical Sabda which communicates the meaning to the hearers as different from ध्वनि (dhvani) or the sound in ordinary experience. The Vaiyakaranas,who followed Panini and who were headed by Bhartruhari entered into discussions regarding the philosophy of Grammar, and introduced by way of deduction from Panini's grammar, an important theory that शब्द (śabda) which communicates the meaning is different from the sound which is produced and heard and which is merely instrumental in the manifestation of an internal voice which is called Sphota. स्फुटयतेनेन अर्थः इति स्फोटः (sphuṭayatenena arthaḥ iti sphoṭaḥ) or स्फोटः शब्दो ध्वनिस्तस्य व्यायमा-दुपजायते (sphoṭaḥ śabdo dhvanistasya vyāyamā-dupajāyate) Vakyapadiya; cf. also अभि-व्यक्तवादको मध्यमावस्थ आन्तरः शब्दः (abhi-vyaktavādako madhyamāvastha āntaraḥ śabdaḥ) Kaiyata's Pradipa. For, details see Vakyapadiya I and Sabdakaustubha Ahnika 1. It is doubtful whether this Sphota theory was. advocated before Panini. The word स्फोटायन (sphoṭāyana) has been put by Panini in the rule अवङ् स्फोटायनस्य (avaṅ sphoṭāyanasya) only incidentally and, in fact, nothing can be definitely deduced from it although Haradatta says that स्फोटायन (sphoṭāyana) was the originator of the स्फोटवाद (sphoṭavāda). The word स्फोट (sphoṭa) is not actually found in the Pratisakhya works. However, commentators on the Pratisakhya works have introduced it in their explanations of the texts which describe वर्णोत्पत्ति (varṇotpatti) or production of sound; cf. com. on R.Pr.XIII.4, T.Pr. II.1. Grammarians have given various kinds of sphota; cf. स्फोटो द्विधा । व्यक्तिस्फोटो जातिस्फोटश्च। व्यक्ति-स्पोटः सखण्ड अखण्डश्च । सखण्ड। वर्णपदवाक्य-भेदेन त्रिधा। अखण्डः पदवाक्यभेदेन द्विधा । एवं पञ्च व्यक्तिस्फोटाः। जातिस्फोटः वर्ण-पदवाक्यभेदेन त्रिधा। इत्येवमष्टौ स्फोटः तत्र अखण्डवाक्यस्फोट एव मुख्य इति नव्याः । वाक्य जातिस्फोट इति तु प्राञ्चः॥ (sphoṭo dvidhā | vyaktisphoṭo jātisphoṭaśca| vyakti-spoṭaḥ sakhaṇḍa akhaṇḍaśca | sakhaṇḍa| varṇapadavākya-bhedena tridhā| akhaṇḍaḥ padavākyabhedena dvidhā | evaṃ pañca vyaktisphoṭāḥ| jātisphoṭaḥ varṇa-padavākyabhedena tridhā| ityevamaṣṭau sphoṭaḥ tatra akhaṇḍavākyasphoṭa eva mukhya iti navyāḥ | vākya jātisphoṭa iti tu prāñcaḥ||); cf. also पदप्रकृतिः संहिता इति प्रातिशाख्यमत्र मानम् । पदानां प्रकृतिरिति षष्ठीतत्पुरुषे अखण्डवाक्यस्फो-टपक्षः । बहुव्रीहौ सखण्डबाक्यस्फोटः ॥ (padaprakṛtiḥ saṃhitā iti prātiśākhyamatra mānam | padānāṃ prakṛtiriti ṣaṣṭhītatpuruṣe akhaṇḍavākyaspho-ṭapakṣaḥ | bahuvrīhau sakhaṇḍabākyasphoṭaḥ ||)
Vyakarana (व्याकरण, vyākaraṇa) refers to Sanskrit grammar and represents one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas. Vyakarana concerns itself with the rules of Sanskrit grammar and linguistic analysis in order to establish the correct context of words and sentences.
Rasashastra (chemistry and alchemy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Rasa-śāstraSphoṭa (स्फोट) refers to the “breaking of the skin”, a side-effect of the incorrect use of certain metals. It is used throughout Rasaśāstra literature, such as the Rasaprakāśasudhākara.

Rasashastra (रसशास्त्र, rasaśāstra) is an important branch of Ayurveda, specialising in chemical interactions with herbs, metals and minerals. Some texts combine yogic and tantric practices with various alchemical operations. The ultimate goal of Rasashastra is not only to preserve and prolong life, but also to bestow wealth upon humankind.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: Google Books: Tantra, Its Mystic and Scientific BasisMādhavācārya, while enumerating the philosophy of Paṇini, says: ‘The eternal word is called sphoṭa. . . .’ Sphoṭa is nothing but the bursting of the Kāmabīja. It is the first sound.
Source: WikiPedia: HinduismSphoṭa (स्फोट, the Sanskrit for "bursting, opening", "spurt") is an important concept in the Indian grammatical tradition of Vyakarana, relating to the problem of speech production, how the mind orders linguistic units into coherent discourse and meaning.
In his Mahābhāṣya, Patañjali (2nd century BCE) uses the term sphoṭa to denote the sound of language, the universal, while the actual sound (dhvani) may be long or short, or vary in other ways. This distinction may be thought to be similar to that of the present notion of phoneme. Bhatrihari however, applies the term sphoṭa to each element of the utterance, varṇa the letter or syllable, pada the word, and vākya the sentence. In order to create the linguistic invariant, he argues that these must be treated as separate wholes (varṇasphoṭa, padasphoṭa and vākyasphoṭa respectively). For example, the same speech sound or varṇa may have different properties in different word contexts (e.g. assimilation), so that the sound cannot be discerned until the whole word is heard.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarysphōṭa (स्फोट).—m (S) A boil, blain, blotch, blister, bladder, pustule, pimple. 2 Bursting, rending, ripping, breaking: also bursten or broken state. 3 Opening or opened state (of a flower, bud &c.)
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishsphōṭa (स्फोट).—m A boil; bursting; opened state. Explosion.
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 dictionarySphoṭa (स्फोट).—[sphuṭ karaṇe ghañ]
1) Breaking forth, splitting open, bursting.
2) Disclosure; as in नर्मस्फोट (narmasphoṭa).
3) A swelling, boil, tumour; अयमपरो गण्डस्थोपरि स्फोटः (ayamaparo gaṇḍasthopari sphoṭaḥ) Mu. 5.
4) The idea which bursts out or flashes on the mind when a sound is uttered, the impression produced on the mind at hearing a sound; बुधैर्वैयाकरणैः प्रधान- भूतस्फोटरूपव्यङ्ग्यव्यञ्जकस्य शब्दस्य ध्वनिरिति व्यवहारः कृतः (budhairvaiyākaraṇaiḥ pradhāna- bhūtasphoṭarūpavyaṅgyavyañjakasya śabdasya dhvaniriti vyavahāraḥ kṛtaḥ) K. P.1; also see Sarva. S. (pāṇinīyadarśana).
5) The eternal sound recognised by the Mīmāṃsakas; दिशां त्वमवकाशोऽसि दिशः खं स्फोट आश्रयः (diśāṃ tvamavakāśo'si diśaḥ khaṃ sphoṭa āśrayaḥ) Bhāg.1.85.9; शृणोति य इमं स्फोटं सुपश्रोत्रे च शून्यदृक् (śṛṇoti ya imaṃ sphoṭaṃ supaśrotre ca śūnyadṛk) 12.6.4.
Derivable forms: sphoṭaḥ (स्फोटः).
--- OR ---
Sphoṭā (स्फोटा).—The expanded hood of a serpent.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionarySphoṭā (स्फोटा).—(in this meaning Sanskrit sphoṭana, [Boehtlingk]), snap of the fingers: mahā-sphoṭā-saṃghāta-śabdena Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 388.9 (prose), referring to, and synonymous with, acchaṭā-saṃghāta- śabda, just before, see acchaṭā.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionarySphoṭa (स्फोट).—m.
(-ṭaḥ) 1. A boil, a tumour. 2. Breaking, bursting. 3. Revealing, disclosure, (as in narmasphoṭa.) 4. The idea which bursts out or flashes on the mind when a sound is uttered. f.
(-ṭā) The hood of the snake. E. sphuṭ to break or open, aff. ghañ .
--- OR ---
Sphoṭā (स्फोटा).—f.
(-ṭā) The expanded hood of a snake.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionarySphoṭa (स्फोट).—i. e. sphuṭ + a, I. m. 1. Bursting, breaking. 2. A tumour, a boil, [Suśruta] 2, 383, 10. 3. The eternal sound, in the Pūrva Mīmāṃsā. Ii. f. ṭā, The hood of the snake.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionarySphoṭa (स्फोट).—[masculine] bursting, splitting, opening, cracking, roaring; also = seq.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Sphoṭa (स्फोट):—[from sphuṭ] a m. bursting, opening, expansion, disclosure (cf. narma-sph), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] extension (See kara-sph)
3) [v.s. ...] a swelling, boil, tumour, [Caraka; Suśruta]
4) [v.s. ...] a little bit or fragment, chip, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) [v.s. ...] crackling, crash, roar, [Mahābhārata; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]
6) [v.s. ...] (in [philosophy]) sound (conceived as eternal, indivisible, and creative), [Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha]
7) [v.s. ...] the eternal and imperceptible element of sounds and words and the real vehicle of the idea which bursts or flashes on the mind when a sound is uttered, [Patañjali]
8) Sphoṭā (स्फोटा):—[from sphoṭa > sphuṭ] f. shaking or waving the arms, [Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]
9) [v.s. ...] the expanded hood of a snake (= or [wrong reading] for sphaṭā), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
10) Sphoṭa (स्फोट):—b ṭaka etc. See p. 1270, col. 3.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionarySphoṭa (स्फोट):—(ṭaḥ) m. A boil or tumour; bursting. 1. f. Hood of a snake.
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger WörterbuchSphoṭa (स्फोट):—(von sphuṭ)
1) m. a) das Platzen, Aufspringen, Bersten: veṇu [Mahābhārata 3, 443. 4, 759.] hṛtsphoṭena vyayadyata [Kathāsaritsāgara 33, 72. 53, 152. 73, 291. 78, 74. 86, 162.] hṛtsphoṭaṃ prāpa [70, 72.] sphoṭam absol.: hṛtsphoṭaṃ vinaṣṭā [Prabodhacandrodaja 90, 11.] lājasphoṭaṃ sphuṭanti maṇayaḥ [BĀLAR. 121, 4.] — b) Blase (welche platzt), Pustel [CARAKA 8, 5.] [Suśruta 1, 37, 2. 12. 84, 5. 269, 12. 297, 14. 2, 2, 10. 66, 14. 183, 17. 249, 3. 250, 2. 295, 18. 383, 10.] nivāraṇa [Weber’s Verzeichniss No. 943.] dāru [Scholiast] zu [Kātyāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 18, 4, 6.] — c) (abgesprungenes) Stückchen, Schnitzel: sphoṭāstu caṇakādīnāṃ dālīti parikīrtitā [Rājanirghaṇṭa 16, 103.] — d) Gekrach: śakrāśani [Mahābhārata 7, 6153.] Geknister [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 46, 86.] Gebrause: vāyu [?ady. Mahābhārata 3, 1718] (= vāyuṃ janayan [Nīlakaṇṭha]). — e) das als ein und untheilbar gedachte schöpferische Wort: jagannidānaṃ sphoṭākhyo niravayavo nityaḥ śabdo brahmaiva [SARVADARŚANAS. 140, 1.] bei Patañjali und Andern der unvergängliche und unvernehmliche Bestandtheil der Laute und Wörter, der als der wahre Träger der Bedeutung betrachtet wird, [14. fgg.] varṇānāṃ vācakatvānupapatau yadbalādarthapratipattiḥ sa sphoṭa iti varṇātirikto varṇābhivyaṅgyo rthapratyāyako nityaḥ śabdaḥ sphoṭaḥ [140, 22. fgg.] akṣarāṇāmakārastvaṃ sphoṭastvaṃ varṇasaṃśrayaḥ [Harivaṃśa 14958.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 10,85,9. 12,6,40.] [Oxforder Handschriften 177,b,6] nebst Note 2. varṇa, pada, vākya Note 3. —
2) f. ā a) vielleicht das Schütteln der Arme (es könnte auch āsphoṭā gemeint sein) [Mārkāṇḍeyapurāṇa 50, 44.] — b) = sphuṭā, sphaṭā, phaṭā die sogenannte Haube der Schlangen [ŚABDĀRTHAK.] bei [WILSON.] — Vgl. kapāla, karṇa, duḥ, narma, nāgasphotā, pāda, muktā, śabda, śruti .
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 dictionarySphoṭa (स्फोट) [Also spelled sfot]:—(nm) explosion, burst; the eternal and imperceptible element of sounds and words and the real vehicle of the idea which bursts or flashes on the mind when a sound is uttered; ~[vāda] the philosophical doctrine of [sphoṭa] hence ~[vādī] (a, nm).
...
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+2): Sphotabijaka, Sphotacakra, Sphotacandrika, Sphotacataka, Sphotahetuka, Sphotajivika, Sphotaka, Sphotakadravya, Sphotakam, Sphotakamantra, Sphotakara, Sphotalata, Sphotana, Sphotani, Sphotanirupana, Sphotarahita, Sphotasiddhanta, Sphotatattva, Sphotatattvanirupana, Sphotavada.
Ends with (+11): Asphota, Avasphota, Bhusphota, Duhsphota, Ghatasphota, Hritsphota, Kapalasphota, Karasphota, Karnasphota, Kritaghatasphota, Kshudrasphota, Muktasphota, Nagasphota, Nandisphota, Narmasphota, Narmmasphota, Padasphota, Parisphota, Parvasphota, Pitasphota.
Full-text (+42): Karnasphota, Padasphota, Narmasphota, Asphota, Muktasphota, Sphotanirupana, Sphotacandrika, Sphotavada, Nagasphota, Sphotakara, Sphotabijaka, Samsphota, Sphotasiddhanta, Duhsphota, Phota, Hritsphota, Bhusphota, Sukshmasphota, Pitasphota, Sphotakam.
Relevant text
Search found 15 books and stories containing Sphota, Sphoṭa, Sphōṭa, Sphoṭā; (plurals include: Sphotas, Sphoṭas, Sphōṭas, Sphoṭās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Tattvasangraha [with commentary] (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 2705-2706 < [Chapter 24b - Arguments against the reliability of the Veda (the Revealed Word)]
Verse 2707-2710 < [Chapter 24b - Arguments against the reliability of the Veda (the Revealed Word)]
Verse 2715 < [Chapter 24b - Arguments against the reliability of the Veda (the Revealed Word)]
Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary (by Nandalal Sinha)
Sūtra 2.2.21 (Sound—what?) < [Chapter 2 - Of the Five Bhūtas, Time, and Space]
Shiva Gita (study and summary) (by K. V. Anantharaman)
The Sarva-Darsana-Samgraha (by E. B. Cowell)
Brahma Sutras (Vedanta Sutras) (by George Thibaut)
A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 3 (by Surendranath Dasgupta)
Part 3 - The Precursors of the Viśiṣṭādvaita Philosophy < [Chapter XVIII - An Historical and Literary Survey of the Viśiṣṭādvaita School of Thought]