Vilakshana, Vilakṣaṇa: 14 definitions

Introduction:

Vilakshana means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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 Vilakṣaṇa can be transliterated into English as Vilaksana or Vilakshana, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Vilakshan.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

[«previous next»] — Vilakshana in Purana glossary
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण) refers to “abnormal”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.8.—Accordingly, Sage Nārada said to Menā:—“O Menā, O king of mountains, this daughter of yours has all auspicious signs. Like the first digit of the moon she will increase day by day. She will delight her husband, and heighten the glory of her parents. She will be a great chaste lady. She will grant bliss to everyone always. I see all good signs in the palm of your daughter, O lord of mountains. There is an abnormal [i.e., vilakṣaṇa] line also. Listen to the indication thereof. Her husband will be a naked Yogin, without any qualities. He will be free from lust. He will have neither mother nor father. He will be indifferent to honours. His dress and manners will be inauspicious”.

Purana book cover
context information

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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In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Vilakshana in Mahayana glossary
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā

Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण) refers to the “essential character of discordance”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “[Characteristics of behavior of all beings] [...] The behaviour’s essence, essential character, the essential character of cause, the essential character of condition, the essential character of productive cause, the essential character of combination, the essential character of difference, the essential character of discordance (vilakṣaṇa), the essential character of passion, the essential character of aversion, the essential character of delusion, the essential character of the three together, the essential character of hell-beings, the essential character of animals [...]—he knows all the essential characters of behavior truly as they are, and there is no fault at all in his understanding”.

Mahayana book cover
context information

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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In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

[«previous next»] — Vilakshana in Jainism glossary
Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण) refers to the “difference” (between the self  and the body), according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “This self is, by nature, different from the body, etc. (vilakṣaṇaayam ātmā svabhāvena śarīrāder vilakṣaṇaḥ), consisting of consciousness and bliss, pure and united with mundane bondage. In reality, there is no unity of the forms of matter and consciousness with regard to mundane bondage and the connection of these two is without a beginning like gold and a flaw in gold”.

Synonyms: Bhinna.

General definition book cover
context information

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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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Vilakshana in Marathi glossary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण).—a (S) pop. vilakṣaṇīka a Extraordinary, strange, odd, novel, irregular, that differs from the common order, class, or course. 2 Other, different, having some distinguishing qualities or features.

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

vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण).—a Extraordinary. Different.

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»] — Vilakshana in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण).—a.

1) Having no characteristic or distinguishing marks.

2) Different, other; ततश्च कर्माणि विलक्षणानि (tataśca karmāṇi vilakṣaṇāni) Bhāgavata 11.23.44.

3) Strange, extraordinary, unusual; तस्मै नमस्ते स्वविलक्षणात्मने (tasmai namaste svavilakṣaṇātmane) Bhāgavata 1.7.38.

4) Possessed of inauspicious marks.

5) Lustreless, bad-looking; उद्वीक्ष्यो- द्वीक्ष्य नयनैर्भयादिव विलक्षणैः (udvīkṣyo- dvīkṣya nayanairbhayādiva vilakṣaṇaiḥ) Rām.3.52.41.

-ṇam 1 A vain or useless state.

2) Perceiving, observing.

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

Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण).—mfn.

(-ṇaḥ-ṇā-ṇaṃ) 1. Other, different. 2. Strange. 3. Having no distinguishing marks. 4. Having inauspicious marks. n.

(-ṇaṃ) 1. State or condition for which no cause can be assigned, vain and causeless state. 2. Seeing, observing. E. vi privative or negative, and lakṣaṇa a mark or sign.

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

Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण).—i. e. A. vi-lakṣ + ana, n. Seeing. B. i. e. vi-lakṣaṇa, I. adj. Different, Bhāṣāp. 113. Ii. n. State or condition for which no cause can be assigned, causeless state.

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Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण).—see s. v.

Vilakṣaṇa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms vi and lakṣaṇa (लक्षण).

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

Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण).—[adjective] of different character or nature; unequal to, different from ([ablative] or —°); various, manifold.

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

1) Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण):—[=vi-lakṣaṇa] [from vi] 1. vi-lakṣaṇa mf(ā)n. (for 2. See vi-√lakṣ) having different marks, varying in character, different, differing from ([ablative] or [compound]; -tā, f.; -tva n.), [Nṛsiṃha-tāpanīya-upaniṣad; Suśruta; Sāhitya-darpaṇa] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] various, manifold, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]

3) [v.s. ...] not admitting of exact definition, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa; Kāvyādarśa [Scholiast or Commentator]]

4) [v.s. ...] n. any state or condition which is without distinctive mark or for which no cause can be assigned, vain or causeless state, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

5) [=vi-lakṣaṇa] [from vi-lakṣ] 2. vi-lakṣaṇa n. (for 1. See p. 952, col. 1) the act of distinguishing, perceiving, seeing, observing, [Horace H. Wilson]

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

Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण):—[vi-lakṣaṇa] (ṇaḥ-ṇā-ṇaṃ) a. Other, different; extraordinary. n. Vain and causeless state; discerning.

[Sanskrit to German]

Vilakshana 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»] — Vilakshana in Hindi glossary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Vilakṣaṇa (विलक्षण) [Also spelled vilakshan]:—(a) queer, strange, peculiar, wonderful; remarkable, exceptional, extra-ordinary; fantastic; prodigious; precocious; ~[] strangeness, queerness, peculiarity; remarkability; precocity, uncommonness.

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Kannada-English dictionary

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

Vilakṣaṇa (ವಿಲಕ್ಷಣ):—

1) [adjective] not having any particular quality or characteristic.

2) [adjective] unfamiliar; strange.

3) [adjective] exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable; extraordinary.

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Vilakṣaṇa (ವಿಲಕ್ಷಣ):—

1) [noun] the fact of having no cause (to come bout, happen).

2) [noun] a thing, event, happening, etc. that strange.

3) [noun] that which is characterised by exceptional quality, degree, extent, etc.; an extraordinary thing.

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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