Bija, Bīja: 47 definitions
Introduction:
Bija means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi, Hindi, biology. 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 Beej.
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In Hinduism
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram1) Bīja (बीज) or Bījākṣara refers to “seed-syllables”, according to Tantric texts such as the Kubjikāmata-tantra, the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—The seed-syllable [i.e., bīja-akṣara] of the goddess, like that of any deity, is her sonic body. One might say it is her iconic form made of sound. Moreover, a deity’s seed-syllable is, in a sense, a condensed form of that deity’s mantra (or Vidyā if the deity is a goddess). Although the texts do not normally express themselves in this way, one could say that the Goddess’s Vidyā is her gross sonic body in relation to her seed-syllable, which is the subtle one.
2) Bīja (बीज) or “seed” refers to one of the “seven Siddhas” belonging to the Divyaugha or Gurvogha (“current of the teachers”), as discussed in the Yogakhaṇḍa of the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Three Siddhas were born from the first Siddha’s radiant energy. Five Siddhas came into being who were the counterparts of the previous ones. The seven Siddhas who come next are Skyfarers, close to Dhruva. These seven ‘leaders of the Siddhas’ govern the seven constituents of the body. They are followed by the Nine Siddhas.—Bīja is also associated with Siṃha of the Divyādivya (“divine-cum-mortal current”).
Source: Manblunder: Pañcadaśi MantraA bīja need not be a single Sanskrit alphabet. It could be a combination of alphabets. For example, sa is a bīja and it is a single alphabet, whereas hṛīṃ is also a bīja but a combination of many alphabets. Each alphabet in Sanskrit has a meaning. If we take the first letter a in Sanskrit alphabet, it conveys many things. It is the origin of (OM); it also means unification, non-destruction, etc. The interpretation of meaning for such bīja's mostly depends on the context in which it is used.
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (shaktism)Bīja (बीज) refers to one of the ten gestures (daśamudrā or mudrā-daśaka) of the Goddess Nityā Sundarī, according to the Kāmasiddhi-stuti (also Vāmakeśvarī-stuti) and the Vāmakeśvaratantra (also known as Nityāṣoḍaśikārṇava).—[...] Although the Vāmakeśvaratantra does not assign a place for the gestures (mudrā) in the maṇḍala, it does describe them and asks the worshipper to use them during the worship. As found in the third chapter of the Vāmakeśvaratantra, these ten gestures are [e.g., bīja, ...]

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.
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstraBīja (बीज, “seed”) refers to one of the “five elements of the plot” (arthaprakṛti), according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 21. These five elements represents the five means of attaining objects of the Plot (itivṛtta or vastu).
The associated ‘stage of action’ (avasthā) of bīja is the prārambha (beginning). These stages represent a Hero’s striving towards the object in a dramatic playwright (nāṭaka).
Source: archive.org: Natya ShastraBīja (बीज, “germ”).—One of the five elements of the plot (arthaprakṛti);—That which scattered in a small measure, expands itself in various ways and ends in fruition, is called the Seed of the Plot (bīja).

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).
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationBīja (बीज) refers to a “seed” (of ego), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.13 (“Śiva-Pārvatī dialogue”).—Accordingly, after Śiva permitted Pārvatī to stay by his side: “[...] On seeing her with perfect control over her sense-organs and engrossed in serving Him always, the lord mercifully thought. ‘I shall take her only when the last seed of ego goes away from her [i.e., garva-bīja-vivarjita]; when she herself performs a penance’. Thinking thus, the lord of the Bhūtas reverted to meditation. The lord who could indulge in great sports became a great Yogin. [...]”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexBīja (बीज).—From Īśvara and Yoni; from Prakṛti; from Nārāyaṇa.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 101. 228.

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.
Vastushastra (architecture)
Source: McGill: The architectural theory of the MānasāraBīja (बीज).—The potency of the seed syllables (bīja) owes to the conceived undifferentiated unity of nāda and bindu in them. The bīja syllables, la, va., ra, ya, and ha. are the “sounds” of the five elements from earth to space respectively, and correspond to the five faces respectively of sadāśiva in the kartṛsadākhya mode. Mantras composed of these syllables are hṛllekha, “furrowed in the heart”, and their recital effects the enshrinement of the unmanifested deity in the he art, as well as the sublimation of elements.
Source: academia.edu: Bhoja’s Mechanical Garden (vastu)Bīja (बीज, “seeds”) refers to the “four constituent elements” (earth, fire, water and wind), according to the Samarāṅganasūtradhāra.—The chapter on machines is to a great extent obscure. At one level, it presents a set of diverse taxonomies to classify and analyze different types of machines, breaking them down into particular combinations of the four constituent elements, or what it calls bījas (lit. “seeds”): earth, fire, water, and wind (31.5).
All machines, according to Bhoja, were composed of different combinations of these elements and their properties and could be classified on the basis of the predominance of one or other elemental bīja in action and composition—depending on whether, for example, they operated through weight and gravity, heat, forced air, or flowing water and what elements they were composed of (31.21–44).

Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraBīja (बीज) [=Vīja] refers to “seeds”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 4), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “If the moon should pass to the south of Jyeṣṭha (the 18th constellation), Mūla (the 19th constellation) and the two Āṣāḍhas (20th and 21st constellations) she destroys seeds, creatures in water and forests [i.e., vīja-jalacara-kānana-hā]; and there will also be fear from fire. If the moon should pass to the south of Viśākhā (the 16th constellation) and Anurādhā (the 17th constellation) she will bring on evil. If she should pass through the middle of Maghā (the 10th constellation) or of Viśākhā (the 16th constellation) she will bring on prosperity”.
Source: Wikibooks (hi): Sanskrit Technical TermsBīja (बीज).—1. Algebra. 2. A conversion constant to adjust astronomical parameters; (lit., seed). Note: Bīja is a Sanskrit technical term used in ancient Indian sciences such as Astronomy, Mathematics and Geometry.

Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric TraditionsBīja (बीज) refers to the “seed (of desire)”, according to the Vārāṇasīmāhātmya verse 1.114.—Accordingly, “The great tree of transmigration has arisen from the seed of desire (rāga-bīja-samutpanna). After cutting the tree with the axe of indifference, whose sharp blade is disattachment, they proceed on the Atimārga”.

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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (yoga)Bīja (बीज) refers to “(male) semen”, according to the Amṛtasiddhi, a 12th-century text belonging to the Haṭhayoga textual tradition.—Accordingly, “Know bindu to be of two kinds, male and female. Semen (bīja) is said to be the male [bindu] and rajas (female generative fluid) is female. As a result of their external union people are created. When they are united internally, then one is declared a yogi. [...]

Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra)
Source: archive.org: Hindu Mathematics1) Bīja (बीज, “analysis”) or Bījagaṇita refers to the “science of calculation with elements”, in Bījagaṇita (“algebra” or ‘science of calculation’), according to Gaṇita-śāstra, ancient Indian mathematics and astronomy.—The Hindu name for the science of algebra is bījagaṇita. Bīja means “element” or “analysis” and gaṇita “the science of calculation”. Thus bījagaṇita literally means “the science of calculation with elements” or “the science of analytical calculation”.
According to Bhāskara II in the Līlāvatī: “Analysis (bīja) is certainly the innate intellect assisted by the various symbols (varṇa), which, for the instruction of duller intellects, has been expounded by the ancient sages who enlighten mathematicians as the sun irradiates the lotus; that has now taken the name algebra (bījagaṇita). [...] Neither does analysis consist in symbols, nor are there different kinds of analyses; sagacity alone is analysis, for wide is imagination. [...] Algebra (bījagaṇita) is similar to arithmetic (pāṭīgaṇita) in respect of rules (of fundamental operations) but appears as if it were indeterminate. It is not indeterminate to the intelligent; it is certainly not sixfold, but manifold”.
2) Bīja (बीज, “element”) or Bījasaṃkhyā refers to “element-numbers”, according to the principles of Bījagaṇita.—Numbers which are employed in forming a particular figure are called its bījasaṃkhyā (element-numbers) or simply bīja (element or seed). [...] It is noteworthy that Mahāvīra’s mode of expression in this respect closely resembles that of Diophantus. What Diophantus called “forming a right-angled triangle from m, n”, Mahāvīra calls “forming a longish quadrilateral or rectangle from m, n”.

Ganita (गणित) or Ganitashastra refers to the ancient Indian science of mathematics, algebra, number theory, arithmetic, etc. Closely allied with astronomy, both were commonly taught and studied in universities, even since the 1st millennium BCE. Ganita-shastra also includes ritualistic math-books such as the Shulba-sutras.
Mantrashastra (the science of Mantras)
Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts (mantra)1) Bīja (बीज) refers to the “syllables of mantras” and represents one of the twelve aṅgas of Mantras used for japa-purposes, as discussed in chapter 27 (Caryāpāda) of the Padmasaṃhitā: the most widely followed of Saṃhitā covering the entire range of concerns of Pāñcarātra doctrine and practice (i.e., the four-fold formulation of subject matter—jñāna, yoga, kriyā and caryā) consisting of roughly 9000 verses.—Description of the chapter [matsyādi-mūrtimantra-kathana]: [...] In the middle of the chapter, there is a brief digression about the twelve aṅgas of any mantra used for japa-purposes. These twelve being [e.g., its bīja-syllables] [...] [The discussion here is somewhat different from that found in other texts.]
2) Bīja (बीज) refers to the “components” (of a Mantra), as discussed in chapter 6 of the Viśvāmitrasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text comprising some 2600 Sanskrit verses covering topics such as initiation (dīkṣā) and the construction, decoration and consecration of temples and icons, as well as routines of regular and special worship cycles.—Description of the chapter [praṇavādi-uddhāra]: [...] Viśvāmitra points out that the main thing concerned in the instruction is mantra-lore, commencing with basic information about the praṇava-syllable (mantra) including its ṛṣi-originator, chandas-metre, devatā-presiding deity, its aṅga-variants, its bīja-components, its śakti-powers, etc. One who does not know all those things about any given mantra cannot possibly derive benefits from its use. [...]
3) Bīja (बीज) refers to one of the four elements which constitute the actual Mantra, as discussed in chapter 52 of the Śrīpraśnasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text comprising 5500 Sanskrit verses covering a number of subjects ranging from selecting a temple site through building and furnishing it to sanctifying and maintaining worship in the sacred complex.—Description of the chapter [mantroddhāra-vidhi]: Śrī asks to know the distinction between the actual mantra and the potency and power that is presumably invoked by it and whereby one comes to know about such things. The Lord replies first in terms of explaining the elements of bīja, piṇḍa, saṃjñā, and pada—the elements which constitute the actual mantra as it is recited (9-22). [...]
Source: Shodhganga: Kasyapa Samhita—Text on Visha Chikitsa (mantra)1) Bīja (बीज) (or Bījamantra) refers to a “mono-syllable sound” and represents one of the four main parts of Mantras, according to the Śrīpraśṇa Saṃhitā (verse 51.4-7).—Mantras refers to “that which is chanted by people to obtain their spiritual aspirations”.—The Śrīpraśṇasaṃhitā gives a detailed explanation of the logistics of a basic mantra. Bīja may be a mono-syllable sound. It may have one vowel or more consonants along with a vowel, and always ends with the pure nasal sound or bindu. The praṇava, hrīṃ, śrīṃ, aiṃ, klīṃ, and so on are examples of bīja.
2) Bīja (बीज) refers to a mantra having three to nine syllables, according to the Nityatantra (bhūmikā, p. 13. mantramahodadhi).
Mantrashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, mantraśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science of mantras—chants, incantations, spells, magical hymns, etc. Mantra Sastra literature includes many ancient books dealing with the methods reciting mantras, identifying and purifying its defects and the science behind uttering or chanting syllables.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Toxicology (Study and Treatment of poison)
Source: Shodhganga: Kasyapa Samhita—Text on Visha ChikitsaBīja (बीज) or “seeds” refers to one of the ten sources of plant poison, as described in the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā—an important topic from Āyurveda which deals with the study of Toxicology (Viṣavidyā or Sarpavidyā).—Kaśyapa states in the fourth Adhyāya that Śiva taught him that poisons are of five kinds viz. immobile, mobile, artificial, caused by planets and (arising out of) doubt. The sources of plant poison, ten in number are [viz. seed (bīja)]. The speed in which they spread too are varied (KS. XII.66):
Rasashastra (Alchemy and Herbo-Mineral preparations)
Source: History of Science in South Asia: Making Gems in Indian Alchemical LiteratureBīja (बीज) or Bījakāṣṭha refers to “red sandalwood” which is used in the recipe for creating artificial Blue Sapphires, according to the Vādakhaṇḍa section of the Rasaratnākara (lit. “jewel mine of mercury”): a 13th century alchemical work in Sanskrit written by Nityanātha.—Accordingly: “Add an equal amount of indigo powder to the fish black, and an equal amount of red sandalwood (bīja-kāṣṭha) placed in water for a day. Let all that be heated for three hours. Having set it aside, one should store it well. And the “rain-stones” are soaked with it and one should heat it as before. These will undoubtedly become similar to blue sapphire”.
Note: The identification of bīja as red sandalwood or Indian kino (Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb.) is uncertain. However, this tree’s bark is used for textile dyeing and can produce yellow and deep red colours. See the Botanical Survey of India (Botanical Survey of India 2023: sub Pterocarpus marsupium). It is also featured under the name raktacandana in alchemical works (for example, Rasaratnasamuccaya 10.88) as part of the “red group” (raktavarga) of substances, used for dyeing (rañjana) alchemical products.

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts1) Bīja (बीज) refers to the “seed” or “letters (of mantras)”, as discussed in the sixth chapter of the Paramasaṃhitā: one of the older texts of the Pāñcarātra canon consisting of over 2100 verses in 31 chapters which, being encyclopedic in scope, deals with philosophy, worship routines, mantras, initiation, social behavior, temple-building, etc.—Description of the chapter [mantrakośa]: Parama defines mantras (4a) as so-called because they are “secret” [mantraṇa], and, praising their secrecy and potency, goes on to say that “Oṃ” is the “bīja”-seed of all mantras and should be duly esteemed (2-7). Alluding to some of the various śaktis, guṇas, elements and senses, etc. (mentioned in Chapter Two), Parama gives some esoteric directions for adding certain syllables to particular bījas in order to bring out their respective symbolic representations (8-20). As for constructing mantras to Vāsudeva and others, a cakramaṇḍala is to be used, and Parama gives cursory instructions for placing bīja-letters in the divisions of and around the perimeters surrounding the wheel-motif (21-30).
2) Bīja (बीज) or Bījamudrā refers to one of the 81 Mudrās (hand-gestures) described in chapter 2 of the Ṛṣirātra section of the Sanatkumārasaṃhitā: an encyclopedic Sanskrit text written in over 3500 verses dealing with a variety of topics such as yoga, temple-building, consecration ceremonies, initiation and dhanurveda (martial arts).—[Cf. the chapter mudrā-lakṣaṇa].

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.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: Google Books: Tantra, Its Mystic and Scientific BasisThe concept of bīja-mantra is also found in Buddhist Tantra. It is a mono-syllabic mantra and stands for different manifestations commonly known as Devatā. A (अ) is the bīja mantra of creation which is represented in Buddhism by Vairocana. Ba (ब) is the bīja-mantra of Dharma which represents here Amitābha. Being the first letter and the bīja mantra of creation, A (अ) is said to be the representative of Śūnyatā or Prajñā. The letter A is an indeterminate letter. In the Mahāsukhaprakāśa of the Advaya-Vajra-Saṃgraha it has been said that the bīja proceeds from Śūnyatā knowledge, and from the bīja is produced the reflection or the form of particular gods and goddesses. Dr. Benayatosh Bhattacharya has given the history of bīja-mantra.
In the Mantra-paṭala of Hevajra Tantra we find that the bīja-mantra of Tathāgata is oṃ ḥa huṃ phaṭ svāhā ; that of the goddess, krūm aṃ jiṃ khaṃ huṃ, and that of Heruka, taṃ maṃ paṃ taṃ baṃ oṃ deva picuvajre huṃ huṃ huṃ phaṭ svāhā. According to Vasubandhu the real significance of a mantra lies in its being meaningless, the constant meditation of which brings the realisation of the absolute void or Śūnyatā. Here meaningless means non-understanding of the esoteric significance of the mantra, for the common man. But, for a Sādhaka mantras, which stand for the deeper and richer significance of Tantrism, are highly meaningful. Mere repetition of a mantra cannot bring any fruitful result.
Source: archive.org: Vedic index of Names and SubjectsBīja (बीज) denotes “seed”, the operation of sowing seed (vap) being several times referred to in the Ṛgveda and later. In a metaphorical sense the term is used in the Upaniṣads of the classes of beings according to origin, of which the Chāndogya Upaniṣad enumerates three, the Aitareya four. The former list includes aṇḍaja, “egg-born”, jīvaja, “born alive”, and udbhijja, “produced from sprouts”, “germinating”. while the latter adds svedaja, “sweat-born”—that is, “generated by hot moisture” an expression which is glossed to comprise flies, worms, etc. Cf. Kṛṣi.
Source: WikiPedia: HinduismIn Vajrayana Buddhism and Hinduism, the term bīja is used for mystical “seed syllables” contained within mantras. These seeds do not have precise meanings, but are thought to carry connections to spiritual principles. The best-known bīja syllable is Om, first found in the Hindu scriptures the Upanishads.
In some tantric traditions, the Bija of the 'Varnamala' (Sanskrit; English: "garland of letters"; which may be rendered as alphabet) are understood as aniconic representations and sound embodiments of the matrikas (a group of goddesses).
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: WikiPedia: Tibetan BuddhismIn Tibetan Buddhism the bīja (seed syllables) corresponding to the Three Vajras are: a white oṃ (enlightened body), a red āḥ (enlightened speech) and a blue hūṃ (enlightened mind). In the Bön tradition of Tibet, it's a little different: a white āḥ, a red oṃ and a blue hūṃ.
Bījas are often the vehicle of esoteric transmission of terma to a ‘terton’ (Tibetan; English: “revealer of terma”), such as that experienced by Dudjom Lingpa.
Bīja (बीज) refers to the “germs (of disease)”, according to the Kalaśa Pūjā [i.e., Kalasha Worship] ritual often performed in combination with the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, which refers to the primary pūjā and sādhanā practice of Newah Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhists in Nepal.—Accordingly, “Weeding out the germs of disease (rujeśa-bīja-niryāta), perfectly pure, burning greatly, I am in praise of Vaiśvānara, granting universal success”.
Source: De Gruyter: Himalayan Anthropology: The Indo-Tibetan InterfaceBīja (बीज) refers to the “seed” (i.e., the essence of the sacred tree—Tibetan: tshog shin), according to William Stablein’s A Descriptive Analysis of the Content of Nepalese Buddhist Pujas as a Medical-Cultural System (with References to Tibetan Parallels).—The tshog shin (sacred tree) is also mentally visualized.—The neophyte is asked to project into this visual aid all his friends, relatives, and enemies so that all may benefit from the transfer of the amṛta (Tibetan, bdud rtsi) [curing ambrosia] that is believed to be taking place between the divine hierarchy and the sentient beings, via the hierophant (varjācārya). [...] The essence of the tree is the bīja [seed], which has an empty center from which the divinity is imagined to grow.

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.
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra1) Bīja (बीज) refers to the “seeds (of the mind)”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 4).—Accordingly, “[Question: Why is the Buddha called Arhat?]—[Answer]: [...] Furthermore, A marks negation and rahat means ‘to be born’. The expression means, therefore, ‘unborn’. The seeds (bīja) of the mind of the Buddha (buddhacitta) ‘do not arise’ in the field of rebirths (punarbhavakṣetra), for ignorance (avidyā) in him has been dissolved”.
2) Bīja (बीज) or Bījāśuci refers to the “impurity of seed” and represents one of the five “impurities of the body” (kāyāśuci), contemplating on which, the Yogin can obtain the four “foundations of mindfulness” (smṛtyupasthāna), forming part of the thirty-seven auxiliaries to enlightenment (bodhipākṣika), according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XXXI.
Note: The impurity of Bīja (‘seed’) is described as follows: “by means of the wind of deceptive concepts and wrong thoughts, the father and mother blow upon the fire of sexual desire; blood, marrow and fat escape, get hot and are changed into sperm. The seed-consciousness conditioned by previous actions settles in the blood and whitish sperm. That is what is called the seed of the body (kāyabīja)... That is what is called the impurity of the seed (bīja-aśuci)”.

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.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: Wisdom Library: JainismBīja (बीज, “seed”).—One of the ten kinds of “plant-bodies” (vanaspati) a soul (jīva) can be reborn as due to karma. Bīja and other plant-bodies are within the animal world (tiryag-gati) which is one of the four divisions of saṃsāra where souls are reborn.
Source: Encyclopedia of Jainism: Tattvartha Sutra 3: The Lower and middle worldsBīja (बीज, “seed”) refers to “seed intellect” and represents one of the eighteen types of extraordinary intellect (buddhi), which itself is a subclass of the eight ṛddhis (extraordinary powers). These powers can be obtained by the Ārya (civilized people) in order to produce worldly miracles. The Āryas represent one of the two classes of human beings according to the 2nd-century Tattvārthasūtra 3.46, the other being Mleccha (barbarians).
What is meant by extraordinary seed intellect (bīja-buddhi-riddhi)? This is the intellect which understands the meaning of the entire scripture by reading just one of its aphorisms.
Bīja (बीज) refers to “seeds”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “This body is filthy in nature, reprehensible, filled with much that is impure, produced from semen and other seeds (śukra-ādi-bīja-saṃbhūta), [and] is the abode of contempt. Where is the body, which is filled with blood, flesh and fat, has a skeleton of slender bones, is bound with tendons and is of bad odour, praised?”.

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
Biology (plants and animals)
Source: Google Books: CRC World Dictionary (Regional names)1) Bija in India is the name of a plant defined with Pterocarpus marsupium in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Pterocarpus marsupium fo. acuta Prain (among others).
2) Bija in Tropical America is also identified with Bixa orellana It has the synonym Bixa tinctaria Salisb. (etc.).
Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):
· Ethnobotany (2004)
· Prodromus Stirpium in Horto ad Chapel Allerton vigentium (1796)
· Science (2089)
· Species Plantarum (1753)
· Fl. Nicarag. (1909)
· Tropical and Geographical Medicine (1991)
If you are looking for specific details regarding Bija, for example chemical composition, diet and recipes, pregnancy safety, side effects, extract dosage, health benefits, have a look at these references.

This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarybīja : (nt.) seed; germ; generating element.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryBīja, (nt.) (cp. Vedic bīja) 1. seed, germ, semen, spawn. Used very frequently in figurative sense: see on similes J. P. T. S. 1907, 116.—D. I, 135 (°bhatta seed-corn & food); III, 44 (the five kinds: see below under °gāma); M. I, 457; S. I, 21, 134, 172, 227; III, 54, 91; IV, 315; A. I, 32 (ucchu°), 135, 223, 229, 239; III, 404; IV, 237; V, 213 (ucchu°); Sn. 77 (saddhā bījaṃ tapo vuṭṭhi, cp. SnA 142 sq. , where a detailed discussion on bīja is found), 209, 235 (khīṇa° adj. fig.); J. I, 242 (tiṇa°-ādīni grass and other seeds), 281; Pv. I, 11; Vism. 555 (in simile); KhA 194 (on Sn. 235, in another comparison); Sdhp. 24, 270 sq. , 318. nibbatta° (or nivatta°) (adj.) that which has dropped its seed (hence a lawful food) Vin. I, 215, cp. II. 109; IV, 35.—2. element, in udaka° whose element is the water J. VI, 160.—gāma seed-group, seed-kingdom, seed-creation (opp. bhūta-gāma). There are 5 kinds of seeds usually enumd, e.g. at D. I, 5 (expld at DA. I, 77, trsln at Dial. I. 6 and passim), viz. mūla°, khandha°, phalu°, agga°, bija°, or plants propagated by roots, cuttings, joints, buddings, shoots, seeds (Dial. III, 40: tubers, shoots, berries, joints, seeds). The same set occurs at D. III, 44, 47; Vin. IV, 34; SnA 144.—Without ref. to the 5 kinds at M. III, 34; S. V, 46; Miln. 33.—jāta species of seed S. III, 54.—bīja one of the 5 groups of edible or useful plants, falling under bījagāma. It is expld at Vin. IV, 35 & DA. I, 81 by the terms pubbaṇṇa (i.e. the seven dhaññāni or grains, sāli, vīhi, yava, godhūma, kaṅgu, varaka, kudrūsa) and aparaṇṇa (i.e. beans and other leguminous plants, and gourds such as mugga, māsa, tila, kulattha, alābu, kumbhaṇḍa).—sakaṭa a cart (-load) of seeds SnA 137. (Page 488)
Source: Sutta: Pali Word Grammar from Pali Myanmar Dictionary1) bīja (ဗီဇ) [(kri) (ကြိ)]—
[bija+a+hi]
[ဗိဇ+အ+ဟိ]
2) bīja (ဗီဇ) [(na) (န)]—
[vi+jana+kvi.vaja+a.visesena jāyateti bījaṃ,rasassa dīghatā.vajagatiyaṃ,assīkāro.paccayehi vinājāyatīti vā bījaṃ,virahatthajotako hyettha vikāro.,ṭī.91,273.vijāyanti viruhanti etehīti bījāni.sī,ṭī,,1.345.]
[ဝိ+ဇန+ကွိ။ ဝဇ+အ။ ဝိသေသေန ဇာယတေတိ ဗီဇံ၊ ရသဿ ဒီဃတာ။ ဝဇဂတိယံ၊ အဿီကာရော။ ပစ္စယေဟိ ဝိနာဇာယတီတိ ဝါ ဗီဇံ၊ ဝိရဟတ္ထဇောတကော ဟျေတ္ထ ဝိကာရော။ ဓာန်၊ ဋီ။ ၉၁၊ ၂၇၃။ ဝိဇာယန္တိ ဝိရုဟန္တိ ဧတေဟီတိ ဗီဇာနိ။ သီ၊ ဋီ၊ သစ်၊ ၁။ ၃၄၅။]
[Pali to Burmese]
Source: Sutta: Tipiṭaka Pāḷi-Myanmar Dictionary (တိပိဋက-ပါဠိမြန်မာ အဘိဓာန်)1) bīja—
(Burmese text): (၁) အကြောင်း။ (၂) မျိုးစေ့။ (က) ဘူတဂါမ်။ (ခ) ကောက်ပင်။ (၃) အင်္ဂါဇာတ်။ (၄) အဥ၊ ငှက်ဥ။ (၅) ဝှေးစေ့။
(Auto-Translation): (1) Reasons. (2) Seeds. (a) Buds. (b) Fruits. (3) Insects. (4) Bird eggs. (5) Fish eggs.
2) bīja—
(Burmese text): ယပ်ခတ်လော့။ ဗီဇတိ-ကြည့်။
(Auto-Translation): Shut the door. Look at the visa.

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 Dictionarybīja (बीज).—f (dvitīyā S Bidz.) The second day of the waxing or the waning moon. 2 n (Bidz.) From the word below (Bij) q. v. in the five first senses.
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bīja (बीज).—n (S) Seed. Pr. yathā bīja tathā aṅkura: As the seed, so the shoot. 2 A seed. 3 Progeny, offspring, seed. 4 The originating or original point, matter, fact, act; the principle, root, source, spring, ground, occasion. 5 Deep purpose or purport; intention, import, or meaning at the bottom; as hēṃ tumhī mhaṇatāṃ hyānta bīja kāya? 6 Algebra. 7 A cabalistic letter,--the mystical letter which forms the essential part of the mantra of any deity. bhraṣṭa or bharjita bīja aṅkurata nāhīṃ; bharjita or bhraṣṭa bi- jāsa aṅkura nāhīṃ; bhājalēṃ bīja ugavata nāhīṃ; bhāja- lēlyā bijāsa mōḍa yēta nāhīṃ (A burned seed germinates not.) Mortified (i.e. disinterested, unselfish, purely spiritual, prompted by divine love) deeds bear no fruit (no product whether of good or evil in a future birth). That is,--they entitle or qualify the doer to the supreme bliss of mōkṣa.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishbijā (बिजा).—Several times, frequently.
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bīja (बीज).—n Seed. Progeny. Root. Deep purpose, import, meaning. The second day of the waning moon.
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 dictionaryBīja (बीज).—1 Seed (fig. also), seedcorn, grain; अरण्यबीजाञ्जलिदानलालिताः (araṇyabījāñjalidānalālitāḥ) Kumārasambhava 5.15; बीजाञ्जलिः पतति कीटमुखावलीढः (bījāñjaliḥ patati kīṭamukhāvalīḍhaḥ) Mṛcchakaṭika 1.9; R.19.57; Manusmṛti 9.33.
2) A germ, element.
3) Origin, source, cause; बीजप्रकृतिः (bījaprakṛtiḥ) Ś.1.1 (v. l.).
4) Semen virile; यदमोघमपामन्तरुप्तं बीजमज त्वया (yadamoghamapāmantaruptaṃ bījamaja tvayā) Kumārasambhava 2.5,6.
5) The seed or germ of the plot of a play, story &c.; see S. D.318.
6) Marrow.
7) Algebra.
8) The mystical letter forming the essential part of the Mantra of a deity.
9) Truth, divine truth.
1) A receptacle, place of deposit.
11) Calculation of primary germs.
12) Analysis.
13) The position of the arms of a child at birth.
-jaḥ The citron tree. (bījākṛ means
1) To sow with seed; vyomani bījākurute Bv.1.98.
2) To plough over after sowing).
Derivable forms: bījam (बीजम्).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryBīja (बीज).—n.
(-jaṃ) See vīja .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryBīja (बीज).—see vīja.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryBīja (बीज).—[neuter] seed (of plants and animals), seedcorn, grain, germ, element, origin, beginning, adj. caused by (—°).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Bīja (बीज):—n. (also written vīja, of doubtful origin; ifc. f(ā). ) seed (of plants), semen (of men and animals), seed-corn, grain, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.
2) a runner (of the Indian fig-tree), [Vikramāṅkadeva-carita, by Bilhaṇa]
3) any germ, element, primary cause or principle, source, origin (ifc. = caused or produced by, sprung from), [Chāndogya-upaniṣad; Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
4) the germ or origin of any composition (as of a poem, of the plot of a drama, of a magical formula etc.), [Rāmāyaṇa; Bhāgavata-purāṇa; Daśarūpa; Pratāparudrīya]
5) calculation of original or primary germs, analysis, algebra, [Colebrooke]
6) truth (as the seed or cause of being), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) anything serving as a receptacle or support (= ālambana), [Yogaś.]
8) the mystical letter or syllable which forms the essential part of the Mantra of any deity, [Religious Thought and Life in India 197 etc.]
9) the position of the arms of a child at birth, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
10) quicksilver (?), [Sūryasiddhānta]
11) marrow, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
12) m. = bijaka, the citron tree, [Āryabhaṭa]
13) Bījā (बीजा):—[from bīja] ind. by or with seed, sowing with seed, [Horace H. Wilson]
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Bīja (बीज) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Bīa.
[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 dictionaryBīja (बीज) [Also spelled beej]:—(nm) seed; pip; origin; beginning; germ; semen; cause; nucleus; -[āvaraṇa] seed-coat; ~[nāśaka] germicidal; -[patra] a seedlobe; ~[purūṣa] the primal man (of a clan, dynasty, etc.); ~[pūrṇa] seedy; ~[lekha] cryptogram; -[vapana] sowing (of the seed); -[saṃskāra] springization; —[ḍālanā] to sow the seed; to lay the foundation.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusBija (ಬಿಜ):—[noun] = ಬಿಜಯ [bijaya].
--- OR ---
Bīja (ಬೀಜ):—
1) [noun] the part of a flowering plant that contains the embryo with food stored for its development into a new plant under the proper conditions; a seed.
2) [noun] a seed with edible flesh of some plants (as of pomegranate).
3) [noun] the source or generating point.
4) [noun] anything producing an effect or result; a cause.
5) [noun] the thick, whitish fluid secreted by the male reproductive organs and containing the spermatozoa; semen.
6) [noun] either of two oval sex glands in the male that are suspended in the scrotum and secrete spermatozoa; the testis.
7) [noun] a child or animal as related to its parent; an offspring.
8) [noun] the reason from which the main story, play, plot, etc. is evolved.
9) [noun] a mathematical system using symbols, esp. letters, to generalise certain arithmetical operations and relationships; algebra.
10) [noun] a sacred syllable that represents a hymn.
11) [noun] ಬೀಜದ ಗೂಳಿ [bijada guli] bījada gūḷi a bull that is not castrated; ಬೀಜಕ್ಕೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟ ಗೂಳಿ [bijakke bitta guli] bījakke biṭṭa gūḷi = ಬೀಜದ ಗೂಳಿ [bijada guli].
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionaryBīja (बीज):—n. 1. seed; 2. algebra; 3. the mystical letter forming the essential part of the mantra of a deity; 4. seed or germ of life; semen; 5. plot (of a play/story); 6. formula;
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)
Partial matches: Kvi, A, Hi, Vi, Jana, Bija.
Starts with (+17): Bijabhuta, Bijadarshaka, Bijadhani, Bijadhanya, Bijadharman, Bijadhya, Bijadhyaksha, Bijadravya, Bijaganita, Bijaganitodaharana, Bijagarbha, Bijagupti, Bijaha, Bijahara, Bijaharini, Bijahonnu, Bijakara, Bijakartri, Bijakosa, Bijakoshi.
Full-text (+1055): Nirbija, Bijakshara, Bijapura, Bijakosa, Bijaganita, Bijamantra, Raktabija, Bijapuraka, Bahubija, Bijagarbha, Yathabijam, Vrittabija, Bijavara, Bijankura, Abija, Padmabija, Dantabija, Agnibija, Bijapeshika, Bijashva.
Relevant text
Search found 199 books and stories containing Bija, Bīja, Bijā, Bījā, Bija-a-hi, Vi-jana-kvi; (plurals include: Bijas, Bījas, Bijās, Bījās, his, kvis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 4.18.3 < [Chapter 18 - The Names and Worship of Srī Yamunā]
Verse 8.10.17 < [Chapter 10 - The Paddhati and Paṭala of Lord Balarāma]
Verse 8.13.4 < [Chapter 13 - A Thousand Names of Lord Balarāma]
Vastu-shastra (Introduction to Indian architecture) (by D. N. Shukla)
Chapter 3b - Yantra and its Elements (Yantra-bījas) < [Volume 4 - Palace Architecture]
Chapter 3c - The Qualities of a Yantra and its Functions < [Volume 4 - Palace Architecture]
Chapter 7 - Planning of Prāsāda—The Hindu Temple < [Volume 5 - Temple Architecture]
Hanuman Nataka (critical study) (by Nurima Yeasmin)
12.3. Arthaprakṛti (causes of dramatic action) in the Hanumannāṭaka < [Chapter 4]
Hanuman-Nāṭaka, Act 1 (summary) < [Chapter 3]
2. Religious Elements (b): Dāna-Dharma (charity) < [Chapter 5]
Varahi Tantra (English Study) (by Roberta Pamio)
Chapter 11 - The Creation and the Re-Absorption of the Five Elements < [Summary of the Vārāhī Tantra]
Chapter 16 - Paścimāmnaya (Western Tradition) < [Summary of the Vārāhī Tantra]
Chapter 15 - The worship of Siddhilakṣmī < [Summary of the Vārāhī Tantra]
Parama Samhita (English translation) (by Krishnaswami Aiyangar)
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