# स्कन्ध (skandha)

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

स्कन्ध (skandha) is a Sanskrit word meaning the stem or trunk of a tree, a large branch or bough, a troop, multitude, or quantity, a chapter or section of a book, a tract, path, or region, the five objects of sense. Its 33 recorded definitions are grouped into 20 contexts, among them The shoulder, A part, division, or section, Branch of a tree.

- **Root:** स्कन्द् (skand)
- **SLP1:** `skanDa`  **IAST:** skandha  **Devanagari:** स्कन्ध
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandha
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/skandha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** स्कंध (skaṃdha), स्कन्धा (skandhā)

## Meanings by context

### The shoulder (9 definitions)
- the shoulder or upper part of the back from the neck to the shoulder-joint  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 1256,2] स्कन्ध (skandha) m. ( accord. to Uṇādi-sūtra (Title) iv, 206, from √ स्कन्द् (skand) in the sense of ‘rising’ ?) the shoulder, upper part of the back or region from the neck to the shoulder-joint (in men and animals), AV. &c. &c. [ ID=254160 ]
- 1. Shoulder. 2. Tree trunk. 3. Division or part. 4. Tract or region. 5. Book section. 6. Quantity or aggregate.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्कन्ध (skandha) [Printed book page 361-3 ] स्कन्ध (skandha) skandhá, m. V., C. : shoulder; C. : branching part of the stem, trunk of a tree ( also S. ); division, part; tract, path, region ( of the winds; rare ); section of a treatise ( rare ); quantity, aggregate ( rare ); often incorr. for skanda: -ka, n. kind of Āryā metre; -deśa, m. (region of the) shoulder; region of the trunk; -pīṭha, n. shoulder-blade; -vat, a. having a (thick) trunk or many trunks; -śiras, n. shoulder-blade. [ ID=19832 ]
- 1. The shoulder or head of the humerus. 2. The body. 3. The trunk of a tree. 4. A king or prince. 5. A sort of metre. 6. A multitude or quantity. 7. War or battle. 8. An article essential to the coronation of a king. 9. Part of an army or a form of array. 10. Any one of five branches of human knowledge or objects of understanding. 11. A road. 12. A heron. 13. An engagement or agreement. 14. A wise old man. 15. A learned man or teacher. 16. Match or equality in the humps of draft oxen. 17. The five objects of sense. 18. A book, section, or chapter. Female: 1. A branch. 2. A creeper.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्क (ka) न्ध (skandha) [Printed book page 947 ] स्क (ka) न्ध (skandha) m. ( - न्धः (-ndhaḥ) ) 1 The shoulder, the head of the humerus. 2 The body. 3 The trunk of a tree. 4 A king, a prince. 5 A sort of Page948 metre. 6 A multitude, a quantity. 7 War, battle. 8 Any article essential to the coronation of a king, as a jar filled with holy water, a parasol, a Chowri, &c. 9 Part of an army or a form of array. 10 Any one of five branches of human or mundane knowledge, or objects of understanding. 11 A road, a way. 12 A heron. 13 An engagement, an agreement. 14 A wise old man. 15 A learned man, a teacher. 16 Match or equality in the humps of a pair of draft oxen. 17 The five objects of sense, or form, taste, smell, &c. 18 A book, a section, a chapter. f. ( - न्धा (dhā) (-ndhā) ) 1 A branch. 2 A creeper. E. क (ka) the head, and धा (dhā) to hold, aff. क (ka), and सुट् (suṭ) initial augment. [ ID=42923 ]
- 1. The shoulder, body, or trunk of a tree. 2. A prince, mass, army, or war. 3. A branch, division, way, agreement, or learned man.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्कन्ध (skandha) [Printed book page 871-a ] स्कन्ध (skandha) ( न्धः ) ((ndhaḥ)) 1. m. The shoulder; body; trunk of a tree; prince; mass; army; war; branch (or division); way; agreement; a learned man. 1. f. A branch; a creeper. [ ID=42720 ]
- 1. The shoulder or head of the humerus. 2. The body. 3. The trunk of a tree. 4. A king or prince. 5. A sort of metre. 6. A multitude or quantity. 7. War or battle. 8. An article essential to a royal coronation. 9. Part of an army or a form of array. 10. Any one of five branches of human knowledge. 11. A road. 12. A heron. 13. An agreement. 14. A wise old man. 15. A learned man or teacher. 16. Equality in the humps of draft oxen. 17. The five objects of sense. 18. A book, section, or chapter. 19. A branch. 20. A creeper.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्क (ka) न्ध (skandha) [Printed book page 807-b ] स्क (ka) न्ध (skandha) m. ( - न्धः (-ndhaḥ) ) 1. The shoulder, the head of the humerus. 2. The body. 3. The trunk of a tree. 4. A king, a prince. 5. A sort of metre. 6. A multitude, a quantity. 7. War, battle. 8. Any article essential to the coronation of a king, as a jar filled with holy water, a parasol, a Chowri, &c. 9. Part of an army or a form of array. 10. Any one of five branches of human or mundane knowledge, or objects of understanding. 11. A road, a way. 12. A heron. 13. An engagement, an agreement. 14. A wise old man. 15. A learned man, a teacher. 16. Match or equality in the humps of a pair of draft oxen. 17. The five objects of sense, or form, taste, smell, &c. 18. A book, a section, a chapter. f. ( - न्धा (dhā) (-ndhā) ) 1. A branch. 2. A creeper. E. क (ka) the head, and धा (dhā) to hold, aff. क (ka), (ka,) and सुट् (suṭ) initial augment. [ ID=45293 ]
- 1. The shoulder. 2. The body. 3. The trunk of a tree. 4. A branch. 5. A branch of human knowledge. 6. A book. 7. The five objects of sense. 8. The five forms of mundane consciousness. 9. A road. 10. Part of an army. 11. War. 12. A multitude. 13. An agreement. 14. A king. 15. A wise or learned man. 16. A heron. 1. A branch. 2. A creeper.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्कन्ध (skandha) [Printed book page 1066-b ] स्कन्ध (skandha) skandha, I. m. 1. The shoulder, Pañc. 144, 23. 2. The body, Mālat. 84, 17. 3. The trunk of a tree, Pañc. iii. d. 149. 4. A branch, Pañc. 134, 5. 5. A branch of human know- ledge. 6. A book, Bhāg. P. i. ii., etc. 7. The five objects of sense. 8. The five forms of mundane consciousness, in the Bauddha philosophy, Śiś. 2, 26; cf. Burnouf, Introd. à l'Hist. du Buddh. 475. 9. A road. 10. Part of an army. 11. War. 12. A multitude. 13. An agreement. 14. A king. 15. A wise or learned man. 16. A heron. II. f. dhā. 1. A branch. 2. A creeper. — Comp. Kāla-, m. the name of several plants, e. g. Diospyros embryopteris Page1067-a+ 42 Pers., Suśr. 1, 138, 3. Mahā-pṛṣṭha -gala-, adj. having a large back, neck, and shoulders, Hiḍ. 2, 4. Rājaskandha, i. e. rājan-, m. a horse. Viṣāṇa-ud-nā- mita- ( vb. nam ), adj. whose shoulders reach to his horns, Hit. iii. d. 144 (but cf. Böhtl. Ind. Spr. 932). Viṣāṇa-ud -likhita-, adj. whose shoulders are slit up by horns, i. e. brave, Böhtl. Ind. Spr. 932. Vṛṣa-, adj. having the shoulders of a bull, Rām. 3, 55, 4. Skandha- (repeated), m. every shoulder, Kām. Nītis. 9, 19 (where the visarga must be erased), Hit. iv. d. 122, v. r. — Cf. A.S. sculdor, sculder; O.H.G. scultarra; probably σπάθη; Lat. scapula (for old scaphula, cf. rufus, s. v. rudhira, and rutilus, ib. for old ruthilus). [ ID=16492 ]
- 1. Shoulder. 2. The stem or trunk of a tree. 3. A section or chapter of a book. 4. A mass, multitude, or aggregate.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्कन्ध (skandha) [Printed book page 638 ] स्कन्ध (skandha) m. shoulder, stem or trunk of a tree; section, chapter of a book, mass, multitude, a whole or aggregate. [ ID=38257 ]
- shoulder  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > स्कन्ध (skandha) [Printed book page 277-b ] skandhá, m. shoulder. [ ID=4726 ]
- 1. The shoulder or upper part of the back. 2. The body. 3. The trunk of a tree. 4. A large branch or bough. 5. A branch of human knowledge. 6. A section or division of a book. 7. A division of an army or military array. 8. War or battle. 9. A troop or multitude. 10. The objects of sense. 11. The elements of being in Buddhist philosophy. 12. Coronation regalia. 13. A king or prince. 14. A sage or teacher. 15. Equality of height in the humps of draught oxen. 16. A road or path. 17. An agreement. 18. A metre. 19. A heron.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > स्कन्ध (skandha) [Printed book page 1141-a ] स्कन्ध (skandha) skandha, as, m. (according to Uṇā- di-s. IV. 206. fr. rt. 3. skand, ‘to rise’), the shoulder, upper part of the back or the region from the neck to the shoulder-joint (in men and animals); the body; the stem or trunk of a tree (especially that part of the stem where the branches begin); a large branch or bough; a branch or department of human knowledge (five of which are enumerated); a sec- tion, chapter, division of a book; a division of an army, form of military array; war, battle; a body of men &c., troop, multitude, quantity, (see kari-sk°, nara-sk°, turaṅga-sk° ); the five objects of sense, (see viṣaya ); the elements of being or the five forms of mundane consciousness (according to the Buddhist philosophy); the regalia or other articles used at the coronation of a king (as a jar filled with holy water, a parasol, a chowri, &c.); a king, prince; a sage, wise man, seer, teacher; equality of height in the humps of a pair of draught oxen; a road, path, way; an engagement, agreement; a sort of metre; a heron; N. of a poet; = bhadrādi (accord- ing to Śabda-k.); ( ā ), f. a branch; a creeper; [cf. perhaps Gr. σπάθη: Lat. scapula: Angl. Sax. scul- dor, sculder, scoldr: Old Germ. scultra, sculdra, scultarra: Armor. skoaz: Cambro-Brit. ysgwyz; perhaps Hib. guala for sguada or sguana.] —Skan- dha-cāpa, as, m. ‘shoulder-bow,’ a sort of yoke or pole made of bamboo with a sling attached to either end for carrying burdens (= śikya). —Skandha-ja, as, m. a tree growing from a principal stem (such as the gum olibanum tree &c.). —Skandha-taru, as, m. the cocoa- nut tree. —Skandha-deśa, as, m. ‘shoulder-region,’ the shoulder; the part about the shoulders or withers of an elephant where the driver sits. —Skandha-pari- nirvāṇa, am, n. the annihilation of the elements of being (with Buddhists). —Skandha-phala, as, m. ‘having fruit at the top,’ the cocoa-nut tree; the Vilva; the glomerous fig-tree. —Skandha-bandha- nā, f. a sort of fennel, Anethum Panmorium. —Skan- dha-mallaka, as, m. a heron. —Skandha-ruha, as, m. ‘branch-growing,’ the Indian fig-tree. —Skandha- vāha or skandha-vāhaka, as, m. ‘carrying on the shoulders,’ an ox trained to carry burdens, pack-bullock. —Skandha-śākhā, f. a principal branch, the forked branch which issues from the upper stem of a tree. —Skandha-śṛṅga, as, m. ‘branch-horned,’ a buf- falo. —Skandha-skandha, as, m. every shoulder. —Skandhāgni (°dha-ag°), is, or skandhānala (°dha-an°), as, m. ‘trunk-conflagration,’ the trunk of a tree or any large piece of timber set on fire by attrition &c. —Skandhāvāra (°dha-āv°), as, m. an army or a division of it attached to the person of a king; a royal capital, royal residence; a camp. —Skandhopaneya (°dha-up°), as, ā, am, to be carried on the shoulders; ( as ), m. a form of peace- offering in which fruit or grain is presented as a mark of submission. [ ID=52962 ]

### A part, division, or section (2 definitions)
- a part or division, especially a division of an army or a form of military array  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a part, division ( esp. a division of an army or a form of military array), MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=254164 ]
- a chapter or section of a book  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a chapter, section (of a book, system &c.), VarBṛS.; Car. [ ID=254165 ]

### Branch of a tree (2 definitions)
- a large branch or bough  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a large branch or bough, L. [ ID=254162 ]
- a branch  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 1256,3] स्कन्धा (skandhā) ( आ (ā) ), f. a branch, L. [ ID=254182 ]

### Lexicographical notes (2 definitions)
- Samparaya and bhadradi  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = सम्परा (samparā) य (ya) and भद्रा (bhadrā) दि (di), L. [ ID=254178 ]
- often a wrong reading for skanda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > often w.r. for स्कन्द (skanda) [ ID=254181 ]

### Philosophical/Metaphysical concepts (2 definitions)
- the five objects of sense  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in phil. ) the five objects of sense (see विषय (viṣaya) ), W. [ ID=254167 ]
- the five constituent elements of being according to Buddhists  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with Buddhists) the five constituent elements of being ( viz. रूप (rūpa), ‘bodily form’; वेदना (vedanā), ‘sensation’; संज्ञा (saṃjñā), ‘perception’; संस्कार (saṃskāra), ‘aggregate of formations’; विज्ञान (vijñāna), ‘consciousness or thought-faculty’), Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 109 [ ID=254168 ]

### Proper Noun: a serpent/Nāga (2 definitions)
- A serpent demon  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a serpent-demon, MBh. [ ID=254179 ]
- a serpent  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > स्कन्ध (skandha) [Printed book page 643-2 ] Skandha, a serpent. § 67 (Sarpasattra): I, 57, 2160 (only B., C. has Maṇiskandhaḥ instead of Maṇiḥ Skandhah ). [ ID=9964 ]

### A creeper (1 definition)
- a creeper  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a creeper, L. [ ID=254183 ]

### A heron (1 definition)
- a heron  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a heron, ib. [ ID=254176 ]

### A king or prince (1 definition)
- a king or prince  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a king, prince, L. [ ID=254171 ]

### A multitude or quantity (1 definition)
- a troop, multitude, or quantity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a troop, multitude, quantity, aggregate ( cf. करि - (kari-), नर - स्क् (nara-sk) ° (°) ), MBh.; BhP. [ ID=254163 ]

### A path, road, or region (1 definition)
- a tract, path, or region  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a tract, path, region ( esp. of the winds, said to be seven), MBh.; Hariv. [ ID=254166 ]

### A sage or teacher (1 definition)
- a sage, teacher  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a sage, teacher, ib. [ ID=254173 ]

### A type of poetic metre (1 definition)
- a particular form of the Arya metre  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a partic. form of the Āryā metre, Col. [ ID=254170 ]

### An agreement or engagement (1 definition)
- an engagement or agreement  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an engagement, agreement, ib. [ ID=254175 ]

### Proper Noun: a poet (1 definition)
- of a poet  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a poet, Cat. [ ID=254180 ]

### Quality of draught oxen humps (1 definition)
- equality of height in the humps of a pair of draught oxen  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > equality of height in the humps of a pair of draught oxen, ib. [ ID=254177 ]

### Royal coronation articles (1 definition)
- any article used at the coronation of a king  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > any article used at the coronation of a king (as a jar filled with consecrated water, an umbrella &c.), W. [ ID=254172 ]

### The body (1 definition)
- the body in Jainism  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with Jainas) the body (in the widest sense = पिण्ड (piṇḍa) ), Sarvad. [ ID=254169 ]

### Trunk/Stem of a tree (1 definition)
- the stem or trunk of a tree  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 1256,3] the stem or trunk of a tree ( esp. that part of the stem where the branches begin), ŚāṅkhGṛ.; MBh. &c. [ ID=254161 ]

### War or battle (1 definition)
- war or battle  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > war, battle, ib. [ ID=254174 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; 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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