Akala, Akāla, Ākāla: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Akala means something in Buddhism, Pali, 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Akaal.
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationAkāla (अकाल) refers to the “untimely display of a season”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.18 (“Description of the perturbation caused by Kāma”).—Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated: “Thus the vast diffusion of Spring caused the display of emotions of love. It was unbearable to the forest-dwelling sages. O sage, then, even the insentient beings had the emotions of love. What about the state of sentient ones? Thus spring employed his unbearable power heightening the love of all living beings. On seeing the untimely display of spring [i.e., akāla-nimita], Śiva the lord, who had assumed a physical body indulging in divine sports, thought it surprising. [...]”.
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.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (kavya)Akāla (अकाल) refers to “unseasonal (flowers)”, according to Bāṇa’s Kādambarī (p. 225).—Accordingly, “[Then through the main entrance (of Caṇḍikā), the temple yard:] Her courtyard was adorned (vibhūṣita-aṅgaṇa) with thickets of red aśoka trees, the spaces between the branches of which were made gapless (nirantara) by flocks of perching red cockerels, [trees] which appeared to reveal unseasonal (akāla-darśita) clusters of blooms in their fear”
Kavya (काव्य, kavya) refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
Source: Universität Wien: Sudarśana's Worship at the Royal Court According to the AhirbudhnyasaṃhitāAkāla (अकाल) refers to the “improper time”, according to the Ahirbudhnyasaṃhitā, belonging to the Pāñcarātra tradition which deals with theology, rituals, iconography, narrative mythology and others.—Accordingly, “An abnormal modification caused by a aggressive ritual against Kings, occurring at the improper time (prastuta-akāla), dreadful and all-reaching, is characterized by the these signs: Suddenly horses, elephants and ministers perish, the king himself suffers from a serious illness which has seized [his] body; terrifying thunderbolts strike his dominion; [...] from such and other signs he should understand that the enemy is performing a aggressive ritual”.
Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraAkāla (अकाल) refers to the “wrong time”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 2).—Accordingly, “[If time does not exist, why is it permissible ‘to eat at the proper time’ (kāla-bhojana) and forbidden ‘to eat at the wrong time’ (akāla-bhojana)? Those are common disciplines (śīla)!]—[Answer:]—[...] Besides, the disciplines imposed by the Vinaya are true for the world without having the nature of an absolute, real dharma, for the Ātman and the dharmas do not really exist. But in order to moderate the impatience of the community, in order to protect the Buddhist doctrine and ensure its longevity, in order to regulate the disciples’ rituals, the Bhagavats of the triple world have set up prohibitions the subject of which one should not question whether it is true or conventional, what is associated or dissociated, what is a dharma with such and such a characteristic or without that characteristic. That is why no objection can be made there.”
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāAkāla (अकाल) refers to “inappropriate times”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “[...] Thus he becomes one who subjugates the works of Māra (mārakarman). What then is the subjugation of the works of Māra? That by means of which none of Māra can find a weak point in the Bodhisattva. [...] (23) desire for [something] at inappropriate times (akāla-pratikāṃkṣaṇatā) is the work of Māra; (24) thinking about his family without great compassion is the work of māra; (25) desire for the unconditioned is the work of Māra; (26) depreciating the conditioned is the work of Māra; [...]”.
Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on AgricultureAkāla (अकाल) or Akālavṛṣṭi refers to “untimely (rain)”, according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly, [As the afflicted Nāgas said to Bhagavān]: “[...] Then, O Bhagavān, the hostile Nāgas become agitated and destroy crops. [...] They send down excessive rain, a lack of rain and untimely rain (akāla-vṛṣṭi). However, O Bhagavān, the spell-master, the reciter of spells, should abide by friendliness. He should have the armour of a friendly being. He should have the sword of friendliness in his hand. [For] friendliness pacifies the hostile”.
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
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionaryakāla : (m.) inappropriate. (adj.), out of reason.
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.
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryakala (अकल).—&c. See under akkala and akkalakarā.
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akaḷa (अकळ).—a (Poetry. a & kaḷaṇēṃ) Unintelligible, inconceivable, unknowable.
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akāla (अकाल).—m (S) pop. akāḷa m An unseasonable juncture or period; an unfit time. Also in comp. as a0 janma m An untimely birth; a0 maraṇa n or a0 mṛtyu m Untimely death; a0 vṛṣṭi Untimely rain; a0 vacana n or akālōkti f Unseasonable word or speech; a0 gamana, akālāgamana &c.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishakāla (अकाल) [-ḷa, -ळ].—m An unseasonable period.
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.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryAkala (अकल).—a. [nāsti kalā avayavo yasya] Not in parts, without parts, epithot of the Supreme Spirit.
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Akāla (अकाल).—a. [nāsti ucitaḥ kālo yasya]
1) Untimely, premature, inopportune, unseasonable, out of season; न प्रजासु °मृत्युश्चरति (na prajāsu °mṛtyuścarati) Uttararāmacarita 2; न ह्यकालभवो मृत्युरिक्ष्वाकुपदमस्पृशत् (na hyakālabhavo mṛtyurikṣvākupadamaspṛśat) || R.15.44; अकालमृत्युहरणं सर्वव्याधिविनाशनम् । सूर्यपादोदकं तीर्यं जठरे धारया- म्यहम् (akālamṛtyuharaṇaṃ sarvavyādhivināśanam | sūryapādodakaṃ tīryaṃ jaṭhare dhārayā- myaham) || (sūryanamaskārasaṃkalpaḥ); °बातावली (bātāvalī) Ratnāvalī 3.
2) [na kālaḥ] Not black, white.
-laḥ [na. ta.] Wrong, inauspicious or unseasonable time, not the proper time (for anything); unholy time in a year calculated and shown in Indian almanacs. °लः स्वबलप्रधानविरोधस्य (laḥ svabalapradhānavirodhasya) Ve.3; °लः कुलजनस्य निवर्तितुं (laḥ kulajanasya nivartituṃ) Mu.7; अकाले बोधितो भ्राता (akāle bodhito bhrātā) R.12.81 (at an improper time); अत्यारूढो हि नारीणामकालज्ञो मनोभवः (atyārūḍho hi nārīṇāmakālajño manobhavaḥ) 12.33 takes no account of proper or improper time; अकाले वीक्षितो विष्णुर्हन्ति पुण्यं पुराकृतम् (akāle vīkṣito viṣṇurhanti puṇyaṃ purākṛtam); नाकाले म्रियते कश्चित् प्राप्ते काले न जीवति (nākāle mriyate kaścit prāpte kāle na jīvati); नाकाले म्रियते जन्तुः (nākāle mriyate jantuḥ) H.1.17 does not die a premature death; काले प्राप्तस्त्वकाले वा नास्यानश्नन् गृहे वसेत् (kāle prāptastvakāle vā nāsyānaśnan gṛhe vaset) Manusmṛti 3.15 in time or late.
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Ākāla (आकाल).—
1) The right time.
2) Wrong time.
Derivable forms: ākālaḥ (आकालः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryAkāla (अकाल).—(a-kāla) (m. ?, neg. of 2 kāla 1, day, q.v.; compare Sanskrit vikāla), night: akālāt kālībhūtam Divyāvadāna 336.14, from night it became day; akālībhūtam, it became night, Divyāvadāna 335.17; 337.11 (kālād akā°).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryAkāla (अकाल).—m.
(-laḥ) Irregular or unusual, as time or season. E. a neg. kāla time.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryAkāla (अकाल).—m. unseasonableness, [Sundopasundopākhyāna] 2, 31; loc. le, unseasonably, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 3, 105.
Akāla is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms a and kāla (काल).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryAkāla (अकाल).—[masculine] not the (right) time; °—, [locative], & tas untimely, out of time.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Akala (अकल):—[=a-kala] mfn. not in parts, entire
2) [v.s. ...] not skilled in the arts (kalās).
3) Akāla (अकाल):—[=a-kāla] m. a wrong or bad time
4) [v.s. ...] (also) night, ibidem
5) [v.s. ...] mfn. unseasonable
6) Ākāla (आकाल):—[=ā-kāla] m. ‘the right time’ See an-āk
7) [v.s. ...] (e) [locative case] just at the time of ([genitive case]), [Taittirīya-saṃhitā ii.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Goldstücker Sanskrit-English DictionaryAkala (अकल):—[bahuvrihi compound] m. f. n.
(-laḥ-lā-lam) Being without parts, whole, entire. E. a priv. and kalā.
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Akāla (अकाल):—[tatpurusha compound] m.
(-laḥ) 1) Unseasonableness.
2) Unfavourable time.
3) Impure time or certain days considered as unfit for the performance of religious rites. E. a neg. and kāla.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryAkāla (अकाल):—[a-kāla] (laḥ-lā-laṃ) a. Irregular, out of season, out of due time.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Akāla (अकाल) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Ayāla, Āgala.
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryAkāla (अकाल) [Also spelled akaal]:—(nm) famine; scarcity; (a) premature; untimely;—[kusuma] lit an out-of-season flower—an untimely thing;—[jarā] progeria; ~[pakva] precocious;—[puruṣa] the Ageless One —the Supreme Being as worshipped by the Sikhs;—[prasava] premature delivery;—[mṛtyu] untimely demise; —[vṛdhda] prematurely aged;—[vṛṣṭi] untimely rains.
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Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusAkala (ಅಕಲ):—[adjective] having not been divided, separated into parts; not broken; whole; total.
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Akala (ಅಕಲ):—[noun] the whole water mass of the ocean.
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Akaḷa (ಅಕಳ):—[noun] an exciting of the surface nerves of, as by touching or stroking lightly with the finger, a feather, etc., so as to cause laughter, etc. ; tickling.
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Akāla (ಅಕಾಲ):—
1) [noun] an improper or inauspicious time.
2) [noun] an improper or unsuitable season.
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Ākaḷa (ಆಕಳ):—[noun] = ಆಕಳು [akalu].
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+51): Akala-kare, Akalabhaskara, Akalabhava, Akalabhojana, Akalabuddhi, Akalacakala, Akalacarya, Akaladarshana, Akaladurdina, Akalafa, Akalaha, Akalahinam, Akalaja, Akalajalada, Akalajaladodaya, Akalajata, Akalajna, Akalaka, Akalakara-Kara-Kada-Kadha, Akalakare.
Ends with (+507): Abdakala, Abhinnakala, Abhrakala, Abhyantarakala, Abhyupakala, Acirakala, Adeshakala, Adyantakala, Aghatakala, Ahoratrakala, Ajakala, Akalacakala, Akalasakala, Akarakala, Akhandakala, Akhilashivakala, Akritakala, Alabhakala, Alpakala, Amakala.
Full-text (+66): Akalameghodaya, Akalam, Akalasaha, Akalajaladodaya, Anakala, Akalika, Akalaja, Akalavela, Akalakusuma, Akalakushmanda, Agala, Akalajata, Akalotpanna, Akalaka, Akalacakala, 'akala, Anakalabhrita, Obi akala, Annakala, Akaliki.
Relevant text
Search found 26 books and stories containing Akala, Akāla, Akaḷa, Ākāla, A-kala, A-kāla, Ā-kāla, Ākala, Ākaḷa; (plurals include: Akalas, Akālas, Akaḷas, Ākālas, kalas, kālas, Ākalas, Ākaḷas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Abhidhamma in Daily Life (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa) (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa)
Cause 4 - Untimely Death < [Part 1 - The Four Causes Of Death]
Sankhayana-grihya-sutra (by Hermann Oldenberg)
The Buddha and His Teachings (by Narada Thera)
Is Music a Vidya or a Kala < [Jan - Feb 1939]
The Interplay of Arts in Ancient India < [September 1944]
The Garuda Purana (by Manmatha Nath Dutt)
Chapter CXXV - The Ekadasi Vratam < [Brihaspati (Nitisara) Samhita]
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