Anusmriti, Anusmṛti: 17 definitions
Introduction:
Anusmriti means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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 Anusmṛti can be transliterated into English as Anusmrti or Anusmriti, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstraAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति, “recollection”) refers to the third of the ten stages of love (kāma) arising in a woman (strī) and men (puṃs) alike, according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 24.
Source: archive.org: Natya ShastraAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति).—One of the ten stages of love (kāma);—Sighing again and again, thinking deeply of the beloved person and disliking other engagements, is called Recollection (anusmṛti). Being engrossed in thinking of him (i.e. the beloved) one does not attain composure in sitting or lying in bed, and remains unable to do to one’s duty. The third stage of love should be expressed like this.

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: academia.edu: The Śaiva Yogas and Their Relation to Other Systems of YogaAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति, “judgement”) refers to one of the six members (aṅga) of the Ṣaḍaṅgayoga, as taught in the Buddhist forms of Ṣaḍaṅgayoga, while it’s synonyms Tarka and Ūha are taught in the early Śaiva Siddhānta.—Ṣaḍaṅgayoga is taught as the standard yoga of the Śaivasiddhānta (Siddhānta) a mainstream, Veda congruent dualist tradition. See, for example, the 6th century texts of Raurava-āgama, Kiraṇa-āgma, Sarvajñānottara-āgama, Svāyambhuvasūtrasaṃgraha, the 7th century Mālinīvijayottara and the 9th century Tantrasadbhāva.

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति) in Sanskrit or Anussati in Pali, refers to a set of “eight recollections”, according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 31.—The tenth class of supplementary dharmas (bodhipākṣika-dharma) to be fulfilled by the Bodhisattva is made up of the eight recollections (anusmṛti, in Pāli, anussati).
The following should be cultivated (bhāvitavyā) by the bodhisattva:
- recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti),
- recollection of the Dharma (dharmānusmṛti),
- recollection of the Community (saṃghānusmṛti),
- recollection of discipline (śīlānusmṛti),
- recollection of abandonment (tyāgānusmṛti),
- recollection of the deities (devatānusmṛti),
- recollection of inhalation and exhalation (ānāpānasmṛti),
- recollection of death (maraṇānusmṛti).
The Śrāvakas practice [the eight recollections, anusmṛti] for themselves whereas the Bodhisattvas practice for all beings. In the Śrāvakas, they free only from old age (jarā), sickness (vyādhi) and death (maraṇa), whereas in the Bodhisattvas they perfect the qualities (guṇa) of omniscience (sarvajñāna). These are the differences (viśeṣa).
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति) refers to “recollection”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “[...] Then, the bodhisatva, the great being, Gaganagañja addressed himself to the Lord: ‘[...] (9-14) [How do the Bodhisattvas] never forsake the recollection (anusmṛti) of the Buddha, the dharma, the saṃgha, renunciation, morality, and gods which are instructed by the Lord? (15) [How do the Bodhisattvas] perform his practice of a Bodhisattva after having obtained the equality of liberation? (16) [How do the Bodhisattvas] know the characteristics of the behaviour of all living beings? [...]’”.

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.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: archive.org: The Indian Buddhist IconographyAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति, “memory”) refers to one of six limbs of Yoga to be employed in Uttamasevā (excellent worship), according to the Guhyasamāja chapter 18.—[...] Anusmṛti (memory) is the constant meditation of the object for which the psychic exercise is undertaken, and by this Pratibhāsa (revelation) takes place. After commingling the two elements Prajñā (knowledge) and Upāya (means) the whole objective world should be conceived as contracted in the form of a lump, and this should be meditated upon in the Bimba (icon-circle). By this process the transcendental knowledge is suddenly realised by the worshipper and is known as Samādhi (visualisation).

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
General definition (in Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgrahaAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति) refers to the “six recollections” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 54):
- buddhānusmṛti (recollection of the Buddha),
- dharmānusmṛti (recollection of the Dharma),
- saṅghānusmṛti (recollection of the Saṅgha),
- tyāgānusmṛti (recollection of generosity),
- śīlānusmṛti (recollection of virtue),
- devānusmṛti (recollection of the gods).
The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., anusmṛti). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति).—f.
1) Cherished recollection; thinking of; अनुस्मृतेर्बादरिः (anusmṛterbādariḥ) ŚB. 1.2.3.
2) Thinking of one thing to the exclusion of others.
Derivable forms: anusmṛtiḥ (अनुस्मृतिः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति).—f. (= Pali anussati; virtually non-existent in Sanskrit, compare [Boehtlingk and Roth] 5.993), mindfulness: there are six anu°: buddhānu°, dharmānu°, saṃghānu°, śīlānu°, tyāgānu°, devatānu° (Dharmasaṃgraha devānu°), all listed in Pali forms in Vism. (Critical Pali Dictionary), and in [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit], Mahāvyutpatti 1148-54; Dharmasaṃgraha 54; Lalitavistara 31.18—22 (each is a dharmālokamukham); four others later named in Vism. (Critical Pali Dictionary), the first three usually com- pounded with sati instead of anussati: maraṇa(-sati, or °ṇānussati), kāyagatā sati, ānāpāna-sati, upasamānussati; these, with the other six, form a list of ten in Śatasāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā 1443.6 ff., the last four being ānāpānānusmṛti (probably read so with Śatasāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā 60.8 for text ānāpānusmṛtir, which could also be a corruption for ānāpāna, q.v., -smṛtir), udvegānu° (instead of Pali upasamānu°), maraṇānu°, and kāyagatānu°. Of all these the only one often found elsewhere, apart from the lists, is buddhānusmṛti Divyāvadāna 352.21; Avadāna-śataka i.82.3; Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra 7.3; Gaṇḍavyūha 61.7; compare anusmṛti buddha (loc.) abhedyā Śikṣāsamuccaya 4.17, 18 (verses). Other occurrences Mahāvyutpatti 860; 1579 (see anuttarya); Lalitavistara 182.21, read anusmṛtī bhāvanu; Gaṇḍavyūha 36.9.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति).—f.
(-tiḥ) Cherished recollection, recalling some idea to the exclusion of all others. E. anu before spṛti memory. Also anusmaraṇaṃ.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum1) Anusmṛti (अनुस्मृति) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—Bhr. 29. Oppert. Ii, 12.
—by Śaṅkarācārya. Kh. 65. B. 4, 40. See Vedānusmṛti.
2) Anusmṛti (अनुस्मृति):—from the Mahābhārata, where it is not found. Fl. 13. Oudh. Xx, 26. Stein 196.
3) Anusmṛti (अनुस्मृति):—Ulwar 2040.
4) Anusmṛti (अनुस्मृति):—alleged to be taken from the Mahābhārata. Io. 2243. 2254. 2942. 3236. L.. 177-180. Peters. 5, 167. 6, 139.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Anusmṛti (अनुस्मृति):—[=anu-smṛti] [from anu-smṛ] f. cherished recollection, recalling some idea to the exclusion of all others.
2) [v.s. ...] Name of a poem (consisting of 72 verses from, [Mahābhārata] on the necessity of remembering Viṣṇu at death).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Goldstücker Sanskrit-English DictionaryAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति):—[tatpurusha compound] f.
(-tiḥ) Remembering, recollection. (One of the arguments in the Vedānta to prove the immortality of the soul.) E. smṛ with anu, kṛt aff. ktin.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति):—[anu-smṛti] (tiḥ) 2. f. Cherished recollection of particular ideas.
[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.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionaryAnusmṛti (अनुस्मृति):—n. 1. cherished recollection; 2. thinking of one thing to the exclusion of others;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Anusmritistotra.
Full-text (+37): Buddhanusmriti, Dharmanusmriti, Purvanivasanusmriti, Tyaganusmriti, Shilanusmriti, Sanghanusmriti, Devanusmriti, Anusmritistotra, Samganusmriti, Marananusmriti, Devatanusmriti, Shadanusmriti, Nivasanusmriti, Anussati, Tyaga, Anussavattha, Vishnoranusmriti, Pancaratna, Mahabharatapancaratnani, Bhavana.
Relevant text
Search found 15 books and stories containing Anusmriti, Anusmṛti, Anu-smṛti, Anusmrti, Anu-smriti, Anu-smrti; (plurals include: Anusmritis, Anusmṛtis, smṛtis, Anusmrtis, smritis, smrtis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Hevajra Tantra (analytical study) (by Seung Ho Nam)
2. Hevajra Tantra, as a Buddhist Tantric Literature < [Chapter 2 - Place of Hevajra Tantra in Tantric Literature]
3.2. The Completion Stage < [Chapter 3 - Tantric Doctrine in Hevajra Tantra]
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 3.3.125 < [Part 3 - Fraternal Devotion (sakhya-rasa)]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
I. Lists of recollections (anusmṛti or anussati) < [Preliminary note on the Eight Recollections]
II. Canonical definitions of the six Anusmṛti < [Preliminary note on the Eight Recollections]
Part 3 - The recollections according to the Mahāyāna < [Chapter XXXVI - The eight recollections (anusmṛti or anussati)]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Page 137 < [Volume 4, Part 1 (1907)]
Page 279 < [Volume 18 (1915)]
Page 136 < [Volume 4, Part 1 (1907)]
Buddhist Sutra literature (study) (by Gopika G)
Part 6 - Concept of Avalokiteśvara in Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra < [Chapter 3 - Mythology in Sūtra literature]