Ashtabhuja, 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补, 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩腻, Ashta-bhuja: 8 definitions
Introduction:
Ashtabhuja means something in Buddhism, Pali, 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 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补 and 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩腻 can be transliterated into English as Astabhuja or Ashtabhuja, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
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In Hinduism
Pancaratra (worship of N膩r膩ya峁嘺)
: SriMatham: Vai峁ａ箛ava Iconology based on Pa帽car膩tra 膧gamaA峁ａ弓a-bhuja (鈥楨ight arms鈥�): Some icons of the Lord or His manifestations are depicted as having 8 arms. This also represents the complete dominion over all the directions, as well as the eight preserving powers (shakti) of the Lord which are;
- health (腻谤辞驳测补),
- knowledge (箩帽腻苍补),
- wealth (dhana),
- organization (蝉补尘辫腻诲补苍补尘),
- cooperation (sahodyoga),
- fame (办墨谤迟颈),
- courage (dhrti),
- truth (satyam).
They also symbolize the 8 attributes of the Supreme Being which are;
- 蝉补谤惫补-箩帽补迟惫补鈥攐mniscience of universe, living entities and deeds. (loka, jiva & karma)
- 蝉补谤惫别艣惫补谤补迟惫补鈥擲upreme Lordship and Dominion over the entire creation.
- 蝉补谤惫补-补苍迟补谤测腻尘颈迟惫补鈥攊nner rulership and control of all entities.
- 蝉补谤惫补-办补谤补峁嘺迟惫补鈥擲upreme Cause of all causes.
- 蝉补谤惫补-苍颈测补苍迟峁沬迟惫补鈥擲upreme controller of everything.
- 蝉补谤惫补-办补谤迟峁沬迟惫补鈥攖he original Performer of all actions.
- 蝉补谤惫补-艣补办迟颈尘补迟惫补鈥攐尘苍颈辫辞迟别苍肠别
- sva-tantratva鈥攃omplete and absolute independence.
Pancaratra (啶ぞ啶炧啶氞ぐ啶距い啷嵿ぐ, p膩帽car膩tra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.
Shilpashastra (iconography)
: Archaeological Survey of India: 艢aiva monuments at Pa峁弓adakal (艣ilpa)础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补 (啶呧し啷嵿啶啶�) is found as a sculpture at the temple of Loke艣vara, western half of the north wall, northern fa莽ade.鈥擵i峁ａ箛u with eight hands, a rare depiction, is carved here with, atop, a scene of 艢a峁僰ara P膩rvat墨 where the god is carrying a Li峁単a on his right shoulder.
While enumerating the attributes that are in the hands of the deity, T. A. G. Rao writes: 鈥淚n the right hands, the 驳补诲腻, the 办丑补岣峠补, the 产腻峁嘺 and the cakra; and in the left hands, the 艣补峁卥丑补, the 办丑别峁璦办补, the dhanus and the padma鈥� (Elements 鈥� vol. I, pt. i. p. 256). He states further that this image of Vaiku峁囜弓han膩tha should have four heads. But the sculpture at Pa峁弓adakal has only one head and except the padma in one of his hands, the attribution of attributes, as given by T. A. G Rao, fits well.
Vi峁ａ箛u is well decorated with a tiara and 丑腻谤补. Besides, he wears a sacred thread (测补箩帽辞辫补惫墨迟补) which descends down to the right mid-hip and another 丑腻谤补 which goes below the knees. Probably, it is vaijayant墨 丑腻谤补. 艢a峁卥hanidhi and Padmanidhi are shown seated on either side of his feet. Both are figured plump with a bulging stomach, wearing 办颈谤墨峁璦. On the pilasters of the niche are depicted two seated images, which are difficult to identify.
Shilpashastra (啶多た啶侧啶ざ啶距じ啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ, 艣ilpa艣膩stra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩腻 (啶呧し啷嵿啶啶溹ぞ) refers to 鈥渟he who has eight arms鈥�, according to the Manth膩nabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjik膩.鈥擜ccordingly, 鈥淭he auspicious U岣島ma峁単aly膩 in the west has six faces and eight arms [i.e., 补峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩腻] and is auspicious. She is beautiful, her hair is dishevelled and she is adorned with all the ornaments. She holds an ascetic鈥檚 staff, a javelin, a cup (辫腻迟谤补) and double-headed drum in her right hands, (and) a skull, a bow and sword along with a severed head in the left. She sits on a ghost and, when worshipped, she destroys the enemy鈥�.
Shakta (啶多ぞ啶曕啶�, 艣膩kta) or Shaktism (艣膩ktism) 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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
: SOAS University of London: Protective Rites in the Netra Tantra1) 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补 (啶呧し啷嵿啶啶�) refers to 鈥渆ight-armed鈥� and is used to describe Vi峁ａ箛u, according to the Netratantra of K峁mar膩ja: a 艢aiva text from the 9th century in which 艢iva (Bhairava) teaches P膩rvat墨 topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.鈥擜ccordingly, [verse 13.1-9, while describing the appearance and worship of Vi峁ａ箛u]鈥斺�淥r, [the Mantrin] worships a very handsome, eight-armed (补峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补), yellow Deva. He is naked, sits on a ram, and is unadorned He rests on one horn [of a sheep and] offer up a pile of wheel spokes, the hand... having the shape of a boy. [He is] constantly at play with a flock of beautiful, naked women. [...]鈥�.
2) 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补 (啶呧し啷嵿啶啶�) or 鈥渆ight-armed鈥� is also used to describe S奴rya.鈥擜ccordingly, [verse 13.17-25ab, while describing the appearance and worship of S奴rya]鈥斺�淣ow, I explain that which consists of light [i.e., S奴rya]. [...] Or [the Mantrin should visualize him with] eight arms (补峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补), bearing the weapons of the Lokap膩las. [Here S奴rya is endowed with] three terrible faces, [each with] three eyes, [and he is] disfigured. One should worship him [visualized as] mounted on a horse in the middle of a lotus. [The worshipper] honors [his] heart, head, and topknot, enveloped with the weapon of sight. [...]鈥�.
Shaiva (啶多啶�, 艣aiva) or Shaivism (艣aivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
: Brill: 艢aivism and the Tantric Traditions (tantric Buddhism)础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补 (啶呧し啷嵿啶啶�) refers to 鈥�(having) eight arms鈥�, according to the N膩mamantr膩rth膩valokin墨 by Vil膩savajra, which is a commentary on the N膩masa峁僩墨ti.鈥擜ccordingly, [while describing 膧dibuddha]鈥斺�淸...] He is tranquil, with the ornaments of a youth, in fine clothing, wearing about himself a many coloured garment. He has eight arms (补峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补), holding at his heart with four hands the 艢atas膩hasrik膩praj帽膩p膩ramit膩 divided into four parts, [and] carrying, in each of the other four hands, a sword of wisdom in the gesture of striking. [All this is to be] put in place [i.e. visualised] via the yoga of the four Buddha-thrones鈥�.
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鈥檚 words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (惫补箩谤补测腻苍补) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary础峁ａ弓腻产丑耻箩腻 (啶呧し啷嵿啶距き啷佮啶�):鈥擺=补峁ａ弓腻-产丑耻箩腻] [from a峁ａ弓膩 > a峁ａ弓an] f. 鈥榟aving eighteen arms鈥�, a Name of Durg膩, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasi峁僪a, hal膩yudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Sanskrit, also spelled 啶膏啶膏啶曕啶むぎ啷� (蝉补峁僺办峁泃补尘), 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
: Alar: Kannada-English corpus础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补 (嗖呧卜喑嵿矡嗖硜嗖�):鈥�
1) [noun] he that has eight arms.
2) [noun] a plain figures with eight sides; an octagon.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
: unoes: Nepali-English Dictionary础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补 (啶呧し啷嵿啶啶�):鈥攏. octagon;
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: Ashta, Bhoja.
Starts with: Ashtabhujahasta, Ashtabhujakurukulla, Ashtabhujamarici, Ashtabhujapita, Ashtabhujashtaka.
Full-text: Ashtabhujahasta, Ashtabhujapita, Ashtabhujamarici, Ashtbhuj, Vadali, Maheshvara, Varahamukhi, Varali, Varttali, Caturvaktra-Surya, Ashtabhujakurukulla, Vishuddhaheruka, Krodhishvari, Varaha, Kurukulla, Maricipicuva, Cunda.
Relevant text
Search found 9 books and stories containing Ashtabhuja, A峁ａ弓膩-bhuj膩, 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补, Astabhuja, Asta-bhuja, 础峁ａ弓腻产丑耻箩腻, 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩腻, Ashta-bhuja, A峁abhuja, A峁ａ弓a-bhuj膩; (plurals include: Ashtabhujas, bhuj膩s, 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补s, Astabhujas, bhujas, 础峁ａ弓腻产丑耻箩腻s, 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩腻s, A峁abhujas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Indian Buddhist Iconography (by Benoytosh Bhattachacharyya)
Figure 161-164 - Emanations of Vairocana: Cund膩
Figure 192 - Emanations of Ratnasambhava: Prasannat膩r膩 (Prasanna T膩r膩)
Figure 152-155 - Emanations of Vairocana: 础峁ａ弓补产丑耻箩补 and Da艣abhujasita M膩r墨c墨
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary) (by 艢r墨 艢r墨mad Bhaktived膩nta N膩r膩yana Gosv膩m墨 Mah膩r膩ja)
Verse 2.4.38 < [Chapter 4 - Vaiku峁囜弓ha (the spiritual world)]
Lord Hayagriva in Sanskrit Literature (by Anindita Adhikari)
Hayagr墨va in Buddhism < [Chapter 6]
Soundarya Lahari of Shri Shankara (Study) (by Seetha N.)
The Home method of Tantric worship < [Chapter 6 - Saundaryalahari鈥擡xternal modes of Worship practised]
Later Chola Temples (by S. R. Balasubrahmanyam)
Temples in Kanchipuram (Vishnu Kanchi) < [Chapter II - Temples of Kulottunga I鈥檚 Time]
Iconography of Buddhist and Brahmanical Sculptures (by Nalini Kanta Bhattasali)
Iconography of Mahapratisara < [Part 1 - Buddhist Sculptures]
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