# तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya)

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

तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) is a Sanskrit word meaning a mythical being identified with Garuda, name of a hymn in the Rig-veda, a horse, a cart, a bird, a snake. Its 29 recorded definitions are grouped into 15 contexts, among them Mythical Being (Garuḍa/Divine Bird/Horse), A People or Human Race, Collyrium or Eye-Medicine.

- **Etymology:** E. तृक्ष to go, घञ् affix तार्क्ष and यत् added; again, तृक्ष or तार्क्षं considered as a name of KAŚYAPA the father of ARUṆA, &c. ष्यञ् or अण् aff — E. tṛkṣa to go, ghañ affix tārkṣa and yat added; again, tṛkṣa or tārkṣaṃ considered as a name of KAŚYAPA the father of ARUṆA, &c. ṣyañ or aṇ aff
- **SLP1:** `tArkzya`  **IAST:** tārkṣya  **Devanagari:** तार्क्ष्य
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarkshya
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/tarkshya/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** तर्क्ष्य (tarkṣya)

## Meanings by context

### Mythical Being (Garuḍa/Divine Bird/Horse) (12 definitions)
- A mythical being identified with Garuda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 444,3] तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) m. N. of a mythical being (originally described as a horse with the epithet अरिष्ट - नेमि (ariṣṭa-nemi) [ Ṛg-veda (Title) i, 89, 6; x, 178, 1; Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska (subtitle) i, 14; Kauśika-sūtra (Title) 73 ], later on taken to be a bird [ Ṛg-veda (Title) v, 51, interpol.; Āśvalāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title) x, 7 ] and identified with Garuḍa [ Mahābhārata (Title); Harivaṃśa (Title) &c.] or called his elder brother [ L. ] or father [ Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) vi, 6, 2 and 21; see also - पुत्र (-putra) ]; mentioned with Ariṣṭa-nemi, Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (Title) xv, 18; with Ariṣṭa-nemi, Garuḍa, Aruṇa and Āruṇi as offspring of Kaśyapa by Vinatā, Mahābhārata (Title) i, 2548 and 4830; Harivaṃśa (Title) 12468 and 14175; called a Yakṣa, Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) ii, 10, 13; a Muni with the N. Ariṣṭa-nemi, Mahābhārata (Title) iii, 12660 and 12665; xii, 10615; pl. a class of demi-gods grouped with the Gandharvas, Yakṣas, and Cāraṇas, Rāmāyaṇa (Title) i, 16, 9 ) [ ID=84445 ]
- 1. A mythical being, horse, or bird. 2. Garuda.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 109-1 ] तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) tā́rkṣ-ya, m. a mythical being, horse or bird ( V. ); = Garuḍa. ( C. ). [ ID=8556 ]
- 1. A horse. 2. A name of Garuda, the bird and vehicle of Vishnu. 3. A name of Aruna or the dawn personified. 4. A chariot. 5. A snake. 6. Gold. 7. The sal tree. 8. A sort of collyrium. 9. A wild creeper.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तार्क्ष (tārkṣa) ्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 374 ] तार्क्ष (tārkṣa) ्य (tārkṣya) m. ( - र्क्ष्यः (-rkṣyaḥ) ) 1 A horse. 2 A name of GARUḌA, the bird and vehicle of VIṢṆU. 3 A name of ARUṆA, or the dawn personified, considered as the elder brother of GARUḌA. 4 A car, a chariot. 5 A snake. 6 Gold. 7 A tree, the Sal, ( Shorea robusta.) n. ( - र्क्ष्यं (-rkṣyaṃ) ) A sort of collyrium. f. ( - र्क्ष्यी (-rkṣyī) ) A wild creeper. E. तृक्ष (tṛkṣa) to go, घञ् (ghañ) affix तार्क्ष (tārkṣa) and यत् (yat) added; again, तृक्ष (tṛkṣa) or तार्क्ष (tārkṣa) ं (tārkṣaṃ) considered as a name of KAŚYAPA the father of ARUṆA, &c. ष्यञ् (ṣyañ) or अण् (aṇ) aff. [ ID=17383 ]
- 1. A horse, Garuda, Aruna, a chariot, a snake, a Sal tree, or gold. 2. A wild creeper. 3. A sort of collyrium.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 330-b ] तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) ( र्क्ष्यः ) ((rkṣyaḥ)) 1. m. A horse; Garuḍa; Aruna; a car; a snake; a Sāl tree; gold. f. A wild creeper. n. A sort of collyrium. [ ID=16855 ]
- 1. An epithet of Garuda. 2. An epithet of Aruna. 3. A car. 4. A horse. 5. A snake. 6. A bird.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 308-16 ] तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) m. 1. An epithet of Garuḍa, त्रस्तेन तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) ात् किल कालियेन (trastena tārkṣyāt kila kāliyena) R. vi.49; 2. of his elder brother Aruṇa; 3. a car; 4. a horse; 5. a snake; 6. a bird in general. [ ID=15510 ]
- 1. A horse. 2. Garuda, the bird and vehicle of Vishnu. 3. Aruna, the dawn personified. 4. A chariot. 5. A snake. 6. Gold. 7. The Sal tree. 8. A sort of collyrium. 9. A wild creeper.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तार्क्ष (tārkṣa) ्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 311-a ] तार्क्ष (tārkṣa) ्य (tārkṣya) m. ( - र्क्ष्यः (-rkṣyaḥ) ) 1. A horse. 2. A name of GARUDA, the bird and vehicle of VISHNU. 2. A name of ARUNA, or the dawn personified, considered as the elder brother of GARUDA. 4. A car, a chariot. 5. A snake. 6. Gold. 7. A tree, the Sal, (Shorea robusta.) n. ( - र्क्ष्यं (-rkṣyaṃ) ) A sort of collyrium. f. ( - र्क्ष्यी (-rkṣyī) ) A wild creeper. E. तृक्ष (tṛkṣa) ् (tṛkṣ) to go, घञ् (ghañ) affix तार्क्ष (tārkṣa) and यञ् (yañ) added; again, तृक्ष (tṛkṣa) or तार्क्ष (tārkṣa) considered as a name of KASYAPA the father of ARUNA, &c. ष्यञ् (yañ) (ṣyañ) or अण् (aṇ) aff. [ ID=17366 ]
- 1. A fabulous being, sometimes fancied as a horse or bird, and identical with Garuda. 2. A bird. 3. A kind of antidote or medicine.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 0361-b ] तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) tārkṣya, I. m. 1. A fabulous being, sometimes fancied as a horse, sometimes as a bird, MBh. 1, 2548. identical with Garuḍa, Hariv. 7460. 2. A bird(?), Suśr. 2, 162, 4. 3. A kind of antidote, Suśr. 2, 275, 21. II. n. A certain medicine, Suśr. 2, 69, 13. [ ID=5847 ]
- a mythical being, conceived as a horse and later as a bird  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 202 ] तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) m. N. of a mythical being, conceived as a horse, later as a bird, also = prec. [ ID=12245 ]
- 1. Garuḍa. 2. Shiva. 3. A Vedic hymn. 4. A horse. 5. A chariot. 6. A bird. 7. A snake. 8. The tree Vatica Robusta. 9. An antidote. 10. Gold. 11. A wild creeper. 12. A drug. 13. A sort of collyrium.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 0371-b ] Tārkṣya, as, m. (a patronymic fr. tṛkṣa ), N. of a mythical being, described either as a horse or bird, and originally one of the personifications of the sun, which was represented under these forms; (the most ancient representation seems to have been that of the horse: in Mahā-bh. 1. 2548, Tārkṣya, Ariṣṭa-nemi, Garuḍa, Aruṇa, and Āruṇī are described as children of Kaśyapa and Vinatā; Tārkṣya is also called Garuḍāgra-ja, the elder brother of Garuḍa: in Mahā-bh. III. 12660, mention is made of a Muni Page0371-c+ 77 called Ariṣṭa-nemi Tārkṣya, but in the epic and later literature Tārkṣya is generally identified with Garuḍa, the bird and vehicle of Viṣṇu and destroyer of the race of snakes); a N. of Garuḍa; a N. of Śiva; a Vedic hymn supposed to be composed by Ariṣṭa-nemi Tārkṣya; a horse in general; a car, a chariot; a bird in general; N. of a race; a snake; the tree Vatica Robusta [cf. tārkṣya-prasava ]; a sort of antidote; gold; ( ī ), f. a wild creeper; ( am ), n. a kind of drug; a sort of collyrium. —Tārkṣya- ja and tārkṣa-ja, am, n. a sort of collyrium. —Tārkṣya-dhvaja, as, m. an epithet of Viṣṇu (whose symbol is Garuḍa). —Tārkṣya-nāyaka, as, m. ‘the leader or chief of the birds,’ an epithet of Garuḍa. —Tārkṣya-nāśaka, as, m. ‘destroyer of birds,’ the bird Falco Calidus. —Tārkṣya-pra- sava, as, m. the tree Vatica Robusta; [cf. aśva- karṇa and tārkṣya. ] —Tārkṣya-śaila, am, n. a substance prepared from the calx of brass or from the Amomum Anthorrhiza, and used as a medical application to the eyes; [cf. rasāñjana. ] —Tār- kṣya-sāman, a, n., N. of a Sāman. [ ID=20827 ]
- Garuda  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > [Printed book page 676-1 ] Tārkṣya 2 = Garuḍa: I, 1405, 1414, 5886 ( mārutaraṃhasaḥ ); II, 34 ( rathaṃ T° ketanaṃ, i.e. Kṛṣṇa's chariot), 1620 ( rathaṃ…T°pravaraketanaṃ, do.); V, 3691, 3850, 3919, 3922; VII, 554 ( °s tan nāgam iva cākṣipat ), 3675 ( °-māruta- raṃhobhiḥ ), 5769 ( hartuṃ T°a ivoragaṃ ); VIII, †816 ( °hatāv ivoragau ), 1027 ( °tulyaparākramaḥ ), 1082 ( agacchan nilayaṃ sarve T°ṃ dṛṣṭveva pannagāḥ ), †4549 ( °trastā bhūmim ivoragās te, sc. viviśuḥ ); XII, 1586 ( °dhvajinaṃ, sc. the chariot of Kṛṣṇa); XIII, 632, 1802 ( bhavanti nirviṣāḥ sarpā yathā T°sya darśanāt ). [ ID=10806 ]
- Garuda, who married four daughters of Daksha: Vinata, Kadru, Patangi, and Yamini  
  *The Purana Index*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 2-021 ] Tārkṣya (I) — (also Tārkṣa) — see Garuḍa. 1 Married four daughters of Dakṣa. These were Vinatā, Kadrū, Patangī, and Yāminī, who were mothers of birds, snakes, etc. 2 Tārkṣyasuta inimical to serpents. 3 Invoked for protection on the ground. 4 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. III. 2. 24; 17. 22.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. VI. 6. 2, 21-22.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. VII. 8. 26. X. 17. 7; 37. 4; 59. 7.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. X. 6. 23; 17. 7; M. 126. 19; 167. 53.] [ ID=5442 ]
- 1. A divine steed representing the sun. 2. A mythical king of birds.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 1-308 ] Tārkṣya is mentioned in the Rigveda 1 as a divine steed, apparently the sun conceived as a horse. 2 But Foy, 3 judging by the name, apparently a patronymic of Tṛkṣi, who is known from the Rigveda 4 onwards as a descendant of Trasadasyu, thinks that a real steed, the property of Tṛkṣi, is meant; but this is not very probable. 5 See also Tārukṣya. [ Footnote: 1) i. 89, 6; x. 178.] [ Footnote: 2) Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, p. 149.] [ Footnote: 3) Kuhn's Zeitschrift, 11, 366, 367.] [ Footnote: 4) viii. 22, 7.] [ Footnote: 5) In Khila, ii. 4, 1, Tārkṣya is repre- sented as a bird ( vāyasa ), also a symbol of the sun. In the Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, xv. 18, he is mentioned with Ariṣṭanemi, originally an epithet of his (Rv. i. 89, 6; x. 178, 1), as a person, and in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, xiii. 4, 3, 13, he appears as Vaipaśyata (Vaipaścita in Āśvalāyana Śrauta Sūtra, x. 7), king of the birds ( cf. Eggeling, Sacred Books of the East, 44, 369).] [ ID=1143 ]

### A People or Human Race (2 definitions)
- a people  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > pl. N. of a people, Mahābhārata (Title) ii, 1871 [ ID=84457 ]
- a people  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Tārkṣya, pl. ( °āḥ ), a people. § 295 (Dyūtap.): II, 52, 1871 (brought tribute to Yudhiṣṭhira). [ ID=10808 ]

### Collyrium or Eye-Medicine (2 definitions)
- hair of the eyes  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = नेत्रा (netrā) ञ्च केश (ñca keśa), Npr. [ ID=84454 ]
- garlic  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) n. = - ज (-ja), Suśruta (Title) iv, 9, 45. [ ID=84458 ]

### The God Śiva (2 definitions)
- This dictionary entry has no definition text.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Śiva [ ID=84455 ]
- Shiva  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Tārkṣya 3 = Śiva (1000 names 1—2 ). [ ID=10807 ]

### A Bird (General) (1 definition)
- a bird  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a bird, Mahābhārata (Title) vi, 71; Suśruta (Title) iv, 28, 5 [ ID=84449 ]

### A Cart or Chariot (1 definition)
- a cart  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a cart, L. [ ID=84448 ]

### A Horse (General) (1 definition)
- a horse  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a horse, Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska (subtitle) i, 14 [ ID=84447 ]

### A Sage or Ṛṣi (Ariṣṭanemi) (1 definition)
- 1. A sage. 2. Arishtanemi.  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > तार्क्ष्य (tārkṣya) [Printed book page 675-2 ] Tārkṣya 1, one or more ṛṣis, especially = Ariṣṭanemi. § 11 (Parvasaṅgr.): I, 2, 467 ( saṃvādaḥ Sarasvatyās T°arṣeḥ, cf. § 456).—§ 99 (Aṃśāvat.): I, 65, 2548.— § 191 (Arjuna): I, 123, 4830.—§ 266 (Śakrasabhāv.): II, 7, 299 (in the palace of Indra).—§ 454 (Brāhmaṇa- māhātmyak.): III, 184, 12660 ( Ariṣṭanemnaḥ ), 12665.— § 456 (Sarasvatī-Tārkṣyasaṃv.): III, 186, 12715 ( muninā ), (†12716), †12718, †12730, (†12731), †12733, (†12735), Page676-a+ 63 (†12737), (†12740) (discourse between Sarasvatī and T.).— § 700 (Mokṣadh.): XII, 289, 10615 (= Ariṣṭanemi). [ ID=10805 ]

### A Snake (1 definition)
- a snake  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a snake, L. [ ID=84450 ]

### A Tree (Sal Tree/Vatica Robusta) (1 definition)
- giving birth to heroes  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = - प्रसव (-prasava), vi, 51, 19 ( ° क्ष (°kṣa) ed. ) [ ID=84451 ]

### A Vedic Hymn or Sāman (1 definition)
- Name of a hymn in the Rig-veda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of the hymn, Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 178 (ascribed to Tārkṣya Ariṣṭanemi), Āśvalāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title) ix; Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title) xi f.; Lāṭyāyana (Author) i [ ID=84446 ]

### A Yakṣa (1 definition)
- 1. The Yaksha presiding over the month of Satra. 2. A resident in the chariot of the sun during the month of Margashirsha.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Tārkṣya (II) — the Yakṣa presiding over the month of Satra. (Tārkṣi Br. P. ); 1 resides in the chariot of the sun during the month of Mārgaśīrṣa. 2 Page2-022+ 27 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. XII. 11. 41.] [ Footnote: 2) Vi. II. 10. 13.] [ ID=5443 ]

### An Antidote or General Medicine/Drug (1 definition)
- a sort of antidote  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a sort of antidote, v, 5, 66 [ ID=84452 ]

### Gold (1 definition)
- gold  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > gold, L. [ ID=84453 ]

### Proper Name of a Man (1 definition)
- a proper name  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a man, Pravara texts (Literary category) ii, 3, 6 ( Āp. & Āśv. ) [ ID=84456 ]

## 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; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Vaidya 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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