Desana, Desanā, Deshana, Deśanā: 19 definitions
Introduction:
Desana means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Jainism, Prakrit. 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 Deśanā can be transliterated into English as Desana or Deshana, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Namesor Bhavana Sutta - On the psychic power, its basis, and the practice which leads to its cultivation (S.v.276). The sutta corresponds, word for word, with a passage in Asvaghosas Sutralankara.
Source: Dhamma Dana: Pali English GlossaryTo perform desana, to a bhikkhu, is a means to purify his faults (apart from some parajikas and sanghadisesas) that he has committed on purpose or not.
To that sake, he "unveils" these faults by uttering a formula before in the presence of another bhikkhu who will, on his turn, will also unveil his own. Usually, the bhikkhus do it once a day. It is very essential to do desana just before the reading of the patimokkha so that all the bhikkhus do cultivate a pure sila at this very stage.
See also: The desana
Source: Pali Kanon: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrinesdesanā, ‘Conventional’ (expression or truth).
Source: Pali Kanon: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines'exposition' of the doctrine, may be either an exposition true in the highest sense (paramattha-desanā); or it may not be true in the highest, but only in the conventional sense (vohāra-desanā).
See paramattha.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāDeśanā (देशना) refers to the “teaching (of the dharma)”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly: “[...] The Bodhisattva Dharmarāja and the whole congregation, having joined the palms of their hands, paid homage to open space, and sat down. Then, by the magical presence of the Bodhisattva Gaganagañja, these verses resonated in open space: ‘[...] (164) The Bodhisattva, who understands this teaching of the dharma (dharma-deśanā), will attain awakening without any difficulty and enter into awakening.. [...]’”.
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.
India history and geography
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryDeśanā.—Prakrit desanā (EI 21), exposition of the Buddhist doctrine. Note: deśanā is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarydesanā : (f.) discourse, sermon, preaching.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryDesanā, (f.) (Sk. deśanā) 1. discourse, instruction, lesson S.V, 83, 108; J.III, 84; Pug.28; Nett 38; Vism.523 sq. (regarding Paṭiccasamuppāda); PvA.1, 2, 9, 11; Sdhp.213. 2. frequent in dhamma° moral instruction, exposition of the Dhamma, preaching, sermon Vin.I, 16; A.I, 53; II, 182; IV, 337 sq.; It.33; J.I, 106 etc. (a° gāminī āpatti), a Pārājika or Saṅghādisesa offence Vin.II, 3, 87; V, 187. Cp. Vin. Texts II.33.—3. (legal) acknowledgment Miln.344.—Cp. ā°.
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 dictionaryDeśanā (देशना).—f. Direction, injunction, laying down; सर्वास्वेव वैकृतीषु देशनासु प्राकृतं धर्मजातमपेक्ष्यते वाक्यशेषत्वेन (sarvāsveva vaikṛtīṣu deśanāsu prākṛtaṃ dharmajātamapekṣyate vākyaśeṣatvena) | ŚB. on MS.1.1.1.
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Deśanā (देशना).—[diś-ṇic yuc] Direction, instruction.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryDeśana (देशन).—nt. (= °nā 2, q.v.), confession; see atyaya-d°.
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Deśanā (देशना) or Deśanatā.—(1) preaching, In dharma-d° Bodhisattvabhūmi 82.18; (2) confession: Bhadracarī 12.
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Deśanā (देशना).—(= Pali des°; to Sanskrit or [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit] deśayati plus anā), (1) preaching, in this sense Sanskrit, hardly specifically Buddh., but see °nā-pāṭha, dharma-d°, (°nā-)matsarin; also, deśanā dharmasya Mahāvastu i.42.10; 53.5; °nā naranāgānāṃ (= Buddhānāṃ) Mahāvastu i.168.4; deśanā-naya, the way of verbal instruction, in Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 148.10 ff., 172.6, distinct from and inferior to siddhānta-(pratyavasthāna-)naya, the finally approved way, which is that of immediate personal realization, see Suzuki, Studies, 409 (where other citations of this depreciative use of deśanā in Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra); LaVallée Poussin, HJAS 3.137 ff.; (2) confession (so Pali, e.g. Jātaka (Pali) v.379.22 desanaṃ paṭigaṇhanto; not in [Pali Text Society’s Pali-English Dictionary], Childers): °nā-parivarta Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra 20.1, Confession, title of Chap. 3; °nā- gāthāḥ 21.8; pāpa-d° Dharmasaṃgraha 14; °nādyaṃ tu pāpāder Sādhanamālā 72.13, et alibi; see also atyaya-d°; (3) see s.v. gaṇḍī (-deśanā).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryDeśanā (देशना).—diś, [Causal.], + ana, f. Instruction, doctrine, [Śatruṃjayamāhātmya, (ed. A. Weber.)] 14, 74.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryDeśanā (देशना).—[feminine] direction, instruction.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus CatalogorumDeśanā (देशना) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—[grammatical] See Varṇadeśanā.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryDeśanā (देशना):—[from deśa] f. direction, instruction, [Saddharma-puṇḍarīka; Śatruṃjaya-māhātmya]
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Deśana (देशन) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Desaṇa, Desaṇā.
[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.
Prakrit-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary1) Desaṇa (देसण) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Deśana.
2) Desaṇā (देसणा) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Deśanā.
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 corpusDēśana (ದೇಶನ):—[noun] the act or an instance of giving moral or religious advice.
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: Desanapariyosane, Desanavasane, Desanavilasa, Deshanadu, Deshanaparivarta, Deshanapatha, Deshanasha, Deshanata, Deshanavikolana.
Ends with (+10): Adeshana, Anirdeshana, Anudeshana, Atideshana, Atthadesana, Atyayadeshana, Dakshinadeshana, Devatopadeshana, Dhammadesana, Dhammatthadesana, Dharmadeshana, Dharmopadeshana, Duranirdeshana, Garudeshana, Nirdeshana, Papadeshana, Pimdesana, Pradeshana, Pratideshana, Pratyadeshana.
Full-text (+45): Upadeshana, Dharma-deshana, Dhammadesana, Pradeshana, Adeshana, Varnadeshana, Upadeshanavat, Relative Truth, Dharmopadesha, Papadeshana, Pacittiya, Dharmopadeshana, Deshanata, Uddeshana, Atthadesana, Vijnanadeshana, Matsarin, Desanavilasa, Vohara Desana, Pradeshani.
Relevant text
Search found 33 books and stories containing Desana, Desanā, Deshana, Deśanā, Deśana, Desaṇa, Dēsaṇa, Desaṇā, Dēsaṇā, Dēśana; (plurals include: Desanas, Desanās, Deshanas, Deśanās, Deśanas, Desaṇas, Dēsaṇas, Desaṇās, Dēsaṇās, Dēśanas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā (by Dharmachakra Translation Committee)
Chapter 3 < [Appendix - Sanskrit Text]
The Tattvasangraha [with commentary] (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 3570-3574 < [Chapter 26 - Examination of the ‘Person of Super-normal Vision’]
Verse 3640 < [Chapter 26 - Examination of the ‘Person of Super-normal Vision’]
Verse 1847 < [Chapter 21 - Examination of the doctrine of ‘Traikālya’]
Abhidhamma in Daily Life (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa) (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa)
Domain 9 - Dhamma desana (preaching dhamma) < [Chapter 6 - Ten domains of meritorious actions (ten punna kiriyavatthu)]
Buddha Desana (by Sayadaw U Pannadipa)
Chapter 5 - The Distinguished Characteristics Of Buddhism < [Part I - The Buddha Desana]
Chapter 6 - A Psycho-ethical Philosophy < [Part I - The Buddha Desana]
Chapter 1 - The Teaching Of The Buddha < [Part I - The Buddha Desana]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Abhidharma auxiliaries (A): Number of auxiliaries < [Part 2 - The auxiliaries according to the Abhidharma]
Part 1 - Necessity for meditation < [Chapter XXVIII - The Virtue of Meditation (dhyāna)]
I. The pratisaṃvids according to the Abhidharma < [Part 3 - The four unhindered knowledges]
Patience (by Ajahn Sumedho)