Aloka, Āloka: 28 definitions

Introduction:

Aloka means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

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In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1) Aloka (अलोक).—Attained by Vṛtra.*

  • * Bhāgavata-purāṇa VI. 12. 35; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 19. 153.

2) Āloka (आलोक).—The lokas which spring from aloka.1 ākāśa that seems to exist to our eyes.2

  • 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 19. 151-3, 187; 21. 155; Matsya-purāṇa 123. 47; 124. 93.
  • 2) Vāyu-purāṇa 49. 145 and 176.
Purana book cover
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The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

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Sports, Arts and Entertainment (wordly enjoyments)

Source: archive.org: Syainika Sastra of Rudradeva with English Translation (art)

Āloka (आलोक) refers to the “dim light (of lamps)” (used in the training of hawks), according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, [while discussing the training of hawks]: “[...] Then every night, in the dim light (dīpika) of lamps [sāloke dīpikādibhiḥ], the eyes should be opened, and washed with cool and fair water. The hawk should be gradually inspired with confidence and made to hear the falconer’s voice. [...]”.

Arts book cover
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This section covers the skills and profiencies of the Kalas (“performing arts”) and Shastras (“sciences”) involving ancient Indian traditions of sports, games, arts, entertainment, love-making and other means of wordly enjoyments. Traditionally these topics were dealt with in Sanskrit treatises explaing the philosophy and the justification of enjoying the pleasures of the senses.

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In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Google Books: An Illustrated History of the Mandala

Āloka (आलोक, “light”) refers to one of the Seventeen Viśuddhipadas (“stations of purity”) and is associated with the deity Śāradavajrī, according to the Prajñāpāramitānayasūtra: an ancient Buddhist Tantric text recited daily in the Japanese Shingon sect which is closely related to the Sarvatathāgatatattvasaṃgraha.—The visualization of the seventeen-deity maṇḍala, representing the deification of the seventeen Viśuddhipadas [e.g., āloka], was thought to facilitate the attainment of enlightenment through the sublimation of the defilements into the mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta).

Source: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Spring 2013 Edition: The Theory of Two Truths in India

Aloka (अलोक) or Alokasaṃvṛti refers to “non-mundane convention”, according to the Mūlamadhyamakavṛttiprasannapadā (known simply as Prasannapadā).—[Cf. Madhyamakāvatāra 6.24; Dbu ma ‘a 205a] [...] In Prasannapadā, Candrakīrti introduces us to the similar epistemic distinction: (1) mundane convention (loka-saṃvṛti / ‘jig rten gyi kun rdzob) and (2) non-mundane convention (aloka-saṃvṛti / ‘jig rten ma yin pa'i kun rdzo). Candrakīrti's key argument behind to support the distinction between two mundane epistemic practices—one mundane convention and the other non-mundane convention—is that the former is, for the mundane standard, epistemically reliable whereas the latter is epistemically unreliable. [...]

Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Āloka (आलोक) refers to the “(vajra) lamp” [i.e., oṃ vajrāloke hrīṃ], according to the Guru Mandala Worship (maṇḍalārcana) ritual often performed in combination with the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, which refers to the primary pūjā and sādhanā practice of Newah Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhists in Nepal.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Āloka (आलोक) refers to the “(supreme) light”, according to  the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 40.—Accordingly: [...] Furthermore, the Buddha is superior to the noble Cakravartin king. [...] The noble Cakravartin king follows the dangerous path of saṃsāra; the Buddha has transcended it. The noble Cakravartin king is immersed in the shadows of error; the Buddha lives in the supreme light (parama-āloka). The noble Cakravartin king reigns over a maximum of four continents; the Buddha reigns over innumerable and infinite universes. [...]

Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā

1) Āloka (आलोक) refers to “light”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “The great vehicle (mahāyāna) is made with four wheels (cakra), namely with the means of attraction, the spokes (ara) are well fitted as the roots of good have been transformed with intention, [...] is unbreakable because it is firm as a diamond (vajradṛḍha), is unchangeable due to the promise (pratijñā) based on the firmness of the highest intention, is controlled and well-grasped by a charioteer (sārathi), is always led by the thought of awakening, runs smoothly as it is attuned to the fulfilling of the qualities of vows, obtains the light (āloka-labdha) of divine sight in the great view of ten directions, [...]”.

2) Āloka (आलोक) refers to the “illumination (of all teachings)”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā.—Accordingly, “Son of good family, there are eight purities of the insight (prajñā) of the Bodhisattvas. What are the eight? To with, [...] (7) although they are established in the knowledge of teachings which is beyond discursive thinking, they elucidate the division of words of all teachings; (8) they attain the illumination of all teachings (sarva-dharma-āloka) and teach living beings about impurity and purification”.

Mahayana book cover
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Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

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General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

Āloka (आलोक, “light”) refers to one of the “twenty form objects” (rūpa) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 34). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., āloka). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

Āloka also refers to the “concentration on light” and represents one of the “four concentrations” (samādhi) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 101).

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Aloka (अलोक) refers to “non-universe”, according to chapter 4.4 [anantanātha-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.—(Note: Space is the only substance which extends beyond loka into aloka)

Accordingly, as Anantanātha said:—“[...] Space is all-pervading, self-supported, affording place, constantly penetrates the universe [i.e., loka] and non-universe [i.e., aloka], and has infinite units. The atoms of time, separated, occupying a unit of the world-space for modification of attributes, are called primary time (mūkhyakāla). An instant (samaya), etc, whose measure is given in books on astronomy, that is considered time from a practical point of view by those knowing time. It is the work of that these objects in the womb of the world are evolved with a form, new, old, etc. Present objects become in the past, and future objects become present, transformed by the sport of time. [...]”.

Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Aloka (अलोक) refers to the “non-cosmos”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “That wherein things beginning with the self, which are sentient and non-sentient, are seen by the omniscient ones is the cosmos. Consequently, the non-cosmos (aloka) is named the atmosphere. The cosmos is the shape of a palm tree filled with the three worlds, surrounded by the three winds having great speed [and] great power in between [the cosmos and non-cosmos]”.

General definition book cover
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Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

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India history and geography

Source: Shodhganga: a concise history of Sanskrit Chanda literature (history)

Āloka (आलोक) or Vṛttasārāloka is the name of a commentary on the Vṛttasāra: both works ascribed to Ramāpati Upādhyāya (before 1704 C.E.): the disciple and the son of Yaśodhara and grandson of Śrīharīśa. He tells the magnanimity of his father and grandfather that his grandfather was a famous scholar in Kāśī and he was entrusted with the title Pājjikāmbhoja.

In the invocatory verse of the Āloka Ramāpati praises Piṅgala, while Vāgdevatā and Yaśodhara have been praised in the invocatory verse of the commentary. He tells that after expanding the metres, he comments on them.

India history book cover
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The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

āloka : (m.) light.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Āloka, (ā + lok, Sk. āloka) seeing, sight (obj. & subj.), i. e. — 1. sight, view, look S.IV, 128 = Sn.763; A.III, 236 (āloke nikkhitta laid before one’s eye). anāloka without sight, blind Miln.296 (andha +). — 2. light A.I, 164 (tamo vigato ā. uppanno) = It.100 (vihato); A.II, 139 (four lights, i.e. canda°, suriya°, agg°, paññ°, of the moon, sun, fire & wisdom); J II 34; Dhs.617 (opp. andhakāra); VvA.51 (dīp°). — 3. (clear) sight, power of observation, intuition, in combn. with vijjā knowledge D.II, 33 = S.II, 7 = 105, cp. Ps.II, 150 sq. (obhāsaṭṭhena, S A. on II.7). — 4. splendour VvA.53; DvA 71.

Pali book cover
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Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

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Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

ālōka (आलोक).—m S ālōkana n S ālōcana n S Seeing, looking, contemplating.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

ālōka (आलोक).—m ālōkana, ālōcana n Seeing; contemplating.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Aloka (अलोक).—a.

1) Not having space (Ved.).

2) That which cannot be seen, as in लोकालोक इवाचलः (lokāloka ivācalaḥ) R.1.68 (na lokyata ityalokaḥ Malli.); see लोकालोक (lokāloka) also.

3) Having no people.

4) One who does not go to any other world after death (not having performed meritorious deeds).

5) Beyond space (lokātīta parabrahma); पश्यतां सर्वलोकानामलोकं समपद्यत (paśyatāṃ sarvalokānāmalokaṃ samapadyata) Bhāgavata 6.12.35.

-kaḥ, -kam 1 Not the world.

2) End of, destruction of the world; absence of people; रक्ष सर्वानिमाँल्लोकान् नालोकं कर्तुमर्हसि (rakṣa sarvānimāṃllokān nālokaṃ kartumarhasi) Rām.

3) The immaterial or spiritual world.

4) The nether world (pātāla).

5) A Ritvij or any such priest.

6) One who is not a seer or observer.

-kā A kind of bird.

--- OR ---

Āloka (आलोक).—

1) Seeing, beholding.

2) Sight, aspect. appearance; यदालोके सूक्ष्मम् (yadāloke sūkṣmam) Ś.1.9; Kumārasambhava 7.22,46; व्रजति हि सफलत्वं वल्लभालोकनेन (vrajati hi saphalatvaṃ vallabhālokanena) Śi. सुख° (sukha°) V.4.24; Ś1.32; R.1.84; Meghadūta 3,39.

3) Range of sight; आलोके ते निपतति पुरा सा बलिव्याकुला वा (āloke te nipatati purā sā balivyākulā vā) Meghadūta 87; R.7.5; Kumārasambhava 2.45.

4) Light, lustre, splendour; आलोकमार्गं सहसा व्रजन्त्या (ālokamārgaṃ sahasā vrajantyā) R.7.6 airhole, or window; निरालोकं लोकम् (nirālokaṃ lokam) Mālatīmādhava (Bombay) 5.3;9.37;1. 4,11; Ve.2; K.16,29,348,68,98.

5) Panegyric, praise, complimentary language; especially, a word of praise uttered by a bard (such as jaya, ālokaya); ययावुदीरितालोकः (yayāvudīritālokaḥ) R.17.27;2.9; K.14.

6) Section, chapter.

7) Mild light (sāttvikaḥ prakāśaḥ) cf. Pātañjala Yogadarśana 3.25.

8) A trace of sight; आलोकमपि रामस्य न पश्यन्ति स्म दुःखिताः (ālokamapi rāmasya na paśyanti sma duḥkhitāḥ) Rām.2.47.2.

9) A lamp, light; आलोकदानं नामैतत्कीदृशं भरतर्षभ (ālokadānaṃ nāmaitatkīdṛśaṃ bharatarṣabha) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 13.98.1.

Derivable forms: ālokaḥ (आलोकः).

See also (synonyms): ālokana.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Aloka (अलोक).—m., a high number: Mahāvyutpatti 7869 (cited from Gaṇḍavyūha) = Tibetan śugs sbyoṅ, or śugs ḥphyo (the latter also renders heluga, q.v.); in Gaṇḍavyūha 133.13 āloka, m.; but in Gaṇḍavyūha 106.3 sattva-lokasya, for which certainly read sattvāloka- sya.

--- OR ---

Āloka (आलोक).—m. (once nt.), light, as in Sanskrit; (1) fig., see dharmāloka (-mukha); like this, -jñānālokamukha Gaṇḍavyūha 169.24, introduction to the light of knowledge; -pratibhānā- lokamukha Gaṇḍavyūha 174.13—14; (prajñā udapāsi) ālokaṃ (n. sg. nt.) prādur-abhūṣi Mahāvastu iii.332.15 illumination (of the mind) became manifested (virtually = enlightenment, true know- ledge); (2) m., a high number: Gaṇḍavyūha 133.13 (= aloka, q.v.). See the following items.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Āloka (आलोक).—m.

(-kaḥ) 1. Sight, seeing, looking. 2. Light. 3. Flattery, complimentary language, panegyric. E. āṅ before lokṛ to see, ghaña affix.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Āloka (आलोक).—i. e. ā-lok + a, m. 1. Sight, [Meghadūta, (ed. Gildemeister.)] 38; [Śākuntala, (ed. Böhtlingk.)] [distich] 9 (first look). 2. Light, [Rāmāyaṇa] 4, 50, 52. 3. Appearance, [Daśakumāracarita] in Chr. 186, 15. 4. Flattery, panegyric, [Raghuvaṃśa, (ed. Stenzler.)] 2, 9.

--- OR ---

Aloka (अलोक).—m. ceasing of the world, [Rāmāyaṇa] 1, 37, 12.

Aloka is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms a and loka (लोक).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Aloka (अलोक).—1. [masculine] not the world, the end of the world.

--- OR ---

Aloka (अलोक).—2. [adjective] finding no place.

--- OR ---

Āloka (आलोक).—[masculine] sight, view, glance, aspect.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Āloka (आलोक) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—See Kāvyāloka, Candrāloka, Tattvacintāmaṇyāloka.
—[nyāya] Oppert. 403.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Aloka (अलोक):—[=a-loka] m. ‘not the world’, the end of the world, [Rāmāyaṇa i, 37, 12]

2) [v.s. ...] the immaterial or spiritual world, [Jaina literature]

3) [v.s. ...] (a-lokās) not the people, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa xiv]

4) [v.s. ...] mfn. not having space, finding no place, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa]

5) Āloka (आलोक):—[=ā-loka] [from ā-lok] m. looking, seeing, beholding

6) [v.s. ...] sight, aspect, vision, [Kathāsaritsāgara; Meghadūta; Mṛcchakaṭikā; Śakuntalā; Raghuvaṃśa] etc.

7) [v.s. ...] light, lustre, splendour

8) [v.s. ...] glimmer, [Rāmāyaṇa; Mahābhārata]

9) [v.s. ...] flattery, praise, complimentary language

10) [v.s. ...] panegyric, [Raghuvaṃśa]

11) [v.s. ...] section, chapter

12) [v.s. ...] Name of [work]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Aloka (अलोक):—[a-loka] (kaḥ-kā-kaṃ) a. Desolate.

2) Āloka (आलोक):—[ā-loka] (kaḥ) 1. m. Sight; light; flattery, panegyric.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Aloka (अलोक) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Aloga, Āloa.

[Sanskrit to German]

Aloka in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Āloka (आलोक) [Also spelled alok]:—(nm) light; lustre; enlightenment.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Alōka (ಅಲೋಕ):—[noun] any world or region distinct or different from ours; the invisible or spiritual world.

--- OR ---

Ālōka (ಆಲೋಕ):—

1) [noun] the act of seeing; beholding; glancing.

2) [noun] light; lustre.

3) [noun] all that has been perceived or grasped by the mind; learning; knowledge.

4) [noun] a praising; commendation or glorification; extolment.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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