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)

apaśyata

The Sanskrit word 

अपश्यत (apaśyata), when transliterated, has two distinct meanings depending on how the prefix is interpreted in the original context:

1. The primary meaning is "saw" or "looked"

In this sense, it is the third-person plural imperfect tense form of the verb root dṛś (to see), which in the present and past tenses uses the stem paśya.

• Translation: "They saw" or "You all saw".
• Context: This form is often found in narratives within scriptures like the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (SB). 

2. A secondary meaning is "not seeing"

In this context, it functions as a negative participle, combining the negative prefix अ- (a-) with the participle paśyata (seeing/looking). 

• Translation: "Not seeing," "not looking," or "not noticing".
• Context: This is used in philosophical texts or legal codes to describe someone who is lacking awareness, is not considering a matter, or is physically blind. 

The closely related word अपāस्यत (apāsyata), with a long "ā" in the middle, is a participle meaning "discarding," "throwing off," or "rejecting". 

You can verify the specific usage and context using online Sanskrit resources like the Sanskrit Dictionary at sanskritdictionary.com or the Wisdom Library.

more samples:

The Sanskrit word 

अपश्यत (apaśyata) is a versatile verb form, most commonly meaning "they saw" (imperfect tense, third person plural) or less commonly as a participle meaning "not seeing" (due to the negative prefix 'a-').

Here are samples of how apaśyata is used in Sanskrit literature:

1. In Narrative Context (Meaning: "They saw" or "You all saw")

This is the past tense usage from the verb root dṛś (to see), frequently found in epic and Puranic narratives.

• Sanskrit: yūyaṃ pustakam apaśyata
• Translation: "You all saw the book."
• Sanskrit: ...kāmaṁ apaśyata
• Translation: "...they saw desire/love" (used in a narrative describing people witnessing an emotion or personified god).
• Sanskrit: ...sarvān amanyata [and the objects/people they saw]
• Translation: "...they saw all [of them]..." 

2. In Philosophical Context (Meaning: "Not seeing" or "Without seeing")

In some philosophical or yogic texts, the word functions as a negative participle, often transliterated slightly differently depending on the case endings (apaśyat or apaśyataḥ).

• Sanskrit: ...yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ, ...paśyan...api apaśyat...
• Translation: "...Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind... seeing (outwards)... yet also not seeing (not perceiving the object with attachment/ego)."
• Sanskrit: apaśyataḥ (genitive singular of "not seeing")
• Translation: "Of me, who am not seeing" or "of the unseeing one" 

These examples show that the meaning is context-dependent, referring either to a past action of seeing or a present state of not seeing or discerning.