Taraksha, Tarakṣa, Tārākṣa: 8 definitions
Introduction:
Taraksha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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 Tarakṣa and Tārākṣa can be transliterated into English as Taraksa or Taraksha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaTārākṣa (ताराक्ष).—(TĀRAKĀKṢA). A son of the demon Tārakāsura. This demon was the lord of a golden city called Tripura. Śiva killed him during Tripuradahana (burning of the Tripuras). See under Tripuradahana. (Chapters 33, 34, Karṇa Parva).
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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraTarakṣa (तरक्ष) refers to “hyenas”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 12), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “Hear now the effects of the heliacal rising of Canopus (Agastya), a star sacred to Agastya who suppressed the Vindhya mountains whose soaring heights obstructed the course of the Sun; [...] whose summits appeared to score the starry vault; whose rocks were full of buzzing bees scared by the violent pulling of flower trees by wild elephants and were also the abodes of hyenas, of bears, of tigers and of monkeys [i.e., tarakṣa-ṛkṣa-śārdūla-śākhāmṛga-adhyāsita]; through which lay the secret course of the Ravi which appeared to embrace its bosom with the affection of a mistress; and in whose forests dwelt the Devas and also Brāhmaṇa recluses, some subsisting on water, some on roots, some on the air and some altogether without food”.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryTarakṣa (तरक्ष).—
1) A hyena; तरक्षुस्तु मृगादनः (tarakṣustu mṛgādanaḥ)......तरक्षुकुलसेवितान् (tarakṣukulasevitān) Śiva. B.2.44.
2) A tiger; Mahābhārata (Bombay) 13.131.1. (See com. of Nīlakaṇṭha.)
Derivable forms: tarakṣaḥ (तरक्षः).
See also (synonyms): tarakṣu.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryTārākṣa (ताराक्ष).—(compare Tārakākṣa), name of a rākṣasa: Divyāvadāna 105.2, 6 (called a daka-rākṣasa), and by em. text 104.21, where mss. Raktākṣa, Raktāka (described as raktanetraḥ); he lives Nīlode mahāsamudre.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryTarakṣa (तरक्ष).—[masculine] hyena.
--- OR ---
Tārākṣa (ताराक्ष).—[adjective] = tārakākṣa.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Tarakṣa (तरक्ष):—m. = kṣu, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā xii, 6]
2) a wolf, [Nighaṇṭuprakāśa]
3) Tārākṣa (ताराक्ष):—[from tārā > tāra] m. (rāk) ‘star-eyed’, Name of a Daitya (= rakākṣa), [Mahābhārata viii, 1395]
4) [=tārā-kṣa] [from tārākṣa > tārā > tāra] of a king of the Niṣadhas (uncle of Dhūmrākṣa), [??? ii]
5) [v.s. ...] of a mountain (also rakākṣa), [Divyāvadāna viii.]
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Tarakshati.
Ends with: Kartaraksha, Potaraksha, Vedantaraksha.
Full-text: Tarakshu, Tarakaksha, Raktaksha, Tarakshuka, Taraccha, Pinaka, Tripura, Tarasa, Adhyasita, Shakhamriga, Shardula, Riksha, Taraka.
Relevant text
Search found 4 books and stories containing Taraksha, Tārā-kṣa, Tara-ksa, Tara-ksha, Tarakṣa, Taraksa, Tārākṣa; (plurals include: Tarakshas, kṣas, ksas, kshas, Tarakṣas, Taraksas, Tārākṣas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 8.13.54 < [Chapter 13 - A Thousand Names of Lord Balarāma]
Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study) (by A. Yamuna Devi)
Fauna (4): Wild animals < [Chapter 5 - Aspects of Nature]
Mahavamsa (by Wilhelm Geiger)
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 12 - The Worlds of Nirṛti and Varuṇa < [Section 1 - Pūrvārdha]
Chapter 26 - The Observance Called Madhūka Tṛtīyā < [Section 3 - Revā-khaṇḍa]