Significance of Prohibition

Prohibition, across various traditions such as Vaishnavism, Vyakarana, Vedanta, and more, refers to the act of forbidding specific actions or practices. It serves as a guideline against harmful behaviors, outlines restrictions on relationships and duties based on social hierarchies, and emphasizes the importance of moral conduct. Notably, in Dharmashastra, it includes prohibitions related to marriage and religious duties based on caste, while various schools provide spiritual and practical regulations for maintaining discipline and well-being.1
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Synonyms: Restriction, Embargo, Interdict, Suppression, Prevention, Exclusion

In Dutch: Verbod; In Finnish: Kielto; In Spanish: Prohibición; In German: Verbot

The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.

Buddhist concept of 'Prohibition'

Buddhism Books

Prohibition in Buddhism encompasses rules preventing certain actions to uphold purity and discipline, reflecting the Buddha's teachings. These directives aim to guide practitioners towards ethical living and spiritual growth, often accompanied by penalties for noncompliance.

Significance in Theravada (major branch of Buddhism):
Theravada Books

From: Vinaya Pitaka (3): Khandhaka

(1) A rule or directive that forbids specific actions, often enforceable by penalties.[1]

Theravada is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

Significance in Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism):
Mahayana Books

From: Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra

(1) The rules and guidelines set forth by the Buddha that practitioners must adhere to in order to maintain purity and discipline.[2]

Mahayana 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 sutras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajnaparamita sutras.

Hindu concept of 'Prohibition'

Hinduism Books

Prohibition in Hinduism encompasses strict rules against certain actions, such as marrying outside one's caste and engaging in harmful behaviors. It serves to guide moral conduct, emphasizing avoidance of detrimental practices and maintaining societal norms.

Significance in Dharmashastra (religious law):
Dharmashastra Books

From: Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi

(1) A strictly enforced rule against a particular action. The text contains prohibitions against marrying a Shudra girl for Brahmana and Kshatriya men.[3] (2) Actions or behaviors that are forbidden, which yield undesirable results and are integral to understanding moral conduct.[4] (3) The rule that restricts a Shudra wife from participating in certain religious duties traditionally reserved for wives of higher castes.[5] (4) Refers to the restriction against honouring before the year is over if no sacrifice is performed.[6] (5) This denotes a principle or guideline that suggests certain behaviors or influences should be avoided to preserve the effectiveness of actions such as sacrifices.[7]

Dharmashastra 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.

Significance in Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar):
Vyakarana Books

From: Vakyapadiya of Bhartrihari

(1) A rule or law that prevents certain actions or occurrences.[8] (2) Rules or restrictions that dictate what actions should not be taken, emphasizing the individual aspect when accessories are present.[9] (3) A restriction that is imposed on the formation of certain compounds, indicating that specific connections are not permitted.[10]

Vyakarana refers to Sanskrit grammar and represents one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas. Vyakarana concerns itself with the rules of Sanskrit grammar and linguistic analysis in order to establish the correct context of words and sentences.

Significance in Rasashastra (chemistry and alchemy):
Rasashastra Books

From: Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 3: Metals, Gems and other substances

(1) items and activities that should be avoided by individuals who are taking iron, which can negatively impact its effect.[11]

From: Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 5: Treatment of various afflictions

(1) Activities and substances that should be avoided in the aftermath of drinking wine to prevent exacerbating negative symptoms.[12]

Rasashastra is an important branch of Ayurveda, specialising in chemical interactions with herbs, metals and minerals. Some texts combine yogic and tantric practices with various alchemical operations. The ultimate goal of Rasashastra is not only to preserve and prolong life, but also to bestow wealth upon humankind.

Significance in Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma):
Vaishnavism Books

From: Chaitanya Bhagavata

(1) The act of forbidding something, often associated with rules or guidelines.[13]

Vaishnava or vaishnavism (vaishnavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).

Significance in Vedanta (school of philosophy):
Vedanta Books

From: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

(1) Spiritual instructions aimed at guiding individuals away from harmful actions and thoughts to promote well-being.[14]

Vedanta refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).

Plural form: Prohibitions.