# षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī)

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

षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) is a Sanskrit word meaning sixth, a man's name, the personification of a portion of Prakriti, a goddess regarded as a form of Durga who protects children, indrasena, the genitive case in grammar. Its 19 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them Goddess Ṣaṣṭhī or divine feminine aspect, Ordinal 'sixth' or 'a sixth part', The sixth lunar day (Tithi).

- **Root:** कृ (kṛ)
- **SLP1:** `zazWI`  **IAST:** ṣaṣṭhī  **Devanagari:** षष्ठी
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shashthi
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/shashthi/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** षाष्ठी (ṣāṣṭhī), षष्टी (ṣaṣṭī)

## Meanings by context

### Goddess Ṣaṣṭhī or divine feminine aspect (5 definitions)
- the personification of a portion of Prakriti  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the personification of a portion of Prakṛti, Cat. [ ID=225376 ]
- a personification of the sixth day after the birth of a child  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a personification of the sixth day after the birth of a child (when the chief danger for mother and child is over) [ ID=225377 ]
- A goddess regarded as a form of Durga who protects children  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a divine mother or goddess often regarded as a form of Durgā (supposed to protect children and worshipped on the sixth day after delivery), NṛsUp.; Saṃskārak. [ ID=225378 ]
- Indrasena  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = इन्द्र - सेना (indra-senā), NṛsUp.; Religious Thought and Life in India, also called ’Brāhmanism and Hindūism,’ by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 229. [ ID=225379 ]
- An epithet of Durga in the form of Katyayani, one of the sixteen divine mothers.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) [Printed book page 1066-a ] षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) 3 An epithet of Durgā in the form of Kātyāyanī, one of the 16 divine mothers

### Ordinal 'sixth' or 'a sixth part' (4 definitions)
- sixth  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1110,1] षष्ठ (ṣaṣṭha) mf( ई (ī) )n. sixth, the sixth (with भाग (bhāga) or अंश (aṃśa) m. ‘a sixth part’; with or scil. काल (kāla) m. ‘the sixth hour of the day, the sixth meal eaten at the end of a fast of three days’; षष्ठ (ṣaṣṭha) ं (ṣaṣṭhaṃ ) √ कृ (√kṛ), ‘to eat such a meal’), AV. &c. &c. [ ID=225346 ]
- a sixth part  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > षष्ठ (ṣaṣṭha) n. a sixth part, Gaut. [ ID=225350 ]
- a particular brick whose length equals the sixth part of a man  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a partic. brick the length of which equals the 6th part of a man, Śulbas. [ ID=225375 ]
- 1. Sixth as a part. 2. Sixth in rank or number.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > षष्ठ (ṣaṣṭha) ी (ṣṭhī) (ṣaṣṭhī) [Printed book page 738-03 ] षष्ठ (ṣaṣṭha) a. (f. ष्ठी (ṣṭhī) ) 1. Sixth (as a part), षष्ठ (ṣaṣṭha) े भागे त्वमपि दिवसस्यात्मनश्चंदवर्ती (ṣaṣṭhe bhāge tvamapi divasasyātmanaścaṃdavartī) Vikr. ii.; 2. sixth in rank or number, भूतानां महतां षष्ठ (ṣaṣṭha) मष्ठमं कुलभूभृताम् (bhūtānāṃ mahatāṃ ṣaṣṭhamaṣṭhamaṃ kulabhūbhṛtām) R. xvii.78. [ ID=38893.1 ]

### The sixth lunar day (Tithi) (3 definitions)
- the sixth day of a lunar fortnight  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1110,1] षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) b f. the sixth day of a lunar fortnight, MBh.; Hariv. &c. [ ID=225372 ]
- a particular lunar day when homage is offered to the sixth lunar digit  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a partic. Tithi when homage is offered to the sixth lunar digit, MW. [ ID=225373 ]
- The sixth day of a lunar fortnight  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) [Printed book page 1066-a ] षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) 1 The sixth day of a lunar fortnight

### Multiple meanings of Ṣaṣṭhī (feminine noun) (2 definitions)
- 1. The sixth day of a lunar fortnight. 2. The genitive case in grammar. 3. The personified goddess of the sixth day after a child's birth.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) [Printed book page 324-2 ] षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) ṣaṣṭh-ī, f. sixth ( sc. tithi) day of a fortnight; sixth ( sc. vibhakti) case, genitive; personification of the sixth day after the birth of a child ( when the main risks are Page324-3 over ): -jāgara, m. watch on the sixth day after the birth of a child ( a certain ceremony ); -tatpuruṣa, m. genitive Tatpuruṣa compound ( in which the first member has the sense of a genitive ); -samāsa, m. compound in which the first member has the sense of a genitive. [ ID=18419 ]
- 1. The sixth day of a lunar fortnight. 2. The sixth or genitive case in grammar. 3. An epithet of Durga.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 738-04 ] षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) f. 1. The sixth day of a lunar fortnight; 2. the sixth or genetive case (in gram.); 3. an epithet of Durgā as one of the sixteen divine mothers. [ ID=38898 ]

### The genitive case (grammar) (2 definitions)
- the sixth or genitive case  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the sixth or genitive case, ŚrS.; Nir. &c. [ ID=225374 ]
- The sixth or genitive case in grammar.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) [Printed book page 1066-a ] षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) 2 The sixth or genitive case (in gram. )

### A man's name (1 definition)
- A man's name  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a man = - चन्द्र (-candra), Rājat. [ ID=225348 ]

### Referential or grammatical form indicator (1 definition)
- See below  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 1110,1] षष्ठी (ṣaṣṭhī) a ( ई (ī) ), f. See below [ ID=225349 ]

### The sixth letter (vowel Ī) (1 definition)
- the sixth letter, the vowel i  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > षष्ठ (ṣaṣṭha) m. ( scil. अक्षर (akṣara) ) the sixth letter i.e. the vowel ई (ī), RPrāt. [ ID=225347 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546