In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

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

Abhinirhāra (अभिनिर्हार) refers to “realizing (the dharma)” (by the knowledge of omniscience), according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “Then the Bodhisattva Gaganagañja, having praised the Lord with these verses, addressed himself to the Lord: ‘[...] Having known that the Lord is endowed with such immeasurable virtues, the dharma, and knowledge of the Tathāgata, I have a high regard for them, and wish to respectfully ask you (= Tathāgata) the entrance into the explaining of the dharma so that all living beings practice the dharma without pride and realize the dharma by the knowledge of omniscience (sarvajñajñāna-abhinirhāra). [...]’”.

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

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

Abhinirhāra (अभिनिर्हार).—m. (= Pali abhinīhāra; according to Critical Pali Dictionary generally earnest wish, synonym of paṇidhāna, patthanā; [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit] shows no such usage; even when associated with praṇidhi or °dhāna it is clearly different in meaning; compare abhinir- harati, under which will be found another case or two of this noun); (1) production, accomplishment, effectuation, undertaking, realization (particularly of something in one- self); Lévi, Asaṅga (Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra) iv.12, production, réalisation (Chin. accomplishing). Rarely used of production of physical things, as in Sukhāvatīvyūha 27.15 ff. of garments, flowers, etc., also music. That it is not, in [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit], equivalent to praṇi- dhāna is illustrated by Gaṇḍavyūha 5.20 pūrva-bodhisattva- praṇidhānābhinirhāraṃ ca saṃdarśayet, and shall exhibit the accomplishment (performance) of former B. vows; followed in 22 by pūrva-bodhisattva-caryā-maṇḍalā- bhinirhāra-paripūriṃ ca saṃdarśayet, and other similar cpds.; Daśabhūmikasūtra 14.10 evaṃrūpāṇi mahāpraṇidhānāni mahāvya- vasāyān mahābhinirhārān abhinirharati, he undertakes such great vows, resolutions, undertakings; accomplishment or production of samādhi, Bodhisattvabhūmi 141.23 (teṣām, sc. samā- dhīnām, abhi°); 175.11 (samādhy-abhi°); of a course of [Page053-a+ 71] conduct, caryā, Daśabhūmikasūtra 17.15; (Ārya-)Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa 23.5; Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 68.5; of mental states such as compassion, Daśabhūmikasūtra 13.17; of preaching, (dharma-)deśanā, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 186.8 (here dharmadeśanābhi° virtually = a kind of upāyakauśalya); 317.13 (preceded in composition by upāyakauśalya); upāyakauśalya-parigrahā- bhi° Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 15.11, realization of the possession of skillful devices; upāyakauśalya-jñānābhi° Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 82.10 production of (effectuation, setting in motion of) knowledge of skillful devices; kṛtasaṃmodanakathāsatkārāsanābhinirhāraś ca Jātakamālā 147.24—25, and after making the accomplishment of return greetings etc.; gāthābhi° production (= recitation) of verses Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 329.9; Samādhirājasūtra 19.37 (see Régamey's translation(s) and note); nānābhinirhāra-, various undertakings (ac- complishments, initiations of activities for religious pur- poses) Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 41.2, 12; 54.2, 4; 71.7; citta-nagara-duryodhana- durāsadatābhi- (text erroneously °bhir)-nirhāra-prayukta Śikṣāsamuccaya 123.4, zealous to produce (effect) the state of impreg- nability and inviolability in the city of the mind; in Daśabhūmikasūtra 55.11 ff., repeatedly, -abhinirhāraṃ cābhinirharati, pro- duces the effect (accomplishes the accomplishment) of (various religiously desirable ends); Mahāvyutpatti 593 ākārābhi°, as name of a samādhi, effectuation of forms; 758 buddha- kāya-varṇa-pariniṣpatty-abhinirhāra, adj., as name of a dhāraṇī; in Daśabhūmikasūtra 45.17 read maharddhi-vikurvaṇābhinir- hāra-nānopacāra- (text °ṇānopa°) -kriyāprayogair, pro- duction of great magic (and?) miracles; (2) funeral obsequies (compare abhinirharati, 2; not in this sense in Pali): Avadāna-śataka i.272.1 śarīrābhi°.

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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Starts with: Abhinirharaka, Abhinirharana, Abhinirharati.

Ends with: Akarabhinirhara, Buddhakayavarnaparinishpattyabhinirhara.

Full-text: Abhisamhara, Abhinirharana, Sarvajnajnana, Abhinirharati.

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Search found 1 books and stories containing Abhinirhara, Abhinirhāra; (plurals include: Abhinirharas, Abhinirhāras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

Bodhisattva quality 29: a hundred thousand samādhis < [Chapter XIII - The Buddha-fields]

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