saptahati

Saptahati is a Sanskrit term commonly interpreted as relating to seven days or sevenfold repetition. The exact sense can vary with context, and the form appears in different regional and literary uses across the Indian cultural sphere.

In Hindu ritual and calendar usage, the word is often associated with observances that span a seven-day period. In some traditions, sets of rites, fasts, or devotional programs are organized as a seven-day sequence, referred to in local languages and ritual manuals as a sapta-hati or similarly spelled variant. The seven-day frame is a recurring structure in certain temple festivals and devotional practices, though the specifics differ by region and community.

In Sanskrit literature, Saptahati can also be the title of minor works or compositions. Such texts may address devotional, liturgical, or ritual topics, and they can vary considerably in date and authorship. Because of the diversity of manuscript transmission, references to a work named Saptahati are often scarce and dispersed, with details differing across catalogues and libraries.

The term is sometimes encountered in discussions that conflate it with Saptashati, a more widely known name meaning “700.” The Durga Saptashati (also called Chandi Saptashati) is a popular 700-verse text attributed to the Markandeya Purana, and it is distinct in content from the seven-day sense of Saptahati. Care should be taken to distinguish between the seven-day usage and the seven-hundred-verse title when consulting sources.