Lavanya, Lāvaṇya, Lāvaṇyā: 20 definitions
Introduction:
Lavanya 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Lavany.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Lāvaṇyā (लावण्या) (Cf. Sulāvaṇyā) refers to “beauty”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.18 (“Description of the perturbation caused by Kāma”).—Accordingly, as Śiva described Pārvatī: “[...] Whatever is graceful and sweet in the creation has been incorporated here. Indeed, all her limbs are exquisite in every respect. How blessed is this Pārvatī of mysteriously wonderful features. There is no other woman equal to her in beauty in the three worlds. She is a storehouse of the finest beauty [i.e., su-lāvaṇyā-nidhi]. She has wondrous beautiful limbs. She is an enchantress of even sages. She increases great happiness”.
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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य) refers to “beautiful”, according to the Netratantra of Kṣemarāja: a Śaiva text from the 9th century in which Śiva (Bhairava) teaches Pārvatī topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.—Accordingly, [verse 13.1-9, while describing the appearance and worship of Viṣṇu, in the form of Nārāyaṇa]—“[...] Or, he should meditate [on Nārāyaṇa] atop Garuḍa, Śrī at his side. [He should visualize Viṣṇu] very white and beautiful [with] three faces [that] resemble the moon, six arms, decorated like Varāha Hari, [his hands] endowed with [the shapes of] wish-granting and protection. Śrī is of the same color and holds the same weapons, suitably beautiful and charming (lāvaṇya-kānti-sadṛśī) before the eyes of Devadeva. [...]”.
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य) refers to “beauty”, according to the Guru-maṇḍala-arcana [i.e., “Guru Mandala 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, “By the form of a skull cup, and by the letter Māṃ, Vāruṇī, Eighteen arms, one face, red color, and three eyes, A sword, arrow and hook, on the right, a skull cup, ax and banner, Thus a mace, thus a bell, and in the ninth, granting wishes, A two-headed drum, a bow and noose, a staff and a water pot, A trident, hammer and lute, and thus a number, in the upper hand, A young adolescent beauty (nava-yauvana-lāvaṇyā), a great beauty, a beautiful goddess”.
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.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य) refers to “charm”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “A line of waves in a river that has gone somewhere also returns but not for men the handsome form, strength, charm [and] gracefulness (lāvaṇya—na rūpabalalāvaṇyaṃ saundaryaṃ) that has gone”.
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
lāvaṇya (लावण्य).—n S Beauty, loveliness, prettiness: also handsomeness or comeliness or gracefulness of figure. 2 Saltness, the taste or the property of salt.
lāvaṇya (लावण्य).—n Beauty, loveliness, prettiness. Saltness.
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
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य).—[lavaṇasya bhāvaḥ ṣyañ]
1) Saltness.
2) Beauty, loveliness, charm; तथापि तस्या लावण्यं रेखया किंचिदन्वितम् (tathāpi tasyā lāvaṇyaṃ rekhayā kiṃcidanvitam) Ś. 6.13;7.18; (lāvaṇya is thus defined in Śabdak.:-muktāphaleṣu chāyāyāstaralatvamivāntarā | pratibhāti yadaṅgeṣu tallāvaṇyamihocyate ||). Shri Kshitishachandra points out in his Mañjūṣā that the word does not seem to have any connection with लवण (lavaṇa) (salt). The word रामण्यक (rāmaṇyaka) (= beauty) occurs in the Rāmāyaṇa (vanarāmaṇyakaṃ yatra jalarāmaṇyakaṃ tathā Araṇyakāṇḍa 25.5). 'रलयोरभेद इति न्यायेन सन्निहितयोरनुनासिकयो रेकस्य विषमीकरणप्रक्रियया चाननुनासिकीकरणेन लावण्यमिति निष्पन्न- मिति प्रतिभाति (ralayorabheda iti nyāyena sannihitayoranunāsikayo rekasya viṣamīkaraṇaprakriyayā cānanunāsikīkaraṇena lāvaṇyamiti niṣpanna- miti pratibhāti)' ()|' Amaruśataka gives a verse containing a pun on the word लावण्य (lāvaṇya) (saltness, loveliness):-पीता यतः- प्रभृति कामपिपासितेन तस्या मयाधररसः प्रचुरः प्रियायाः । तृष्णा तदा प्रभृति मे द्विगुणत्वमेति लावण्यमस्ति बहु तत्र किमत्र चित्रम् (pītā yataḥ- prabhṛti kāmapipāsitena tasyā mayādhararasaḥ pracuraḥ priyāyāḥ | tṛṣṇā tadā prabhṛti me dviguṇatvameti lāvaṇyamasti bahu tatra kimatra citram) ||
Derivable forms: lāvaṇyam (लावण्यम्).
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य).—n.
(-ṇyaṃ) 1. Saltness, the taste or property of salt. 2. Beauty, loveliness. E. lavaṇa salt, and ṣyañ aff.
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य).—i. e. lavaṇa + ya, n. 1. Saltness. 2. Loveliness, charm, [Hitopadeśa] i. [distich] 136, M.M.; beauty, [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 2. ed. 19, 3.
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य).—[neuter] saltness; charm, beauty.
1) Lavanya (लवन्य):—[from lava] m. Name of a [particular] tribe of men, [Rājataraṅgiṇī]
2) Lāvaṇya (लावण्य):—[from lāvaṇa] n. (ifc. f(ā). ) saltness, the taste cr property of salt, [Amaru-śataka]
3) [v.s. ...] beauty, loveliness, charm, [Inscriptions; Kāvya literature; Kathāsaritsāgara etc.]
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य):—(ṇyaṃ) 1. n. Saltness; loveliness.
Lavanya (लवन्य):—m. Bez. einer best. Klasse von Menschen [Rājataraṅgiṇī 7, 1241. fgg.] (lāvanya [1242). 8, 1129. 1133. 3385.]
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Lāvaṇya (लावण्य):—(wie eben) n. gaṇa dṛḍhādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 5, 1, 123.]
1) Salzigkeit [Spr. 1780] (zugleich in der Bed. 2). —
2) Anmuth, Schönheit: muktāphaleṣu cchāyāyāstaralatvamivāntarā . pratibhāti yadaṅgeṣu tallāvaṇyamihocyate .. [UJJVALANĪLAMAṆI im Śabdakalpadruma] [Śākuntala 141.] [Kumārasaṃbhava 7, 18.] [Spr. 505. 863. 1631. 1780. 1970. 2667. fg. 3294. 3664. 3728.] [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 105, 8.] [Kathāsaritsāgara 14, 68. 17, 7. 27, 65. 38, 30.] lakṣmī [?43, 114. Caurapañcāśikā 32. Prabodhacandrodaja 101, 12. Sāhityadarpana 52, 12. Hitopadeśa 63, 15. Vetālapañcaviṃśati in Lassen’s Anthologie (III) 19, 3. Inschr. in Journ. of the Am. Or. S. 6, 506, Śloka 24.] locana [Kathāsaritsāgara 28, 20.] indoḥ [17, 109.] [Spr. 3825.] svara [Suśruta 1, 180, 11.] pustakasya [Rājataraṅgiṇī 3, 261.] Am Ende eines adj. comp. f. ā [Śākuntala 110.] [Kathāsaritsāgara 54, 238. 50, 132.]
Lavanya (लवन्य):—m. Bez. einer best. Klasse von Menschen.
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Lāvaṇya (लावण्य):—n. (adj. Comp. f. ā) —
1) Salzigkeit. —
2) Anmuth , Schönheit [Uttamacaritrakathānakam 237.]
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Lāyaṇṇa, Loṇṇa.
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
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य) [Also spelled lavany]:—(nm) charm, beauty, loveliness, comeliness.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Lāvaṇya (ಲಾವಣ್ಯ):—
1) [noun] the fact of containing or seasoned with common salt (sodium carbonate).
2) [noun] beauty; attractiveness.
3) [noun] amorous toying; flirtation; dalliance.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Lāvaṇya (लावण्य):—n. 1. saltiness; salinity; 2. loveliness; gracefulness; elegance; 3. gentleness; meekness;
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.
Pali-English dictionary
lāvaṇya (လာဝဏျ) [(na) (န)]—
[avaṇa+ṇya]
[လဝဏ+ဏျ]
[Pali to Burmese]
lāvaṇya—
(Burmese text): လာဝည-ကြည့်။
(Auto-Translation): Come and see.
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Nya, Abbaṇa, Avana.
Starts with (+4): Lavanyagarvita, Lavanyajaladhi, Lavanyakalita, Lavanyakanti, Lavanyakhani, Lavanyalahari, Lavanyalakshmi, Lavanyam, Lavanyamanjari, Lavanyamaya, Lavanyamdale, Lavanyammanjari, Lavanyanidhi, Lavanyaprakashita, Lavanyarccitam, Lavanyarjita, Lavanyasamaya, Lavanyasambhranta, Lavanyasharman, Lavanyashesha.
Full-text (+40): Rupalavanya, Lavanyarjita, Lavanyamaya, Lavanyavati, Lavanyashri, Alavanya, Lavanyalahari, Lavanyamanjari, Lavanyalakshmi, Lavanyasharman, Lavanyashesha, Lavanyavat, Lavanyakalita, Lavanyam, Lavanna, Lavanyayojana, Samadhikalavanya, Sulavanya, Sheshata, Lavanyagarvita.
Relevant text
Search found 69 books and stories containing Lavanya, Avana-nya, Avaṇa-ṇya, Lāvaṇya, Lāvaṇyā; (plurals include: Lavanyas, nyas, ṇyas, Lāvaṇyas, Lāvaṇyās). 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 1.2.20 < [Chapter 2 - Description of the Abode of Śrī Goloka]
Verse 5.5.7 < [Chapter 5 - Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Entrance Into Mathurā]
Verses 2.25.15-20 < [Chapter 25 - The Rāsa-dance Pastime]
Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture) (by Bhagyashree Sarma)
2. The Importance of the Term Citra < [Chapter 5 - Painting and Image Making]
Kamashastra Discourse (Life in Ancient India) (by Nidheesh Kannan B.)
8.2. Adornments and Caring of Body in Sahṛdayalīlā < [Chapter 5 - Looking for Alternatives: Possibilities in Kāmaśāstra]
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 168 < [Hindi-Marathi-English Volume 3]
Page 811 < [Malayalam-English-Kannada (1 volume)]
Page 687 < [Kannada-English-Malayalam (1 volume)]
Discovery of Sanskrit Treasures (seven volumes) (by Satya Vrat Shastri)
6. Lavanya, Kirata and Kahala < [Volume 1 - Grammer and Linguistics]
4. Sanskrit Semantics (Study) < [Volume 1 - Grammer and Linguistics]
Shringara-manjari Katha (translation and notes) (by Kumari Kalpalata K. Munshi)
Section 7.6 - shashti lavanyasundari-kathanika < [Sanskrit text]
Section 7.8 - astami stri-anuraga-kathanika < [Sanskrit text]
shringaramanjari-katha-antargata-visheshanama-anukramanika < [Sanskrit text]