śākhā

[apte] 1 A branch(as of a tree); āvajrya śākhāḥ R. 16. 19. --2 An arm. --3 A party, section, faction. --4 A part of subdivision of a work. --5 A school, branch, sect. --6 A part or division of an animal. --7 A school or traditional recension of the Veda, the traditional text fol- lowed by a school; as in śākalaśā- khā, āśvalāyanaśākhā, bāṣkalaśākhā &c. --Comp. --caṃkramaṇaṃ leaping from branch to branch’, irregular study....