Kanksha, Kāṅkṣā: 17 definitions

Introduction:

Kanksha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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 Kāṅkṣā can be transliterated into English as Kanksa or Kanksha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of terms

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा):—Desire

Ayurveda book cover
context information

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.

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Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा) refers to “desire” and is used to describe Śiva, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.12.—Accordingly, as Himācala (i.e., Himālaya) said to Śiva: “O lord, my daughter who is eager to serve you, the moon-crested lord, I have brought here with a desire to propitiate you [i.e., kāṅkṣātvadārādhanakāṃkṣayā]. Let her serve you, the benefactor, for ever, along with two of her maids. O lord, if you wish to bless me, please permit her. [...]”.

Purana book cover
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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.

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In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा) refers to “disturbances” (in one’s mind), according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 9).—Accordingly, “The bodhisattvaniyāma (‘position of Bodhisattva’) is the conviction that dharmas do not arise. Having obtained this conviction in regard to dharmas, the Bodhisattva considers the whole world as empty and his mind has no longer any further attachment. Settled on the true nature of dharmas, the bodhisattva no longer loves the world. [...] Furthermore, there is bodhisattvaniyāma when the Bodhisattva, fully endowed with the six perfections, produces the knowledge of skillful means (upāyajñāna), but without becoming fixated on the true nature of dharmas. He knows it personally and attests it personally without depending on the words of another. If Māra in the form of a Buddha comes to him, his mind is not disturbed (kāṅkṣā) at all. [...]”.

Mahayana book cover
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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.

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In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: Jaina Yoga

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा, “desire”) refers to an aspect of samyaktva (right belief) classified under the aticāra heading, according to various Jain authors. Kāṅkṣā again, like the preceding aticāra (śaṅka), will tarnish samyaktva but not eradicate it. It is generally held to imply a hankering for other doctrines than Jainism, for one particular one if it is partial and for all in general if it is total (Yogaśāstra 2.17). Such a desire may be provoked by hearing that the Buddhists, for example, put no restriction on eating and drinking or bathing or easy living. It is wrong—in fact it amounts to a nidāna—to cherish such purely material desires as to be handsome, or to have many sons, or to be reborn as a king, seeing in them a recompense for adherence to the right faith.

The aticāras of samyaktva (e.g., Kāṅkṣā) may virtually, if the fourth and fifth of them which are closely related are merged together, be equated with the first four doṣas. Both aticāras and doṣas represent the negation of the aṅgas. Pūjyapāda holds that it is in any event unnecessary to have eight aticāras corresponding to the eight aṅgas as the fourth and fifth—para-pāṣaṇḍi-praśaṃsā and para-pāṣaṇḍi-saṃstava—are elastic and comprehensive.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा) refers to “(the faults of) acceptance of other doctrines”, according to chapter 1.1 [ādīśvara-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.—Accordingly, “[...] Vajranābha acquired strong Tirthakṛt-body-making and family-karma by the twenty sthānakas as follows:—[...] The ninth [sthānaka] is right-belief, free from the faults of doubt, etc. [viz., kāṅkṣā], adorned with the qualities of firmness, etc., characterized by tranquillity, etc. [...]”.

Note: The faults of right belief in addition to doubt (śaṅkā) are: acceptance of other doctrines (kāṅkṣā); hate of the Tīrthaṅkaras’ speech (vicikitsā); praise of false doctrine (mithyadṛṣtipraśaṃsana); acquaintance with false doctrine (°saṃstava). Yogaśāstra 2.17.

General definition book cover
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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.

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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

kāṅkṣā (कांक्षा).—f S Wish, inclination, desire. 2 An objection started or a question proposed. 3 Doubting or a doubt. 4 A fancy or phantasy; a wild opinion or empty notion.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

kāṅkṣā (कांक्षा).—f A doubt; an objection started. Wish, inclination, desire.

context information

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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा).—[-kāṅkṣ-a]

1) Wish, desire.

2) Inclination, appetite; as in भक्तकाङ्क्षा (bhaktakāṅkṣā). प्रेषितो चाऽपि रामेण सीतान्वेषण- काङ्क्षया (preṣito cā'pi rāmeṇa sītānveṣaṇa- kāṅkṣayā) Rām.5.42.15.

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

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा).—(also °ṣa-, m. or nt.? = Pali kaṅkhā; in Sanskrit only meaning desire; compare prec. and next; this word and [Page175-b+ 71] relatives are also used as in Sanskrit, tho much less commonly, compare dharmakāṅkṣā, desire for dh°, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 258.6; kāṅkṣiṇo, desirous, Lalitavistara 399.8), doubt: °ṣāṃ tatha saṃśayaṃ ca Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 49.1 (verse); very common, e.g. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 61.8 (°ṣāṃ ca śokaṃ ca jahāti); 125.12; 223.1; 337.2; Lalitavistara 87.13; 370.16; Mahāvyutpatti 2129 (followed by vimati; so also Divyāvadāna 297.28; 328.1; Rāṣṭrapālaparipṛcchā 57.19; Gaṇḍavyūha 4.26; 32.25; Sukhāvatīvyūha 37.12 etc.; so often Pali kaṅkhā with vimati); Mahāvastu i.162.7 (here v.l. kāṅkhā); ii.308.19; 374.11; 390.23; iii.55.11; 394.16 (misprinted ka°); Divyāvadāna 573.5; Rāṣṭrapālaparipṛcchā 12.10; Bhadracarī 54; niḥkāṅkṣa (niṣk°), free from doubt, Mahāvyutpatti 364; Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 63.8; 70.11; 71.5; tīrṇa- kāṅkṣa, id., Mahāvastu iii.61.7; 62.12; Divyāvadāna 617.14; Avadāna-śataka i.233.5; apparently a-stem, m. or nt. (if not misprint or error of tradition), Rāṣṭrapālaparipṛcchā 8.10 (prose!) kāṅkṣa-prahāṇaṃ, riddance of doubt.

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

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा).—f.

(-ṅkṣā) Wish, inclination, desire. E. kākṣi to wish, ac and ṭāp affs.

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

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा).—[kāṅkṣ + ā], f. Desire, [Nala] 16, 1.

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

Kāṅkṣa (काङ्क्ष).—kāṅkṣati kāṅkṣate desire, long for, strive after, expect ([accusative]), wait ([absolutely]).

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Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा).—[feminine] kāṅkṣita [neuter], [feminine] wish, desire.

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

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा):—[from kāṅkṣ] f. (ifc.) wish, desire, inclination, [Rāmāyaṇa; Nalopākhyāna; Suśruta; Pañcatantra]

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

Kāṅkṣā (काङ्क्षा):—(ṅkṣā) 1. f. A wish.

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

Kāṅkṣa (काङ्क्ष) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Ahilaṃkha, Ahilaṃgha, Ahilakkha, Kaṃkhā.

[Sanskrit to German]

Kanksha 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.

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