In Hinduism

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

1) Avabhāsa (अवभास, “manifestation”) refers to the second of the four moments in the act of perception, according to Dupuche (2003:59-60). Accordingly, “consciousness emits the object [i.e., udyoga—‘exertion’]. The second stage is avabhāsa, the manifestation of reality. The third is the absorption, the relishing or savouring (carvaṇa) of reality. The final stage is dissolution when reality is reabsorbed in its every aspect (viśrānti) of subjectivity. For example, ... at first there is will to perceive a jar (udyoga), then there is actual perception of the jar (avabhāsa), relishing of the perceptive experience (carvaṇa), and finally assimilating the perceptive experience of the jar to the essential nature of the Self”.

Note: In one place, the Mahānayaprakāśa (by unknown author) verse 3.1 lists these four as 1) udaya—‘arising’, 2) avabhāsa —‘manifestation’. 3) kālagrāsa—‘assimilation of time (into non-temporal consciousness)’. 4) svarūpaviśrānti—‘repose in one’s own nature’.

2) Avabhāsā (अवभासा) refers to the “light” (of millions of tongues), according to the Kularatnoddyota, one of the earliest Kubjikā Tantras.—Accordingly: “[...] Having come to know that there is a very fierce Śakti nearby who is intent on (the observance of) vows and discipline, he went (to her) and having worshipped her by the grace of Kula and Akula, he attained great accomplishment. (This accomplishment shone with the) light (avabhāsā) of millions of tongues of fire that radiated from the awakened consciousness of the Vidyā (imparted by the goddess’s) Command obtained by means of the many types and forms of consecration preceded by (the piercing of) the Wheels”.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (philosophy)

Avabhāsa (अवभास) refers to “(that which is) (necessarily) being manifest”, according to Utpaladeva’s Vivṛti on Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā 1.5.6.—Accordingly, “Even an ordinary human practice that is based on an inference [—such as trying to reach a fire the presence of which is merely inferred from the perception of smoke—can only occur] thanks to a fire that is necessarily being manifest (avabhāsa-māna) [at the very time of this endeavour]; even in a conceptual cognition, fire is determined [as being] external [to consciousness only insofar as] it is manifested. [...]”

context information

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 Sastra

Avabhāsa (अवभास) refers to “(complete) illumination”, according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 3.—Accordingly, “The four immeasurable feelings (apramāṇa-citta) are loving-kindness (maitrī), compassion (karuṇā), joy (muditā) and equanimity (upekṣā). [...] To untamed minds that cannot merge from one trance in order to enter into the others successively, one should speak of the nine successive absorptions. To those who do not possess complete illumination (kṛtsna-avabhāsa) on all objects in order to liberate them at will, one should speak of the ten totalities. [...]”.

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

1) Avabhāsa (अवभास) refers to the “manifestation (of all dharmas free from blindness)”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “What then, the son of good family, is memory (dhāraṇī)? [...] (37) knowledge understanding afflictions and purifications truly as they are; (38) knowledge understanding cause and action; (39) knowledge of the manifestation of all dharmas free from blindness (sarva-dharma-avabhāsa)”.

2) Avabhāsa (अवभास) refers to the “appearance (of forms or sounds)”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā.—Accordingly, “How then, son of good family, does the Bodhisattva become unattached to all thoughts and deeds of living beings when he obtains the concentration called the ocean-seal? Son of good family, as many as features of living beings appear in the Jambudvipa World, the seal which is like all of them reflects in the great ocean, thus it is called the great ocean. In the same way, as many as there are the appearance of thoughts, the appearance of forms (rūpa-avabhāsa), or the appearance of sounds (śabda-avabhāsa), all those reflect in a single appearance of the Bodhisattva who maintains the ocean-seal samādhi, thus it is called the ocean-seal samādhi. [...]”.

Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture

Avabhāsa (अवभास) refers to “being brilliant (like the sun)” and is used to describe the Bhagavān, 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, “Now the Bhagavān was residing in the abode of Brahmā. [...] The Bhagavān had a body ornamented with a net of ten million million thousand rays. He was blazing brightly like a golden pillar. He was brilliant (avabhāsa) like the Sun, displayed the thirty-two marks of beauty and the eighty minor marks of beauty. He was embellished with a radiance measuring a fathom. He had the body of a Tathāgata, extremely pure, extremely spotless and brilliant”.

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

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

avabhāsa : (m.) light; appearance.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Avabhāsa, (later form of obhāsa) Only in cpd. gambhīrāvabhāso D. II, 55, looking deep. Same cpd. at A. II, 105 = Pug. 46 has obhāsa. (Page 83)

context information

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.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Avabhāsa (अवभास).—

1) Splendour, lustre, light; यैः शोभितोऽसि मुखचन्द्रकृतावभासः (yaiḥ śobhito'si mukhacandrakṛtāvabhāsaḥ) Mu.5.16.

2) Knowledge, perception.

3) Appearance, manifestation, inspiration; येनास्य तत्त्वेषु कृतेऽवभासे (yenāsya tattveṣu kṛte'vabhāse) Kirātārjunīya 3.26.

4) Space, reach, compass.

5) False knowledge.

Derivable forms: avabhāsaḥ (अवभासः).

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

Avabhāsa (अवभास).—m. (in Sanskrit sheen; appearance; manifesta- tion, and so also in [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit]; in meaning 1 = Pali obhāsa), (1) hint given in words by a monk as to something he desires (a sinful act); compare Childers 298; Vism. i.23.17 and 41.1 ff., where it as well as nimitta, 3, suggestion, and parikathā, qq.v., are briefly explained: Śikṣāsamuccaya 131.3 nāvabhāsa-kareṇa bhavitavyam, one should not be a maker of hints; 4 katamo 'vabhāsaḥ (in the following example a monk says things designed to get tasty food from donors); 6 avabhāsa- nimittaṃ; see avabhāsa-tā; (2) range, = ābhāsa, q.v., used in similar cpds.: (aham…) bālānāṃ śravaṇāvabhā- sam āgacchāmi Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 192.10; bodhisattvasya…dharma- śabdā (text °dhā) śrotrāvabhāsam āgacchanti, Bhadrapāda Sūtra, Thomas ap. Hoernle [Manuscript Remains of Buddhist literature found in Eastern Turkestan] 89.13; rūpaśabdagandhara- sasparśāvabhāsam āgacchanti Kāśyapa Parivarta 105.8 (prose).

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

Avabhāsa (अवभास).—m.

(-saḥ) 1. Light. 2. Manifestation. E. ava, and bhāsa light.

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

Avabhāsa (अवभास).—[ava-bhās + a], m. Appearance.

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

Avabhāsa (अवभास).—[masculine] splendour, light, manifestation, appearance; ka [adjective] illumining, manifesting; [abstract] tva [neuter]

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

1) Avabhāsa (अवभास):—[=ava-bhāsa] [from ava-bhās] m. splendour, lustre, light

2) [v.s. ...] appearance (especially ifc. with words expressing a colour), [Jaina literature; Suśruta]

3) [v.s. ...] (in Vedānta [philosophy]) manifestation

4) [v.s. ...] reach, compass, see, śravaṇāvabh.

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

Avabhāsa (अवभास):—[ava-bhāsa] (saḥ) 1. m. Light, manifestation, illumination.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Avabhāsa (अवभास) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Avabhāsa, Avahāsa, Obhāsa.

[Sanskrit to German]

Avabhasa 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.

Prakrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary

1) Avabhāsa (अवभास) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Avabhāsa.

2) Avabhāsa (अवभास) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Avabhāsa.

context information

Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Avabhāsa (ಅವಭಾಸ):—

1) [noun] great brightness, radiance, intensity, splendour, intelligence, etc; the fact of being brilliant; brilliance; splendour.

2) [noun] the look or outward aspect of a person or thing; appearance.

context information

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)

Partial matches: Ava, Bhasha.

Starts with: Avabhasaka, Avabhasakara, Avabhasakatva, Avabhasamakuta, Avabhasamana, Avabhasamkara, Avabhasanashikhin, Avabhasaprabha, Avabhasaprapta, Avabhasaraja, Avabhasarajaprabhaketushiri, Avabhasarajaprabhaketushri, Avabhasasagaraviyuha, Avabhasata, Avabhasati, Avabhasaya, Avabhasayitar, Avabhashana.

Ends with (+23): Adhaurdhvadigjnanavabhasa, Ajinavaravabhasa, Anavabhasa, Ardhaharavabhasa, Bhavabhasa, Candravabhasa, Chandravabhasa, Dakavabhasa, Dharmavabhasa, Gambhiravabhasa, Haravaravabhasa, Kanakavalivaravabhasa, Kritsnavabhasa, Kundakrityavabhasa, Kundalavaravabhasa, Lohitavabhasa, Muktavalivaravabhasa, Nilavabhasa, Padmavabhasa, Pandvavabhasa.

Full-text (+5): Obhasa, Avabhasakara, Avabhasaprabha, Gambhiravabhasa, Avabhasaprapta, Avabhasaka, Avabhasata, Pandvavabhasa, Pratyavabhasa, Anavabhasa, Avahasa, Vishranti, Svarupavishranti, Udyoga, Carvana, Parikatha, Pratyuddhara, Udaya, Audara, Abhasa.

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Search found 6 books and stories containing Avabhasa, Avabhāsa, Ava-bhasa, Ava-bhāsa; (plurals include: Avabhasas, Avabhāsas, bhasas, bhāsas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)

Text 10.196 [Asaṅgati] < [Chapter 10 - Ornaments of Meaning]

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Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

Act 9.3: Question of the bodhisattva Samantaraśmi < [Chapter XV - The Arrival of the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions]

Appendix 2 - Lokāntarikā (intermediate spaces between two worlds) < [Chapter XLVII - Praises made by the Buddhas]

V. Value of the Buddha fields < [Part 4 - Assuring the continuity of the Buddha universes]

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Brahma Sutras (Shankaracharya) (by George Thibaut)

II, 2, 28 < [Second Adhyāya, Second Pāda]

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Consciousness in Gaudapada’s Mandukya-karika (by V. Sujata Raju)

Cognition and the problem of objective reference < [Chapter 6: A Study of Māṇḍūkya Kārikā: Alātaśānti Prakaraṇa]

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A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 2 (by Surendranath Dasgupta)

Part 9 - Maṇḍana (a.d. 800) < [Chapter XI - The Śaṅkara School of Vedānta (continued)]

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A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)

Part 6 - Six Strokes

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