Apaurusheya, Apauruṣeya: 13 definitions

Introduction:

Apaurusheya means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.

The Sanskrit term Apauruṣeya can be transliterated into English as Apauruseya or Apaurusheya, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Dharmashastra (religious law)

Source: Knowledge Traditions & Practices of India: Education: Systems & Practices

Apaurūṣeya (अपौरूषेय) refers to “disciplines dealing with knowledge not contingent on individuals” and representing one of the two types of Śāstra (learned disciplines), all part of the ancient Indian education system, which aimed at both the inner and the outer dimension of a person. Apauruṣeya texts are Vedas and Vedāṅgas. Vedas also includes the Upaniṣads. Vedas also includes the Upaniṣads.

Dharmashastra book cover
context information

Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

[«previous next»] — Apaurusheya in Hinduism glossary
Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

In Hinduism, Apauruṣeya ("means not the work of mankind or beyond human imagination"), is used to describe the Vedas, the main scripture in Hinduism. This implies that the Vedas are not authored by human but were divine creation. Apaurusheya shabda ("words not created by mankind") is an extension of apaurusheya which refers to the Vedas.

Apaurusheya is a central concept in the Vedanta and Mimamsa schools of Hindu philosophy. These schools accept the Vedas as svatah pramana ("self-evident means of knowledge"). These schools accept that the Vedas were "heard" by the Rishis. The Mimamsa school asserts that since the Vedas are composed of words (shabda) and the words are composed of phonemes, the phonemes being eternal, the Vedas are also eternal. To this, if asked whether all words and sentences are eternal, the Mimamsa philosophers reply that the rules behind combination of phonemes are fixed and per-determined for the Vedas, unlike other words and sentences. The Vedanta school also accepts this line of argument.

Source: Veda: Hinduism

apauruṣeya (Sanskrit: "being unauthored") — is used to describe the Vedas, the main scripture in Hindu Dharma This implies that the Vedas are not authored by any agency, be it human or divine. Apaurusheya shabda ("unauthored word") is an extension of apaurusheya which refers to the Vedas.

Hindu Dharma is regarded as apauruseya, i.e., of impersonal origin & so also are the Gods. They are eternal & though the deities appear to be different & independent, they are really facets of the same Brahman, the Supreme God.

Source: Oxford Reference: A Dictionary of Hinduism

A term used by the Pūrva Mīmāṃsā school to indicate that the Veda is not of human origin; rather, it is uncreated, authorless, and self-validating.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Apaurusheya in Marathi glossary
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

apaurūṣēya (अपौरूषेय).—a Unmanly, cowardly. Superhuman, not of the authorship of man, of divine origin.

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

[«previous next»] — Apaurusheya in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Apauruṣeya (अपौरुषेय).—a.

1) Unmanly, cowardly, timid.

2) Superhuman, not of the authorship of man, of divine origin; अपौरुषेया वेदाः (apauruṣeyā vedāḥ); अपौरुषेयप्रतिष्ठः सुवर्णबिन्दुरि- त्याख्यायते (apauruṣeyapratiṣṭhaḥ suvarṇabinduri- tyākhyāyate) Mālatīmādhava (Bombay) 9. not set up by (the hand of) man.

-ṣam -ṣeyam 1 Cowardice, pussilanimity.

2) Superhuman power.

See also (synonyms): apauruṣa.

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

Apauruṣeya (अपौरुषेय).—[adjective] not produced by man, superhuman.

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

Apauruṣeya (अपौरुषेय):—[=a-pauruṣeya] [from a-pauruṣa] mfn. not coming from men, [ṢaḍvBr.]

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

Apauruṣeya (अपौरुषेय):—[tatpurusha compound] m. f. n.

(-yaḥ-yī-yam) Not being of hu-man origin, not made by men, of divine origin, as the Veda; e. g. apauruṣeyo vedaḥ; or in the Sāṅkhya-tattwakaumudī: śrutivākyajanitaṃ vākyārthajñānaṃ tacca svataḥ pramāṇamapauruṣeyavedajanitatvena sakaladoṣaśaṅkāvinimukteryuktam; or in the Jaim.-nyāyam.: ūhagranthopauruṣeyaḥ pauruṣeyothavāgrimaḥ &c. E. a neg. and pauruṣeya.

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

Apauruṣeya (अपौरुषेय) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Aporisīya.

[Sanskrit to German]

Apaurusheya 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

[«previous next»] — Apaurusheya in Hindi glossary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Apaurūṣeya (अपौरूषेय):—(a) divine; not achieved by or belonging to human being(s).

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Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Apaurusheya in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Apauruṣēya (ಅಪೌರುಷೇಯ):—

1) [adjective] not set up by human; not of the authorship of man; of divine origin.

2) [adjective] that is beyond human power; superhuman.

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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