Bhaiksha, Bhaikṣa: 13 definitions
Introduction:
Bhaiksha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. 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 Bhaikṣa can be transliterated into English as Bhaiksa or Bhaiksha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Shaivism
Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष) refers to “alms”, according to the Guhyasūtra chapter 3.—Accordingly, “[...] [If] one wanders in the cremation-ground at night, with a skull in one’s hand and a Khaṭvāṅga, covered in ashes, that is called the cremation-ground observance. If one dances, sings, laughs and talks madly, with the body smeared in ashes and wearing rags, this is called the Gaṇavrata. One performs the Clod-of-Earth Observance by being engaged in recitation, feeding on alms (bhaikṣa-bhuj), sleeping on the earth, with senses controlled, engaged in meditation and restraint. [...]”.
Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष) refers to “alms-food” (in one’s vessel), according to the Pātravidhi—a manual of the Lakulīśa Pāśupata school of Śaivism dealing with purification of the initiate’s vessel (pātra) and other concerned issues.—Accordingly, “If an ascetic, devoted to the obligatory disciplinary rules, leaves a residue of alms-food (bhaikṣa-śeṣa) [in his vessel], three prāṇāyāmas should be done for every morsel [of the leftover food]. (4) [...] Having collected the alms (bhaikṣa) on the vessel, [an ascetic] should properly wash [all its] three corners. [Afterwards,] he should not receive anything [in the vessel] except water and a teeth-cleaning twig. (41)”
Alms are regarded as being of five types [bhaikṣaṃ pañcavidhaṃ smṛtam]:
- food collected after the manner of a bee (mādhukara),
- food sought without a definite intention (asaṃkalpa),
- food collected from a place where distribution has already been going on from earlier times (prākpravṛtta),
- food collected unsolicited (ayācita), and then,
- food collected while having arrived at an appropriate time (kālopapanna).
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
bhaikṣa (भैक्ष) [or भैक्ष्य, bhaikṣya].—n S Alms (money or food) obtained by begging. 2 Mendicancy, beggary.
bhaikṣa (भैक्ष).—
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
Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष).—a. (-kṣī f.) [भिक्षैव तत्समूहो बा अण् (bhikṣaiva tatsamūho bā aṇ)] Living on alms.
-kṣam 1 Begging, mendicancy; भवत्पूर्वं चरेद् भैक्ष- मुपनीतो द्विजोत्तमः (bhavatpūrvaṃ cared bhaikṣa- mupanīto dvijottamaḥ) Manusmṛti 2.49; एककालं चरेद् भैक्षं न प्रसज्जेत विस्तरे (ekakālaṃ cared bhaikṣaṃ na prasajjeta vistare) Manusmṛti 6.55; Y.3.42.
2) Anything got by begging, alms, charity; भेक्षेण वर्तयेन्नित्यम् (bhekṣeṇa vartayennityam) Manusmṛti 2.188;4.5; गोरक्षणे संनियुक्तो गुरुणा भैक्षभोजनः (gorakṣaṇe saṃniyukto guruṇā bhaikṣabhojanaḥ) Bm.1.32.
Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष).—n.
(-kṣaṃ) 1. Alms, what is collected by begging. 2. Begging, mendicancy. f. (-kṣī) Subsisting on alms. E. bhikṣā alms, given and received, aff. aṇ; alse bhaikṣya.
Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष).—and bhaikṣya bhaikṣya, i. e. bhikṣā + a or ya, n. 1. Begging, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 2, 48 (kṣa); [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 76, 4 (ya). 2. Living by alms, [Pañcatantra] i. [distich] 312 (ya). 3. What is collected by begging, alms, food, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 5, 129 (ya).
Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष).—[adjective] living by alms; [neuter] asking alms, mendicancy, begged food, alms. bhaikṣaṃ car & bhaikṣāya gam go about begging, beg.
1) Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष):—mf(ī)n. ([from] bhikṣā) living on alms, subsisting by charity, [Mahābhārata]
2) n. asking alms, begging, mendicancy (kṣāya with √gam, to beg for alms, kṣam ifc. with √car, to go about begging for; kṣam with ā-√hṛ, or sam-ā-√hṛ, to collect alms or food; kṣeṇa with [Causal] of √vṛt, to subsist on alms), [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.
3) anything obtained by begging, begged food, charity, alms, [Gṛhya-sūtra; Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.
4) a multitude of alms, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष):—(kṣaṃ) 1. n. Alms collected by begging; mendicancy.
Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष):—(von bhikṣā
1) adj. bhave und vyākhyāne) gaṇa ṛgayanādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 3, 73.] von Almosen lebend [Mahābhārata 1, 7777.] —
2) n. a) das Betteln, Bettel: bhaikṣe prasaktaḥ [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 6, 55. 10, 116.] [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 3, 42. 281.] [Mṛcchakaṭikā 53, 13.] [KĀM. NĪTIS.2, 22.] bhaikṣe cābhiruciḥ [Spr. 2279.] varaṃ vanaṃ varaṃ bhaikṣam [2726.] [Oxforder Handschriften 85,a,19.] bhaikṣaṃ car betteln gehen, betteln [GOBH. 2, 10, 38.] [Kauśika’s Sūtra zum Atuarvaveda 57.] [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 2, 48. 49. 182. 6, 55. 11, 122.] [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 1, 29.] [Mahābhārata 1, 702.] [Rāmāyaṇa 2, 43, 4.] [Dhūrtasamāgama] in [Lassen’s Anthologie 76, 4.] bhaikṣāya gatāḥ [Brāhmaṇavilāpa 1, 2.] — b) Erbetteltes, erbettelte Speise, Almosen [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 2, 38.] [Vopadeva’s Grammatik 7, 19.] [Amarakoṣa 2, 7, 46.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1415.] [Kauśika’s Sūtra zum Atuarvaveda 10.] ācāryāya bhaikṣaṃ nivedayitvā [Pāraskara’s Gṛhyasūtrāṇi 2, 4.] [GOBH. 2, 10, 42.] [Śāṅkhāyana’s Gṛhyasūtrāṇi 2, 6.] [Mahābhārata 1, 702.] yācitaṃ bhaikṣam [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 4, 5.] labdhena bhaikṣeṇa [11, 123.] bhaikṣamāhar [2, 183. 6, 27.] samāhar [2, 51. 5, 129.] [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 1, 187.] [Bhagavadgītā 2, 5.] [Mahābhārata 1, 7268. 14, 1277.] bhaikṣeṇa vartayennityam [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 2, 188.] bhaikṣyeṇa vṛttiḥ ebend. [Mahābhārata 1, 701.] [Spr. 270, v. l. 1754.] — Bisweilen ist es schwer zu entscheiden, ob das Wort in der Bed. a oder b aufzufassen sei. Hier und da wird fälschlich bhaikṣya geschrieben.
Bhaikṣa (भैक्ष):——
1) Adj. von Almosen lebend. —
2) n. — a) das Betteln , Bettel. bhaikṣaṃ car betteln gehen , betteln , — um (mit bhaikṣam componirt [68,14]). bhaikṣāya gataḥ auf den Bettel ausgegangen. — b) Erbetteltes , erbettelte Speise , Almosen.
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Bhaikṣa (ಭೈಕ್ಷ):—
1) [noun] the act of wandering and requesting for alms.
2) [noun] money, food, clothes, etc. given as alms.
3) [noun] a beseeching, imploring for kindness, pity, etc.
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 (+0): Bhaikshabhuj, Bhaikshacarana, Bhaikshacarya, Bhaikshacaryya, Bhaikshahara, Bhaikshajivika, Bhaikshaka, Bhaikshakala, Bhaikshakula, Bhaikshanna, Bhaiksharthin, Bhaikshashesha, Bhaikshashesha, Bhaikshashin, Bhaikshashuddhi, Bhaikshashya, Bhaikshava, Bhaikshavat, Bhaikshavritti.
Full-text (+24): Bhaikshacarya, Bhaikshacarana, Bhaikshabhuj, Bhaikshashin, Bhaikshajivika, Bhaikshahara, Bhaikshanna, Bhaikshavritti, Kanyabhaiksha, Bhaikshavat, Bhaikshakala, Bhaikshakula, Bhaikshya, Bhaikshaka, Pancabhaiksha, Subhaiksha, Purushabhaiksha, Bhaikshashuddhi, Bhaikshashesha, Bhaikshe.
Relevant text
Search found 10 books and stories containing Bhaiksha, Bhaikṣa, Bhaiksa; (plurals include: Bhaikshas, Bhaikṣas, Bhaiksas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Yajnavalkya-smriti with Mitakshara and Viramitrodaya (by J. R. Gharpure)
Verse 1.187 < [Chapter 8 - On the purification of Things]
Verses 1.29-30 < [Chapter 2 - The Celibacy]
Verse 1.108 < [Chapter 5 - Duties of a Householder (Gṛhin)]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 2.183 < [Section XXX - Rules to be observed by the Religious Student]
Verse 4.5 < [Section II - Means of Subsistence]
Verse 2.49 < [Section XIII - Initiation (upanayana)]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Page 159 < [Volume 5 (1909)]
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 708 < [Bengali-Hindi-English, Volume 3]
Baudhayana Dharmasutra (by Georg Bühler)
Uttaradhyayana Sutra (by Hermann Jacobi)