aṁśa

The Sanskrit word 

अंश (aṃśa) translates to "part," "portion," "share," or "division". 

It is a versatile term used across various fields of study and philosophy in ancient India:

Key Meanings and Usage

• General Meaning: Refers to a piece, fragment, or a designated share of something, such as property or food.
• Philosophy and Spirituality: In Hindu philosophy, aṃśa is a significant term meaning a "portion" or "expansion" of the divine. For instance, individual souls are often described in the Bhagavad Gita as eternal partial expansions (mamaivāṃśo) of the Supreme Being.
• Anatomy: It can also refer to the shoulder or shoulder blade (sometimes written more specifically as aṃsa with a dental 's').
• Mathematics and Astronomy: In technical texts, aṃśa denotes a fraction (specifically the numerator) or a "degree" of latitude or longitude.
• Music and Architecture: The word is used to describe a governing or keynote in Indian classical music (rāga) or a specific segment of an architectural structure's measurement system (Vastu shastra). 

For more definitions and usage examples, you can consult online Sanskrit dictionaries such as the one available at sanskritdictionary.com or the Wisdom Library.

more samples:

The Sanskrit word 

अंश (aṃśa), meaning "part," "portion," or "share," is extensively used in scriptural and technical literature, particularly in cosmology and philosophy.

Here are samples of aṃśa used in various Sanskrit texts:

1. In the Bhagavad Gitā (Chapter 15, Verse 7)

This is a key philosophical verse where Lord Krishna defines the nature of the individual soul as an eternal portion of the Supreme Self.

• Sanskrit:

  mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ |
  manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati ||

• Translation:

  "Only a portion (aṃśaḥ) of My eternal Self has become the soul (Jiva) in the world of living beings; he (the Jiva) draws (to himself) the five senses, with the mind as the sixth, abiding in material nature."

   

2. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.28)

This verse is a significant theological statement that classifies various divine appearances (avatāras or incarnations) as parts or portions of the original Godhead.

• Sanskrit:

  ete cāṁśa*-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam |*
  indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge ||

• Translation:

  "All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions (aṃśa) or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead."

   

3. In Vedic Astrology/Astronomy (Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa)

In technical and scientific texts, aṃśa is used as a technical term referring to divisions of time or space.

• Sanskrit: ...aṃśas nakshatras...
• Translation: "...the portions (degrees) of the lunar mansions (nakshatras)..."
• Sanskrit (Compound Term): Ayanāṃśa
• Translation: This is the technical term for the "arc of precession" (ayana "movement" + aṃśa "component") used in sidereal astrology to align the zodiac signs with the actual constellations. 

4. In Law and Society (Manu-Smṛti)

In texts concerning social structure and law, aṃśa refers to a legal share or inheritance.

• Sanskrit: *bhāga-**aṃśa
• Translation: "A share or portion of an inheritance." (General usage inferred from context of legal texts)