Sthuna, Sthūṇa, Sthūna, Sthūṇā: 20 definitions
Introduction:
Sthuna means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, 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.
In Hinduism
Vastushastra (architecture)
Sthūṇa (स्थूण) is another name (synonym) for stambha, a Sanskrit technical term referring to “pillar”. These synonyms are defined in texts such as Mayamata (verse 15.2), Mānasāra (verse 15.2-3), Kāśyapaśilpa (verse 8.2) and Īśānaśivagurudevapaddati (Kriya, verses 31.19-20).
Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
Dhanurveda (science of warfare)
Sthūṇa (स्थूण) refers to a kind of weapon (name of a missile). 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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Sthūṇa (स्थूण).—One of Viśvāmitra’s sons who were expounders of the Vedas. (Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 4 Verse 51).
Sthūṇa (स्थूण) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. XIII.4.50, XIII.4) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Sthūṇa) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
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.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Sthūṇā (स्थूणा) in the Rigveda and later denotes the ‘pillar’ or ‘post’ of a house.
Sthūṇa (स्थूण): A Yaksha, follower of Kubera, who exchanges his identity with Shikhandin, A rakshasa who helps disturb Vishvamitra's sacrifices.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Sthūna (स्थून) (in Chinese: Si-tou-na) refers to one of the fifty-five kingdoms enumerated in chapter 17 of the Candragarbha: the 55th section of the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra, a large compilation of Sūtras (texts) in Mahāyāna Buddhism partly available in Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese.—In the Candragarbhasūtra, the Bhagavat invites all classes of Gods and Deities to protect the Law [dharma?] and the faithful in their respective districts.—In Sthūna, the following deities are appointed (among others): The Devaputra Raktamegha; the Gandharva Tamburu; the Yakṣa Durjaya [?]; the Asura Ni-tch'a-kieou-tche; the Kumbhāṇḍa Pi-neou-kia.
Sthūna (स्थून) [?] (in Chinese: Sou-tou-na) is the name of an ancient kingdom associated with Puṣya or Puṣyanakṣatra, as mentioned in chapter 18.
Sthūna (स्थून) [?] [or Sithūna ?] (in Chinese: Si-tou-na) is also the name of an ancient kingdom associated with Aśvinī or Aśvinīnakṣatra.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
India history and geography
Sthūṇā.—(ML), a pilaster. Note: sthūṇā is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
Sthūna (स्थून) possibly corresponds to Thūna: an ancient locality situated in Majjhimadesa (Middle Country) of ancient India, as recorded in the Pāli Buddhist texts (detailing the geography of ancient India as it was known in to Early Buddhism).—Thūna probably represents Sthūna of the Divyāvadāna and was a Brāhmaṇagāma that formed the western boundary of the Buddhist Majjhimadesa. Thūna has not been identified by any scholar. As Yuan Chwang’s account makes Thaneswar the westernmost country of the Buddhist Majjhimadesa, Prof. Mazumdar proposes to identify Thūna with Sthāniswara or Thaneswar.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
sthūṇa (स्थूण).—f S A pillar or post; a column, obelisk &c.
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
Sthūṇā (स्थूणा).—[sthā-nak udantādeśaḥ pṛṣo° Tv.] स्थूणायसि स्मृता प्रतिमायां गृहस्तम्भे (sthūṇāyasi smṛtā pratimāyāṃ gṛhastambhe)' इति विश्वः (iti viśvaḥ)
1) The post or pillar of a house.
2) A post or pillar in general; स्थूणानिखननन्या- येन (sthūṇānikhanananyā- yena) S. B.; किमर्थमाक्षेपः । दार्ढ्यार्थः । स्थूणानिखननवत् (kimarthamākṣepaḥ | dārḍhyārthaḥ | sthūṇānikhananavat) ŚB. on MS.7.2.1.
3) An iron image or statue; छिन्नस्थूणं वृषं दृष्ट्वा विलापं च गवां भृशम् (chinnasthūṇaṃ vṛṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā vilāpaṃ ca gavāṃ bhṛśam) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 12.265.2.
4) An anvil.
Sthūṇa (स्थूण).—or °na, m. (1) also Sthūnā (dental n), f. (= Pali Thūṇa), name of a brahman-village in the west: Mahāvyutpatti 4117 sthūṇopasthūṇau grāmau; Divyāvadāna 22.1 (paścimena) Sthūṇopasthūṇakau brāhmaṇagrāmakau; Mahā-Māyūrī 1, 60 Sthūnāyāṃ, loc.; (2) name of a yakṣa at Sthūnā: Mahā-Māyūrī 60. [Page611-b+ 71] (Pali does not record an equivalent of Upasthūṇa, q.v.)
Sthūṇā (स्थूणा).—f.
(-ṇā) 1. The post or pillar of a house. 2. Any post or pillar. 3. An iron image, a statue. 4. An anvil. 5. A disease. E. ṣṭhā to stay or stand, nak Unadi aff., deriv. irr.
Sthūṇā (स्थूणा).— (vb. sthā, based on sthā + vaº, cf. the next), f. 1. A pillar, a post, [Pañcatantra] 37, 6. 2. An iron image, 3. An anvil. 4. A disease.
Sthūṇa (स्थूण).—[masculine] a man’s name; [feminine] sthūṇā post, pillar.
1) Sthūṇa (स्थूण):—[from sthū] a m. (connected with sthāṇu; [according to] to some for sthulna) Name of a son of Viśvāmitra, [Mahābhārata]
2) [v.s. ...] of a Yakṣa, [ib.]
3) Sthūṇā (स्थूणा):—[from sthūṇa > sthū] a f. See next
4) Sthūṇa (स्थूण):—[from sthū] n. a post, pillar, [Siddhānta-kaumudī]
5) Sthūṇā (स्थूणा):—[from sthū] b f. the post or pillar or beam of a house, any post or stake or pillar or column, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.
6) [v.s. ...] the trunk or stump of a tree, [Kāmandakīya-nītisāra]
7) [v.s. ...] an iron statue, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
8) [v.s. ...] an anvil = śūrmi or sūrmi, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
9) [v.s. ...] ([probably]) = rajju, a rope, cord, [Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi]
10) [v.s. ...] a kind of disease, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] cf. [Greek] στήλη
11) Sthūṇa (स्थूण):—b sthūṇā etc. See p. 1265, col. 3.
Sthūṇā (स्थूणा):—(ṇā) 1. f. An iron image; pillar of a house; an anvil; a disease.
Sthūṇa (स्थूण):—(von sthū)
1) m. Nomen proprium a) eines Sohnes des Viśvāmitra [Mahābhārata 13, 250.] — b) eines Yakṣa (vgl. sthūṇākarṇa) [Mahābhārata 1, 2453. 5, 7477. 7479. 7544.] —
2) f. sthūṇā [Uṇādisūtra 3, 15] (oxyt.). a) Pfosten, Pfeiler, Säule [Amarakoṣa 3, 4, 13, 53. 22, 137.] [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa 3, 3, 141.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1014.] [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha 2, 156.] [Halāyudha 5, 48.] dhruvā [Ṛgveda 8, 17, 14.] e.āṃ sthūṇāṃ pi.aro dhārayantu [10, 18, 13.] sthūṇeva.janā~ upa.idyayantha [1, 59, 1.] sumitā [5, 45, 2. 62, 7.] sthūṇā.adhi roha vaṃśa Hauptbalken [Atharvavedasaṃhitā 3, 12, 6. 14, 1, 63.] [Yāska’s Nirukta 1, 12.] [Suśruta 1, 77, 4.] [The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 14, 1, 3, 7. 3, 1, 22. 5, 2, 2.] [Kātyāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 8, 4, 7. 9.] gāṃ sthūṇāyāṃ baddhvā [26, 5, 3.] dvārya Thürpfosten [Aśvalāyana’s Śrautasūtrāni 4, 15, 4.] [Śāṅkhāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 17, 5, 5.] preṅkha [10, 14.] garta [GṚHY. 3, 2.] [ĀŚV. GṚHY. 2, 8, 15.] virohaṇa [Śāṅkhāyana’s Gṛhyasūtrāṇi 5, 8.] [Kauśika’s Sūtra zum Atuarvaveda 11. 24. 31. 38. 74.] tasthau sthūṇeva niścalā [Mahābhārata 1, 3008.] sahasraiḥ [2,1773.4,1765.] [Oxforder Handschriften 156,a,13.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 10,25,10.] [Pañcatantra 37,6.] indrārthā [Sāhityadarpana 13, 16.] sthūṇāvaśeṣaṃ gṛham [65, 7.] am Ende eines adj. comp. [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 11, 8, 32.] dṛḍha Haus [Spr. (II) 5098.] asthi Körper [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 6, 76.] tri von drei Pfeilern (den humores) getragen [Mahābhārata 5, 1070.] [Suśruta 1, 77, 5.] [VARĀH.] [LAGHUJ. 2, 16.] sahasra von tausend Pfeilern getragen: sadas [Ṛgveda 2, 41, 5.] kṣatra [5, 62, 6.] sa sammt dem Pfeiler [The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 14, 5, 2, 1.] cchinnavalmīka sammt dem Baumstumpf [KĀM. NĪTIS. 19, 9.] chinna von einem Stiere wohl so v. a. mit zerschlagenen Beinen [Mahābhārata 12,9468.] Nach [Siddhāntakaumudī 247,b,13] auch n. — b) = sūrmī
3) [Amarakoṣa 2. 10, 35.] [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1464.] [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Halāyudha 1, 131.] — c) eine best. Krankheit [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] — Vgl. aya, gṛha, sthauṇika .
Sthūṇā (स्थूणा) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Thūṇā.
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
Sthūṇa (स्थूण):—(nm) a pillar, post.
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See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Sthunabhara, Sthunagarta, Sthunaka, Sthunakarna, Sthunamayukha, Sthunanikhanananyaya, Sthunapadi, Sthunapaksha, Sthunaraja, Sthunashirsha, Sthunasthi, Sthunavashesha, Sthunavirohana, Stuna-nikanananiyayam, Stunam.
Full-text (+44): Grihasthuna, Veshmasthuna, Asthisthuna, Sthunakarna, Ayahsthuna, Upasthunam, Dvisthuna, Sthunapaksha, Sasthuna, Sthunapadi, Tristhuna, Sthunabhara, Sthunaraja, Sthunanikhanananyaya, Sthulakarna, Dridhasthuna, Thuna, Sthunashirsha, Sthunamayukha, Stunam.
Relevant text
Search found 37 books and stories containing Sthuna, Sthūṇa, Sthūna, Sthūṇā; (plurals include: Sthunas, Sthūṇas, Sthūnas, Sthūṇās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Mayamata and Building Construction (study) (by Ripan Ghosh)
Part 1.2 - Other Vedas and Brāhmaṇa literature < [Chapter 2 - Vāstuvidyā in Sanskrit Literature: a Survey]
Part 7.1 - Measurement of the Stambha (Pillar) < [Chapter 4 - Pre-arrangement of Building Construction]
Part 1.1 - Introduction—Architecture in the Ṛgveda < [Chapter 2 - Vāstuvidyā in Sanskrit Literature: a Survey]
The Agnistoma Somayaga in the Shukla Yajurveda (by Madan Haloi)
Part 2.5: The Pravargya rite < [Chapter 4 - The Agniṣṭoma Ritual]
Kashyapa Shilpa-shastra (study) (by K. Vidyuta)
4 (b). Technical terms for the component parts of the temple < [Chapter 2 - Author and his Works]
Nighantu (critical study) (by Gopalakrishna N. Bhat)
Part 2 - Hiranyanamani (Hiranya Nama) < [Chapter 3 - First Adhyaya (chapter) of the Nighantu (study)]
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 2 (by Surendranath Dasgupta)
Part 9 - Prāṇa and its Control < [Chapter XII - The Philosophy of the Yogavāsiṣṭha]