Lakshya, Lakṣya: 17 definitions
Introduction:
Lakshya means something in Buddhism, Pali, 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.
The Sanskrit term Lakṣya can be transliterated into English as Laksya or Lakshya, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Lakshy.
In Hinduism
Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)
Source: Wikisource: A dictionary of Sanskrit grammarLakṣya (लक्ष्य).—lit. target; illustration; example of a grammatical rule; cf. लक्ष्ये लक्षणं सकृदेव प्रवर्तते (lakṣye lakṣaṇaṃ sakṛdeva pravartate) Paribhāşā; also लक्ष्यानुसारि व्याख्यानमेव शरणम् (lakṣyānusāri vyākhyānameva śaraṇam) Paribhāşenduśekhara; cf. also शब्दो लक्ष्यः सूत्रं लक्षणम् (śabdo lakṣyaḥ sūtraṃ lakṣaṇam) M. Bh. on P.I.1.1 Vārt. 14.
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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason BirchLakṣya (लक्ष्य) refers to the “object of meditation”, according to the Jayottara 9.36.—Accordingly, [while describing meditation on the body of he supreme deity]: “He should first practice with the gross form, then subtle, then the highest. In this way, the mind and object of meditation (lakṣya) along with [all] delimiting factors (upādhi) dissolve”.
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).
Sports, Arts and Entertainment (wordly enjoyments)
Source: archive.org: Syainika Sastra of Rudradeva with English Translation (art)1) Lakṣyā (लक्ष्या) refers to “aiming (at moving objects)” (while hunting), 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 the body, enhances strength and ambition, hardens the muscles, kindles appetite, produces a capacity for enduring [...], generates a skill in aiming at moving objects (cala-lakṣyā) [calalakṣyādinaipuṇyam] [...],. These and many such excellences are acquired by it for one’s own benefit. [...]”.
2) Lakṣya (लक्ष्य) refers to the “quarry/prey/target” (captured by a hawk), according to the Śyainika-śāstra.—Accordingly, [while discussing the black-eyed division of hawks]: “[...] Like servants they become serviceable if their expectations are raised, and if they are rewarded according to their deserts. This class is quick to hear a distant call, to fall on distant prey and capture big quarry (sthūla-lakṣya). The second class will now be treated of. [...]”.
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 Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāLakṣya (लक्ष्य) refers to “something to be characterized” (Cf. Lakṣaṇa—‘characteristic’), according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “Then, the Lord went on to speak these verses: ‘[...] (80) Insight purifies the root of hindrance; it is the mark of knowledge (parijñā) about the part of personality and realms (skandhadhātu); it is the liberation from its characteristics since there is no distinction between a characteristic and something to be characterized (lakṣaṇa-lakṣya). By attaining the insight, he is adorned in the three realms. [...]’”.
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: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): (Jainism)Lakṣya (लक्ष्य) refers to “target” (for practicing shooting arrows), according to the Līlāvatīsāra which was written by the thirteenth-century Jain poet, Jinaratna.—Accordingly, his retelling contains the phrase, [ūrdhvamuṣṭir adhodṛṣṭiḥ (3.257c)], which describes Vatsarāja at the moment before he shoots the arrow. Vatsarāja’s fist is raised up above his head because he must point the bow up to a target above himself, and his gaze is directed down because he must sight the target by gazing at its reflection in a bowl of oil on the ground. A doll (pañcālī) called Rādhā is the target (lakṣya) and she is placed in the middle of a rotating wheel which is suspended atop a high pillar (stambha). One can infer that the “piercing is upward” (ūrdhvavedha) because Vatsarāja's arrow strikes her from below.
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 Dictionarylakṣya (लक्ष्य).—n (S) An object of aim, a mark, a butt. 2 Attention, the mind as attent or intent. 3 The sight (as of a quadrant &c.)
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lakṣya (लक्ष्य).—a S (Possible, purposed, necessary, proper) to be looked at, attended to, observed, noted, discerned, perceived &c. 2 Understood; apprehended as indicated or intended; subauditum.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishlakṣya (लक्ष्य).—n An object of aim; attention.
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 dictionaryLakṣya (लक्ष्य).—pot. p. [lakṣ-yat]
1) To be looked at or observed, visible, observable, perceptible; बभ्रमुस्तदविज्ञाय लक्ष्यं पतनकारणम् (babhramustadavijñāya lakṣyaṃ patanakāraṇam) Bhāgavata 1.11.2; दुलक्ष्यचिह्ना महतां हि वृत्तिः (dulakṣyacihnā mahatāṃ hi vṛttiḥ) Ki. 17.23.
2) Indicated or recognizable by (with instr. or in comp.); दूराल्लक्ष्यं सुरपतिधनुश्चारुणा तोरणेन (dūrāllakṣyaṃ surapatidhanuścāruṇā toraṇena) Meghadūta 77; प्रवेपमानाधरलक्ष्यकोपया (pravepamānādharalakṣyakopayā) Kumārasambhava 5.74; R.4.5;7.6.
3) To be known or found out, traceable; यमामनन्त्यात्मभुवोऽपि कारणं कथं स लक्ष्यप्रभवो भविष्यति (yamāmanantyātmabhuvo'pi kāraṇaṃ kathaṃ sa lakṣyaprabhavo bhaviṣyati) Kumārasambhava 5.81; cf. अलक्ष्य (alakṣya) also.
4) To be marked or characterized.
5) To be defined.
6) To be aimed at.
7) To be expressed or denoted indirectly.
8) To be regarded or considered as.
-kṣyaḥ Name of a magical formula recited over weapons; Rām.
-kṣyam 1 An aim, a butt, mark, target, mark aimed at (fig. also); उत्कर्षः स च धन्विनां यदिषवः सिध्यन्ति लक्ष्ये चले (utkarṣaḥ sa ca dhanvināṃ yadiṣavaḥ sidhyanti lakṣye cale) Ś. 2.5; दृष्टिं लक्ष्येषु बध्नन् (dṛṣṭiṃ lakṣyeṣu badhnan) Mu.1.2; दर्पेण कौतुकवता मयि बद्धलक्ष्यः (darpeṇa kautukavatā mayi baddhalakṣyaḥ) Uttararāmacarita 5.11; R.1.61;6.11;9.67; Kumārasambhava 3.47,64;5.49; लक्ष्यं चतुर्विधं ज्ञेयं स्थिरं चैव चलं तथा । चलाचलं द्वयचलं वेधनीयं क्रमेण तु (lakṣyaṃ caturvidhaṃ jñeyaṃ sthiraṃ caiva calaṃ tathā | calācalaṃ dvayacalaṃ vedhanīyaṃ krameṇa tu) || Dhanur.94.
2) A sign, token.
3) The thing defined (opp. lakṣaṇa); लक्ष्यैकदेशे लक्षणस्यावर्तनमव्याप्तिः (lakṣyaikadeśe lakṣaṇasyāvartanamavyāptiḥ) Tarka K.
4) An indirect or secondary meaning, that derived from लक्षणा (lakṣaṇā) q. v; वाच्यलक्ष्यव्यङ्ग्या अर्थाः (vācyalakṣyavyaṅgyā arthāḥ) K. P.2.
5) A pretence, sham, disguise; इदानीं परीक्षे किं लक्ष्यसुप्तमुत परमार्थ- सुप्तमिदं द्वयम् (idānīṃ parīkṣe kiṃ lakṣyasuptamuta paramārtha- suptamidaṃ dvayam) Mṛcchakaṭika 3;3.18; कन्दर्पप्रवणमनाः सखीसिसिक्षालक्ष्येण प्रतियुवमञ्जलिं चकार (kandarpapravaṇamanāḥ sakhīsisikṣālakṣyeṇa pratiyuvamañjaliṃ cakāra) Śiśupālavadha 8.35; R.6.81.
6) A lac, one hundred thousand.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryLakṣya (लक्ष्य).—mfn.
(-kṣyaḥ-kṣyā-kṣyaṃ) 1. To be seen or noted. 2. To be defined or described. 3. To have attributes or predicates attached. n.
(-kṣyaṃ) 1. A mark, a butt. 2. A mark, a sign. 3. Fraud, disguise. 4. A Lac, a hundred thousand. 5. A secondary meaning. 6. The thing defined. E. lakṣ to see, yat aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryLakṣya (लक्ष्य).—[adjective] to be defined, to be expressed indirectly or implicitly ([rhetorie]); to be taken for or regarded as ([nominative]); to be aimed at, intended, noticed, observed; visible, perceivable, knowable by ([instrumental] or —°).
— [neuter] mark, aim, object, prize, a lac (100,000); appearance, pretence.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Lakṣya (लक्ष्य):—[from lakṣ] mfn. to be marked or characterized or defined, [Kapila [Scholiast or Commentator]]
2) [v.s. ...] to be indicated, indirectly denoted or expressed, [Sāhitya-darpaṇa; Vedāntasāra]
3) [v.s. ...] (to be) kept in view or observed, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā; Kathāsaritsāgara]
4) [v.s. ...] to be regarded as or taken for ([nominative case]), [Śiśupāla-vadha; Hitopadeśa]
5) [v.s. ...] to be recognised or known, recognisable by ([instrumental case] or [compound]), [Harivaṃśa; Kālidāsa; Dhūrtasamāgama]
6) [v.s. ...] observable, perceptible, visible, [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
7) [v.s. ...] m. Name of a magical formula or spell recited over weapons, [Rāmāyaṇa]
8) [v.s. ...] n. an object aimed at, prize, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa; Kāmandakīya-nītisāra]
9) [v.s. ...] (exceptionally also n. with m. as [varia lectio]) an aim, butt, mark, goal, [Upaniṣad; Gautama-dharma-śāstra; Mahābhārata] etc. (lakṣyaṃ-√labh, to attain an object, have success; lakṣyam-√bandh with [locative case], ‘to fix or direct the aim at’, with ākāśe = ākāśe lakṣam-√bandh See under lakṣa)
10) [v.s. ...] n. the thing defined (opp. to lakṣaṇa), [Apte’s The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary]
11) [v.s. ...] an indirect or secondary meaning (that derived from lakṣaṇā, q.v.), [Kāvyaprakāśa]
12) [v.s. ...] a pretence, sham, disguise, [Raghuvaṃśa; Kāmandakīya-nītisāra] (cf. -supta)
13) [v.s. ...] a lac or one hundred thousand, [Rājataraṅgiṇī]
14) [v.s. ...] an example, illustration (?), [Sāhitya-darpaṇa]
15) [v.s. ...] often [varia lectio] or [wrong reading] for lakṣa and lakṣman.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryLakṣya (लक्ष्य):—[(kṣyaḥ-kṣyā-kṣyaṃ) a.] That should be seen or defined or traced; having attributes. n. A mark, a sign; a fraud; 100,000.
[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 dictionaryLakṣya (लक्ष्य) [Also spelled lakshy]:—(nm) the aim, object/objective, target, goal; (a) indicated, implied; -[pūrti] fulfilment of the target, -[bedha] hitting the target; -[siddhi] attainment of one’s aim/object/goal.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusLakṣya (ಲಕ್ಷ್ಯ):—
1) [adjective] that can be marked, characterised or defined.
2) [adjective] that is to be marked, defined with certain charactericstcs, etc.
3) [adjective] that is to be aimed at.
4) [adjective] that is to be or can be observed, taken into consideration.
5) [adjective] of or constituting the special character; typical; distinctive.
6) [adjective] that is to be or can be explained.
7) [adjective] indicating in an indirect manner.
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Lakṣya (ಲಕ್ಷ್ಯ):—
1) [noun] a sign; a symbol; a mark.
2) [noun] the object to be attained; intention or purpose; aim.
3) [noun] an example, story, analogy, etc. used to help explain or make something clear; an illustration.
4) [noun] the act of keeping one’s mind closely on something or the ability to do this; mental concentration.
5) [noun] a pretentious act; make-believe.
6) [noun] a particular mode in shooting arrows from a bow.
7) [noun] the cardinal number one hundred thousand; 1,00,000.
8) [noun] the figurative sense of a word.
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 DictionaryLakṣya (लक्ष्य):—n. 1. target; aim; goal; objective; motto; 2. targeted; object; 3. hundred thousand (numbered);
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)
Starts with (+20): Lakshya-kaarak, Lakshya-karaka, Lakshyabhava, Lakshyabhed, Lakshyabheda, Lakshyabhedi, Lakshyabhiharana, Lakshyabhuta, Lakshyacyuta, Lakshyacyute, Lakshyadarshi, Lakshyagocara, Lakshyagodu, Lakshyagraha, Lakshyahan, Lakshyajnatva, Lakshyakodu, Lakshyakrama, Lakshyakshiharana, Lakshyalakshanabhava.
Ends with (+25): Abhilakshya, Alakshya, Antarlakshya, Anulakshya, Anupalakshya, Apravilakshya, Asamlakshya, Avalakshya, Avilakshya, Bahirlakshya, Calalakshya, Caramalakshya, Chayalakshya, Drishtilakshya, Duhsamlakshya, Duralakshya, Durlakshya, Ingitalakshya, Labdhalakshya, Lakshanalakshya.
Full-text (+84): Abhilakshyam, Yupalakshya, Lakshyatva, Lakshyata, Upalakshya, Savarnalakshya, Alakshya, Lakshya-karaka, Sahaja-lakshya, Sthulalakshya, Sahaj-lakshya, Lakshya-kaarak, Lakshyasupta, Alakshyajanmata, Lakshyagraha, Lakshyasiddhi, Lakshyavedha, Lakshyahan, Lakshyavithi, Lakshyabheda.
Relevant text
Search found 38 books and stories containing Lakshya, Lakṣya, Laksya; (plurals include: Lakshyas, Lakṣyas, Laksyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
Text 2.27 < [Chapter 2 - The Natures of Words (śabda)]
Text 4.5 < [Chapter 4 - First-rate Poetry]
Text 4.58 < [Chapter 4 - First-rate Poetry]
Nitiprakasika (Critical Analysis) (by S. Anusha)
Sarga I: Rājadharma-upadeśa (57 Verses) < [Chapter 2]
Saṃhāra Weapons (2): Upasaṃhāra-Astras < [Chapter 3]
Paduka-panchaka (the five-fold footstool) (by Arthur Avalon)
Thirty minor Upanishads (by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar)
Mandala-brahmana Upanishad of Shukla-Yajurveda, Chapter I
Mandala-brahmana Upanishad of Shukla-Yajurveda, Chapter II
The First Verse of Srimad-bhagavata Maha-Purana < [Purana, Volume 6, Part 2 (1964)]
Sarasvati Stotra (eulogy of Sarasvati) < [Purana, Volume 6, Part 1 (1964)]
Vivekachudamani (by Shankara)