Vishkambha, Viṣkambhā, Viṣkambha: 15 definitions
Introduction:
Vishkambha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. 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 Viṣkambhā and Viṣkambha can be transliterated into English as Viskambha or Vishkambha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ).—A son of Viśveśā.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 171. 50.
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.
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
1) Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ).—One of the 108 karaṇas (minor dance movement) mentioned in the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 4. The instructions for this viṣkambha-karaṇa is as follows, “a hand to be Apaviddha, Sūcī Cārī, foot to be made Nikuṭṭita and the left hand on the chest.”.
2) Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ).—One of the 32 aṅgahāras (major dance movement) mentioned in the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 4. The instructions for this viṣkambha-aṅgahāra is as follows, “hands by turns made Udveṣṭita, feet are successively made Nikuṭṭita and bent, then assuming Ūrūdvṛtta-karaṇa hands to be made Caturasra and feet Nikuṭṭaka, assuming then Bhujaṅgatrāsita-karaṇa hands to be made Udveṣṭita, assuming Chinna and Bhramaraka Karaṇas while Trika is to be moved, then Karihasta and Kaṭicchinna Karaṇas to be assumed.”.
A karaṇa represents a minor dance movements and combines sthāna (standing position), cārī (foot and leg movement) and nṛttahasta (hands in dancing position). A sequence of multiple karaṇas combine into an aṅgahara (major dance movement).
3) Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ) or Viṣkambhā (विष्कम्भा) refers to one of the eighteen jātis: rules used in the playing of drums (puṣkara) [with reference to Mṛdaṅga, Paṇava and Dardura] according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 33. Accordingly, “two heavy syllables, two light syllables, one light syllable, three heavy syllables, and a light syllable such as siṅ māṅ ghaṭa ghendra gu du gheṅ gheṅ ghama tthi metchap constitute viṣkambhā-jāti. It is to be applied in the Erotic Sentiment of superior women”.
Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ) refers to a “diameter”, according to Hemavijaya Gaṇin’s Kathāratnākara (A.D. 1600).—Accordingly, “The Brāhmaṇa, who is especially well-versed in the whole range of astral science, wore a forehead mark made of saffron and rice-grains—{The round vessel is made of ten palas of copper. In the ghaṭikā [bowl] the height should be made of six aṅgulas. The diameter [i.e., viṣkambha] there should be made to the measure of twelve aṅgulas. The good cherish a water clock that holds sixty palas of water}—dropped the bowl, made fully according to the aforementioned prescriptions, in a basin filled with clean water at the time of the setting of the divine sun”.
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ).—Diameter. Note: Viṣkambha is a Sanskrit technical term used in ancient Indian sciences such as Astronomy, Mathematics and Geometry.
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
Marathi-English dictionary
viṣkambha (विष्कंभ).—m S The first of the twenty-seven astronomical yōga.
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
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ).—1 Obstacle, hindrance, impediment.
2) The bolt or bar of a door.
3) The supporting beam of a house
4) A post, pillar.
5) A tree.
6) (In dramas) An interlude between the acts of a drama and performed by one or more characters, middling or inferior, who connect the story of the drama and the subdivisions of the plot by briefly explaining to the audience what has occurred in the intervals of the acts or what is likely to happen later on :-S. D. thus defines it :-वृत्तवर्तिष्यमाणानां कथांशानां निदर्शकः । संक्षिप्तार्थस्तु विष्कम्भ आतावङ्कस्य दर्शितः ॥ मध्येन मध्यमाभ्यां वा पात्राभ्यां संप्र- योजितः । शुद्धः स्यात् स तु संकीर्णो नीचमध्यमकल्पितः (vṛttavartiṣyamāṇānāṃ kathāṃśānāṃ nidarśakaḥ | saṃkṣiptārthastu viṣkambha ātāvaṅkasya darśitaḥ || madhyena madhyamābhyāṃ vā pātrābhyāṃ saṃpra- yojitaḥ | śuddhaḥ syāt sa tu saṃkīrṇo nīcamadhyamakalpitaḥ) || 38.
7) The diameter of a circle.
8) A particular posture practised by Yogins.
9) Extension, length; तद्द्विगुणविष्कम्भं खाताद् वप्रं कारयेत् (taddviguṇaviṣkambhaṃ khātād vapraṃ kārayet) Kau. A.1.3; एषामन्तरविष्कम्भो योजनानि सहस्रशः (eṣāmantaraviṣkambho yojanāni sahasraśaḥ) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 6.6.6.
1) The first of the twenty-seven astronomical periods (yoga).
Derivable forms: viṣkambhaḥ (विष्कम्भः).
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ).—m.
(-mbhaḥ) 1. The first of the twenty-seven astronomical periods, called Yogas or Yoga star of the first lunar mansion. 2. Obstacle, hindrance, impediment, resistance. 3. Spreading, extension. 4. Act, doing any thing. 5. A posture of the devotees called Yogis. 6. One of the performers at a dramatic entertainment, either an actor who in the intervals of the scenes explains to the audience the progress of the story, or one or two of the personages of the drama, who do the same in a soliloquy or dialogue. 7. A tree. 8. The bolt or bar of a door. 9. A post, the roof-tree of a house. 10. The diameter of a circle. E. vi before ṣkabhi to stop or hinder, aff. ghañ; or vi + skanbh-ac; also with kan added, viṣkambhaka .
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ).—i. e. vi-skambh + a, m. 1. Obstacle, hindrance, resistance. 2. The bolt of a door. 3. A post, the roof-tree of a house. 4. Spreading. 5. A posture of the devotees, called yogin. 6. Act, doing anything. 7. The first of the twenty-seven astronomical periods called Yogas. 8. A prelude.
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ).—[masculine] support; width, diameter; also = seq. [masculine]
1) Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ):—[=vi-ṣkambha] [from vi-ṣkambh] m. a prop, support, [Lāṭyāyana; Suśruta]
2) [v.s. ...] the bolt or bar of a door, [Raghuvaṃśa [Scholiast or Commentator]]
3) [v.s. ...] the supporting beam or pillar of a house, [Horace H. Wilson]
4) [v.s. ...] a post (round which the string of a churning-stick is wound), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) [v.s. ...] width, extension, [Mahābhārata; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā; Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]
6) [v.s. ...] the diameter of a circle, [Āryabhaṭa]
7) [v.s. ...] a mountain-range (= -parvata), [Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]
8) [v.s. ...] an obstacle, impediment, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
9) [v.s. ...] the first of the twenty-seven astronomical periods called Yogas or the leading star of the first lunar mansion, [Colebrooke]
10) [v.s. ...] (in [dramatic language]) an interlude or introductory scene (coming between the acts [aṅkayor madhya-vartī] and performed by an inferior actor or actors [nīca-pātra-prayojitaḥ], who explains to the audience the progress of the plot, and inform them of what is supposed to have happened in the intervals of the acts cf. praveśaka), [Bharata-nāṭya-śāstra; Daśarūpa] etc.
11) [v.s. ...] a [particular] Yoga-posture, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
12) [v.s. ...] a tree, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
13) [v.s. ...] action, doing anything, [Horace H. Wilson]
14) [v.s. ...] = pratibimba, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
15) [v.s. ...] Name of a divine being reckoned among the Viśve Devāḥ, [Harivaṃśa] ([varia lectio] viskumbhu, nikumba, and viṣṭara)
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ):—[vi-ṣkambha] (mbhaḥ) 1. m. First Yoga; obstacle; extension; posture of Yogis; act; actor; a tree; a bolt; a post; a diameter.
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ):—(von skabh, skambh mit vi) m.
1) Stütze: (dhārayati) prapatiṣyadivāgāraṃ viṣkambhaḥ sādhu yojitaḥ [Suśruta 1, 87, 11.] [?am Wagen LĀṬY. 1, 9, 23.] —
2) Riegel [Amarakoṣa 2, 2, 17.] [Scholiast] zu [Raghuvaṃśa ed. Calc. 16, 6.] —
3) ein Pfosten, um den sich der Strick des Butterstössels windet, [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1023.] —
4) Breite, Durchmesser; = vistṛti, vistāra [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha 3, 458.] [Medinīkoṣa bh. 19.] [Mahābhārata 6, 401. 405. fg. 409. 482. 484. fgg.] [Harivaṃśa 8990.] ucchrāyo ṅgulatulyo dvārasyārdhena viṣkambhaḥ [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 53, 24. fg. 79, 10.] [Mārkāṇḍeyapurāṇa 49, 44.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 132, Scholiast] antara [Mahābhārata.6,200. 453.] [Oxforder Handschriften 48,a,41.] Durchmesser eines Kreises [Algebra 87.] [ĀRYABHAṬĪYA 2, 7. 10.] viṣkambhārdha Halbmesser [11.] —
5) Hinderniss [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] (pratibimba fehlerhaft für pratibandha) . [Halāyudha 4, 84.] —
6) in der Dramatik Vorspiel am Anfange eines Actes, in welchem der Zuschauer mit dem bekannt gemacht wird, was ihm zum Verständniss des Folgenden unumgänglich nothwendig ist, [Bharata] [NĀṬYAŚ. 18,34.] [DAŚAR.1,52. fg.] [Sāhityadarpana 308.] [PRATĀPAR. 22,b,7.] [JAGADDHARA] in der Vorrede zu [DAŚAR. 13.] = rūpakāvayava [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] = rūpakāṅgaprabheda [Medinīkoṣa] Vgl. [BÖHTLINGK] in der Einl. zu [Śākuntala XII. fg.] [BOLLENSEN] in den Anmm. zu [Vikramorvaśī S. 369.fg.] —
7) eine best. Stellung der Yogin [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] —
8) Bez. eines der 27 astr. Yoga und zwar des ersten [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] [Colebrooke II, 363] (hier fehlerhaft viṣkumbha) . [SAṂSK. K.2,a,3.] —
9) Nomen proprium eines Gebirges [Mārkāṇḍeyapurāṇa 54, 19. 55, 11.] —
10) Nomen proprium eines zu den Viśve Devāḥ gezählten göttlichen Wesens [Harivaṃśa 11543], wo vielleicht so zu lesen ist für viskumbhuḥ nukumbha [LANGLOIS], viṣṭara die neuere Ausg. —
11) Baum [AJAYA im Śabdakalpadruma] — Hier und da fälschlich viskambha geschrieben. Vgl. daṇḍa, vajra .
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Viskambha (विस्कम्भ):—und viskumbhu s. u. viṣkambha, viskara unter viṣkira .
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Vikkhaṃbha.
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Viṣkaṃbha (ವಿಷ್ಕಂಭ):—
1) [noun] a prop or support (that supports from below or a side).
2) [noun] an obstacle; an impediment.
3) [noun] the extent to which something is extended.
4) [noun] a wooden or iron bar for preventing a closed door from being opened.
5) [noun] a kind of disease, characterised by swelling of the belly, caused by indigestion.
6) [noun] (rhet.) an interlude or introductory scene in which something which is supposed to have happened.
7) [noun] (astrol.) the first of the twenty-seven astronomical periods called Yōgas.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Viṣkambha (विष्कम्भ):—[viṣkambha / viṣkambhaka] n. 1. obstacle; hindrance; impediment; 2. the bolt/bar of a door; 3. Poetics. interlude in which the audience is instructed about what was occurred or what will happen later; 4. a particular posture practiced by yogins;
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)
Partial matches (+0): Skambha, Vi.
Starts with (+0): Vishkambhacakravala, Vishkambhadala, Vishkambhak, Vishkambhaka, Vishkambhakakashtha, Vishkambhana, Vishkambhanata, Vishkambhaparvata, Vishkambhapasrita, Vishkambhardha, Vishkambhate, Vishkambhavat, Vishkambhayati, Vishkambhayitva.
Full-text (+28): Dandavishkambha, Vajravishkambha, Vishkambhaparvata, Vishkambhardha, Vishkambhaka, Manthavishkambha, Vishkambhavat, Vishkambhacakravala, Vishkambhadala, Bhugolavishkambha, Mishravishkambha, Samkirnavishkambha, Tamovishkambha, Ahoratrardhavishkambha, Shuddhavishkambha, Arthopakshepaka, Bhadravishkambha, Dhvajavishkambha, Vishkambhapasrita, Vishkambhin.
Relevant text
Search found 42 books and stories containing Vishkambha, Vi-shkambha, Vi-ṣkambha, Vi-skambha, Viṣkambhā, Viṣkambha, Viskambha, Viṣkaṃbha; (plurals include: Vishkambhas, shkambhas, ṣkambhas, skambhas, Viṣkambhās, Viṣkambhas, Viskambhas, Viṣkaṃbhas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Yajnavalkya-smriti with Mitakshara and Viramitrodaya (by J. R. Gharpure)
Verses 1.217-218 < [Chapter 10 - On the Śrāddhas]
Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study) (by Padma Sugavanam)
Kohala and Gītā (14): Tālas for specific Gaits < [Chapter 2 - Kohala as seen in citations]
Kohala and Nāṭya (4): The concept of Daśarūpaka < [Chapter 2 - Kohala as seen in citations]
Ganita-sara-sangraha by Mahavira-Acharya (by M. Rangacharya)
Chapter 7 - Sasthah ksetraganitavyavaharah < [Part 2 - Sanskrit text]
Abhijnana Sakuntala (with Katayavema commentary) (by C. Sankara Rama Sastri)
Chapter 2 - Sanskrit text (dvitiya-anka) < [Abhijnana Sakuntalam, text and commentary]
Chapter 3 - Sanskrit text (tritiya-anka) < [Abhijnana Sakuntalam, text and commentary]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Annadatri-carita (study) (by Sarannya V.)
5. Vishkambha (brief description of story) < [Chapter 4 - Dramatic Appraisal of Annadatri-carita]
Dramatic Appraisal of Annadatri-carita (Introduction) < [Chapter 4 - Dramatic Appraisal of Annadatri-carita]
1. Dramatic aspects (a): Vastu (Theme) < [Chapter 4 - Dramatic Appraisal of Annadatri-carita]