Laghava, Lāghava: 21 definitions
Introduction:
Laghava means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi, Hindi. 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 Laghav.
In Hinduism
Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)
Source: Wikisource: A dictionary of Sanskrit grammarLāghava (लाघव).—Brevity of expression; expressing in as few words as possible; brevity of thought and conception. About brevity of expression, rules or sūtras of the ancient Sūtrakāras are noteworthy especially those of the grammarian Pāṇini, whose brevity of expression is aptly extolled in the familiar expression अर्धमात्रालाघवेन पुत्रोत्सवं मन्यन्ते वैयाकरणाः (ardhamātrālāghavena putrotsavaṃ manyante vaiyākaraṇāḥ) Par. Śek. Pari. 122; cf. also in contrast पर्यायशब्दानां लाघवगौरवचर्चा नाद्रियते (paryāyaśabdānāṃ lāghavagauravacarcā nādriyate) Par.Śek.Pari.115.
Vyakarana (व्याकरण, vyākaraṇa) refers to Sanskrit grammar and represents one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas. Vyakarana concerns itself with the rules of Sanskrit grammar and linguistic analysis in order to establish the correct context of words and sentences.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of terms1) Lāghava (लाघव):—Lightness
2) [lāghavam] Lightness : a property of substance
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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (yoga)Lāghava (लाघव) refers to “lightness” and represents one of the achievements of Haṭhayoga, according to the 17th-century Haṭhayogasaṃhitā: a compilation on Haṭhayoga that borrows extensively from the Haṭhapradīpikā.—[...] The stated aim of Haṭhayoga is to achieve purification (śodhana), firmness (dṛḍhatā), steadiness (sthairya), constancy (dhairya), lightness (lāghava), direct perception (pratyakṣa) and liberation (nirlipta) of the body (ghaṭa). Its Haṭhayoga has seven auxiliaries: the ṣaṭkarma, āsana, mudrā, pratyāhāra, prāṇasaṃyāma, dhyāna and samādhi.
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).
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationLāghava (लाघव) refers to a “base person”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.29 (“Śivā-Śiva dialogue”).—Accordingly, as Śiva said to Pārvatī: “[...] O daughter of the mountain, I will not go up to Himavat your father. I will not become a mendicant and beg of him for you. O daughter of the lord of mountains, even a weighty person (gariṣṭha) endowed with great qualities, even a noble soul, is considered base (lāghava) immediately after uttering the words—‘Please give me’. O benevolent lady, after knowing this what is it that you say is our duty? Gentle lady, do as you wish”.
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.
Sports, Arts and Entertainment (wordly enjoyments)
Source: archive.org: Syainika Sastra of Rudradeva with English Translation (art)Lāghava (लाघव) refers to “that which lightens (the body)”, according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, “Hunting on horseback (āśvina) represents one of the eight subdivisions of Hunting (mṛgayā). [...] The practice of hunting on horseback reduces fat, lightens (lāghava) the body [vapuṣi lāghavam], enhances strength and ambition, hardens the muscles, kindles appetite, produces a capacity for enduring hunger, thirst, heat, cold, fatigue, and keeping awake at night, generates a skill in aiming at moving objects, increases energy, and produces a faculty of knowing the movements and minds of animals. These and many such excellences are acquired by it for one’s own benefit. [...]”.
This section covers the skills and profiencies of the Kalas (“performing arts”) and Shastras (“sciences”) involving ancient Indian traditions of sports, games, arts, entertainment, love-making and other means of wordly enjoyments. Traditionally these topics were dealt with in Sanskrit treatises explaing the philosophy and the justification of enjoying the pleasures of the senses.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve ReflectionsLāghava (लाघव) refers to the “insignificance (of one’s actions)”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Also when a corporeal [soul] who is complete, having consciousness, with five senses [and] possessing limbs thus comes into being among the plants and animals then it is not because of a very small diminution in shameful deeds. When sentient beings attain here the human state endowed with attributes characterized by place, birth, etc. that is because of the insignificance of [their] actions (karma-lāghava), I think”.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarylāghava (लाघव).—n S Lightness. 2 Littleness or smallness. 3 Meanness, want of importance or consequence. 4 Lightness, delicacy, fineness, minuteness; and hence masterliness or skillfulness (of workmanship). 5 Subtle softness or smoothness.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishlāghava (लाघव).—n Lightness. Littleness; mean- ness. Masterliness. Subtle softness.
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 dictionaryLāghava (लाघव).—[laghorbhāvaḥ aṇ]
1) Smallness, littleness.
2) Levity, lightness; अलसग्रहणं प्राप्तो दुर्मेधावी तथोच्यते । बुद्धिलाघवयुक्तेन जनेनादीर्धदर्शिना (alasagrahaṇaṃ prāpto durmedhāvī tathocyate | buddhilāghavayuktena janenādīrdhadarśinā) || Mahābhārata (Bombay) 12.166.6. (com. lāghavaṃ nīcatā); cf. बुद्धिलाघव (buddhilāghava).
3) Thoughtlessness, frivolity.
4) Insignificance.
5) Disrespect, contempt, dishonour, degradation; सेवां लाघवकारिणीं कृतधियः स्थाने श्ववृत्तिं विदुः (sevāṃ lāghavakāriṇīṃ kṛtadhiyaḥ sthāne śvavṛttiṃ viduḥ) Mu.3.14; यास्यसि लाघवम् (yāsyasi lāghavam) Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 2.35.
6) Quickness, speed, rapidity; गतिर्वेगश्च तेजश्व लाघवं च महाकपे । पितुस्ते सदृशं वीर मारुतस्य महौजसः (gatirvegaśca tejaśva lāghavaṃ ca mahākape | pituste sadṛśaṃ vīra mārutasya mahaujasaḥ) || Rām.4.44.5.
7) Ease, facility.
8) Health, soundness of constitution.
9) Activity, dexterity; readiness; वियदभिपातलाघवेन (viyadabhipātalāghavena) Kirātārjunīya 7.21; हस्तलाघवम् (hastalāghavam).
1) Versatility; बुद्धिलाघवम् (buddhilāghavam).
11) Brevity, conciseness (of expression); प्रसादरम्यमोजस्वि गरीयो लाघवान्वितम् (prasādaramyamojasvi garīyo lāghavānvitam) Kirātārjunīya 11.38.
12) An explanation which is in consonance with the principle of economy of nature and involves simplicity of reasoning; (alpopasthitisāpekṣatvaṃ lāghavam); आकाशो लाघवादेकः (ākāśo lāghavādekaḥ) Tarka. K.
13) Shortness of a syllable (in prosody).
Derivable forms: lāghavam (लाघवम्).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryLāghava (लाघव).—(nt.; compare Sanskrit id.; Pali lahu, lahuka, seems to approach a meaning similar to this more closely than Sanskrit laghu etc., but I have found no precise parallel), buoyancy, not sinking, of a fishline, taut because a fish has caught the bait: tena sūtra-lāghavena jānāti, gṛhīto matsya iti Śikṣāsamuccaya 94.18.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryLāghava (लाघव).—n.
(-vaṃ) 1. Health. 2. Lightness, delicacy, minuteness. 3. Meanness, insignificance. 4. Frivolity. 5. Speed. 6. Activity. 7. Smallness. 8. Ease. 9. Brevity. 10. Contempt. E. laghu light, &c. and aṇ aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryLāghava (लाघव).—i. e. laghu + a, n. 1. Lightness. 2. Undervaluing, a cause of undervaluing, [Pañcatantra] ii. [distich] 107; disgrace, iii. [distich] 113; contempt, [Bhagavadgītā, (ed. Schlegel.)] 2, 35. 3. Swiftness,
Lāghava (लाघव).—[neuter] quickness, agility, dexterity in ([locative]), lightness, relief; fickleness, inconsiderateness, smallness, shortness, insignificance, meanness, humbleness, contempt.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Lāghava (लाघव):—n. ([from] laghu) swiftness, rapidity, speed, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa]
2) alacrity, versatility, dexterity, skill, [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
3) lightness (also of heart), ease, relief, [Manu-smṛti; Yājñavalkya; Suśruta]
4) levity, thoughtlessness, inconsiderateness, rashness, [Rāmāyaṇa; Kathāsaritsāgara]
5) insignificance, unimportance, smallness, [Rāmāyaṇa; Mālavikāgnimitra; Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]
6) (in prosody) shortness of a vowel or syllable (opp. to gaurava), [Piṅgala Scholiast, i.e. halāyudha]
7) shortness of expression, brevity, conciseness, [Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha; Kātyāyana [Scholiast or Commentator]]
8) lack of weight or consequence, derogation of dignity, slight, disrespect, [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature etc.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryLāghava (लाघव):—(vaṃ) 1. n. Health; lightness; meanness; frivolity.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Lāghava (लाघव) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Lāghava.
[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 dictionaryLāghava (लाघव) [Also spelled laghav]:—(nm) skill, dexterity, smartness; littleness; minuteness.
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Prakrit-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionaryLāghava (लाघव) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Lāghava.
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 corpusLāghava (ಲಾಘವ):—
1) [noun] the quality of being small, tiny; smallness; tininess.
2) [noun] the quality of being not heavy or being very light; lightness.
3) [noun] baseness; meanness; ingnobleness.
4) [noun] that which is inferior, mean, ignoble.
5) [noun] the condition of being favourable, conducive; facility.
6) [noun] quickness; swiftness.
7) [noun] skill; adroitness; dexterity.
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: Laghavadosha, Laghavagauravavicara, Laghavajnana, Laghavajnanavicara, Laghavakarin, Laghavala, Laghavanvita, Laghavanyaya, Laghavata, Laghavayana.
Ends with: Alaghava, Arthalaghava, Astralaghava, Atilaghava, Buddhilaghava, Capalaghava, Gatilaghava, Grahalaghava, Gurulaghava, Hastalaghava, Kailaghava, Kalpanalaghava, Karmalaghava, Kriyalaghava, Mayalaghava, Panilaghava, Pratipattilaghava.
Full-text (+35): Gurulaghava, Hastalaghava, Grahalaghava, Laghavakarin, Laghavika, Buddhilaghava, Gaurava, Nritya, Laghavagauravavicara, Viparitata, Lakavam, Gauravalaghavavicara, Laghavayana, Arthalaghava, Laghavanvita, Laghavin, Kriyalaghava, Kalpanalaghava, Alaghava, Laghav.
Relevant text
Search found 20 books and stories containing Laghava, Lāghava; (plurals include: Laghavas, Lāghavas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Nitiprakasika (Critical Analysis) (by S. Anusha)
Chaitanya Bhagavata (by Bhumipati Dāsa)
Verse 1.13.56 < [Chapter 13 - Defeating Digvijayī]
The Tattvasangraha [with commentary] (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 2109-2110 < [Chapter 24a - The case for the reliability of the Veda (the Revealed Word)]
Verse 581-583 < [Chapter 10 - The Examination of the First Category—‘Substance’]
Shrimad Bhagavad-gita (by Narayana Gosvami)
Verse 2.35 < [Chapter 2 - Sāṅkhya-yoga (Yoga through distinguishing the Soul from the Body)]
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.4.168 < [Part 4 - Transient Ecstatic Disturbances (vyābhicāri-bhāva)]
Verse 3.5.9 < [Part 5 - Conjugal Love (mādhurya-rasa)]
Vakyapadiya of Bhartrihari (by K. A. Subramania Iyer)
Verse 3.1.66 < [Book 3 - Pada-kāṇḍa (1): Jāti-samuddeśa (On the Universal)]
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