# शम्बूक (śambūka)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/shambuka

शम्बूक (śambūka) is a Sanskrit word meaning a bivalve shell, any shell or conch, a snail, a kind of animal, the edge of the frontal protuberance of an elephant, the name of a Shudra devotee slain by Rama-chandra, an epithet of a Daitya. Its 14 recorded definitions are grouped into 11 contexts, among them Multiple meanings: Shell, snail, Śūdra devotee, elephant part, Daitya, A Daitya, A snail.

- **Etymology:** E. शम to be tranquil, ऊकन् aff., and वुक् augment; also with the vowel short, शम्बुक, and the final consonant then rejected, शम्बु; it is also read, शम्बुक्क, and with the first vowel long, शाम्बूक, &c — E. śama to be tranquil, ūkan aff., and vuk augment; also with the vowel short, śambuka, and the final consonant then rejected, śambu; it is also read, śambukka, and with the first vowel long, śāmbūka, &c
- **SLP1:** `SambUka`  **IAST:** śambūka  **Devanagari:** शम्बूक
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambuka
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/shambuka/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** शांबूक (śāṃbūka), शांबुक (śāṃbuka), शाम्बूक (śāmbūka), शाम्बुक (śāmbuka), शंबूक (śaṃbūka), शंबुक (śaṃbuka), शम्बुक (śambuka)

## Meanings by context

### Multiple meanings: Shell, snail, Śūdra devotee, elephant part, Daitya (4 definitions)
- 1. A bivalve shell or conch. 2. A snail. 3. A Shudra devotee slain by Ramachandra. 4. The edge of an elephant's frontal protuberance. 5. A demon.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > शम (śama) ्बूक (śambūka) [Printed book page 830 ] शम (śama) ्बूक (śambūka) mf. ( - कः (-kaḥ)- का (-kaḥ-kā) ) A bivalve shell. m. ( - कः (-kaḥ) ) 1 A conch shell. 2 A snail. 3 A Śūdra, who had become a devotee in the time of RĀMACANDRA, and was slain by him. 4 The edge of the frontal protuberance of the elephant. 5 The name of a Page831 Daitya. E. शम (śama) to be tranquil, ऊकन् (ūkan) aff., and वुक् (vuk) augment; also with the vowel short, शम (śama) ्बु (śambu) क (śambuka), and the final consonant then rejected, शम (śama) ्बु (śambu); it is also read, शम (śama) ्बु (śambu) क (śambuka) ्क (śambukka), and with the first vowel long, शाम्बूक (śāmbūka), &c. [ ID=37737 ]
- 1. A conch or snail. 2. A Shudra devotee slain by Rama. 3. A daitya. 4. The edge of the frontal protuberance of an elephant.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > शम्बूक (śambūka) [Printed book page 748-b ] शम्बूक (śambūka) ( कः - का ) ((kaḥ-kā)) 1. m. f. Idem. m. A conch; a snail; a Shudra devotee slain by Rāma; a daitya; edge of the frontal protuberance of the elephant. [ ID=37375 ]
- 1. A bivalve shell or conch. 2. A snail. 3. A Shudra devotee slain by Ramachandra. 4. The edge of an elephant's frontal protuberance. 5. A demon.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > शम् (śam) बूक (śambūka) [Printed book page 708-a ] शम् (śam) बूक (śambūka) mf. ( - कः (-kaḥ)- का (-kaḥ-kā) ) A bivalve-shell. m. ( - कः (-kaḥ) ) 1. A conch-shell. 2. A snail. 3. A Sūdra, who had become a devotee in the time of RĀMACHANDRA, and was slain by him. 4. The edge of the frontal protuberance of the elephant. 5. The name of a Daitya. E. शम् (śam) to be tranquil, ऊकन् (ūkan) aff. and वुक् (vuk) augment; also with the vowel short, शम् (śam) बुक, (śambuka,) and the final consonant then rejected, शम् (śam) बु; (śambu;) it is also read, शम् (śam) बुक्क (śambukka) and with the first vowel long, शाम्बूक, (śāmbūka,) &c. [ ID=39540 ]
- 1. A bivalve or conch shell. 2. A snail. 3. The edge of an elephant's frontal protuberance. 4. The name of a Daitya and a proper name.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > शम्बूक (śambūka) [Printed book page 0934-a ] शम्बूक (śambūka) śambūka (borrowed from σαμϐύκη), I. m. (and f. kā ), A bivalve shell. II. m. 1. A conch-shell. 2. A snail. 3. The edge of the frontal protuberance of an elephant. 4. The name of a Daitya. 5. A proper name, Utt. Rāmac. 42, 1. [ ID=14463 ]

### A Daitya (1 definition)
- an epithet of a Daitya  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Daitya, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=213333 ]

### A snail (1 definition)
- a snail  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a snail, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=213329 ]

### A specific animal (घोङ्घ) (1 definition)
- a kind of animal  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of animal (= घोङ्घ (ghoṅgha) ), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=213330 ]

### A type of shell (1 definition)
- a bivalve shell, any shell or conch  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1055,3] शम्बूक (śambūka) m. a bivalve shell, any shell or conch, Kāvya literature (Literary category); Kathāsaritsāgara (Title); Suśruta (Title) (also f( आ (ā) )., Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) ) [ ID=213328 ]

### A warrior of Skanda (1 definition)
- a warrior of Skanda  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > शम्बूक (śambūka) [Printed book page 193-1 ] Śambūka, a warrior of Skanda. § 615 u (Skanda): IX, 45 η, 2578. [ ID=2388 ]

### Meanings: Shell, snail, and a general animal (1 definition)
- conch-shell, snail  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > शम्बूक (śambūka) [Printed book page 538 ] शम्बूक (śambūka) m. conch-shell, snail, a cert. animal. [ ID=31889 ]

### Meanings: Shell, snail, and Śūdra devotee (1 definition)
- 1. A shell or snail. 2. A pious Shudra slain by Rama.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > शम्बूक (śambūka) [Printed book page 308-2 ] शम्बूक (śambūka) śambūka, m. shell; snail; N. of a pious Śūdra slain by Rāma. [ ID=17536 ]

### Multiple meanings: Shell, snail, Śūdra devotee, elephant part, Daitya, and घोङ्घ animal (1 definition)
- 1. A bivalve shell, small conch shell, or snail. 2. The edge of an elephant's frontal protuberance. 3. The name of a Shudra devotee slain by Ramachandra. 4. The name of a Daitya.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > शम्बूक (śambūka) [Printed book page 0993-c ] Śambūka, as, ā, m. f. a bivalve shell; ( as ), m. a small conch-shell; a snail; N. of a Śūdra (who had become a devotee and was slain by Rāma- candra); the edge of the frontal protuberance of an elephant; N. of a Daitya; a proper N.; = ghoṅga (according to Śabda-k.); [cf. Gr. σαμβύκη.] [ ID=46155 ]

### Part of an elephant's head (1 definition)
- the edge of the frontal protuberance of an elephant  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the edge of the frontal protuberance of an elephant, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=213331 ]

### The Śūdra devotee slain by Rāma (1 definition)
- the name of a Shudra devotee slain by Rama-chandra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a Śūdra (who had become a devotee and was slain by Rāma-candra), Rāmāyaṇa (Title); Uttararāma-caritra (Title) ( cf. शम्बुक (śambuka) ) [ ID=213332 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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